"To the World you might be just one person … but to one person you might be the world"
It does not always take a lot to make a difference in someones lives. To some people, to some children even a dollar or two can make a world of difference. One of the hardest things for me is seeing a child that is hurting, lonely or sick. One organization that is helping make a difference through almost all volunteer activity is Love without Boundaries. You can learn more about them through our recent interview we did with them: Hope for a Child.
Here are some current needs that will really make a difference in the life of a child:
Margaret
Margaret was found abandoned by the gate of an orphanage last month. She was a bit jaundiced the first few days at her orphanage but her color is pink now. Margaret has a very large teratoma on her lower back area that needs to be surgically removed as soon as possible before it becomes cancerous. The teratoma is so large that she is forced to sleep on her side to get comfortable. Aside from the teratoma, Margaret is developing really well and is a very alert baby. She follows people around the room with her eyes and she likes listening to people talk to her. She has learned to stretch her little body every morning when she wakes up and after a diaper change. Would you please consider helping this little girl receive a much needed surgery? To learn more and help this child visit Love Without Boundaries.
Haley
Haley is a sweet 10 month old who has been getting stronger every day after her cleft lip and palate repair. She is beginning to walk with assistance and is described as "trying to take each step with the precision of a dancer." She also likes to get the attention of her caregivers whenever they attend to another baby. Won't you consider sponsoring little Haley so she can grow up with the one to one attention of a foster family? To learn more and help this child visit Love Without Boundaries. READ More on Making a Difference this Holiday Season
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by Stacey Schifferdecker
It's Not Fair!
With Thanksgiving approaching, I am struck by thoughts of fairness and gratitude. I never really thought of these two concepts being related, but we are currently in a phase of "That's not fair!" at my house. W, the middle school boy, says it isn't fair that his friend B has a cell phone and he doesn't. J, the elementary school girl, says it isn't fair that W gets to eat pizza at the church youth group meeting and that everyone has a later bed time than she does. And K doesn't think it's fair that he has so darn many math problems to do every night.
So why does all this whining make me think of gratitude? I sure don't feel grateful for the kids' bad attitudes! Unfortunately, many times a cry of "It's not fair!" is a symptom of an ungrateful heart. W, for example, should be grateful that he gets picked up from school instead of walking home like B does. J at least has food to eat and a warm, safe bed to sleep in. And K has a nice graphing calculator to speed up his Algebra II homework.
All of this reminds me of the Bible parable that my Sunday school class seems to have a hard time grasping. As Jesus told the story, a man sent workers into the vineyard in the morning, after agreeing to pay them a denarius for their day's work. A few hours later, he sent more workers to join them, and a few hours later even more workers. The end of the day came and all the workers received the same payment, whether they had worked one hour or the whole day. The workers who had been there all day protested with the classic cry of "It's not fair!" And the response of the master? "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' So the last will be first, and the first will be last." (Matthew 20:13-16). READ More on Its Not Fair! - Thanksgiving Thoughts on Fairness and Gratitude
Interview by Jennifer Shakeel
Parenting Tips for a happier healthier family
This week I had the absolute fortune of interviewing Dr. Sylvia Rimm. I am sure that many of you have heard of Dr. Rimm. She had a regular segment on the Today Show for nine years. She is also a best-selling author of books such as "See Jane Win," "How Jane Won," "Rescuing the Emotional Lives of Overweight Children," and "How to Parent So Children Will Learn" to name a few. Dr. Rimm is also a clinical professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and she is the director of the Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, OH. I was very grateful that she was able to give me an interview.
Dr. Rimm has done extensive research on children that are gifted, children that are underachievers and overweight children and is considered among the top elite when it comes to many different parenting issues, families and issues that trouble tweens and teens. As you can imagine along with be grateful for her time I was overwhelmed with questions I wanted to ask. If you visit her website you will have access to more information then I could cover here, as well as you have the opportunity send Dr. Rimm your question about parenting and have her answer it.
For our talk what she and focused on were really ground rules for parenting. The reason is because in her research she has found there are certain things that parents of happy, successful and achieving children do to help make sure that their children excel, that other parents aren't doing when it comes to parenting their children. After talking with Dr. Rimm, I was relieved to know that my husband and I were doing most of them… and that I found out the areas we need to tweak alittle to get better results.
The first "pillar" we will call it has to do with the words you use. The words that you use with your child to discuss that child, as well as the words you use about that child to other people are what helps to mold that child. Your words are actually the building blocks to the identity you child has. Dr. Rimm says that it is important that we are using positive words when we are talking to our children or when we are talking about them. READ More on Parenting Advice from the Best
Filed under Parenting, Parenting Tips by More4kids
by Dr. Michele Borba
Do you feel as though your child is tuning you out?
"Why don't you listen?" "That's the fourth time I told you!" "Didn't you hear anything I just said?"
If you're frustrated in trying to get your kid to listen, take heart: you're not alone. Parents magazine polled moms and dads about their toughest discipline challenge, and the hands-down winner was "My kid doesn't listen to me."
The fact is, learning to give directions so kids will listen takes practice. But improving your kid's listening skills will benefit every arena of his life-from improving his school performance, relations with friends, job performance, as well as family harmony.
Here are a few solutions adapted from my new book, The Big Book of Parenting Solutions: 101 Answers to Your Everyday Challenges and Wildest Worries to help improve your child's listening skills:
• Attention first, then talk. If your kid is not listening, first get her attention and make sure she's looking at you before you speak. "Please, look at me and listen to what I have to say." Give your request when you're eyeball to eyeball. You're more likely to have your child's full attention. READ More on Parenting Solutions That Get Kids to Listen
Filed under Parenting, Parenting Tips by More4kids
Homeless Child in need
America is the greatest country in the world. I was born here, live here, and love it dearly. Our Statue of Liberty tells the world to ""Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Yet, there are people and children, right here in our country that are struggling… homeless… helpless… and in need. The economy over the last year has made things even worse, and even more desperate for some. And it is children who are homeless that need a voice, and need our help.
There is not a child in this world that asked to be born, yet there are 1.4 million of these blessings (homelesschildrenamerica.org) are walking the streets… sleeping in cardboard boxes and going without food. Hunger and poverty exists around the world. As Americans we have a big heart and try to help out wherever there is need. We have such a big heart sometimes we forget about some of our neighbors that may be suffering too. My heart breaks everytime I see or hear of a homeless family, and even though our family is struggling in this economy, I know there are people and children a lot worse off.
It is easy (as a society) to look at an adult that is down on their luck, possibly losing everything here in America and say that it is their own fault for where they are at. It happens every day, the person on the side of the street that is holding up a sign asking for food or money that you drive by with your windows rolled up looking the other way pretending not to see them. What do you say to the child that has nothing? I am not talking about not having an XBOX, but the essentials… clean clothes, warm food, a roof over their head.
Each and every year 1 out of every 50 kids will become homeless here in our wonderful country of America. That is on an average year; now add into that the very tough economic times our country is going through. Consider the number of parents that have or are losing their jobs… their homes… It can happen to any of us at any time. We can no longer just look at our own children and be thankful that it "isn't us," we need to do something now to help these kids. READ More on Homeless in America - Children in Need
Mom writing a letter to her child
by Stephanie Partridge
It started out as a simple project, write letters to the people I love. It ended up becoming a cherished heirloom for my children. I had a writing project and, after writing the article explaining the process, I wrote a few letters to include as examples. It was supposed to be very cut and dry, get in and get out then move on to the next project. But I could not move on. The words kept swirling in my head, tugging at me heart. I have lived with this need to write. It isn't as if I have a choice, there is something deep inside me that drives me. I have to write.
But something was moving inside me this time, something different. I sat down, pen in hand (yes, I still use a pen and paper for recording many of my thoughts) and began to write. At first they were thoughts, impressions. Soon, however, they became letters. They became letters to my children.
When I started, it was a rather generic letter that I could send to all three of my children. But as I wrote, the letters became unique for each child. It was as if they had taken on a life of their own. I first wrote to my daughter, Micah, a sweet, loving girl. She would do anything for you, never complaining. She is always smiling and likes to make others smile as well. She loves animals and is in a special program at school for animal sciences. She wants to be a veterinarian. READ More on Letters to your Child: A Gift of Love from the Heart
Mom helping daughter apply makeup
by Stephanie Partridge
I will never forget that day. My bright, beautiful 13 year old daughter bounced into my room and sidled up to me, unable to conceal that gleam in her eye. She could barely contain herself (she has always been a very happy, bubbly, smiley girl) as she whispered, "Mom, I want to start wearing makeup."
Screech!
My little girl was growing up.
Now granted, she had played dress up and "worn" makeup. But this was different. Now she wanted to wear makeup "for real." In a flash, her young life sped through my mind. I saw her, at this moment, playing with her dolls and the next wearing makeup. This led to a slippery slope (in my mind) of high heels, prom dresses and (gasp!) boys. It wasn't supposed to be like this! She was supposed to be my little girl forever! Of course, my imagination far exceeded the reality of the situation.
I stopped my racing, panicked mind, took a deep breath and smiled (a sickly smile, but a smile all the same). "Why do you want to wear makeup?" I asked, looking at her beautiful, peaches and cream complexion, wondering why in the world would she want to put makeup on that gorgeous face.
"I want to be beautiful like you." She replied simply, as if I should have already known that. READ More on When your Daughter wants to wear Makeup: Lessening the Trauma (for yourself!)
by Patricia Hughes
Happy Family of Four enjoying quality family time!
Years ago, I heard Bill Cosby say in a stand up comedy routine that parents don't care about fairness, they just want quiet. At the time, I had no children and it was just funny. Later, as a parent I saw it again and recognized it as a pearl of wisdom. All parents want a peaceful home.
I know all parents want peace because my children like to watch Nanny 911 and the lack of peace is a recurrent theme. This show taught me a valuable lesson, and not just that things aren't as bad in my home as they seem. Whatever the other issues in a family, a lack of peace is always at the core.
A few years ago, I was starting to struggle with sibling fighting, squabbling and yelling. The child not involved in the fight would end up turning up the TV or CD player in response to the noise. On some days, the noise level was out of control. It was destroying the peace in our family and affecting all of us. We'd find ourselves yelling in response to their fighting and it had a negative effect the parents and children.
Around that time I came across a book that caught my eye in Borders. The book is Peaceful Parents, Peaceful Kids: Practical Ways to Create a Calm and Happy Home by Naomi Drew. That book helped me realize that a peaceful family begins with me. If I wanted to change the dynamic in the house, it was possible. In this book, Drew discusses what she calls three essentials for peaceful parenting that I have used with our kids with success.
The first is to make the home a place of kind words. In our family, the sibling fighting often starts when one of the kids says something mean or puts down another child. That child responds with another insult. The fight soon escalates. To break this cycle, there should be a rule that no person puts down any other member of the family and the rule needs to be enforced. READ More on Parenting: A Peaceful Family Begins With Me
Filed under Communication, Family, Parenting by More4kids
Friendship is extremely important for kids and adults alike. After all, it's friends who share in our life and who challenge us to be our best selves. With friends we create memories that are happy and with friends we go through tough times as well. Unfortunately, some kids have more difficulties than others when it comes to making friends. While you'd probably like to get out there and make friends for your child so they aren't so disappointed, you can't. However, what you can do is help to equip your child with the tools needed to function socially and start making friends.
Each child is born with the desire to have relationships; however, every child goes about developing friendships in a different way. For many children, especially younger ones, they need a bit of help to develop important social skills along the way before they are able to make friends. Some of these skills include negotiation, communication, problem solving, empathy, and cooperation skills. There are things that you can do to help support your child as they work to make friends. Here are some tips and ideas to help your child to develop friends.
READ More on Helping Kids Make Friends
How many times have you heard the saying that “Fighting is a natural part of life,” or “A good fight now and again is good for the relationship and keeps things alive”? But really, is that how you feel? Do you truly believe that fighting with the family, with your spouse, and especially your children, is good for you all?
Having fights within the family is definitely not a fun and pleasant experience. Each fight, regardless how small, will leave you drained of energy and feeling negative afterwards. Not only will you feel bad for the things you said and did during the fight, but your children will walk away feeling rejected, lost, unloved.
And do you wonder who suffers the most when fights occur in the family? Your children. You know that it is the kids that suffer the most when you have had nasty explosive fights. And you also know that a great deal of ugliness comes out that you would rather not have exposed to them on a regular basis. READ More on Taking A Vow To End Fighting With Your Kids
