Are you a Father with a wonderful daughter who is going through those monumental changes from young girl to an adult women? How does that make you feel? Most dads feel a bit uneasy and ackward around their growing daughters. In fact, many fathers all over the world have a hard time adjusting to their  ‘little girl’ as she turns into a young lady. Many times it is our own ego that gets in the way of us being as close with our teenager daughters as we were when they were little.

In fact, girls often say that they feel their Fathers are distancing themselves from them as the change from girl to woman occurs. Our daughters are very keen to what is going on around them and they sense their Dad’s dismay and discomfort at the changes their bodies are going through. And these young ladies are missing the easy comfort of hanging out with Dad.

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There is probably no more exhausting, exciting, frustrating, or gratifying job than that of being a parent. One-minute things are going well and the next you are pulling your hair out wondering if you are going to survive. No matter what your socio-economic status or your education, parenting is an adventure second to none.

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Museums – maybe now that you’ve had kids, you think the only museums you can visit are the children’s kind with fire poles and mini grocery stores. But while those kinds of museums are certainly fun, you don’t need to cross art or zoological museums off your list until the kids go away to college. Instead, you just need to plan ahead and change your approach.

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I am sure that you care about your son or daughter as much as I do, and that you may from time to time been have  been guilty of spoiling them. Unfortunately this practice is not a good way of empowering our kids. We need to help nurture their abilities, not take them away. And of course we do this out of love, but there comes a time when as parents we must learn to never do for their kids what they can do for themselves. The earlier one starts, the easier it will be.

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It makes common sense, but optimistic people enjoy better health, a longer life, and have less stress than a pessimistic person. An optimistic person will also achieve more in their life than a pessimist. You can subtly influence your child toward optimism. Optimism and healthy self-esteem can be taught and will help your child throughout their life.

How do you raise an optimistic child? There are several important ways to help your child learn to be an optimist. Help them to focus on their successes. Self-esteem and optimism can be learned and you can help your child while they are young. Give them simple jobs to do and praise them when they succeed. Even small children can help with simple chores and experience success when they are finished.

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Every party needs fun games. Summer seems to have a lot of birthday parties. I wonder if it is because of the cold winters? I have brainstormed some of my favorite games from childhood. Here is a list my favorites. Enjoy, and if you have any fun ideas click here to leave a comment and tell us your favorites.

Crazy Faces: Mess factor: 0
Suitable age: Pre-teen and younger
Supplies needed: disposable cameras or digital cameras

Directions: Let kids take turns snapping pictures of each other making crazy faces. The object of this game is to see who can make the craziest face. Kids can take a vote and give a prize to the craziest face.

Pass the Egg: Mess factor: 10
Suitable age: All ages
Supplies needed: eggs, spoons

Directions: Group kids into pairs. Place one egg on a spoon, and then have a child to place the end of the spoon between their teeth. One child walks halfway to the finish line, and then passes the egg (from one spoon to the other) to their partner’s spoon. The partner then attempts to reach the finish line without breaking the egg. The object of this game is for partners to successfully pass the egg from one spoon to another and reach the finish line without splattering the egg everywhere.

Side note: This game is best played outdoors because of the mess factor. 

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Has your child accumulated what seems to be a million toys? The family room is cluttered up, toys are overflowing from their bins everywhere in your house. The worst thing of all is your child seems bored! How can that be?

So he or she is bored. This is a familiar scenario among kids of all ages. Formerly beloved toys sit forlornly in a corner after a few months, weeks, or even days of use. Your child’s lack of interest in his or her toys doesn’t necessarily mean they are spoiled. Rather, they may have used a toy enough that it’s no longer a novelty, and now they’re looking for something else to stimulate their mind.

You can take steps to ensure that your child’s creative juices don’t dwindle away along with the excitement of the toys. In addition, you can breathe new life into those very same toys. Here are some ideas:

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If your child bites it can be a parenting nightmare, especially if your toddler bites another child. The first time your child bites someone you probably were appalled that they could do such a thing! The good news is that some children go through this phase and most of the time it is a temporary problem. Believe is to not, biting is a common problem found in many preschools and daycares.

But first of all, it is import to understand why toddlers or babies bite. Many times they will bite because they want to relieve the pressure in their gums while teething. They may also think it is a fun game to play with mommy and daddy. Preschoolers often bite because they have not learned how to handle or cope with stress or do not have the verbal skills to communicate what is wrong with them. Biting is very upsetting to everyone and if you do not deal with it while they are young it may continue, as they get older. That is the last thing you would want to happen. There are a few hints and tricks you can use to help your biting child cope with stress and emotions in another way. Here are some ideas to help stop your childs biting habit.

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We all want well adjusted and happy teenage sons and daughters. However, sometimes dealing with your teenager can be extremely challenging and tough, especially when you have a huge age gap that you have to cross. In addition, the adolescent years are perhaps the most difficult time that any person can undergo.

Mix all these factors and you have an explosive situation that frequently ends with arguments and crying sessions.

There are really no shortcuts when it comes to dealing with teenagers. They are truly difficult to handle, not only because they are undergoing so many changes in their lives but also because they are searching for themselves and their identities. With their increasing need for independence, you concern for their welfare can be seen as an interference and as a curtailment of their rights and their freedom.

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We all want a happy family and to spend more time with them. I don’t know about your family, but ours is extremely busy with work, other commitments, etc. Unfortunately our children sometimes feel the consequences of this by not spending time with their greatest role models, their parents. We have so much impact on our children and are their first role models. So what are we to do? We need to work, put food on the table. What is important is that when we are with our children to make sure we are completely focused on spending good quality time with them and developing a closer connection  with them. 

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Would you say that your child is difficult to handle? Well, it may be a bit reassuring, but you are not alone. Many children, especially toddlers can be extremely strong willed when it comes to behaving nicely.

Take six-year-old Kristal for example. One second Kristal is very sweet and cooperative, and then the next moment she may suddenly turn very angry and defiant.

The smallest things tends to set her off, especially unexpected changes, food she doesn’t like, or having to go somewhere with her parents. She literally throws tamper tantrums every half hour or so. Does this sound like your kid?

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By Michelle Donaghey

No doubt about it! We love waterparks, whether they are indoor or outdoor ones!
“Waterparks appeal to families who want quality recreation time in an extremely safe environment. After all, waterparks are the safest place to have fun in the water compared to oceans, rivers, lakes and even swimming pools,” noted Gina Kellogg, Director of Communications for the World Waterpark Association, Overland Park, Kansas. In fact, there ware more than 1,000 waterparks in North America with an estimated attendance each season over 70 million people.
“For families who want a safe place to place in the water that’s also really convenient, then, waterparks are the perfect answer,” noted Kellogg.
The reasons?
For families, one of the most obvious reasons for our love is that the rides are very similar to roller coaster rides found in top-notch amusement parks. Some of them include:

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A mother and son got kicked off a plane after a flight attendent allegedly got annoyed at her son for saying ‘bye bye plane’. Before kicking them off the flight attendented also allegedly wanted to drug the child with baby benedryl which the mom refused. I was totally shocked and outraged as a parent something like this would happen. Now I have almost heard everything.

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I was taken aback when I first heard about child identity theft. The fact is, children are increasingly VERY popular targets of identity thieves. This is a crimes all parents should be aware of. Did you know that according to the Identity Theft Resource Center, 500,000 children had their identities stolen in 2005? So why do Identity thieves like to target kids? The  reason is really simple if you think about it. It is because their information is often readily available and useful for many years: children often don’t discover their identities have been stolen until they grow up and begin trying to get jobs, take out car loans, and obtain mortgages, or apply for their first credit card.

While as parents we pride ourselves on being a responsible, safe, and caring parent. Your child wears a seatbelt, uses a bike helmet, walks when carrying scissors, and eats five servings of vegetables a day. In short, you are doing your best to ensure that your child grows up to be a healthy, happy, well-adjusted adult. Who knew that this job includes safeguarding your children from identity thieves?

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