|
|
News: We are constantly looking for news and events to share. If you are a writer, or if you have something that may be of interest, contact us with all the details.
Regards,
Julie & Kevin - More4kids Inc.
"More4kids, because kids don't come with instructions"
Pregnancy , Early Signs of Pregnancy and Baby Names
Homeschooling ResourcesBaby Development
Children's Health
Kids Safety and Internet security
Tips to Help Parents Save Money
Personalized Childrens Gifts - by More4kids
NEW!! Check out our parenting toolbar!! Free for our visitors:
Learn more about our new parenting toolbars great features
![[Post to Twitter]](http://www.more4kids.info/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter-big2.png){kind=icon}
![[Post to Yahoo Buzz]](http://www.more4kids.info/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-buzz-big2.png){kind=icon}
![[Post to StumbleUpon]](http://www.more4kids.info/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-su-big2.png){kind=icon}
When You Thought I Wasn't Looking
- Unknown
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang up my first painting on the refrigerator, and I wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I knew that little things are special things.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I believed there is a God I could always talk to.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I felt you kiss me goodnight, and I felt loved.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I LOOKED… and wanted to say thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.
I ran across the above quote and it touched me very much. Many times as parents we don't realize our actions can be so much louder than words. It is not necessary what you say, but what you do that makes all the difference in the world of your children. Give your child a hug today. Peace and love on this Wonderful Sunday - Kevin @ More4kids.
by Stephanie Partridge
At some point as a parent, regardless of how great your relationship is with your teen, you will butt heads and go through some struggles. You teen will begin trying to separate from you and become an individual. They want to be independent, in control of their own lives and make their own choices. While it may be difficult and even painful for both of you, these struggles are actually good for your teen - and for you. If you handle these struggles properly, you can actually strengthen your relationship with your teen while making both of you stronger, wiser and better decision makers. These survival tips will help.
Don't - Fall in the Parent Trap
Many parents fall into what I call the "Parent Trap." They play that parent card like they were playing a winning hand in a million dollar poker game. They over use the power (bordering on abusing it), completely controlling the situation and giving the child no leeway whatsoever. Do you want a kid who sneaks out after you go to sleep or who wears one thing out then changes into a "forbidden" ensemble in the gas station restroom after they leave your house? Well, that is exactly what you are going to get if you control every aspect of your child's life. And if you say, "MY child wouldn't do something like that" you are especially at risk. You are kidding yourself and your child probably already has done something like that. READ More on Parent and Teen Struggles: A Survival Guide
So, what is Green Parenting? Teaching our children to conserve our planets energy and resources has been around for many of us for years now. However, with increased global awareness of our planet Earth’s decline, now more then ever we need to teach our children how to utilize the resources that are already available to them, without creating further harm to the environment. By starting our children out learning how to be friendly to the environment, living in harmony with it, the whole world benefits for future generations to come. So how do you teach your child to be more green conscious? With all the ads on tv as well as in stores, for harsh chemicals of all kinds geared for making life easier, its harder to teach a simpler and more green way of life, but it can be done. READ More on Green Parenting: Raising Environmentally Aware Kids
Filed under Green Living, Parenting by More4kids
We have all been that awkward age, where we were too old for the little kid things and too young to hang with the teenagers. Yes that lovely age that starts when they are ten and lasts until they are 13. If you don't have children then I am sure you are thinking that is only 3 years, how bad can it be? That would be because you don't have children and you haven't had to experience this age period as a parent.
The goal this week is to offer tips on how you as a parent can survive this wonderful time of adolescences and help your child get through this transitional time.
Tip One: Teach Your Child How to Greet Someone
This may seem completely silly and useless, but have you watched how children at this age meet people. Their heads are down, they are mumbling and if you are lucky they will look in the direction of the person but not really at them. Meeting new people can be tricky, especially at this age because your child doesn't want to be seen as a little kid. Practice greetings with them. Teach them to stand up straight, to make eye contact with the person they are meeting or talking to. Make sure that they speak clearly. This will get them, "What a charming young man/lady," instead of the "what a cute little kid."
Tip Two: Know Your Child
It doesn't matter how old they are, you need to know who your children are friends with, who they are hanging out with and who they are talking to. No one should know your child better then you. This is important for keeping them safe, and encouraging them to make smart decisions as they become teenagers. READ More on Parenting and Surviving the Tween Years
by Jennifer Shakeel
I have to admit that when I heard all the controversy over whether students should be allowed to hug each other at school I went to the source for an investigation. I talked to my children, one is in elementary and the other is finishing middle school. I asked them if their schools had a policy against hugging or physical contact and how they felt about it.
My son who is in elementary said that his school did not have a policy that he was aware of. My daughter on the other hand said her school does, but no one follows it. She stated that her and her friends could get away with the “one arm hug.” It was really the “boyfriend-girlfriend hug” that was the major no-no.
Myself, I can not believe that we live in a society that would ban hugging at all. I would like schools to explain to me why they would ban a hug. Now, I can understand that not all hugs are equal. I don’t think school is a place that students need to be groping each other, but I also don’t believe that is an activity that kids should be doing anyway. So I can see saying that any sexual touching is banned. But a hug?
READ More on To Hug or Not to Hug
by Stephanie Partridge
The moment I heard my daughter's voice on the other side of my bedroom door, I knew something was wrong. She knocked, waking me. I looked at the clock: 12 am. “Mom,” She said, “I need to talk to you.” Her voice was strained, tight. I could tell that she was struggling to keep it together. Something was wrong. I was out of bed in a heartbeat.
“What's up?” I asked as I opened the door. Her face did not reveal much, but I could see she was upset. Her trembling hand matched her trembling voice as she thrust a cell phone at me.
“Look.” She said.
It took me a moment to process what I was seeing, a text from someone to someone asking for nude photos and promising nude photos in return. My first reaction was that she had encountered some pervert somewhere and he was soliciting her. My mind began forming a plan of action. I wanted to throttle the creep, then it hit me. I KNEW this number, the sender of the text message. I also realized that this was not her phone, but her friend's cell. The picture slowly came into focus. My daughter's boyfriend had sent this text to her friend! I felt the small hairs on the back of my neck bristle as the realization hit me. The boy was a player and my daughter was heartbroken.
What had started out as a joke, two teenage girls sending a random message to my daughter's boyfriend had turned into major drama. A joke had turned into a tragedy. He had responded in a way that neither girl expected. At that midnight hour, the boyfriend had realized his blunder and come over to our house, only to be confronted by my son (also my daughter's best friend and strongest ally) who was not too happy that his sister was hurt by this guy.
Major drama in our house that night. READ More on Parenting Teens: Breakups and Broken Hearts
Filed under Holidays, Parenting, Parenting Tips, Teenagers by More4kids
Many women experience a dip in their level of self confidence once they become a mom. You begin to doubt your ability to be a good mom, you doubt the fact that you are still an attractive vibrant woman, you worry that your husband may find you less attractive… you begin to question exactly who you are a person. This is normal… I know, I say that often in these pregnancy articles. The reason I say that is because it’s true. Wondering why no one ever talks about it then, that is because if you knew all of the changes physically and emotionally that you were going to experience before you got pregnant… you may not want to get pregnant at all. However, most women that have had a baby, once they hear what you are going through will smile in acknowledgement for we have been there too.READ More on New Mom Confidence
If you have more than one child, you know that each own has a temperament all their own. There are those kids that are very verbal and interact with others whenever they get together. On the other hand, you have those that are quiet and more reserved, and just want to play by themselves. Even though your child may be born with a preference to be social or not, much of a person’s social ability to interact appropriately with others is based on what they are taught. You, as their parent, have a wonderful opportunity to help your child thrive in social situations. Helping them to succeed socially will give them confidence and the ability to adapt to situations all throughout their lives.READ More on Weekly Parenting Tips - Encouraging Social Interaction
Younger kids love to talk, but once kids hit those teen years they seem to clam up. It can be frustrating when you try to get your teen to share what is going on in their life. Sometimes it's just hard to get them talking. Keeping in touch with your teen is definitely important, but if you can't get them to talk, it makes it difficult. There are some things that you can do to get your teen talking. Here are some of the top ways that you can start getting your teen to open up and talk to you.READ More on Ideas to Help Get Your Teen Talking to You
