By Michelle Donaghey

Beaches-

For starters, a good choice is a Frisbee says Joni Jones of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. This versatile toy can be used for games or just for throwing back and forth. Even one child can have fun with one, playing in the sand using it as a shovel. If it does get windy, keep away from the shoreline! Leave kites, baseballs and bats a home. A better choice for balls might be a beachball, but they have a tendency to blow away when the wind picks up.
It may be tempting to bring Fido or Fluffy, but the beach is not the place for a pet. Pets can pick up all sorts of problems if they drink the water or eat things left on the beach. Besides, most beaches have the rule that the pet must be leashed which isn’t much fun!
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by Karen Sibal

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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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It’s often the case that kids are bored at home with nothing to do and mom can’t face another costly activity. There are lots of fun actitities that don’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

Children’s activities don’t have to cost much and they certainly don’t have to be boring.

Here are a few ideas:

Take a trip to the airport. You don’t actually have to go in the airport but you can park close by and spot the airplanes. Talk to your kids about where the airplanes may be going or how many people may be on board. Kids find airplanes fascinating. Read More

by Michelle Donaghey

POOLS
Shimmering water, clear as a bell- that is heaven to dive into when the temperature is high. Whether it be the local park or a backyard, summertime is the time for these man-made water holes. Shimmering water, clear as a bell- that is heaven to dive into when the temperature is high. Whether it be the local park or a backyard, summertime is the time for these man-made water holes.Phone first and ask questions! Planning to visit a local pool? The rule is always phone-first. While the pool may have their hours listed, often they do not list when there swim lesson times are which coincide with their hours. Before your day is ruined because you went when lessons were going on, call. Besides, you can find out if they have lockers to rent or for free and much admission is. Also ask if water toys and or life preservers or water wings are accepted- some pools allow them while others may not.

At the pool
It’s a good idea to leave the purse in the car hidden from view. Buy a small money holder that hangs around your neck that you can put change in. Pin your car key into your bathing suit and mark your towel with your name with a laundry marker- your towel may be unusual to you, but at the pool, three other people may have the same towel. And don’t forget the sunblock! Diving boards are tempting to kids of all ages, but it is best for only kids who are good swimmers to use them. It also may be tempting for you to teach your kids to dive, but it is best left to the professionals. If you really want them to learn, find out about lessons. Children are not developmentally ready for swim lessons until after their fourth birthday according to the A.A.P. which also notes that whenever infants or toddlers are around water, an adult should be within arm’s length, providing "touch supervision." "Never leave children alone in or near a pool, even for a moment," says the A.A.P.

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Although you may not be able to afford a summer vacation this year, there are no-cost, fun summer activities for the whole family. Here are a few ideas.

Pick a tree in your back yard and lay down a blanket. Have some lemonade and cookies, and read the books you’ve checked out from the library. Take turns reading. Invite friends and their kids to join you. Make it a weekly event.

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Yoga for kids? Absolutely! The slow, flowing motions not only builds flexibility but takes a lot of concentation and can help slow a young mind down. It can help you child acheive balance in their young lives. Almost every children experiences stress with homework; pressure to compete with other children as well as non-stop after-school activities and over scheduling. All this can make for a very hectic lifestyle. Kids today, like their parents, are turning to yoga for both health and relaxation. Yoga for kids is a means of helping them to develop better body awareness, controlling themselves, and flexibility as well as coordination. Kids may be able to carry the yoga skills they learn beyond class and into their normal everyday routines. Read More

Christmas break is over and for many of us Spring break is also ending. You children will be going back to school, probably moaning at least a little. But the last semester of school looms with numerous school holidays, including Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, spring break, Memorial Day, and of course parent-teacher conferences. In fact, there is not a single month between now and summer break when my children are not out of school at least one day. The kids may be delighted, but most parents find these breaks in the routine of daily life less fun. How can you survive school breaks with humor and grace?

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Many things may lead to step Parenting. Death or divorce, both unpleasant circumstances can often result in the need for step parenting. Re-marrying and subsequent step parenting require the same skills, dedication, focus and luck that is necessary in good parenting under ideal conditions. In step parenting there is a little more to consider. Let’s call these considerations steps – steps toward parenting or step parenting - sort of fits doesn’t it?

Where to start? The first Step.

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Parenting Teenagers - Your Teenager's first year at College - Best Syndicatio…

1 Oct 2006 at 3:52pm

Best Syndication Parenting Teenagers - Your Teenager's first year at College
Best Syndication, CA - 14 hours ago
…. Botto has been involved with helping parents and teenagers resolve complicated issues for more than 14 years, observing and developing parenting strategies. ….

Gainesville High: Parenting session is scheduled tonight - Gainesville Times

2 Oct 2006 at 5:45am

Gainesville High: Parenting session is scheduled tonight
Gainesville Times, GA - 41 minutes ago
The session will include a brief presentation and discussion of issues facing children, as well as exploring ways for parents to help their children. ….

Parenting Tip of the Week : Kids and cell phones - Savannah Morning News

2 Oct 2006 at 5:36am

Parenting Tip of the Week : Kids and cell phones
Savannah Morning News, GA - 50 minutes ago
Cell phones can provide a sense of security. They offer a way for parents and their children to contact each other in case of an emergency. ….

Parenting courses (The Myrtle Beach Sun News)

1 Oct 2006 at 3:12am

Parenting Anonymous, headed by executive director Evelyn Califf, offers free parenting classes and low-cost counseling and anger management courses for adults and teenagers.

Ontario police offer parenting class (Daily Bulletin)

1 Oct 2006 at 3:15am

ONTARIO - Starting in October, the Ontario Police Department will offer a seven-week parenting class on Wednesday nights titled “Loving Solutions.”

PARENTING | Cook up some family fun (Kansas City Star)

2 Oct 2006 at 3:20am

Hitting shelves this fall are six cookbooks full of child-friendly, but not cutesy, recipes. ?Emeril?s There?s a Chef in My World! The third kids? cookbook from this Food Network star serves up international dishes.

Information provided by Google and Yahoo

Presented by Kent Estes

Parents you need to train your children in child safety, and you need to know what to do in case a Stranger approaches them. I have taught hundreds of children on how to protect themselves from danger. We learn by doing, this is why parents need to go over these 3 simple rules that will protect their kids. You do not want this to happen to your child.

Rule #1 

Rule #1, your feet, which means run away, when there is danger a child should run away. Running away is a child’s best defense against danger. Teach your children to think of their feet, it will be easy for them to remember because they will always have their feet with them. Hollywood makes it look like children can beat up an adult but in reality an adult will always win. The key here is to run away from danger and this keeps you safe.

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by Stacey Schifferdecker

Christmas break has just ended and your children have gone back to school, probably moaning at least a little. But the last semester of school looms with numerous school holidays, including Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, spring break, Memorial Day, and of course parent-teacher conferences. In fact, there is not a single month between now and summer break when my children are not out of school at least one day. The kids may be delighted, but most parents find these breaks in the routine of daily life less fun. How can you survive school breaks with humor and grace?

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by Dr. Caron Goode

Learning to play has two more stages which can extend into six years of age (See previous article "Teaching Kids to Share").

1, Sharing may begin in this stage of associative play. With associate play, children engage in separate activities but can exchange toys or explore each other’s area. Sometimes it appears as if kids are dancing around one another, exploring the environment. Curiosity and budding self-awareness motivate this activity, not sharing. However, parents may see it as the first stages of sharing before toys exchange hands.

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Local Activities For Kids 

Not every family can travel during spring break. And how many of us have truely explored our own local community. We live in Chattanooga, TN, and were amazed of all the local activities we could get involved in when we moved into the area. In Chattanooga we have great parks, a sea Aquarium, a small zoo, camping, and great views, especially from Lookout Mountain.

Like us, many parents may not be able to get the week off of work, or there just might not be enough money in the budget for a trip. But that doesn’t mean that your family can’t have some spring break fun. There are plenty of things that you can do locally as a family. These include:

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