Young kids just love a good beat. Kids are never too young to introduce instruments to them, whether they are homemade, toys or real muscial instruments. As parents we naturally want only the best for our children; we try as hard as we possibly can to offer every opportunity available out there in order for our kids to find his or her inclinations and passions in life.

Childhood is the Time to Explore

Children have a great deal of power to absorb information from a very young age and that is the main reason why a parent should try and offer his child as many possibilities as possible in order for him to find his inclination.

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Juggling a family, a career and a relationship with our significant other can be a challenge for a family. With two children ourselves, a husband in a demanding career, and being a work at home mom, I know our lives can be very interesting to say the least. Here is a list of tips for daily living that can help manage your time and may help make things a little less hectic:

• Keep it simple, give two choices instead of asking “what do you want ____”
• Set limits on things like television, video games, and phone chatter … for everyone in the household.  Eliminates arguing and gets everyone doing other things
• Make adjustments when you have to, you can’t be everywhere at once
• Don’t forget to consider your travel time, prep time, clean up time, waiting time
• Deal with things as they happen, (the mail came, sort it now instead of waiting until later - also eliminates clutter that you would have to clean up later)
• Get involved in a car pool to get kids where they need to go, school, soccer, baseball, football … sharing these tasks save you and someone else time and gas money!
• Follow routines and schedules, such as getting up at the same time and leaving at the same time daily…create a pattern/routine get home, do your homework, 30 minutes to watch tv/play game/read, dinner, get a bath, quiet time, bedtime

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As parents we often react to your child’s misbehavior or emotional outburst by an emotional overreaction ourselves. This can make you feel out of control also. Tensions escalate and soon the whole situation becomes a much bigger issue then it really should have. Anger, blame, guilt, pleading and other extreme emotional reactions can make a parent feel upset and stressed for hours. This does not encourage positive behavior and overreactions can result in more bad behavior. As parents, mastering our own emotions and responses to unwanted behavior can also show your child good stress management techniques. If you respond in a calm manner, your child will feel calm and your child will calm down faster. One technique also to try is what I call the heartfelt touch which will be explained more below.

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Switching from career-driven employee to stay-at-home-parent (SAHP) is a colossal move. Parents must weigh the pros and cons of leaving their jobs and determine if it’s financially possible. Often it involves a lifestyle change, perhaps cutting expenses or relinquishing pumps for sneakers. Sometimes it means a career change for the other parent.

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By Ask Yiayia-Becky Kapsalis

“The years teach me much the days never knew” Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are a goal oriented society. Especially, since, at this time of year we’re given second chances to start anew. Goals are different than resolutions. Goals are defined as ‘something that somebody wants to achieve’; resolutions are defined as ‘firmness of mind or purpose’. Ask yourself “what goals do we want to achieve as a family, this year?” Break the goals into four categories for individual and family: Physical, Spiritual, Family, and Financial.

As a family discuss individual and family goals. Write them down and check back every month to see the progress, check off those that have been accomplished and add new goals for those that are a work in progress.

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Kids everywhere love Valentine’s Day! The candy, fun and excitement of telling others how much they love and care for them, and the feeling of being special are enough to mesmerize any young child. There are a number of Valentine’s Day gifts for kids that make great ideas for the occasions. These gifts may be given to a kid, or kids may exchange these gifts. If you are in the market for great Valentine’s Day gifts for kids, you have come to the right place! Keep reading for wonderful ideas!

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If you are considering getting involved as a foster parent, you are to be commended. It takes courage and caring to get involved in foster parenting; however, before you get involved, you need to be sure that you have explored every aspect of this big step in your life. There are both pros and cons to foster parenting, and while the pros usually outweigh the cons, it is best to take a close look at both sides before you commit yourself.

A Look at the Pros
There are many pros to foster parenting that can be enjoyed by the parents and the children alike. The following are a few pros to keep in mind when you are making your decision as to whether or not you want to become a foster parent.

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by Stacey Schifferdecker

I was surprised to recently learn that when my oldest son turns 14 in a few months, he can legally get a job. I always thought you had to be 16 to get a job, but 14- and 15-year-olds can work as long as they work no more than three hours a day and 18 hours a week during the school year. They also can’t work past 7:00 p.m. during the school year.

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by Stacey Schifferdecker

My mother-in-law has been talking about for years – taking my family and my sister-in-law’s family for a cruise. But the timing never worked out until now. This year, for the first time ever, my children’s schools and my nephews’ schools have spring break the same week. So hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to Mexico we go. I am a vacation planner junky, so naturally I am hip-deep in research about the best way to enjoy our cruise and keep six kids ranging in age from 7 (the only girl) to 14 happy and healthy for a week. So here is what I have learned – check back with me in March to see how the reality lives up to the research.

 

Which Cruise Line to Choose?

Which cruise line to choose was the first question we had. Of course, your departure location helps narrow this choice. Unless you have unlimited time and money for your vacation, you will likely choose the departure port that is nearest your home. The major ports for cruise ship departures in North America are

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Most children love celebrating Valentine’s Day. There is a lot of excitement that occurs during this holiday. Children get to enjoy various crafts, social gatherings, and, of course, indulging in lots of sweet treats! If you are in the process of gathering ideas for Valentine’s Day activities for kids, you have stopped at the right spot! Here, you will be introduced to a number of fun and exciting activities for your child.

Valentine’s Day Party

No Valentine’s Day is complete without a party! There are many different things that can be done to make a party for this particular holiday fun and exciting for kids. The key to a successful Valentine’s Day party is interaction! Make sure that there are plenty of games and activities that the kids can participate in! Detailed below are some great ideas that you can implement at the Valentine’s Day party that will be throwing!

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Solving the Great Teen Mystery

by Stephanie Partridge

To many parents (and people - teachers, doctors, etc) teenagers are creatures to be regarded with some degree of caution. The horror stories of teens who dress all in black, paint their fingernails black and walk around with a sullen look on their faces is enough to send even the toughest parent scrambling for cover. We hear stories of teenagers who come home from school or work, head straight to their room where they turn up some awful racket that they call music and disconnect from the rest of the family. This does not have to happen; you can have a good relationship with your teen, even a fun one. If you have not done things to cultivate that relationship when they were younger, don’t worry. It is never too late to develop a relationship with you child.

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by Stacey Schifferdecker

We usually think of peer pressure as being a problem for teenagers, but peer pressure is a fact of life for all of us, no matter what our age. At a recent school book fair, I overheard one child urge another to “Just put it in your bag” about the .45 cent eraser the first child did not have money to buy. Probably, neither child really thought that taking the eraser would be stealing, and they just needed to be gently reminded that taking something that doesn’t belong to us is wrong. But by taking steps now to teach your children to deal with peer pressure, you can give them the skills they will need as teenagers (and adults!) to withstand peer pressure.

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Without a doubt global warming is one of the biggest problems that the world is facing today, and will continue to be a large problem in our kids lives. However, many of its effects will fall upon future generations - unless it is stopped or slowed down dramatically. There is a lot that we can do right now, but it is also important to get the children of today involved in the fight against global warming. 

Teaching kids the dangers of Global Warming

Educating and involving our children is one way to get our kids interested. We need to involve them through conversations and activities and show them what they can do to help the cause. Education through involvement is key. We must find creative ways to show children what problems global warming has already caused, and what problems it could, and most probably will cause in the future. This will help bring forth curiosity about what contributions out kids can make to help change things.

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Whether we can cook or not, the above recipe will prepare us to empower our children to look for the best within themselves; to experience their self-worth; to envision their future; to never have to say ‘if only’. Even if we aren’t equipped with all the ingredients all the time, they have an eternal shelf life we can tap into as needed. It’s up to us to keep our pantry well stocked.

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