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Julie &  Kevin - More4kids Inc.
"More4kids, because kids don’t come with instructions"

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According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, the United States had 902,270 public charities in 2006. You can choose to give you money to help build houses for the poor, find cures for diseases, protect endangered animals, or help children learn to read. The problem isn’t finding a charity to support, but narrowing down your options and choosing the one you find most worthy.

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There are many fun, family crafts and projects that can be pursued when it comes to arts and crafts. Many families use their computers and other electronic devices to assist them when it comes to creating a project. Now, there is a new product on the market that I have found to be extremely fun and productive when it comes to creating fun projects with my children. This product is called Cricut. When pronounced, it sounds like you are saying “cricket”. This is a cutting system that is electronic based. However, the upside is that it does not require an actual computer. Here, I will tell you a little about how you can create fun family projects – the easy way!

Today we are going to be reviewing the features of the Cricut. It is a revolutionary machine that actually cuts an assortment of materials in many different ways. No more buying special printer paper or messing with patterns that can be really difficult to work with! Now, you can just insert the material, decide on how you want it cut and go from there. There are many exciting projects that you can choose from when it comes to cutting with this particular tool:

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More4kids likes to recognize both individuals and organizations that make a positive impact in the lives of families. "First Things First” is such an organization that has made a positive impact in the lives of many families and in the community in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area. They focus on assisting families with various areas of interest. This nonprofit organization works with numerous resources in the Hamilton County area, such as businesses, special groups, and individuals to bring together a wide selection of resources for the families in the area. The leaders of the community established that the county would be strengthened by first strengthening the families of that community. This marked the beginning of “First Things First”.  We will review what this organization does, what they stand for, and why this organization deserves credit for the hard work they do helping families and couples.

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Valentines day should be a very special day for families. It is a time to express our love for our spouse and especially for our kids. It is a time to say "I love you" to grandma and grandpa. It is a time to forget about fights or disagreements and let your kids know, above everything else how much you love them and show them how much you love their mommy or daddy.  Valentines Day is a day to be thankful to God for all we have. From all of us here at More4kids, HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

The alarm clock on the left is an example of a hidden Nanny Cam.

It is every parents nightmare. Police in Cherokee Country, GA say parents caught Nanny abusing their 13th month old child. In recent news, a woman who was hired through a national childcare service from the internet was discovered to be abusive towards a child of just a little over one year old that she was caring for. The family that employed this woman installed nanny cams once they began to notice behavioral changes in their child. The first day, in which the woman cared for the child under the supervision of the nanny cams, she was caught being abusive. The evidence portrays this individual slapping the young child in the face, pushing the child, and even pinching! Should you get a nanny cam? Stories like this seem to suggest “yes”.

You can read more of this story by visiting the following link: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14938393/detail.html . Reading this story sent mixed emotions through me. I felt anger, sadness, and shock all at the same time. Having small kids myself made this story really touch home. The rest of this report will discuss signs of child abuse and questions you should ask your Nanny or babysitter before you hire them.

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This is one of the craziest recalls I have seen and wanted to alert parents very quickly. CNN has just published news that Aqua Dots is being recalled. According to the CNN article, about "4.2 million Chinese-made Aqua Dots toys contaminated with a powerful "date rape" drug that has caused some children to vomit and lose consciousness upon ingesting the contents"

Plus I just noticed information on the recall is at http://www.aquadotsrecall.com/. The Aqua Dot recall page was put up just yesterday.

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American Idol Talent Challenge

This is the hottest karaoke machine ever. American Idol Talent Challenge hooks up to a television and comes with a microphone and DVD for your Child to become a household Star. The set allows friends and family to join in on the fun with a remote that lets them judge your rising star’s singing abilities. Selling for $50 on average, this hot Christmas gift is fun for kids 6 and older.  Where to buy:  American Idol Talent Challenge

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Have you discovered the world of podcasts yet? A podcast is an audio or video recording posted on a website that you can download to your computer or MP3 player and play anytime. Podcasts are a great way to learn new information and keep up on trends while you are driving, exercising, cooking, etc.

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Whats a parent to do? The Christmas season is upon us and Santa may not make very many children happy this year. If there is a particular toy that your child wants and it is on the recall list, he or she is going to be very disappointed Christmas morning. Some toys are on hold and haven’t been shipped to the U. S. yet and some are sitting in ports waiting to see what is going to happen with them.

Not only are these children not going to get the toy they want, they may be getting rid of some of their favorites too. Recalls on Fisher Price, who is a subsidiary of Mattel are rapidly climbing as more problems are found with either lead based paint being used or small magnets that can be swallowed.

Dora, a favorite for every little girl is being recalled due to lead based paint being used. Sesame Street is on the recall list as is Polly Pocket, Barbie, and Easy Bake Oven. If you have purchased any of the toys that are on the recall list, these toys should either be returned for a refund of your purchase price. If you do not want to do this at least
throw them away to keep your little ones safe.

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by Stacey Schifferdecker

My husband tells a story about an ice cream social on his family’s farm when he was a boy. His family and some friends were sitting outside enjoying the beautiful weather and eating delicious homemade ice cream – the kind made with an old-fashioned wooden churn that you had to crank for hours. It was high summer, but this was Bible belt Kansas and the conversation turned to God’s blessings. Everyone began sharing what he or she was thankful for, just like many of us do around the Thanksgiving table. The adults were all thankful for the big bowls of ice cream, the good weather for crops, jobs that paid well, healthy kids, and other big stuff. When it was little David’s turn, he said, “I’m thankful for the water!” The adults all got a good laugh at the little boy who was enjoying a bowl of homemade ice cream but was thankful for the glass of water he was drinking with it. But to David, that water made his enjoyment of the ice cream even greater by cleansing his mouth between bites.

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Parenting sure has its up and its downs. Becoming a parent can be one of the most exciting times of anyone’s life, and it can also be one of the most stressful. It is important for new parents to realize that along with all of the stress and hard work of parenting come countless and immeasurable rewards. I personally would not give it up for the world!!

You see, parenting offers us parents the ability to raise a new member of the global community, someone who has unlimited potential to make a difference in the future and in the world. There is nothing better than seeing your child grow to become a successful adult who cares about the world in which they live.

Sure, the future reward is amazing and almost unbelievable, but what about the everyday rewards of parenting?

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Now I don’t want this to get political, but I once heard or read Al Gore saying, and I am paraphrasing from memory here, "If your babies crib is on fire, you don’t speculate that the baby is flame-retardant". What did I learn from this? Use your gut instinct, and don’t always think about parenting, just do what seems to come naturally and see what happens, most of the time it will be the right decision.

Most moms seem to have a sixth sense when it comes to parenting. Dads do to, but it takes a little harder work, I am talking from experience here. As a dad I have found we really have to work at getting in touch with our kids feelings. Moms just seem to do it naturally. Beginning with the birth of a child, or sometimes before, an immediate instinct forms with a mom; a signal if you will, instantly hones in on the baby’s every need. While there are some who do not have the ability to take on the role of parent; the majority however, do. The confidence to follow your own parenting instincts is an inherent trait, and one which is worth exploring a bit more.

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Well, kids really don’t come with instruction manuals and when I held my first son in my arms I muttered to myself for the first time after birth, "now what?" The nurse must have heard me because she just turned to me and said softly, "just love him". That moment changed the whole world for me. As a new dad that was both my happiest and scariest day of my life! When someone becomes a parent, their child does not come with an instruction manual. Most of us learn by trial and error, books, or from tips passed on from our parents. Parenting is a hard job and it gets harder as our children get older. Our children face many pressures today that we as parents never had to deal with when we were young. That means we have to change our parenting technique to adapt to today’s society and its pressures. Today we need to take a different approach to raising children. Parents need all the help they can get for each stage of their child’s life. You can be an effective parent in today’s society, using common sense, and a few other professional tips will help you be the parent you want to be.

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Traveling and having to be away from young kids is always kinda rough, not only on the kids, but also on the parents as well. All the parenting books I have read and classes I have taken has not made it much easier. Now that my son is 5 he is starting to understand a little better, but it is still a little difficult. To ease his mind I started talking about the trip a few weeks earlier and made sure I answered any questions he had. I made sure I spent some extra time with both my children and continued our normal routines as much as possible. As I was reading him a nighttime story a few nights before my oldest son asked "Who will read me nighttime stories when you are gone?" Knowing my wife would not be able to because of our youngest, I made a "deal" with him. The deal was when returned I would read him 4 pages of his stories instead of the normal 2. That made him happy and hope that it reassured him I would return soon.

The Day before I left: On the day before the trip I asked my 5 year old son to help.

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