Parenting Tips and More

How to Deal with Kids who are Fussy Eaters, Part 1

2012-02-11T16:40:00.000-08:00

Part 1 of 3 Parts on Kids and Eating.
Does your child scrunch up his or her face, pull back their chair and refuse to eat what you have served them? If so, stop letting them get away with it. I'll be blunt. Do you think a child who is desperately poor, who hasn't had a descent meal in who knows how long, would stick up their nose at the pot roast you are serving? Your child can choose the food they want to eat, or not, because they have enough to choose from. Trust me, if your child hadn't eaten in five days that container filled with tomato soup in your frig might look edible now. But luckily if you live in the U.S., your child shouldn't ever be in that fix!

I knew a boy who hated vegetables. He would eat fruit, hamburgers, pizza, nuts, etc. just not plain vegetables. When he thought he could get away with it he would put the offending vegetables in his napkin, pretend he had to go the bathroom and flush them down the toilet, or hide them under the trash in the trash bin. His mother asked his doctor what to do. (You can ask your own family doctor what to do for your child. There are vegetable and fruit supplements. Ask about them. However, this does not make up for having the real thing. It's in addition to.) The boy's doctor said, keep giving him fruits and find ways to make the vegetables palatable. He also pointed out the boy liked pizza. And that pizza has tomato sauce on it which is a crushed vegetable. I can't say I recommend giving your child carry-out pizza, but how about making a pizza at home with fresh tomatoes and olives? Or putting a sliced tomato on a homemade hamburger? As a "not so keen on vegetables person" myself, I like grilled vegetables, and vegetables cooked in olive oil in a frying pan. I also like raw vegetables with humus. The humus makes the vegetables more appetizing. If your child doesn't like a particle vegetable try another. I know a boy who says he hates all vegetables but mild big red peppers. You can try slicing up a big red pepper (not the spicy pepper) and serving it with a healthy dip or ranch dressing.

Book Review: Five Minutes’ Peace

2012-02-10T16:21:00.000-08:00

Five Minutes’ Peace by Jill Murphy. Very cute picture book, moms and kids can relate to. An elephant, aptly named Mrs. Large, just wants five minutes peace away from her children. She goes and takes a restful bath. Soon after her children join her in the bathroom. It’s a short book which is great for a night time read. The pictures of the elephants are adorable. For Mother’s Day this book can be a gift idea for moms who’ve mentioned whenever they take a shower or use the bathroom their child suddenly needs them.

Keep Berries Fresh Longer

2012-02-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

If you put fresh strawberries (or other berries) in a plastic container in frig, keep moisture down by putting a paper towel underneath strawberries and over them. Keep plastic lid on tight.

Movie Review: Back to the Future 3

2012-02-07T11:39:00.001-08:00

Movie Title: Back to the Future 3. Rated PG. Engaging movie. Marty goes to back in time to the Old West. He gets on the bad side of a bad tempered ruffian. The ruffian challenges Marty to a duel. Marty agrees and makes the duel time right after breakfast. He thinks this will give Doc enough time to get the Dolorin (car) fixed so they can be out of there before the dual can happen. Meanwhile Doc falls in love. But can love last when you are born in different centuries? I thought this movie was better than part II.

Parenting Article: Divorce

2012-02-05T19:19:00.000-08:00

The Fun Parent vs. The Corrector Parent

Divorce can be hard on those involved. It can be difficult raising children after a divorce. Less money coming in. Having to deal with your Ex. Having to deal with behavior that your Ex allows and you don't.

It can be maddening to have your children come home from a weekend at the other parent’s with a new set of table manners. An example: "Bobby, don't burp at the table." "Dad lets me." "Bobby elbows off the table." "Dad lets me." "Bobby, I made a pot roast for dinner. Why are you having a bowl of cereal instead?" "Dad lets me." Life at Dad's looks pretty good to Bobby. If his father is only a weekend Dad this could be why. Dad wants Bobby to have a fun time with him when he sees him. If Dad had principle custody maybe Dad wouldn't be so lenient. I personally have seen father's that have primary custody who do an excellent job. They make lunches, go to school plays, meet with teachers, etc. I have also seen father's that have partial custody, who are concerned fathers as well. The best scenario is when both parents, though divorced, are on the same page as far as raising a decent well mannered child.

Any divorced parent should not make it "party time" all the time when they have their time with their children. You can have a fun time, but you still should install in your child manners, give them a decent bed time, have them do homework, have chores, etc. You should make life as normal as possible. "Party Time," most the time is not normal. Even if you feel sorry for your child about the divorce they still need to have a normal life with chores and homework time. Taking your child to an amusement park every weekend is not normal. You can spend quality time with them walking the dog, teaching them how to ride a bike, making a model airplane with them, showing them how to grow tomatoes, etc. Some divorced parents don’t want their child to dislike them, so they think if they don't correct the child’s rude or annoying behavior their child will like them more. But you are the parent. Your job is to teach them how to behave, make sure they get to school on time, to feed them nutritious meals… You aren’t a 24 hour party coordinator. Your house is not a cruise ship where you cater to every whim and life is fun, fun, fun morning, noon and night.

If you are the Ex of a "Fun Parent" who doesn't like to correct their child, for the benefit of your child don’t start doing the same to compete. Keep correcting inappropriate behavior, set a bed time, don't let them sit at the computer for hours on end or let them watch TV all day. That said do have fun with your child. Walk the dog together to an ice cream shop on Wednesdays. While doing that find out what's on their mind. Pick topics they would like to talk about. Tell a funny story about something that happened to you as a kid. Have family movie night with popcorn on Friday's. Find ways to incorporate fun into doing their homework. Have them help with dinner by cooking something they like (pizza/chili/a dessert). Lastly, don't complain about your Ex to them. Your Ex is an adult. Your kid is a kid. Your child shouldn’t have to worry about adult things. Your child does not have control over what your Ex does. Do not give them the responsibility of getting the monthly child support from them or complaining to them about it. Don't stress your child out about adult issues. Take care of it yourself. If need be talk to a friend when your child isn’t around to hear. Get things out, so you can be as calm as you can with your kids. After a divorce there are kids who worry about their parents so they take on extra responsibly, and some parents after a divorce act like a kid, shirking responsibly. As a divorced parent, do the best you can for your child.

How to Make a Light Spectacular Candle

2012-02-03T16:41:00.000-08:00

What you need: Washed out lunch milk carton. Old wax crayons. Pot. Pan. Pencil. String. Wick, which isn’t lead based. Big pieces of crushed ice. If desired a candle scent.
What to do: 1) Poke hole in bottom of milk carton. 2) Open top of milk carton all the way. Tie wick to pencil, balance pencil on sides of top (pencil lying flat across it). Wick should go down middle of carton and through hole in bottom. 3) Tape wick to bottom of carton so it is stretched tight. 4) Peel paper off crayons. 5) Melt wax crayons in pot. You can put a liquid scent in it, or at some arts and craft stores they have wax flakes that smell that you can melt. 6) Put milk carton in pan. Pour big crushed ice in milk carton. 7) Over this pour wax. Let harden. Ice will melt to bottom of hole. 8) Peel off carton from wax candle. When wick is dry, light it. Light will go through parts where ice was, making this one cool candle.

To Help Get Rid of Counter Stains

2012-02-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

Use a mixture of real, fresh lemon juice and baking soda to scrub out tomato paste and various coffee stains on tile counters.

Movie Review: Back to the Future II

2012-01-31T13:08:00.001-08:00

Movie Title: Back to the Future II. Rated PG. Adventure-Comedy. Not as good as the first film, but watchable. Marty needs to go to the future, 2015, to stop his son from being bullied into committing a crime. While in the future Marty gets an idea. He takes a sports almanac to take back to the past to be able to bet on races that have won. Doc tells him he shouldn't do it. Meanwhile Marty's father's old nemesis gets the same idea as Marty. He steals the Delorean and takes the sports almanac to his young self back in the 1950's. This alters all their futures. Marty and Doc must go back to the 1950's to retrieve the almanac to redo the future. Interesting plot, but Marty's son is annoying as a wimp. What I did like was the flying skateboards. Marty has a really cool scene riding it though town to escape the boys bullying his son. It's interesting that someone thought we might have flying cars by 2015. I serious doubt this will happen. But it was fun to watch.

Make a Stove Top Hat: Arts and Craft Project

2012-01-29T18:23:00.000-08:00

Black top hat. What you need. Three pieces of black construction paper. Scissors. Glue stick or tacky glue. Pencil.
What to do: For main, stove pipe, part of hat- Roll one paper together with longest sides touching. Put on your child's head to see how wide hat should be. You want it to pop up six inches above their head to be a stove top hat. After determining how wide hat should be, using a glue stick/tacky glue, glue one or two inches of one side into the other. This is the main part of hat. For the cover: One hole side up, put the main part of hat onto another sheet of black paper. Draw a circle around it, then another circle adding an extra inch or two. Cut around the additional inches circle. Fold down sides of first pencil mark. The additional inches on paper was done so you can glue this part INTO hat. You can also staple it in. For a brim: First draw a circle around hat on last piece of black paper. Then using pencil circle again adding an inch or two inside first circle. Cut on second circle mark. Fold on first mark and glue inside hat. Now make the actual brim by drawing a circle around extra paper left, that now sticks out of hat. Cut to brim size you want. Read this a few times and try on sample paper.

Simple Rainy Day Artwork

2012-01-27T16:40:00.000-08:00

Copy Art. What you need: Plain and colored paper. Glue. Scissors. Colored pencils/crayons.
Sit down with your child in a room they want to copy.
Step 1: On a piece of paper have two columns: A- People, objects, and pets your child would like to draw. B- People, objects, and pets they would like to cut out. Step 2: On white construction paper have your child draw the objects/furniture/people from column A where they appear in room.
Step 3: On colored paper have child draw, then cut out objects, etc… from column B. Glue these cut-outs on the white construction paper where they are in room.

Stair Safety

2012-01-25T14:51:00.000-08:00

It might be funny in a movie watching a dog slide across waxed wood floors, but in reality a dog can break a hip or a leg if they fall. If you have wood floors, protect your floor and your dog. Buy dog socks with RUBBER pads. Your dog might not like them but it's worth a try. Your floor won't have as many nail marks from skidding. Another suggestion: If you have wood stairs, don't wax or over wax them. Also, think about installing a carpet runner on it. While visiting someone I saw two dogs, as well a child in socks, slip on slippery wood stairs. Tile stairs are dangerous, too. Teach your child to be careful on stairs. No rough housing on stairs!

Movie Review: Back to the Future

2012-01-24T20:39:00.000-08:00

Movie Title: Back to the Future. Rated PG. Adventure-Comedy. I think the movie is for older kids, twelve on up. It has about 5 offensive words, but what's worse is there's a scene with a boy trying to get a girl in a car for the wrong purposes. (Who wants to try explaining that to their eight or nine-year-old?)
The movie plot is interesting and it's well paced. The film keeps your attention throughout it. I enjoyed Back to the Future both as an older kid and as an adult. The movie is about high-schooler Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) who has a dad with a confidence problem. The dad has a low opinion of himself due to the town bully whose been bothering him since they were kids. Marty is friends with the town eccentric, Doc. He's an inventor who creates a time machine inside a DeLorean (car). He plans to drive into the past or future in style. As Doc is showing Marty the car, a van full of Lebanese comes after Doc. (He was supposed to make them a bomb that actually worked.) Fleeing the Lebanese, Marty gets in the car and drives back into the past. He meets his parents and changes the course of their future. A classic scene is Marty's mom calling him Calvin because that's what his underwear tag says. Overall Back to the Future is a fun movie.

Tissues- Have them in handy places

2012-01-22T14:10:00.000-08:00

During cold season have boxes of tissues, in reachable places, in many places in your home. Children do not like to go to the kitchen to get a tissue if they're busy playing elsewhere. They’re more likely to use a tissue if one is near by. Otherwise they might use their shirt, back of hand, or sleeve. If your child has a lingering cold put a little pack of tissues in their backpack for school use. Also, have tissue in your glove compartment. You can refill the tiny packages with more tissues from bigger boxes. Thus, saving you money.

Qualities to being a Good Parent 2- 11 more

2012-01-20T11:57:00.001-08:00

1) Spend time with your child alone, and as a family unit.
Pen, not pencil, in a time to do something special with your child. Read to them at night, go on a walk together. Get to know your child. Also, do things as a family. Eat dinner together, play a board game together, even play handball together... By doing this you are creating a family bond. Kids who do not deal much with their parents or sibling(s) can be clueless as to what families actually do together. Give your child a basis.

2) Show your child how to solve life problems.
If you don't teach your child how to deal with problems in the correct manner, who will teach them? Problems can range from how to deal with friends who are mean to how to lose a game without having a melt down. Life can he hard, teach them how to handle it as best as possible.

3) Instill the idea of moderation. I.e. Food. TV. Computer games. You can't have everything all the time.

4) Teach good eating habits. Monkey see, monkey do.

5) Teach tolerance towards others by your own behavior.

6) Teach your child about finances.
It's no joke when a woman says, "Oh I have no head for finances. My parents never taught me." Children should learn how to budget their money. They shouldn't spend money on things they don't have money for. Credit card debit can be like a black hole. It's hard to get out of.

7) Teach your child responsibly.
From pitching in with chores to turning in their homework on time. Your child's boss later in life is not going to believe their dog ate the company's project report.

8) Teach an appreciation for life.
If you complain and whine about life and what it dealt you, you are instilling negativity in your child. There are things to appreciate. From art to nature to your pet dog to the right of having a fair trial in the U.S.

9) Teach your child about safety.
The world is not perfect. You need to teach your child to protect themselves. This can be from the danger of matches to not going anywhere with a stranger, no matter if the person says that they are hurt, you the parent is hurt, or the puppy in their car is hurt and can they help.

10) Give your child a warm, safe home environment.
Your material goods come second to a child's basic needs. Food, clean clothes, and shelter. Also, a child should not have to fear living in their home. No child should be exposed to, or have to worry about, being verbally or physically abused by anyone in their home.

11) Let your child grow and go when the time comes.
One day your child might want a spouse. It's hard to have a good marriage with a parent-in-law poking in your business all the time. Children and adults need to learn to make their own decisions. Just because a minor decision your child picks is different then what you would pick doesn't automatically mean it's the wrong choice. Dealing with parent guilt is not fun.

Movie Title: Dolphin Tale

2012-01-18T13:09:00.000-08:00

Movie Title: Dolphin Tale. Rated PG. Excellent family movie. I highly recommend it. Movie based on a true story. A lonely boy riding his bike to summer school sees a beached dolphin tangled in ropes with its tail caught in a fishing cage. He cuts the ropes off its tail to free it. A marine rescue team is called. They take the dolphin to their facility. The boy sneaks into the facility to see the dolphin and bonds with it. The manager’s daughter, Hazel (cute, bubbly little girl), befriends the boy. She names the dolphin, Winter. Because Winter’s tail is infected it has to be taken off. A doctor at a VA facility, where the boy’s cousin is recouping from a war injury, makes Winter a prosthetic tail. Kids without an arm, or leg, learn about this special dolphin and want to visit her. Unfortunately, the facility is in jeopardy of closing due to lack of funding. It’s up to the kids to make sure this doesn’t happen. The ending has real film footage of Winter as a young dolphin. Lovely story. Very uplifting.

Book Review: The Shaman’s Apprentice

2012-01-16T17:18:00.000-08:00

The Shaman’s Apprentice by Lynne Cherry and Mark J. Plotkin. Pictures by Lynne Cherry. This story takes place in the Amazon rain forest. A sick little boy, Kamanya, is cured by a shaman. This influences the boy’s decision to become a shaman someday too. He follows the shaman around as he picks herbs to help cure the sick. One day miners come and bring disease to the area. The shaman can’t cure the malaria. Missionaries come and use modern medicine to cure those who have the illness. After some time the missionaries leave feeling their work is done. One day a woman comes to the village wanting to learn about the healing art of rain forest plants. The villagers learn the cure for malaria was obtained from the bark of a tree. This prompts Kamanya to keep learning from the shaman about what plants can cure.
Interesting book with detailed pictures of herbs. Children can learn something new: Modern medicine we use everyday is derived from plants and trees. This is why it is important to save places like the rain forest. There is more to learn about what healing properties certain plants and trees have. The pictures of the rain forest are lush, filling the page, edge to edge.

Arts and Craft Project: Magnet Pictures

2012-01-14T16:40:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get free magnets from companies? Don't throw them away! Cut out pictures of your kids from photos, or pretty scenes from postcards, and glue the back of them onto the magnets. Your child can easily do this with photos of your family pets or funny pictures from magazines. You can even cut the magnet into shapes like a heart or a bone, depending on how thick the magnet is.

Hair Tip

2012-01-13T11:45:00.001-08:00

Hair tip: Use apple vinegar and water for a cleansing shampoo. Otherwise switch brands every so often so you won't have build up in your hair. A hairstylist told me, you should not shampoo normal hair, and especially chemically treated hair, everyday. It dries out the hair. Shampooing every other day should be fine. If you style your hair, use a shower cap in the shower for the days you don't wash your hair. I know someone who straightens her hair. But she doesn't want to do it everyday because it will over dry it. So she wears a thick shower cap in the shower on the days she doesn't wash it. Her hair still looks straightened afterwards.

Movie Review: Living it Up

2012-01-08T19:53:00.000-08:00

Movie Title: Living it Up. Comedy. Family film. Kids might get bored when Dean Martin sings, but it's worth watching the film to see Jerry Lewis in action. He's a true comic. Besides, you can always fast forward past the singing.
Story line: A sweet young man named Homer (Jerry Lewis) thinks he's dying of radiation poisoning. A newspaper journalist gets wind of this. Thinking this would be a good tear jerker for her newspaper she persuades Homer to come to New York City, all expenses paid, for a final farewell to the world and a big send off. The problem is Homer really isn't going to meet the angels just yet. But when his physician (Dean Martin) learns of this grand trip to NYC he talks Homer into going, with him along of course. Dean and Jerry have to keep up the pretense that Jerry is indeed dying and fool some doctors. For kids ten and older. Younger kids might get bored.

Paper Towel Shaker

2012-01-04T16:03:00.000-08:00

Save paper towel rolls to make a simple musical instrument.
What to do: Your child can color the paper towel roll. Afterwards, cover one end with thick paper (butcher paper) or two sheets of paper. Tape closed. Put dried beans inside. Cover other end with paper. Tape shut. Shake for music.

For the New Year

2012-01-02T19:33:00.001-08:00

Have an emergency evacuation plan for your family in case of a regional disaster in your area (earthquake/tornado/hurricane/flood). Have a family meeting where you tell all members of the family what the plan is. I suggest you get a manual to find out what you’re to do when a disaster happens. You might have questions.

Happy New Year’s Eve!

2011-12-31T20:06:00.000-08:00

Fun suggestion- My brothers and I would get pots and pans and bang them with wooden spoons at midnight outside the house. This was lots of fun but make sure you have neighbors who won't mind.

New Year's Expectation for your Child

2011-12-29T19:33:00.000-08:00

If you don't expect much from your child, that's what you get. That said don't set expectations so high they’ll burst. Do expect good manners, kindness, honesty, and responsibility for actions.

Movie Review: Rudolph’s Shiny New Year

2011-12-28T13:05:00.000-08:00

Movie title: Rudolph’s Shiny New Year. Animation with Music. It’s only six more days until New Year’s and Happy, the New Year baby, has run away. Happy ran away because the other kids were making fun of his big ears. Rudolph the reindeer can relate because he was made fun of his red nose when he was little. Rudolph goes to find Happy before a vulture kidnaps him. The vulture wants to stop time so he won’t turn to ice. If there isn’t a New Year then time will be stopped. The baby goes to a fairy time land, where he stays with the three bears. The little bear and baby become friends, until the bears laugh at his ears. This upsets Happy and he runs away. Rudolph finds Happy and saves the New Year. He tells Happy his big ears might make people laugh, but this makes them happy, which is a good thing. Show watchable for adults because it’s a short film.

Book Review: The Runaway Latkes

2011-12-26T18:10:00.000-08:00

The Runaway Latkes by Leslie Kimmelman. Pictures by Paul Yalowitz. Rebecca is making latkes when they jump out of the pan. The naughty latkes roll out of her house and whirl through the town with people chasing them. The latkes jump in the Applesauce River. Low and behold a miracle happens. The Applesauce River turns into real applesauce. Rebecca takes the latkes out the river and shares them with everyone. Cute story with a catchy phrase throughout.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

After eating your holiday dinner take a walk. I was told this helps digestion.

Holiday Centerpiece and Dog Tip

2011-12-24T17:40:00.000-08:00

1) Child’s Christmas Arts and Craft Dinner Centerpiece.
What you need: Styrofoam three inches tall in any shape you desire, circle, square, oval or rectangle. You the parent can cut the Styrofoam with a shape knife to the shape desired. Red, green, gold, or silver paint. Paint brush. Pretty leaves. The day you plan to use centerpiece cut flowers, twigs with leaves or berries and/or ivy vines. Place stems in water.

What to do: Paint Styrofoam. Let dry. Then just before dinner, or a half an hour before, stick fresh flowers, and twigs in Styrofoam in a pretty fashion. If you see Styrofoam base peeking through you can cover it with leaves or ivy vines. Put centerpiece on dinner table.

2) Tip for dog owners- do not give turkey bones or chicken bones to your dog. They can get caught in their throat and they can choke on them. I don't recommend lamb bones either. A nice old man kept giving them to my dog and she would get sick. I had to politely tell him what was happening. Ask your butcher or veterinarian what bones they recommend for dogs.

Make Ball Ornaments and Spread Goodwill

2011-12-23T19:13:00.000-08:00

1) Child’s Christmas Ball Ornaments.
What you need: Styrofoam balls. Ribbon. Glitter. Glue. Interesting buttons, or rhinestones.

What you do: Glue interesting buttons, or rhinestones on ball. Let dry. Glue ball again and then shake glitter on it. Let dry. Cut four or five inches of ribbon. Fold ribbon in half. Glue ribbon to top of ball so it can hang from Christmas tree. If this ribbon breaks you can pin it in, but make sure there are no children under four in house.

2) Spread Goodwill. Have your family volunteer at a soup kitchen, a local food pantry (Some churches and temples do it for the holidays. You can sort food.), or each contribute whatever they can afford to a needy cause (Save the Dolphins, Red Cross, Cancer Society) or put money in a Salvation Army red pot. Or make the above ornaments and give to hospices to put on Christmas trees or hang in windows.

Gifts that cost nothing and Homemade Gift Tags

2011-12-20T11:53:00.000-08:00

1) Idea for a child who is low on money this holiday season or just is too young to have much or any money to buy gifts. These gifts from the heart should be appreciated by all. For each member of the family have a pile of four index cards. On each card write what the child will do for that family member. They can draw a corresponding picture next to it. Example: For Mom. The index cards can say, "Good for one dog washing." "Two for one shoe polishing." "One cleaning of my room without complaining." "Hand in for a helping hand for laundry folding. Offer expires (put a date)." For Dad- "Complimentary Saturday lawn mowing." For a brother- "Coupon for one hour of playing one of my video games." "Redeem for moving my dirty clothes away from your playing area." From one sister to another, "Admit one sister to go through my clothes and pick a shirt (dress) to wear for one day." And so on. Tie each pile of index cards with ribbon to look pretty.

2) Homemade Gift Tags. Cut plain colored wrapping paper in shapes of stars, trees, wreaths, presents or use a stencil and trace shapes on paper and cut. Write name of person on shape and tape to present. One way not to see the tape is to put it on back of shape so it sticks to shape and present.

I will be gone Wed and Thurs so I double up on tips Fri. and Sat.

Budget Bath Salt Gift and Christmas Book Review

2011-12-19T17:37:00.000-08:00

1) On a budget but need to give many holiday gifts? Here's an idea, give bath salts in small clear or colored mason jars. Use 1/4 cup of Epson salt, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/8 cup of almond oil. Mix together. Make sure the person you are giving it to doesn't have extra sensitive skin. Do tell people the simple ingredients in it. For a nice extra touch: Tie a red ribbon around a popsicle stick and place it on top. (Popsicle stick is to scoop up bath salt.)

2) Guess Who’s Coming to Santa’s for Dinner? By Tomie dePaola. Santa’s family is coming to dinner. Watch out they’re as crazy as other families with complaining, bickering and unhappy Cousin Ulla. But they also have fun making dinner and putting on their Christmas Pageant. Santa’s friend Lars brings his pet polar bear to dinner. Hmm I wonder how that will turn out. The pictures are in cartoon form so older kids might find that appealing. Nice idea about meeting Santa’s family. I always did wonder what they were like.

How to make a Desert Christmas Tree and a Floating Iceberg

2011-12-18T19:28:00.000-08:00

1)Make a Desert Christmas tree. If you live close to a beach, or plan to take a trip to one, look for driftwood. Find a nice piece with your child. Dry it. When dry, nail the bottom of branch to a base. This is how to do it: Turn base upside down. Hammer a thick nail down middle of base INTO bottom of branch. Branch will now look like mini tree. Cover mini-tree with ornaments.

2)Here's a cute holiday display if you own a pool. Make a floating iceberg for your pool. Use a boogie board as the iceberg. Buy nylon pillow stuffing for snow on top of the board. Place plastic or stuff penguins on the iceberg. Kids love this display. You can place a light weight Santa or a stuff polar bear on the iceberg as well.

Two Holiday Arts and Craft Projects

2011-12-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

Due to an unforeseen problem I couldn't write since early this week so I will double up on tips and such on other days. Today is Holiday Arts and Craft Project Day.

1) Pinecone ornaments-
What you need: Small thin pinecones, glue gun or strong tacky glue, hangers for ornaments, silver or gold can of spray paint.
What to do: Outside on a newspaper spray pinecones gold or silver. Wait until dry and paint part that couldn't get to. When dry, glue ornament hangers on top of pinecone. Hang on tree like a pinecone would hang. This looks nice with a red ribbon wrapped around branches of Christmas tree.

2)Graham Cracker Snow House- (Back by popular demand)

Needed items:
1) A box of Graham crackers.
2) White canned frosting or make your own. The frosting will be used in this project as glue and as snow.
3) Gum drops. This makes a colorful fence.
4) Red licorice. For door and window frames.
5) Hard candy. Makes a stone wall.
6) Tiny marshmallows. For Snowman. Roof tiles.
7) M&M's or Skittles. To decorate sides and for roof tiles. Or walkway pavers to house.
8) Starburst Candy. This can be used to make a chimney stack. Or use on sides as fence. Can be roof tiles. Or create a walkway to house with them.
9) Snack size candy bar. For a chimney.
10) Pretzels. Line up for a fence.
11) Cotton candy. For pink smoke coming out of chimney.
12) Coconut shreds. For snow on the ground.
13) Frosted Mini Wheats. As roof tiles.
14) Cake sprinkles.
15) Other candy you think you can use for something on the house. Have your child use their imagination.
16) Stiff paper plate.
17) Cake topping decorating bag/pump. Squeeze frosting on roof edges to make icicles.

You will build the house on the paper plate. Start with walls of the house as if you were building a house of cards. The Graham crackers will be the walls. You might need to hold the crackers steady as your child glues them together with frosting. Frost three edges of each cracker. Place bottom of frosted cracker upright on plate. Let dry a bit. Then build an A frame roof (at an angle place two sides of Graham crackers together). Frost wall tops and ends of roof together to keep frame up. Hold and let dry. Now at this point make a decision. Will you be frosting the whole house or just the roof? If you want to do the whole house I suggest you do it all at the beginning.

If you are going to do the whole house start with the sides. Gently frost crackers using a rubber spatula. When done, do roof. When done, outline a doorway using the string licorice. Do the same for windows. Place M&M's and/or Skittles all over wall siding or make a design on wall. Decorate the roof using M&M's, Skittles, tiny marshmallows or Frosted Mini Wheats. Sprinkle cake sprinkles on roof for festive look. Your child can stack up five Starbursts for a chimney. Or they can use the snack size candy bar for this. Place stretched cotton candy on top of chimney for smoke.

Once house is decorated to your child's satisfaction they can do the yard. On the plate spread frosting around house. Sprinkle coconut around house for snow. Stack up three marshmallows to make a snowman. Use a dab of frosting in-between marshmallows to keep snowman up. Using finger put a teeny dab of frosting on the side of the top marshmallow. Using sprinkles make a face. Place in two eyes, nose and mouth on marshmallow. You can make a walkway to front door using Starbursts, M&M's or Skittles. Place gum drops or pretzels around house as a fence. For a stone wall stack hard candy, using frosting as cement to keep them in place. The last thing you should do is the icicles. With your bag of frosting place tip on edge of Graham cracker roof. Squeeze enough frosting to make a hanging icicle.

How to Make Homemade Bell Ornaments

2011-12-12T18:47:00.000-08:00

Little bell ornaments.
What you need: Egg carton. Paint. Pipe cleaners (buy at arts and craft store.) Little beads or little bells. Glue gun or strong tacky glue.

What to do: Cut off top of egg carton.
Flip over so carton looks like rows of bells.
Cut out each egg space to make a bell. Have your child paint these cardboard bells. Once bells are dry, punch a hole through top of each. The hole should be big enough for a pipe cleaner to go through. Once pipe cleaner is through the hole curve the top so it looks like a hook. Your child will use this hook to place bell on tree. Under the bell glue a bead, or a little silver bell, to end of pipe cleaner. This insures pipe cleaner does not slip through top. You can also tie red or green ribbons around bell hook for a festive look.

Share a Holiday Memory

2011-12-11T23:03:00.000-08:00

This week take time to share one happy holiday memory from your childhood with your child (sadly if you can't remember one use a memory from your adulthood). You can share a memory which involves a relative or a friend. Share funny memories, like the dog running away with the wrapping paper or stealing the turkey. Hopefully, your child will remember this memory and share it with their children.

Box inside Box Present

2011-12-11T00:06:00.000-08:00

Variation of the box inside a box present giving. (If you don't know what this is it goes like this, you buy a small present. You put this gift inside a small box. Then you put this box in a larger box. That box goes in a larger box. This box goes in a larger box. And so on. For a nice touch gold boxes inside gold boxes looks pretty.) What your child can do: He/She can make a present. Let's say they make a bracelet for Mom. They can put this in a clip box (So Mom thinks she's getting a box of clips). Then the clip box can go inside a drill box (So Mom thinks she's getting a drill). Then the drill box can go inside a dog toy bag (I've seen kids and Mom laugh at this). The dog toy bag can inside a work boot box or a Chia Pet box. Now wrap this present with holiday paper. Make sure your spouse has a good sense of humor before you do this variation on a box inside a box. And oddly sometimes Mom really might have wanted the drill from the drill box or the Chia pet

Santa's Secret Peppermint Cookie Recipe

2011-12-09T18:58:00.000-08:00

Santa's Secret Peppermint Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
In first bowl- Sift in 1 1/2 cups of flour. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon of ginger.

In second bowl- Cream together 2/3 cup of butter with 1/2 cup of firmly packed brown sugar.

In this second bowl- Blend in 1 egg and 2 tablespoons of molasses. Beat well.
Then add 1/2 cup of crushed peppermint candy (put candy canes in two zip lock bags and roll over and over with rolling pin) with dry ingredients. Mix all ingredients together well.

Using teaspoon put cookie dough onto slightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Makes around 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Frost cookies after they have cooled or frosting will melt down cookie. If desired, child can sprinkle holiday sprinkles onto frosting before it hardens.

PEPPERMINT FROSTING:
Combine 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of a top quality vanilla, 2 teaspoons of crushed peppermint candy, 2 tablespoons of soft butter and three drops of red food coloring. Blend in 1 to 3 tablespoons of whole milk until you have consistency you like.

Book Review: The Christmas Cobwebs

2011-12-08T23:07:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Cobwebs, by Odds Bodkin. Pictures by Terry Widener. A fire breaks out at a cobbler’s shop. The family flees as their house burns. The cobbler saves his special glass Christmas ornaments. But he has to sell them to buy new cobbler tools and to provide for his family. The family moves to another location. The cobbler tells his wife not to take down the spiders’ cobwebs in the house since he knows how it feels to lose your home. In thanks the spiders spin cobweb ornaments for their Christmas tree. Unique story with pictures that match.

Decorate with Christmas Tree Branches

2011-12-07T21:58:00.000-08:00

Use the extra pine branches under your Christmas tree. After you cut your tree to size use the left over branches. Drape them over a large mirror. Then add fake or real red berry branches. Weave a thick gold ribbon in and out of branches. Add hanging cherubs on branches if you desire. You can also do this on your banister as well.

Movie title: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and...

2011-12-06T19:49:00.000-08:00

Movie title: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys. Animation with Music. A dentist elf needs to fix the King of the Misfit Toy’s tooth. Rudolph the Reindeer goes with him. On the way back they get shipwrecked. They end up at an island run by a hippo, Queen Camilla. She fixes old and broken toys. But she has no-one to give these toys to. Rudolph suggests the toys can go to Santa. As a reward for this Camilla says she will grant the elf and reindeer a wish each. Rudolph wants a normal nose and the elf wants a date with the tooth fairy. Back at the North Pole, Santa’s toy warehouse has been robbed. Camilla’s toys are taken too. A toy taker in a blimp has stolen them. Rudolph, his girlfriend, the elf with Abominable Snowman and gold miner in tow pretend they are toys so the toy taker will take them. Once in the blimp they go after the toy taker. He escapes, but later is captured. This is where the big surprise comes in, just who is the toy taker? Nice ending. As an adult I actually enjoyed this show. It’s nice that in the end Rudolph doesn’t want a normal nose. He’s okay with being different. The highlight of the movie for me was when the hippo sings her song. It’s catchy and cute.

Where to Find Cheap Stocking Stuffers

2011-12-05T21:50:00.000-08:00

For inexpensive stocking stuffers check out your city's China Town. As little kids, my nieces would buy their holiday gifts there. They got them at cheap prices, which is all they could afford.

Simple Candle Gift

2011-12-04T23:24:00.000-08:00

Save funny or cute metal mint tins. Make a candle container out of it. Melt wax, pour in tin and put in wick. Make sure wick is not lead based.

Holiday Punch

2011-12-03T16:47:00.001-08:00

Need a little extra punch for your holiday party? Here's a tasty one: In a punch bowl pour half a gallon of 7Up. Add a fourth of a gallon of orange sherbet to it. Taste punch. Add more sherbet if you like. If you have a larger punch bowl you can mix more punch and 7Up together.

Cheap Wrapping Paper

2011-12-02T21:05:00.001-08:00

Tired of paying too much for wrapping paper? Then get a roll of butcher's paper. First wrap present with butcher's paper. Then have your child color pictures on it. Or they can press fun holiday stamps on it from an ink pad. You most likely can find holiday ink pads at your local craft store. Or have your child cut out and glue pictures on it from old Christmas cards or holiday magazines. If the present is fragile have your child color or stamp paper before you wrap it.

Book Review: Carl’s Christmas

2011-12-01T22:59:00.000-08:00

Carl’s Christmas, by Alexandra Day. This is a true picture book. With the exception of the first page, all the other pages show through pictures how Carl the Rottweiler babysits his owner’s baby on Christmas Eve. In reality I don’t think it’s okay for a dog to babysit a baby, but this book is pure fantasy. Carl takes really good care of his charge. Santa rewards him. I love the illustrations.

Science Day: Cooking and Science

2011-11-30T21:18:00.000-08:00

Science Day: Scientists keep learning. They fine tune what they are working on to discover what works best. You can do the same in the kitchen. As a kitchen scientist pick a chocolate cake recipe (or a box mix will do) and substitute the water needed for buttermilk. See how changing one simple ingredient can make all the difference. In this case the cake will be yummier. Seriously it will! The sourness of the buttermilk emphasizes the chocolate taste. You can also try this, substituent buttermilk with regular milk when it is asked for in a chocolate dessert you bake on a normal basis. Do you like this dessert better using buttermilk or not? If you are really up to the challenge you can bake two small cakes, using buttermilk in one and one with water or milk. Have your family decide which they like best.

How to Live with a Messy Child

2011-11-27T16:21:00.000-08:00

1)To get your child to clean their room make a game of it. Time them to see how fast they can put away their books in their bookcase and/or how long it takes to put their dirty clothes in the hamper. If you have more than one child have a timed competition. But make it a win-win situation for both kids, like both get 15 minutes extra on the computer or they can make cookies with you.

2)If you have two kids who share a room and one is driving the other batty with their mess you can divide things in half in the room. Each child can have their own shelf on the bookcase. Their own area in the closet and their own drawers. With the top of a dresser do not divide it in half by using masking tape. My cousin did this with me and it ruined the antique dresser. Use a string or ribbon on top.

3)It is hard to get teenagers to clean their room. If they are basically well behaved and that is their only problem you might not want to make a big issue of it. But this is what you can do: Close the door so you do not have to look at the mess. Then set ground rules like, no food can be left on the floor for the ants to get; glasses or liquids also can not be on the floor in case they to tip over; there needs to have a clear path to the closet, window, dresser, and door; dirty clothes piled on the ground will not cleaned; they need to open the window for fresh air sometimes or they need a plugged in air freshener, especially if they have an animal in the room (Caged animals need to have their cages cleaned once a week. The smell of a stinky cage can drive you out of a room. Also, the smell can drift out in the hallway if there is a crack under the door.)

4)Remember just because your child is messy as a kid or teenager does not mean they will be messy as an adult. I was messy as a kid and I am not anymore. I also had a teenage brother who lived in room that looked like he lived in disaster area, plus, his room smelled to high heaven. In his twenties when he got married his wife would have none of that.

To Have or Have Not Juice

2011-11-26T21:47:00.000-08:00

I have been told having tall glasses of juice, whether it be orange, apple, grape juice, etc. everyday, more than once a day, is the way of the past for young kids. It's just too much sugar to have. The short orange juice glasses you see served in restaurants are the "in" juice glass again. If your child absolutely loves juice try giving them half water half juice. If they’re having too much of this per day you might try mixing in two ounces of juice with six ounces of water. Some kids just don’t like the taste of plain water.

Movie Review: Ice Age

2011-11-25T15:09:00.000-08:00

Movie Title: Ice Age. Animation. Rated PG. PG rating was probably given due to the fighting and slapstick scenes. I saw this movie with a nine-year-old boy. He thought it was funny. As grown up, I thought it was middle of the road. The movie takes place during the Ice Age when woolly mammoths, saber-tooth tigers and Neanderthals roamed the earth. It has a simple plot: A sloth, mammoth, saber-tooth tiger, and saber-tooth squirrel join forces to return a pee-wee Neanderthal to his people.

Overeating Tip

2011-11-23T13:31:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine says she eats a small amount of foods like cheese and nuts, or has a glass of milk to make her feel full. She said the fats in these foods make her satisfied so she won’t snack on cookies or potatoes chips. After talking to her I read an article from a doctor who said that if you want to lose weight you have to eat foods that give you fuel and satisfy your appetite rather than just eating surgery fruits (peaches, plums, yes even apples) or eating lettuce and carrots all day. He said people need to have more natural fats. It will make you full and give you energy. Yes, these types of foods do have more calories but he pointed out if don’t have enough calories you won’t feel like exercising because your body is lacking fuel. Which can backfire. When you eat well you give your body fuel and energy to exercise for a fit, toned body. He said what my brother told me years ago, “Stop eating when you are full.” Which is hard when you have cookies around. (You might want someone to hide them from you.) Also, think about this? Are you eating the cookies because you are famished or because you crave something sweet? When you are full, but just want to eat anyway, chew tasty gum, or leave the room that has food in it and start a project to keep your mind off eating more. Another hint: Eat before you are famished so you don’t over eat and regret it. Plus eat, and then wait a bit. You might find you are satisfied with only a sandwich if you give yourself time to feel satisfied. If you hurry and eat a sandwich, then eat a banana, a plum, and four cookies you haven’t given your body to be satisfied with just the sandwich or the sandwich and banana. Also, drink water before you eat. It fills you up. If you forget before a meal at least drink water with the meal.

Scrumptious Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

2011-11-21T22:17:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies might sound strange, but they taste great!
Make them with with your kids this Thankgiving. Give a batch to grandma and grandpa.

What you need:
1) 1 cup of pumpkin
2) 2 cups of flour
3) 1 cup of brown sugar
4) 1/2 cup of real butter
5) 1 egg
6) 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
7) 1 1/2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
8) 2 teaspoons of baking powder
9) 1 teaspoon of baking soda
10) 1/2 teaspoon of salt
11) 1 1/2 teaspoons of milk
12) 2 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

What you need to do: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In mixing bowl put in pumpkin, sugar, egg and butter. Blend in electric mixer for best results. In a different bowl put flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix baking soda with milk in a tiny bowl and stir in. Pour one bowl into another and mix in mixer. Add vanilla, making sure it gets mixed in well! Add chocolate chips, making sure they get mixed in dough well, too. Using a spoon put cookie dough on greased cookie sheets. Bake for 11 minutes. Enjoy!

Parenting Tip- Take the Oatmeal Challenge.

2011-11-20T23:44:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine had a daughter that felt sluggish in the mornings at school. Yes, she was having breakfast, but it was sugared cereal. For two weeks my friend had her daughter eat a hearty bowl of oatmeal (she could sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar on top) for breakfast. She said it made a difference. Her daughter was more alert at school. You might want to test this out for yourself.

Book Review: The Thanksgiving Story

2011-11-19T18:36:00.000-08:00

"The Thanksgiving Story" by Alice Dalgliesh. Illustrated by Helen Sewell. A book for third to fourth graders. It's true there isn't a lot of Thanksgiving books in the library compared to other books you can check out, but I would pass on this book anyway if you found it. You do learn information about the pilgrims but it was given in a boring manner. I found it so dull I took a look at the copyright date and wasn't surprised it said 1954. Overall this book could have been more exciting. Nowadays there are writers and illustrators who make learning about history fun. I have to state it was noted in the author's notes that the text and pictures in this book were purposely made simple. I got the point- it was a simpler time when the Pilgrims lived in America. But unfortunately I still thought the pictures were blah and text was just plain humdrum. This is one book that can go to the book sale to buy new library books.

A Thanksgiving Arts and Craft Project: Candle Centerpiece

2011-11-14T23:24:00.000-08:00

What you need: Styrofoam the size of a rectangular brick. Orange or green paint. Paint brush. Three tapered candles. Foliage from yard like autumn leaves, a twig with berries …

What to do: Paint Styrofoam. Let dry. Stick candles in row in the middle of it. Place foliage around base.
If you light candles make sure when they melt they don’t get too close to Styrofoam or foliage. To be safe this project should be for decoration only.

Parenting Article: Qualities to being a Good Parent

2011-11-12T19:07:00.000-08:00

Qualities to being a Good Parent Part 1

Someone asked me what I thought were the most important qualities/attributes to being a good parent. I thought about it and came up with a list of ten.

1)Above all Love Your Child.
Love is an action not just mere words. Love should not be confused with spoiling a child. You also should not have to pick which you love more, your spouse or your child. Each relationship is separate. Besides it is like comparing apples to oranges. And remember your child is a separate entity from you. Just because you like baseball does not mean they have to.

2)Patience.
Especially when you’ve had a hard day and your child is being extra trying.

3)Kindness.
Be kind and you will get kindness in return. (But maybe not the same day.)

4)Empathy. For your child and others.
When you are empathetic you are displaying compassion and understanding. A big thanks to all parents who do this.

5)Caring. For family and society.
One way to teach your child to care is by doing good works for others. And I do not
mean just forking money over to a charity for a tax break. I mean giving your time. A child is more likely to help with worthy causes now and later in life if
they witness their parents doing so.

6)Consistency.
Children like to be safe. Consistency in rules, behavior, how you act, etc. gives them security.

7)The ability to give consequences and stick to them.
Some parents have problems being the heavy. Society needs your cooperation here. One day your child will be living on their own and among us. Every society appreciates good citizens.

8)Control your temper.
Calm parenting is much more effective. Yelling and throwing a tantrum ruins your creditability.

9)Teach your child how to fit in society properly.
By this I mean teaching your child good hygiene, good manners, how to get along with others and how to make friends. Some children are shy so it is especially important to show them how to make friends.

10)Take an interest in what your child likes and dislikes.
Even if you are not very good at sports but your child is, you can still enjoy sports together. You can watch a baseball game together or GO TO THEIR HOME GAMES if they play a sport. And you can always find time for a tea party. As far as taking an interest in what a child does not like, an example of this: if they do not like teddy bears why would you keep giving them one?

Movie Review: Madagascar

2011-11-11T21:37:00.000-08:00

Movie Title: Madagascar. Animation film. Rated PG. It's an okay film. Not great, not bad. It has its moments. I expected Madagascar to be better from its trailers.
Story line: A zebra at New York's Central Park zoo makes a break for it. His three friends, a hippo, giraffe, and lion, go after him. The animals are all caught and returned to the zoo. An animal rights group, thinking the animals escaped because they don't like being in captivity, get the animals sent back to their homeland via boat. On route home an accident occurs and the crates carrying the four friends falls in the ocean. The animals end up in Madagascar. There they have to learn to get along to survive. The lion (voice of Ben Stiller) and the zebra (voice of Chris Rock) are the best characters in the movie.

Book Review: 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving

2011-11-10T18:17:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving- 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey. A truly amusing Thanksgiving picture book, written like 'Twas the Night Before Christmas as if it were an ode to it. Mr. Pilkey even writes about eight turkeys with comical names like the reindeers in 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. I highly recommend 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving. It's jolly good fun.

Children and Verbal and Non-verbal Communication

2011-11-08T18:51:00.000-08:00

People communicate in different ways. They express how they feel verbally and non-verbally. Verbal expression is telling someone how you feel. "Please don't say that. That hurts my feelings." Non-verbal expression is showing with your face and/or body movements how you feel. Teaching kids to watch facial expressions and body language in others is important. Let's say your child takes the ball away from a classmate because they’re mad at how the handball game is going. The classmate might hunch their shoulders and look sad because of this. Or give your child an angry look. This is non-verbal expression of how they feel about the matter. They're not happy. When this happens have your child: Stop. Look. Focus. They are to stop what they're doing. Look to see how their actions are making someone feel. Then focus on their behavior. They can make things better by giving the ball back and saying, "Sorry, I took the ball. Go ahead, it's your turn." Paying attention to others feelings is how you keep friends.

Birthday Fun

2011-11-05T17:38:00.000-07:00

For a special birthday your child will remember for years to come. Wrap five small presents. Hide them where your child will find them as they go about their day. Example: Put a present in their toothbrush drawer, their shirt drawer, inside their shoe, inside their backpack, on their seat in the car, tie it to the dog leash if they walk the dog… If they don’t find a present where you put it, take the present and put it in a spot they will find it, such as, under their bedcovers.

Parenting Tip on Reducing Sugary Desserts

2011-11-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

You can reduce the white sugar intake in your home by substituting the required white sugar in your recipe with something else. I've seen a cook book on this. Also, some fruits are sweet enough alone so offer these types of fruits as a dessert. You can make Mondays and Wednesdays tasty fruit night. Serve mangos slices. Nectarine slices. Cut up watermelon. (Some children are more inclined to eat fruit if it's sliced or cut up.) Fresh strawberries. Blueberries. Dried apricots. Dried peaches. Do not serve fruit your child isn't keen about. This defeats the purpose of getting your child to see that fruit can be a tasty dessert. In other countries other than the U.S. fruit is actually considered a dessert.

Movie Review: Aladdin

2011-11-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

Movie Title: Aladdin. Disney animation film. Musical. Robin Williams does an amazing job as the voice of the genie. In fact, his funny antics steal the show. Aladdin's worth renting just because of him. Plot: It's time for Arabian Princess, Jasmine, to marry. However, she has to marry a royal. Along comes a peasant who wants to marry her. Lucky for him he comes across a magic lamp. The Genie in the lamp turns this commoner into a prince. But before Aladdin can marry his princess he must thwart the plan of an evil sorcerer. The movie is appealing to both boys and girls. Side note: A couple of moms have told me they don’t like the mid-drift top Jasmine wears in the movie.

Book Review: Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild

2011-11-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

“Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild,” by Mem Fox. Illustrated by Marla Frazee. I thought the pictures in the book were cute.
This picture book is about a mom who tries to keep her cool when her small child keeps spilling and knocking things over. The mom finally loses it and yells at her daughter. But she’s sorry and apologies to her child. This is something that does happen to parents. It’s important to let your child know even grown-ups can reach a limit and act out.

Marshmallow Crispy Rice Ghost

2011-10-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

How to make a Simple Marshmallow Crispy Rice Ghost Treat. This is a great snack for a child’s Halloween party.
What you need: ¼ cup of real butter, 4 cups of marshmallows, 4 ½ cups of crispy rice cereal
What to do: Grease a 9 by 11 or 13 rectangle pan. Or put wax paper inside pan, covering bottom and sides. You the parent melt butter in a pot on low heat. Slowly add marshmallows until they melt. Stir. Turn off stove and put pot on another burner which is cool to the touch. Add crispy rice cereal. Stir mixture well. With a big wooden spoon put marshmallow mixture in rectangle pan. Before mixture hardens cut into figure of a ghost. Take out extra marshmallow treat around ghost and place on a plate. Place two chocolate discs for the ghost’s eyes (chocolate discs can be bought by the bag). Arrange shoe string red licorice in the shape of an O for the mouth.

ALTERNATIVE: The morning of Halloween cut pancakes into ghost shapes. Use chocolate chips for eyes.

Movie Review: Chitty, Chitty Bang-Bang

2011-10-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

Movie Title: Chitty, Chitty Bang-Bang. Kid movie with music. Rated G. Though the Child Catcher may be scary for young kids! I know it was for me when I was little.

Eccentric inventor and widowed father Mr. Potts creates some pretty nifty stuff. But nothing as cool as his flying and floating car. Potts, at the wheel of his flying car, travels to Vulgaria with his children and girlfriend, Truly Scrumptious. Ms. Scrumptious is the daughter of a candy magnate. Once in Vulgaria they think it's strange there are no children around. A horrible man, the Child Catcher, catches children and puts them in his jail like vehicle. Scene not to be missed: Potts (the talented song and dance man Dick Van Dyke) and Scrumptious do a dance routine dressed up as puppets. The Potts children are saved in the end, but for some little kids the Child Catcher is so creepy it could give them nightmares. By age ten or eleven, kids shouldn't be so disturbed by this.

Make a Ghost for Halloween

2011-10-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

Easy Halloween Decoration: A big floating ghost. Take an old white bed sheet and wrap it over a rubber ball. (The rubber ball is the head.) Cut about a foot of string. Tie string under the ball, on the outside of the sheet, to keep ball inside sheet. Make a face on the ghost with a marker (you can make a big O for the mouth). For a funny ghost put a wig on it, or glue yarn on it for head hair, or a make a yarn mustache or beard. Tie sheet, from underneath ball, to high branch or to the porch beam.

Arts and Craft: Home made piñata

2011-10-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

Home made piñata which is easy for little kids to break open. This Halloween if your kids aren't going trick-or-treating give them candy from a piñata. This piñata is also great for birthday parties, other holiday parties, a school party, or a family gathering.

What you will need: Bags of wrapped candy. Brown paper grocery bag with handles. Brown lunch bag. Newspaper. Black felt. Black yarn. Cardboard. Construction paper. Scissors. Child friendly paint. Glue. Stapler. Brown packing tape. Ribbon.
To make a witch. Lunch bag will be the head. Since the grocery bag will be the body make sure the face is symmetrical with the body. Paint witch face on upside down lunch bag. Your child can cut out a long nose from cardboard and staple it on bag. Now stuff newspaper in the lunch bag. You should put enough newspaper to fill out the lunch bag to make the head as stiff as possible. Tie ribbon, tight, around bottom of lunch bag so newspaper will not come out. Glue black yarn on for hair. Make a witch hat and staple it on head.

Using the felt cut out two arms and hands, and two legs and shoes. Staple arms to sides and legs to bottom of upright grocery bag. Your child can make a broom out of cardboard. Staple it underneath legs so witch is flying. When you are ready to use piñata put candy in grocery bag. Tape top of grocery bag shut so candy can't fall out. Staple on head to the bag body.

The rope to pull the piñata up and down should be put through the back bag handle. Use a tall tree branch, patio rafter, or basketball hoop to help ease the piñata up and down. Since you will blindfold the child and turn them around before they hit they piñata with the end of a broom don't worry if the piñata isn't strong enough. I've seen piñatas so well made an adult has to step in and break them. It's more fun if a child has a chance to break it. Using the same simple idea above, you can make other types of piñatas- a cat, monster, fairy (make wings for the back)…

Movie Review: Tooth Fairy

2011-10-18T09:29:00.000-07:00

Movie Title: Tooth Fairy. Comedy. Rated PG. I sat through this movie but I wouldn't want to sit through it again. That said my fellow movie viewers, two kids under the age of eleven, liked it. Kids are easier to please I figure. I did like the performance from Julie Andrews though.
Plot: When a hockey player squashes a child's hopes he is sentenced to be a tooth fairy for a week. He has to wear the outfit and all. The movie has its funny moments, but it's a predictable movie overall.

Stimulate your child’s imagination.

2011-10-13T20:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight at bedtime start a made up tale with “Once upon a time” for your child. The story can be about them or the adventures of their pet or a fairy princess/prince. If you aren’t sure you can do this tonight spend tomorrow thinking about a story you can make up for them. By you making up a story for your child you are teaching them about using their imagination. You are opening up their creative mind.

Find out the Facts Before Disciplining your Child

2011-10-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

Have you ever yelled at your child for doing something before finding out the whole story? As a parent you should find out what happened before you discipline your child. I will give you three reasons why. Number one, you do not want to teach your child to jump to conclusions. If you do this, they will see it, and do the same. Children mimic adult behavior. Number two, before you can justify giving a consequence you need to find out what really happened. You do not want to discipline your child for something they did not do wrong. Number three, some children embellish what occurred, habitually. You need to let them tell their version of the story first so afterwards you can say, "No Jack, that did not happen. I saw you break the vase with my own eyes. So do not lie." By saying this you are not letting Jack get away with his lie. Jack might get upset and cry when you tell him he is lying. He even might say you do not understand. But you really do. You understand he is trying to get away with lying by masking it with tears or indignation that you think he would lie. You need to be strong and not let him get away with telling tales. You should also let Jack know there will be X consequence for lying. And stick to giving the consequence!

Sample scenario: You are in your den and just got off the phone. You enter the dining room. You see a soccer ball in the corner and your son holding a broken plate. To your horror, you notice it is your Great Grandma's hand painted plate. Upset, you start yelling, "How did my plate break?! Jack I've told you a thousand times not play ball in the dining room. Why did you do it? Upstairs, young man!" Jack tries to explain what happened but you interrupt him with, "No excuses! I am so angry!" Sure in the past you might have caught Mike playing ball in the dining room, which he knows he should not do, but what happens if it was not him who broke the plate? What if it was his sister, Sue, who while you were entering the dining room went in the kitchen to look for glue to glue the plate? What if it was Sue who was playing in the dining room and broke the plate? What if Jack came in the room when he heard the crash and Sue told him to hold the plate while she got some glue? I know it can be very hard to keep your cool when an object you love is broken, especially when you have told your children many times not to touch it or play near it. But you need to set the tone. Try to remain calm. You need to teach your children to find out all the facts before correcting someone. Teach them to be fair.

Movie Review: The Swan Princess

2011-10-10T19:41:00.000-07:00

Movie Title: The Swan Princess. Animation film. Rated G. This is movie for little girls. It's got the beautiful princess. An evil sorcerer. A curse the princess must overcome. And a handsome prince. Despite all this it's watchable for adults. Of course I wouldn't rent it for myself, but if a little girl asked if I'd watch it with her I wouldn't cringe. Trust me with some kid movies I actually do this. I'm not keen on predictable boring movies. Plus, I'm past the Saturday morning cartoon stage in my life. The movie is based on a children's fairy tale of the same name. In this version a princess is turned into a swan by a sorcerer. Only true love can set her free. Everything in-between is just to get to the happy ending.

Arts and Craft Project: Decorate a purse

2011-10-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

Arts and Craft Project. Girls will like this one. Go to the Good Will, Salvation Army or a garage sale and buy a purse with a hard surface. Other items needed: Glue that dries clear. Tiny colored beads. One or two pretty postcards (famous picture at a museum/flowers/Paris...). Small can of Polyurethane. Paint brush.

What to do: Glue each postcard to middle section of purse. You the parent in ventilated area brush Polyurethane over postcard(s). Let dry. Now put a line of glue all around edges of postcard. Sprinkle beads in glue. Let dry. You can decorate purse more by using bigger beads or interesting buttons. Or if you’re making a French themed purse cut out French words or phrases, or pictures of French food. Glue them on purse. Polyurethane over. If you use extra pictures or cut out phrases I actually suggest you glue them on with the postcards in the beginning. Then Polyurethane all over side of purse. Then glue on beads. I made such a purse myself and had somebody offered to buy it from me.

Picture Book for Older Kids: Max’s Words

2011-10-04T22:12:00.000-07:00

“Max’s Words,” by Kate Banks. Pictures by Boris Kulikov. Picture book for older kids-age five to ten. Top notch picture book! I love the pictures and they match the great story perfectly. I recommend grandparents giving this book to their grandkids. The story is about a boy, Max, who wants to collect things like his brothers. Max starts collecting words. He cuts them out of newspapers and magazines. His brothers might collect stamps and coins, but they can’t do what Max’s words can do, create sentences and stories.
Here is a book you can learn from. Have your own child cut out words from magazines and make funny sentences with them.

Parenting Tip: Fire Alarms

2011-10-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

Today, go around your house to make sure all your ceiling fire detectors work. If they need new batteries install them. Fire detectors save lives so make sure to put them in all bedrooms, the den, family room, living room, kitchen, dining room, long hallways, basement laundry room (And make sure to clean out your laundry filter after every load and your hose every so often so a fire won’t start).

Movie Review: The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle

2011-09-30T23:07:00.001-07:00

Movie Title: The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. Rated PG. I was reluctant to watch this movie because I heard it wasn't very good. And true to what I heard it wasn't very good. It wasn't even okay. It was boring. I cringed while watching it. I'd rather clean the cupboards than have to watch this movie again. To be honest I never liked the cartoon Rocky and Bullwinkle. But still this movie was absolutely mind-numbingly dull. It was totally unexciting. I don’t recommend renting it.
Fearless Leader and two of his Russian cohorts, Boris and Natasha, turn from cartoon characters to actual people. They try to kill cartoon characters Rocky and Bullwinkle, a squirrel and a moose. Fearless leader wants to take over the government and he wants the American people to vote for him as their leader. With the help of a female FBI agent, Rocky and Bullwinkle make a pitch to the American people to vote for who they want.

Science Day- Why a Cut Swells

2011-09-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

Why does a cut swell? The swelling is a reaction to the cut. When the cut occurs the surface of the skin gets inflamed (swells). What it's doing is telling the body to begin clotting and start the healing process. Some plants can help our skin. American Indians used healing plants in their everyday lives. Even today extracts from plants, like aloe vera, are touted in cosmetic products as beneficial.

If your child is NOT allergic to aloe vera you can do the following experiment. Buy a small aloe vera plant if you don’t have one. At a time when your child gets a tiny scrap try this: Wash the scrap with antibacterial soap and water. Cut off a leave of the aloe vera plant. Cut through, showing the soft middle. Put this exposed aloe on scrap. Aloe has a natural substance called salicylates which is why aloe is known to be anti-inflammatory and used as a pain relief treatment. Does your child think the aloe helped with the pain? Did the aloe aid in healing?

Book Review: Doggone Dogs!

2011-09-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

Another great picture book written by Karen Beaumont. “Doggone Dogs!” Pictures by David Catrow. A very funny dog book. The pictures are excellent! The story is about ten naughty dogs who don’t obey. They run to the park and get into trouble. It wasn’t clear to me if they’re going to obedience school in the park or not, but as the dogs are running around the dog trainer quits. Little kids who love dogs should like this book.

Candied Almond Recipe: Dessert to make with Teenager

2011-09-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

Candied Almond Recipe for Parents/Grandparents to bake with a teenager. The ingredients get hot so this is a cooking project to do with your teen, NOT your young child. But younger siblings will like the end result.
Ingredients you will need:
2 cups of almonds
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons butter
1 and ½ tablespoons cinnamon

You will also need:
Saucepan
Big spoon
2 cookie sheets
Non-stick cooking spray or butter for cookie sheet
Metal spaghetti spoon (spoon with holes in it)
Metal spatula
Plate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread almonds out on cookie sheet.
Place in oven.
Bake for 15 minutes depending on your oven. Watch almonds so they don’t burn. Flip them over every so often so they roast on both sides.
In saucepan put honey and butter. Melt them on medium heat. When melted, reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer for 2 ½ minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add roasted almonds to saucepan. Stir occasionally for 2 ½ minutes.
Spray other cookie sheet with cooking spray or rub butter on it.
With metal spaghetti spoon transfer almonds to sprayed or buttered cookie sheet.
Now add cinnamon and sugar to saucepan. Stir then carefully add almonds again to saucepan. Stir more.
After cinnamon and sugar is evenly coated on almonds place them back on oiled cookie sheet. Put in broiler for several seconds so sugar can caramelize.
With metal spatula take almonds off cookie sheet and put on plate. Let cool!
Do not let children under three have nuts. They can choke. Watch your older child (age three to five) eat the almonds to make sure they don’t choke on them.

Movie Review; The Last Unicorn

2011-09-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

Movie Title: The Last Unicorn. Animation film. Rated G. This is a film for kids who like unicorns. My niece when she was little really liked this movie. It's not a funny film, but as an adult it's watchable if you have to watch it with a child. The cute unicorn might have something to do with it. But it's not the best animation.
Plot: A unicorn searches for her siblings. A wizard turns her into a maiden. As fantasy life would have it a prince meets her and falls madly in love with her. But she's a unicorn. Not the best animation.

Take Time to Do Something Special with your Child

2011-09-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

Put aside one day to make a special dinner with your child. Have them decide on the menu, go grocery shopping with you, and help cook the meal. To make things extra special, have them set the table with the good china or a dinner pattern they like.

Arts and Craft Project with Photos

2011-09-15T17:59:00.000-07:00

Present idea for Grandma and Grandpa: Find twelve pictures of your child from different stages in their life with and without Grandma/Grandpa. Make a calendar from these photos. Some computer programs make such calendars. Otherwise take the pictures to a specialty store where they can be made into a calendar. Another idea- You can take one or two of the photos and take it to a place where they can copy the picture(s) on a mug. I've seen small stands at the mall that do this. Next time you're at the mall ask the information station about such stands.

Your child can also make a pretend picture clock with 12 photos. Have your child cut out their face in 12 pictures (starting from baby to age now). Glue them in a circle around a paper plate or a round piece of cardboard. Then in the middle of the plate draw a fake hour and minute hand, each pointing to a photo.

Parenting Tip: Easier Clean Up

2011-09-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

Do your kids use lots of dishes, making cleaning a hassle for you? Than with a permanent marker write each child’s name on a cup. (Or put masking tape on a cup and write their name on that.) They are to use this cup all day long. They can rinse it out if need be. Since this cuts down on the amount of dishes you have to wash you’re helping the environment. To cut down on the amount of plates and bowls used, have a matching color for each child. Cindy gets a pink bowl and plate. Billy blue. Kathy yellow. You can do this with cups too. So instead of a child reaching for a new bowl every time they have a snack or a new cup for water, they reuse their bowl or cup.

Book Review: No Sleep For The Sheep!

2011-09-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

“No Sleep For The Sheep!” by Karen Beaumont. Pictures by Jackie Urbanovic. A very cute picture book! The story is about a sheep who is trying to get some sleep in a barn. A new barn animal keeps coming in and waking the sheep up. The sheep tells each animal one by one to go to sleep. A very tired sheep sleeps in the next morning. The pictures are well done and match the story perfectly.

Parenting Tip

2011-09-08T19:06:00.001-07:00

Baby sign language. I was told it’s easier to teach a baby a hand signal for something than how to say the word for it. My sister-in-law taught her baby a sign for “more” even though he couldn’t say it. She started knocking her (knuckled) fists together to show him “more,” as in do you want more food? More play time? More books to be read? I saw him do it himself when he indeed wanted more. In fact, it started looking as if he was arguing with her in sign language. Once he wanted more books and kept doing the “more” sign even though she told him it was time to go to sleep.

Movie Review: Road to Utopia

2011-09-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

Movie Title: Road to Utopia. One of the Hope and Crosby Road Trip movies. Comedy. Family movie.
My nephew and I loved this movie! I've seen Road to Utopia over and over and I'm never bored. Vaudeville isn't working out for Chester (Bob Hope) and Duke (Bing Crosby). They head for colder pastures in Alaska. On the way there they get mixed up with two ruffians, Sperry and McGurk. The pair have on them a stolen gold mine map. To dodge authorities, Hope and Crosby pose as Sperry and McGurk. They soon learn there's more to these bad men than they thought. The town is scared stiff of them. They have the worst reputations around. This movie is Hope and Crosby at their best. And finally Hope gets Lamour in the end. However, Crosby still bests him in the very end. I highly recommend this movie for families with kids age ten and older.

Last Dog Days of Summer Dog Tip

2011-09-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

Do you hate it when your kids yell at the dog when you're on the phone or eating dinner? Well here's good news, dogs can learn sign language for commands. Get a book on it or make up your own sign language. My dog knows the hand stop sign for stop. Palm down for sit. Palm upwards to get up. Two palms way down for lie down. One finger over the mouth for Shh! And other non-verbal commands. I’ve been told dogs can learn sign language easier than verbal commands.

Arts and Craft Project

2011-09-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

Decorate a wooden bookcase or toy box.
Items needed: Wrapping paper with designs (footballs/teacups/cats/dogs/gnomes…) Scissors. Glue stick. Small can of Polyurethane. Paint brush.

Have your child cut out designs from wrapping paper. Next have them glue designs where they want them on the shelf or toy box. Let dry. In ventilated area (meaning do project outside or open all windows in room) you the parent brush Polyurethane over designs or over whole top of shelf/toy box. Let dry in ventilated.

Book Review: Diamond Jim Dandy and the Sheriff

2011-08-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

“Diamond Jim Dandy and the Sheriff,” by Sarah Burell. Pictures by Bryan Langdo. I had mixed feeling about this book, so I had a friend read it. She too ended up with the same opinion as me; you shouldn’t have children think playing with a rattlesnake in any way is okay. They are dangerous. I have no idea with such a great premise the writer used a rattlesnake as the hero. Why not use a king snake? I think it came down to the rattle on the rattlesnake. The baby in the story grabs it after falling down a cliff and the snake saves her. But I personally think it is wrong to send a message to kids that if you grab a rattlesnake’s rattle you won’t get bit. Maybe if she saw kids in the hospital who have been bitten by rattlesnakes the author, who otherwise is a fine writer, would have made the snake a different kind. And maybe my friend and I are being extra harsh because we live near rattlesnakes and we know people who've had their beloved dogs die after getting bit by rattlesnakes.

Summer dog tip

2011-08-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

I met a vet who told me to pass on the news that on hot summer days do not take your dog on hikes in the middle of the day. He has seen dogs come in for heat stroke this way. He said in summer, at his practice, more dogs die of heat stroke than from rattle snake bites. Take your dog for a walk in the cool morning or in the evening when the sun is down. Someone, not a vet, told me if your dog's tonuge is getting purple than they are getting overheated. I personally don't know if this is true or not.

Movie Review: Sister Act

2011-08-25T20:42:00.000-07:00

Movie Title: Sister Act. Comedy. Rated PG. For older children and teens. This movie is worth renting. If it's not on your movie list, put it there. The plot is great. And it's extremely funny in places. The movie starts out with lounge singer Delores (Whoopie Goldberg) witnessing her mobster boyfriend telling his thug to shoot a man. (It sounds bad, but there is no blood and a silencer is used so it's not loud). Delores goes to the Feds who hide her out in a nunnery until they can bring her boyfriend to trial. Delores, who's as close to nun as a Frankfurter, has to learn to fit in at the convent. She even has to disguise herself and wear a habit. With her background as a singer, Mother Superior gives Delores the job of instructing the choir how to sing. The sisters learn to sing some mighty upbeat choir tunes with some words changed from oldie songs.

Make Super Easy Homemade Fruit Ice Cream

2011-08-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

Easy Homemade Fruit Ice Cream

This Fruit Ice Cream is so good you’ll ask for it in Heaven.
Serves four to five people.

What ingredients you will need to make this Fruit Ice Cream: 5 cups of frozen fruit (Peaches, Strawberries, Blueberries. All make tasty ice cream.); one teaspoon of vanilla; half a cup of Fructose (I got mine from Whole Foods grocery store) If you don’t have Fructose you can use regular sugar but end result won’t taste as heavenly; one and half cups of heavy whipping cream.

What you need to do:
1-Put all five cups of frozen fruit in your Cuisinart. It should fill half the bowl. If you don’t have a Cuisinart you can use your blender, but be careful not to over blend ice cream. Honestly, this ice cream tastes better if you can make it in a Cuisinart. I can say this because I did a tried and true test on it. Press Pulse on your Cuisinart a few times to crush fruit. (Or blend slowly in blender.)

2-Add Fructose or sugar and vanilla. Always do this before adding heavy whipping cream. Press Pulse again. (Or blend).

3-Add heavy whipping cream. Mix again. Taste. You might want to add more sugar or more cream depending on your taste. Serve fruit ice cream right away or place ice cream in bowls and put in freezer to serve when ready.

Car Game

2011-08-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

Car game to keep bored children occupied:
Have parent or child start a story. After a couple of minutes have them stop. Have another child pick up the story, using their imagination. After a couple of minutes have them stop. Have another child or adult continue the story. Keep going around the car. The story will get funnier and funnier.

Dog Tip for Summer

2011-08-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

In the summer when your dog sheds more brush them every week to cut down on the dog hairs in your home. Vacuum/sweep house weekly. There are some digestible products I've read about that say when given to your dog it cuts down on shedding. One you put in their water. Ask your vet about such products.

Movie Review: The Nutty Professor

2011-08-18T17:43:00.001-07:00

Movie Title: The Nutty Professor. Comedy. 1963 version starring Jerry Lewis. This is my favorite Jerry Lewis movie where he isn't paired with Dean Martin. Eddie Murphy stars in another version of this movie in which he plays many of the characters. But Mr. Murphy's main character goes a bit over the top when he turns into a ladies man. The 1963 version is milder. In this version, a mild mannered chemistry teacher, Julius (Jerry Lewis), has the social skills of a bumbling buffoon. He goes ape over a woman, but lacks the charisma to win her heart; or so he thinks. Julius puts his chemistry knowledge to use and creates a potion to make him suave and debonair. He calls this new personality, Buddy Love. But the potion keeps wearing off at the most inopportune times. Will Julius ever find true love?

Parenting Article: Get Your Child to Listen to You

2011-08-15T23:45:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel that your child is not really listening to what you are telling them? Do they focus on only one or two words or only one aspect of what you are saying? Whether you are correcting them, giving them instructions or explaining something to them it can be frustrating when your child or teen will not listen to EVERYTHING you have to say. If your child only listens to part of what you are saying they aren’t getting the full benefit of what you are attempting to communicate.

Seven reasons why children might not fully listen:
1) Your child has focus problems.
2) They are angry/upset for not seeing things their way.
3) They are angry/upset that you are correcting them.
4) They are embarrassed you are correcting them in front of a friend.
5) They think they already understand what you want.
6) They are not interested in what you are saying.
7) They do not think your idea or information has sufficient merit to give you their whole attention.

Your child or teen may not completely understand what you are trying to convey if they do not let you finish talking. Unfortunately, I have seen kids get caught up with a single aspect of a bigger picture. They hone in on it. And because of this they interrupt you with: "But Mom he started it." "You’re taking his side!" "Dad you don't understand." Or "I don't agree." What is worse, some kids will tune you out. When this occurs I suggest you take a deep breathe. And if they are upset have your child do the same. Tell them to please not interrupt you as you speak and to listen to ALL you have to say. If they refuse to do this, have them go to their room until they cool off. Then try again. Once again start off by telling them to listen to everything you have to say and not just some words. It can be hard. Kids will hear what they want to hear. Some kids more than others. You could repeatedly repeat what you are saying, but if they get fixated on only one or two words they are not grasping the entire meaning of what you are telling them. They are not getting the "whole ball of yarn" they are merely getting snippets. You want your child to comprehend all of what you are saying and why.

Advice:
This is what you can do if you have a child who often has a difficult time listening to you: First politely ask your child or teen to uncross their arms if they tend to so. But do not make an issue of it! I only suggest this to loosen them up emotionally. When a defiant person crosses their arms as you are speaking it often is a sign they are "shutting you out." They are showing you they are unreceptive. From the very start you want your child or teen to be as open as possible to what you have to say.

After this, clearly state they are to listen to ALL you have to say BEFORE they can make a response. When you do speak, cut to the chase. Do not ramble on. Also, do not put too much emphasis on your child making eye contact with you. It is more important they GET what you are trying to say. As you talk if you start to see your child getting upset or annoyed by their body language or facial expression calmly tell them to calm down. Count to seven or ten silently. If they can not control themselves or they cop an attitude, calmly tell them to take a moment or few to collect themselves in their room or another room. Later talk to them again. I propose this because you want to break their thought of not wanting to listen to your position. If you revisit the issue afresh you might have a better time of getting them, to at least, listen to MORE of what you have to say. I realize that with children with OCD they might still be focused on one or two words you had said. In fact, they might be stewing on it if they are alone with nothing to do. Try to get them focused on something else. Have them read a book or do some activity to relax them. This is as much for them as for you. Limit the negative impact their OCD can have on them.

Car game for bored kids

2011-08-13T17:24:00.000-07:00

Car game for bored kids to make trip seem shorter.
Starting with the letter A, have everyone in the car, one at a time, say an item, animal or food that starts with A. When no-one can think of anymore A words go to B. When no-one can think of anymore B words go to C. And so on.

Book Review: The Loud Book

2011-08-12T17:15:00.001-07:00

“The Loud Book,” by Deborah Underwood. Pictures by Renata Liwska. Cute picture book to read to wee ones. The book is about what the title suggests, loud noises. There are usually only few to several words on each page. All sorts of interesting loud sounds are given with a picture of the noise above it.

Movie Review: Flubber

2011-08-11T23:11:00.000-07:00

Movie Title: Flubber. Rated PG. Family movie. Comedy. An absentminded professor (Robin Williams) creates flying rubber and names it Flubber. He hopes his creation will save the college where he works. To show how great Flubber is he puts it on the bottom of the shoes of the men's basketball team. This team is not the hottest team around. But things change thanks to Flubber. Kids will enjoy the funny antics of the fast moving bouncy Flubber. Memo, the professor's flying robot, is also a stand out character. My favorite scene: When the professor puts Flubber in his car's engine and his car starts to fly.

Summer Car Tip

2011-08-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

When it's extremely hot out and your car has been sitting in the hot sun be careful about washing it. I know someone who had her car parked in the hot sun and had all the windows closed. During the heat of day she splashed cold water on her windshield and it cracked. She later found out from her auto mechanic she wasn't the first one this happened to. Pressure builds up in a hot car. He suggested that if she parks her car in the driveway when it’s hot out, to roll down two windows, at least an inch, on opposite sides to let the air flow through. If you park on the street be careful of sprinkles!

Summer Gift: Arts and Craft Project

2011-08-07T22:43:00.000-07:00

Is your family going to a dinner party/BBQ soon? Would you like to give the host a different and lasting gift? Then make a batch of cookies and put them on a pretty plate that you will decorate in a most unusual way.

Items needed: Clear, flat glass plate. Colored tissue paper, or wrapping paper with designs or pretty patterns on it. Small can of Polyurethane. Paint brush. Clear glue with a brush. Scissors. Pencil. Alternative: Special plate paint (ask for at craft store). Buy two colors.

Place plate on wrapping paper. Trace around it and cut out. Wipe glue on the back of plate. Place wrapping paper cutout on top of glue so picture can be seen from above (where you place cookies). Or have your child cut out different size pieces of colored tissue. Put colored tissue on top of glue. After doing either, you the parent, in ventilated area, brush Polyurethane over wrapping paper or tissue paper. Let dry. The plate must be hand washed. Meaning it isn't dishwasher safe. If you do the alternative project using plate paint. Paint back of plate using a swirl pattern with both colors. I still recommend using Polyurethane on the back to insure that the paint won't chip off.

Movie Review: Yours, Mine & Ours

2011-08-06T23:33:00.000-07:00

Movie Title: Yours, Mine & Ours. Old school Comedy-Family Movie.
Henry Fonda plays, Frank Beardsley, a Navy officer who's a widower with ten kids. Lucille Ball plays, Helen North, a navy nurse who's a widow with eight kids.
At a market these two bump into each other with their grocery carts. They start dating. When they finally decide to marry they buy a big Victorian house and move in there with their 18 children. Having that many kids in a house makes for comedy. It's pretty funny to watch the efficient and organized Frank run his household like a well oiled Navy ship.

Dog Days of Summer: Doggy Tip

2011-08-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

Make sure your dog has plenty of clean water. Give them new water everyday. Recheck water bowl on hot days to make sure your dog still has water. Do not leave their water in a metal bowl in the hot sun. The metal can get really hot and it could burn them when they go for a drink. Use a ceramic one. My thoughts: If humans nowadays are not suppose to drink water out of plastic bottles that have been in the sun too long or in the hot car, then a dog should not drink out of plastic containers which are placed in the heat/sun day after day.