Do you turn off the lights when you leave a room? Do you conserve water? If so, you are already doing good things to help the planet and building a better future for our kids. If you have encouraged your family to also adopt these practices, you are doing even more. Earth Day is April 22, 2010. Today! During Earth Week, thousands of people will be doing things to help the environment and “go green.” There are many little things that each of us can do to help the Earth. However, every day can, and should, be Earth Day. Try these activities and tips to help your family go green and build a greener future.
Living Green Around the House
- Plant a tree or grow a garden. Plants act as natural filtration systems. In short, they keep the air fresh and oxygenated. Keep them inside your home too to keep the inside are fresh.
- Turn off the lights. CO2 is the main contributing factor to global warming. Every time you use something electronic, use electricity, fire up your car or even take a shower (you water has to be heated) you are emitting CO2. Turn off the lights, take shorter showers, turn down your hot water heater and don’t let your car idle for more than one minute.
- Stop using plastic water bottles. You can recycle your plastic water bottles, but after being recycled several times, the plastic downgrades. Get a reusable canteen and go with glass jars for storage.
- Unplug. Electronic devices still use energy, even when they are turned off. Unplug your radio, stereo, blow dryer and television to save more than 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. This amounts to around $256 a year.
- Turn off the water. By simply turning off the tap when you are washing the dishes or brushing your teeth, you can save as much as 2.4 gallons of water – per minute. I admit, I am bad about this one but am working on it! I brush my teeth with my kids and they are now helping to keep me stright
- Dispose of batteries, paint, bleach and nail polish the right way. READ More on Happy Earth Day 2011! Green Living Tips for your Family
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Love is spending time with your family
One way I learn is finding great quotes and incorporating them into my life. In have been doing a lot on Twitter in the evenings and have been sharing with many of my Twitter friends. Many of the quotes I have found researching, and some I have even made up myself based on experiences of myself and others. I share these quotes humbly and hope people will enjoy reading and learning from these parenting, family and motivational quotes. Please let us know what your favorite parenting quotes are. Here are some of ours:
Parenting Quotes:
There is no such thing as a perfect parent so just be a real one. – Sue Atkins
A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child. – Knights of Pythagoras
Your children will become what you are; so be what you want them to be – David Bly
Stop trying to perfect your child, but keep trying to perfect your relationship with him- Dr. Henker
Parents need to fill a child's bucket of self-esteem so high that the rest of the world can't poke enough holes to drain it dry-Alvin Price
As your kids grow they may forget what you said, but won't forget how you made them feel – Kevin Heath
Encourage & support your kids because "Children are apt to live up to what you believe of them. – Lady Bird Johnson
If your child has a weakness, teach them how to turn it into a strength! The only Failure is not trying. – Kevin Heath
Kids learn integrity from us: "Integrity is what we say, what we do, and what we say we do." – Don Galer
If you want your children to improve, let them overhear the nice things you say about them to others. – Haim Ginott
Children desperately need to know – and to hear in ways they understand and remember – that they're loved and valued by mom and dad – Paul Smally
The art of mothering is to teach the art of living to children – Elaine Heffner
Let your kids observe you doing random acts of kindness, it can be contagious
Top of the mornin’ to ya! There’s nothing like a green St. Patty’s Day to get everyone in the spirit of the day of the leprechaun! This St. Patrick’s Day, make the day extra-special and fun for your kids with these fun crafts and great activities!
Looking for the gold!
The night or day a few days before, be sure that ya make some of those Leprechaun Foot Prints and giant shamrocks for ye children!
To make leprechaun feet, take a pair of your child’s old shoes and trace them on to pieces of plain white paper or to really make them “authentic”, use green construction paper!! Make a lot of them because they will take your children on a hunt for the rainbow and the pot of gold when they wake up! READ More on Erin Go Bragh! St. Patrick's Day Celebration Ideas
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Many children are shy – it's not uncommon at all. However, dealing with a shy child as a parent can be difficult. While there is no shame in being shy, if you continue to let your child be shy, they can later be robbed of important life opportunities. For this reason, it's important that parents find ways to help bring their child out, helping them to overcome the shyness that they are dealing with. Of course, it's easier said than done to help your child get over being shy. Here is a look at tips and advice that parents can use to help out when it comes to parenting a shy child.
Why Is Your Child Shy?
The first thing you need to do if you have a shy child is to ask yourself why your child is shy in the first place. There are various reasons that your child may be shy. Take a look at when you notice your child being shy. Are they shy all the time, only shy when meeting someone new, shy in large groups, or shy when having to make presentations? If you are able to figure out the situations when your child is shy, you will be better able to overcome this.
You also need to consider the fact that your child may be dealing with more than just a bit of shyness. Various medical conditions and other conditions may be confused with shyness in a child. Your child could be dealing with a problem like Asperger's Syndrome, autism, anxiety, or even learning disabilities. Take a careful look at your child and their actions. If you think there may be an underlying problem other than shyness, make sure they get the professional attention that they need.READ More on Parenting a Shy Child
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Random Act of Kindness: Young Teen Surprising and Spending time with her Grandma
The other day I was sitting in traffic, a drizzling, chilly morning in rush hour traffic. Everyone with their own agenda, their own problems; but as I sat there, a truck pulled up beside another pickup that was laden with furniture. A guy got out of the passenger side, walked around to the back of the loaded pickup and grabbed a part of the plastic that was covering the load but had blown loose. He quickly tucked the plastic back over the load and re-secured it. Then he ran and jumped back into the truck, waved to the startled driver of the pickup and drove off. I sat there for a moment, smiling.
We've all heard the buzzword, "random acts of kindness," and we may even try to show kindness to others. But how do we as parents instill those values in our children? It is a self centered, materialistic world that we live in and teaching our children to step beyond that is not small task. However, it is possible to teach our kids these good values and it starts with giving them a role model. Children learn what they live, so if they live with you doing random acts of kindness, they are fairly certain to follow.
A random act of kindness does not have to be a major production. Kindness comes in many different shapes and sizes – and it is free. Teach your kids by doing, but also plan some actions with your child. Talk about nice things that you can do for others. Try some of these "random acts of kindness" with your teen.READ More on Random Acts of Kindness: Teaching Your Child to Pay it Forward
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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!!
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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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