Top 40 'Things Said On Christmas Day' every year : by Martyn Brown

Top 20 Statements, Comments & Questions At Christmas time

1 This single cream seems to be thicker than the double cream
2 Who's gonna pull this cracker with me?
3 Put your Christmas party hat on, you miserable git.
4 Where did you buy your crackers?, they're really good.
5 Do you want stuffing, Grandma?
6 Calm down you kids, you're all over excited!
7 That was you, you filthy pig!
8 What's your joke, Brian, what did you get in your cracker?
9 It's a shame to throw the paper away, isn't it?
10 The Queen's on in a minute, Mum!
11 I would give it a few minutes before you go in there - phew!
12 You won't eat all that, put a small amount on…you can always come back for more.
13 Chocolate anyone?
14 Does your mum still take sugar?
15 The turkey's lovely, isn't it?
16 Can someone pass the sprouts?
17 Don't you like Christmas pudding? - how strange.
18 You don't like mince pies? - how strange.
19 Who's gonna eat the sixpence from the Christmas pud? - ha ha ha
20 Where did we go last year, love?.

20 Comments, Statements & Questions At Christmas time -
From Children

1 Daddy, can you build this for me.
2 Mummy, can YOU build this for me.
3 Daddy, have you got a screwdriver
4 Daddy, have you got any of this size battery
5 Mummy, Jenny's just done a poo and she didn't wash her hands.
6 Mummy, I want some more
7 Daddy, Jenny's just hit me
8 I DID hit her back, look, she's on the floor.
9 This is the best Christmas I've ever had
10 Can I open another present?
11 What time is Aunty Wilma coming up?
12 Have I got any more presents to open?
13 I didn't WANT clothes
14 Mummy, I've just kicked your drink over - again.
15 I spy with my little eye - um - I don't want to play anymore.
16 Can I have another drink?
17 Mummy, Jenny's just tipped a bowl of custard over the cat.
18 Mummy, Daddy's just swear'd.
19 Daddy, this just broke off
20 Mummy - I feel sick!

About The Author

©2006 Martyn Brown: Writes for many home business newsletters and magazines. To download your free copy of his current 'work from home' magazine, Visit: http://www.WorkingHoursMagazine.co.uk

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Six Tell-Tale & Funny Signs That U're Addicted to Christmas: By Noel Jameson

In case you didn't know it -- it is possible to be addicted to Christmas. Certainly, some level of excitement over Christmas is normal, but at what point does it border on unhealthy (or even insane)?

For many individuals, a Christmas addiction poses a greater threat than getting run over by a reindeer. If you want to know what the top six signs of being addicted to Christmas are, read on...

#1 -- Boycotting Anti-Santa Malls

If you refuse to shop at a mall that doesn't have a Santa on duty at all times, you're probably suffering from a Christmas addiction. (Reality check: Once you hit the age of 7 or 8, you probably don't need to get your photo taken sitting on Santa's lap!)

#2 -- Spiking Your Eggnog?

If you need spiked eggnog just to make it through your Christmas shopping marathon, it's a telltale sign that you're probably addicted to Christmas.

#3 -- Desperately Seeking the North Pole

If you've tried Googling directions from your house to the North Pole five times and still aren't sure how to get to Santa's house, you are probably addicted to Christmas.

#4 -- Expecting Mail from Santa

If you check your mail everyday hoping Santa sent you a letter, you should seek help to deal with your Christmas addiction.

#5 -- Taking the Christmas Theme Too Far

If you sleep on red and green plaid sheets and wear red and green pajamas with socks and underwear decorated with Santa every night beginning on December 1 until Christmas Eve, you are definitely addicted to Christmas (and you should really keep that secret to yourself).

#6 -- Identity Issues

Finally, if you've submitted a name-change application to legally change your last name to Clause (and you're getting all new monogrammed towels embroidered with a red and green ?S? and ?C?), you have some serious Christmas addiction issues.

What Is the Solution for Christmas Addiction?

Eat two Christmas wreath cookies each and every day until December 25th and call me in the morning. It has been documented that Christmas addiction rapidly subsides at 11:59 p.m. on December 25. Take your cookies, drink plenty of eggnog, and wait it out until then.


About The Author

Noel Jameson LOVES Christmas. Whether you need help finding Christmas gifts or you want tips about Christmas decorations, Christmas crafts, or even Christmas humor, check out her entertaining and impassioned blog at http://www.christmasrants.com.

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Bringing Together Old And New Christmas Traditions: by Melanie Smith

Nowadays, you can see a cosmic mixture of the age old Christmas traditions, fresh, current spins on old customs, but regardless of your viewpoint, majority of people have a short breather from the regular day by day pound of daily life, and somewhere within, the spirit of the time of year that connects a lot of people around a distinctive matter of good will is a sentiment we find ourselves hoping we could maintain the whole time of the year.

There is no better method to educate children the spirit of generosity than bringing to their awareness those less lucky ones, for whom Christmas isn’t a trouble free time. For this form of learning and generosity, little troops of children work finest. Let your children call one or two very close acquaintances to help.

Call your local Department of Child Services if you want to ask inquiries about whom to get in touch with or someplace to go to adopt a kid (or family) for Christmas giving, however try to opt a foster child since they are likely to obtain plenty of presents, while further, less fortunate kids may not. Poor families you might identify as being poverty stricken are good option. Once you have chosen the kid or the family you want to take on, take your kids, and with a specific budget in mind let them to help you buy presents. If you can, it is also good to create some easy food presents, such as gingerbread cookies, Christmas chocolate chip cookies, and many others to offer to both your adopted, and the elderly in your neighborhood a unique present to let them recognize you are thinking of them this Christmas season.

As soon as the shopping has been completed, gather all family members including your adopted kid or family to bake cookies, candies, and food presents. Allow the children to help, and even benefit from some hot chocolate and cookies, or try some hot spiced apple juice, a winter weather favorite. Here is a recipe on how to make a hot spiced apple juice.

Hot Spiced Apple Juice Recipe

- Bottled apple juice or cider
- Red hot cinnamon candies

In a nonstick pan, pour the apple juice and add plenty of red hot, cinnamon candies. Heat the pan, stirring constantly, until all candies are melted.
Serve straight away, or pour the mixture into thermal container to preserve heat.

Cookies and candies can be placed into economical Christmas tins or Christmas loot bags. Make sure to keep a supply of snacks within reach, take all the kids in the center of the floor with a stack of gifts, papers, tapes, ribbons, and bows and let them wrap up the gifts. When you all go away to deliver the gifts, take the Christmas cookies and candies with you, and let the kids bring them in and wish the elderly in the area a Merry Christmas.

This is a brilliant moment to have a sleep over, letting other parents have some time to go shopping without their kids. It would also be an exceptional way to educate children that Christmas is a time for generosity.

About the Author: Melanie Smith is a regular article writer at Merry Christmas 24 website, to read more of her articles please visit our website at http://www.merrychristmas24.com. Read more about Christmas traditions by clicking on this link http://www.merrychristmas24.com/traditions.aspx
Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com

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How Christmas Changed My Life: by Genevieve Dawid

How Christmas Changed My Life - By A Dyslexic

When I look back, I was quite a privileged child in more ways than one. I had a wonderful family and friends, lived in a lovely house with a large garden to play in. We went on marvelous family holidays by the sea, and traveled abroad, something I adored. I didn't have a private education but went to a local school that was "state of the art". However, for all this idyllic childhood, and the wonderful new facilities the school had to offer, learning was a nightmare for me as a child; I just hated trying to learn and so school was a place where I didn't achieve. I had no idea how other children knew the answers to questions and understood figures and numbers. I kept the same school reading book for weeks on end; one of my worst struggles was with writing my name.

Then one Christmas, my elder brother, who was a great artist, received a drawing set. He would do a drawing and then show Mum. When it came to my turn, instead of trying to create a picture, I took the note pad and drew each of the letters of my name over the whole page - but not in the right order nor in a straight line, as I didn't know how.

When showed Mum what I had drawn, she looked closely at it. "Well look at that, you do know the letters of your name, don't you?"; she said, and then asked me if I could put the letters in the right order, and in a straight line. I shook my head.

Mum took a ruler and wrote the letters in order, in a row. Instantly, I could now see each word. Using a ruler I copied the letters in order, again and again, until I got it. I had finally learnt to spell my name! Next Mum got my school reading book and used a card over the page, revealing one word at a time. I could now make sense of it. We progressed to me holding a card under each word to separate them so I only saw one word at a time. In this way, during the school holidays, Mum taught me to read.

I returned to school thrilled that I could now read and write and was instantly taken out of the additional remedial class. However, the teachers were furious with my parents and accused them of interfering with my learning! Despite the fact that for the first two years at that school their methods hadn't worked for me, they didn't like it that my parents had found a way to help me.

With practice at home, within weeks I could read any book for a child of my age. It was like a miracle. I continued to have some difficulty with spelling and grammar, my mathematics was poor and every new thing that I had to learn was incredibly difficult, but my parents had proved to me that there was always going to be a way. They just needed to help me identify the problem and together we would find the answer by finding an alternative way to learn. This was a revelation to me.

That Christmas, a simple plain sheet of paper and pencil allowed me to transcend what was in my mind - to see a solution to something that I knew was a problem, but couldn't explain.

From then on I always had an exercise book and pen nearby, and using the page like a mirror to reflect what was in my mind, the problem was copied as a visual image on a page. Seeing it on the page enabled my parents and me to identify and resolve the problem.

You have to know your own mind to identify the problem, before you can go forward, and then you will go forward with speed.

Gradually my mother found many ways of teaching me, and these things I included in my book, The Achiever's Journey. As I got older, I started interpreting my mind through writing and drawing. Interestingly, many other people found this useful, including those without any learning difficulties. I couldn't believe it, what a revelation to find out that others didn't really know their own minds either.

As my education continued, I still found the school's teaching methods virtually impossible to learn and virtually gave up. I learned in secret at home and to cure my boredom whilst at school, I started to share the benefits of transcending the mind, and spontaneous words and drawings using paper and pencil, with my classmates.

About The Author: Genevieve Dawid is a published author and highly successful consultant, mentor and lecturer for dyslexics, individuals and corporations. Her book "The Achievers Journey" is a partial biography and explains how she mastered her dyslexia and dyspraxia. http://www.theachieversjourney.com.

The Story of Santa Claus

Another Christmas Story for you..

Santa Claus is the most important and precious symbol for the celebration of Christmas. There is no evidence to prove whether St.Nicholas ever existed as a human or not. There are however some facts which indicates that the life story of Saint Nicholas was simply taken form those of Pagan Gods. His legends seems to have been mainly created out of myths attributed to the Greek God Poseidon, the Roman God Neptune, and the Teutonic God Hold Nickar. The Christian church created a fictional life history for St. Nicholas.

St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends. He loved children and threw gifts to make them happy from their windows. He also saved a sailor who fell overboard. The saint walked on water, retrieved the sailor and carried him back to the ship. He also gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick. One of the ebst story about St. Nicholas is the one in which he saves three daughters of a poverty strickn family from being sold out in prostituion. To save them, he crept in the house and thre bags full of gold coins from their wondow. And for the third daughter he threw a bag of gold down the chimney into her stocking. Its from this that the tradition of putting stockins on the eve of christmas came over. He also rewarded children who studied catechism & behaved well.

Over the course of many years, Nicholas's popularity spread and he became known as the protector of children and sailors. His kindness and reputation for generosity gave rise to claims he that he could perform miracles and devotion to him increased. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of Russia, where he was known by his red cape, flowing white beard, and bishop's mitre.

It was basically in America, with the Dutch inspiration that St.Nicholas was transformed to SantaClaus. In the early days of Dutch New York, "Sinterklass" became known among the English-speaking as "Santa Claus. In 1809 Washington Irving, a member of the New York Historical Society (which promoted a Dutch Saint Nicholas as its patron saint), created a tale of a chubby, pipe-smoking little Saint Nicholas who rode a magic horse through the air visiting all houses in New York. The elfish figure was small enough to slide down chimneys with gifts for the good children and switches for the bad ones.

Thus we got our Santa Claus, credit to which goes to the works of Clark Moore and the cartoons of Thomas Nast. In 1822, Dr. Moore from New York wrote a Christmas poem, "A visit from St. Nicholas" to read out to his children on X'mas Eve. The following year one Ms Harriet Butler read the poem and requested a copy from him. Later she sent it without Dr. Moore's consent for publishing to Troy, New York Sentinel. Consequently it was published and became popular. In 1938 Dr. Moore revealed that St. Nicholas was his creation. And since then it has appeared countless times.

Last but not the least in response to the 8-year old Virginia O' Hanlon's query whether there really was a Santa Claus, editor of New York Sun replied "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus', and made Santa living for ever to the kids.

Source: Christmasbuzz.com

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The Story of Christmas Stockings

Since the Christmas season is upon us, I will be adding a few interesting stories about Christmas or stories related to this great occasion, in the coming days. Here is the first one..

The stockings were hung by the chimney with careIn hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there"There was a kindly nobleman whose wife had died of an illness leaving the nobleman and his three daughters in despair. After losing all his money in useless and bad inventions the family had to move into a peasant's cottage, where the daughters did their own cooking, sewing and cleaning. When it came time for the daughters to marry, the father became even more depressed as his daughters could not marry without dowries, money and property given to the new husband's family. One night after the daughters had washed out their clothing they hung their stockings over the fireplace to dry. That night Saint Nicholas, knowing the despair of the father, stopped by the nobleman's house. Looking in the window Saint Nicholas saw that the family had gone to bed. He also noticed the daughters stockings. Inspiration struck Saint Nicholas and he took three small bags of gold from his pouch and threw them one by one down the chimney and they landed in the stockings. The next morning when the daughters awoke they found their stockings contained enough gold for them to get married. The nobleman was able to see his three daughters marry and he lived a long and happy life.

Children all over the world continue the tradition of hanging Christmas stockings. In some countries children have similar customs, in France the children place their shoes by the fireplace, a tradition dating back to when children wore wooden peasant shoes. In Holland the children fill their shoes with hay and a carrot for the horse of Sintirklass. In Hungary children shine their shoes before putting them near the door or a window sill. Italian children leave their shoes out the night before Epiphany, January 5, for La Befana the good witch. And in Puerto Rico children put greens and flowers in small boxes and place them under their beds for the camels of the Three Kings.

Source: Christmasbuzz.com

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10 Tips for Becoming a Great Boss: by Wally Bock

Here are ten tips that tell you what to do if you want to become a great boss.

1. Manage behavior and performance. Behavior is what people say and do. Performance is the measurable result of work. Forget about managing attitude. Forget about motivating others. Instead, use what you say and do to influence the behavior and performance of the people who work for you.

2. Set clear expectations. Your people can't do what you want if they're not clear about what you want. Learn to give good directions. Check for understanding. Set reasonable expectations. Ideally, you want to set goals that force people to stretch just a little bit, but that are still within their grasp. Try to help your people grow through a series of small wins.

3. Check on performance regularly. That's the only way you'll know how people are doing. Check more frequently on people who are learning a task or who are doing it again after a long layoff. Check less frequently on people who have demonstrated their competence in a task.

4. Give helpful feedback. Do this in four steps. Describe the behavior in non-judgmental terms. Describe the outcome of the behavior. Pause and allow for subordinate reaction and comment. Then determine how things will be different the next time.

5. Keep things interesting. Workers won't stay engaged unless they find their work interesting. Sometimes the work itself has intrinsic interest. But, more often, the way to keep people interested is to help them keep learning and developing. Tell people why their work is important. People want to be part of something that is bigger than they are. Tell them how their work contributes to the team and to team success. Tell them how the performance of the team contributes to the success of the company or how it helps achieve a big goal.

6. Describe and deliver the consequences of performance. Consequences are what happens to people because of their behavior or performance.

Positive consequences (like praise) encourage people to continue something new or difficult. Most managers don't use positive consequences enough. Positive consequences should be delivered frequently, but inconsistently. In other words, look for opportunities to praise behavior or performance, but don't praise every good thing you see. Negative consequences (like punishment) encourage people to stop or avoid doing something. Negative consequences should be delivered consistently. In other words, if you tell a subordinate that a certain behavior or performance level will result in a negative consequence, make sure you deliver the consequence if it's justified.

7. Be fair. People perceive a workplace to be fair when consequences and performance match up. A trainee of mine once put this is quasi-Biblical terms: "The just should be rewarded and the unjust should be punished in accordance with their deeds."

8. Give your people the maximum control possible over their work life. Let them make as many basic decisions about their work life as is reasonable and possible. So, what's reasonable? A worker who has the skill to do the job and who regularly pitches in to help (what we call an engaged worker) can be trusted to make more work decisions than a less experienced or less engaged worker. Match your willingness to grant freedom to the worker's ability and willingness to do the job.

9. Show up a lot. This is the single defining behavior of great supervisors. When you show up a lot you get to know your people and they get to know you. And every contact is an opportunity for you to coach, counsel, encourage, and correct.

10. Play the odds. You can't win them all in management or in life. But you can follow this advice from the American writer Ring Lardner. "The race may not always be to the swift, nor victory to the strong, but that's the way to bet."

There's good news and bad news here. Let's do the bad news first. You can't win them all. No matter how good a job you do, there will be people who won't do what they're supposed to. There will be situations that don't work out well. Now for the good news. If you do the basics consistently and well, over time you'll be the person with the greatest impact on a work team's productivity and morale. And that's something to feel really good about.

About The Author
Wally Bock is an author, speaker, consultant and coach who helps leaders improve the performance and morale of their teams. This material is adapted from Wally's latest book, Performance Talk: The One-on-One Part of Leadership (http://www.performancetalk.com). He also writes the Three Star Leadership Blog (http://blog.threestarleadership.com/). You'll also find tips and resources about all aspects of leadership at the Three Star Leadership site (http://www.threestarleadership.com/).

When Parents Disagree: by Toni Schutta

You’re right in the middle of disciplining your child. Emotions are running hot. You give your child a consequence for the misbehavior and your spouse steps in and disagrees with how you’re handling the situation. You feel criticized, unsupported and upset. The whole thing goes downhill from there.

It would be impossible for two parents to agree 100 of the time on how to handle misbehavior, so let’s just agree that you’re going to disagree sometimes. You may have different parenting styles, different hot buttons and different expectations than your spouse. That’s understandable. You were raised by different parents and have absorbed certain values and discipline methods that helped shape who you are.

Yet, every day you’re called upon to make decisions regarding your children. So how can the two of you show a united front when it’s necessary, give each other the support that you need and prevent your child from playing you against one another?

This will take a little work, but it’ll be worth the effort. Your children will be your children for many years to come, so taking the time to establish some guidelines now will result in better parenting, less frustration and clearer expectations for your child.

Here are eight tips to guide you.

Tip #1: Reach an agreement to support each other publicly (or at least remain neutral).

You’ve heard about the importance of presenting a united front so your child can’t divide and conquer and it’s true. It’s confusing to your child when you argue about consequences in front of them. Children with a manipulative nature will use the situation to their advantage. Usually what happens is that you get embroiled in your own debate and the discipline action gets forgotten. It also undermines your spouse’s parental authority in front of your child, which is something you
don’t want to do.

Tip #2: Develop a signal.

Let’s say that you strongly disagree with the other parent’s choice of discipline. Agree ahead of time on a signal that you can give that means, “Take a break. Let’s talk about this.” Perhaps making a T sign with your hands to signal a time out would be a good choice.

Tip #3: Talk privately about the child’s offense and how it should be handled.

There are few discipline actions that can’t wait for a few minutes. Taking the time to leave the room and talk privately with your spouse about how to handle the situation is a respectful way of communicating to your spouse that there may be other options to consider. Regardless, you are setting a much needed boundary that this is an adult matter and that the two of you will handle it accordingly.

Tip #4: Check in with the other parent to see if they’ve already made a decision.

Many children will use the one liner, “Dad said that I could” to get what they want. When hearing this line from your child, a wise thing to do is to actually ask the other parent if s/he has already given approval to your child’s request. Again, this demonstrates to your child that as parents you are united and will support each other. Usually your child starts back peddling if s/he is trying to manipulate you.

Tip #5: Develop 3 4 family rules that you can agree to follow up with consistently using the same discipline method.

One of the best methods for two parents to be consistent is to develop a few family rules for behaviors that are most important in your family. For instance, all families should have a rule that “No one’s body will be hurt by hitting, kicking, biting, etc.” A consistent discipline action should be applied by both parents when physical aggression occurs. For complete details on creating family rules and consequences refer to this article:

http://www.familiesfirstcoaching.com/newsletter_november2007.htm

Parents will never agree on how to handle all offenses, but if parents respond consistently to the top three behaviors, it will make a significant impact.

Tip #6: Agree that smaller offenses can be handled at the discretion of the parent in charge.

Once you have your family rules in place, try not to sweat the small stuff. It can be beneficial for children to learn different methods of problem solving and communication, so if your spouse parents a little differently, it may actually benefit your child. For instance, some parents are better at using humor to move through tough situations and if you’re open to it, you can learn what works more
effectively with each child.

Tip #7: Never say, “Wait ‘til your father (or mother) gets home!”

When a statement like this is made it undermines the authority of the parent who says it and makes the other parent the “bad cop.”

It’s important that you both share equally in disciplining your children.

Tip #8: Use positive discipline methods that work.

Many parents use time outs, yell or take away privileges as their top three discipline options. If those methods aren’t working for you it can be frustrating and lead to more arguments if you’re not feeling successful. If you feel like you’ve tried everything and nothing seems to work, you can learn 10 positive discipline methods that work by checking our this resource:

http://www.getparentinghelpnow.com/DisciplineAudio.htm

About the Author: By Toni Schutta, Parent Coach, M.A., L.P. Visit http://www.getparentinghelpnow.com to receive a free copy of “The 7 Worst Mistakes that Parents Make (And How to Avoid Them!). Tune in to “Real Parents. Real Solutions” radio show here: http://www.tinyurl.com/realparentsrealsolutions.

Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com

10 Romantic Thanksgiving Ideas For Couples: by Kathy Smith

Thanksgiving usually has been thought as this family event where large and abundant meals, families & football games were the main centerpiece during this Thanksgiving holiday season.

There're are a lot of things that need to be done during this season that you'd probably end up busy and you might end up neglecting your partner/relationship because of this Thanksgiving season. It shouldn't be the case. You should have time to insert a bit of romance and also let your partner feel how special he/she is to you during Thanksgiving.

Below are 10 ideas to give your partner and your love relationship that romantic spark that it needs:

1) Have fun cooking together

If both you & your partner enjoy the pleasures of cooking then do set a bit of time aside for both of you where you could try and cook for each other and enjoy the Thanksgiving treats that you'll each be preparing.

2) Be a date to somebody else

You could try and volunteer to be somebody else's date so you could probably help a person not be alone during this holiday season. This could make you more thankful with all your blessings and not focus on the many problems.

3) Attending that service during Thanksgiving

Be sure to attend at least 1 service then make this as the time for reflection.

4) Watch that festive parade during Thanksgiving

You and your partner could both watch the parade together before going on to having that Thanksgiving party dinner with either of your families. This ensures a bit of together time well before all of your families intrude in.

5) Have an unusual date by exercising with your partner

Do the unusual date by exercising together. Go biking around the neighborhood or you could also go to gym together. This will actually assist you in shedding off holiday fats as well as give both you and your partner some quality time as well.

6) Go driving around the countryside

You and your partner both should sneak out at sometime and just go for that leisurely drive in your car on the countryside. It will give lots of alone time with each other before you tackle Thanksgiving dinner with family.

7) Play the "Twister" game

You could both play this game when your day is about to close to ending just to really unwind a bit from all that chaotic but happy hustle & bustle that is Thanksgiving.

8) Cozying with the fireplace

Turn your fireplace on, make some really good cocoa, turn your lights down then play some really good and soothing music. These quiet moments are really the most sweet and romantic times.

9) Watching/attending a game of football

This can be made into a tradition or you could do this just once. You could either watch it on TV or you could attend it personally with your partner on the ball field. Either way, you'd be sure to have fun!

10) Prepare that private celebration for you guys on Thanksgiving!

Spend really quality time with your partner by having that romantic Thanksgiving dinner celebration for just the 2 of you. Make it really special and be sure to appreciate your partner and be really thankful because you have each other.

There are lots of things which you can do with your partner on Thanksgiving holidays to keep that fire burning even during this holiday season where family is the priority. Enjoy !

About The Author: Kathy is a food Lover! You can check out her very popular Thanksgiving Recipes website where she shares some of her Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes and Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes on http://www.quickthanksgivingrecipes.com
Article Source: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/relationships/article_3352.shtml

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Baby’s First Overnight Visit With Grandma: by Maria Cummings

Letting grandma care for my baby for an overnight visit was intended to provide me rest. I had never been away from my daughter for any length of time in her short four month old lifetime. Since my mother had been asking for over a month to keep my baby for an overnight visit, I could not put it off any longer. Preparing everything to get her to grandma’s house made me feel like I needed a vacation. Add to all that the stress of being away from my baby for the first time.

Mother had already purchased some baby items to keep are her home, but she did not have everything necessary for an overnight stay. My mind started going over the possibilities. If she needed to go anywhere, the baby travel system with the car seat and the seat base was a necessity. To be useful, it would need to be installed in her car. I knew that she was not planning to go anywhere, but you never know what might come up. The stroller, car seat and base made their way into my vehicle.

My baby rarely falls asleep in he crib, so even though my mom has a play pen which could be used as a crib we did not need it. I usually have to put her in one of my ring slings and wear her around the house until she falls asleep. After she has fallen asleep, I carefully move her to her crib. I brought along one of my ring slings and planned on showing my mother how to use it.

It was our plan to use cloth diapers for our little one. Cloth diapers were used with my older siblings but I was a disposable diaper baby. She thought my decision was like going backwards. my mother had a hard time understanding how much cloth diapers had improved since her days of diapering me. To show her how simple they were to use, I was going to bring along my Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers. So, in addition to everything else I packed a few cloth diapers and a wet bag and planned to show my mom how to use them.

By the time I was done packing my mini van I needed a rest, but it was time to leave. My mother and I spent over two hours going over everything after heading to her home. When she asked me if I thought she had ever taken care of a baby, I realized it was time to leave. I had taken everything I could to make the overnight visit easy on my daughter and on my mom. I then went back home to prepare for my dinner date with my husband. The dinner was stressful, as I could not stop thinking about my little girl and I called my mom about ten times in just the first two hours. All the worry was for nothing; the visit went very well. My mother had a wonderful time taking care of a little one once again while my daughter slept through the entire night for the first time.

About the Author: Maria Cummings is a mom that has devoted herself to helping kids and families in the community. As Manager of Bustling Baby, Maria enjoys sharing her experience of natural parenting with new parents and supports parents in finding the best natural baby products at ==> http://www.BustlingBaby.com Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com

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The Silent Treatment: by Margaret Paul

Research indicates that children would rather be yelled at than ignored.

When prisoners are being punished, they are put in isolation, because being isolated is one of the harshest punishments there is other than physical abuse.

The silent treatment is a form of punishment, a way to attempt to control children and partners into doing what you want them to do. It is a withdrawal of approval, and can cause much fear in people who are vulnerable to this.

You are giving people the silent treatment when you shut down to them, closing your heart and refusing to interact with them or acknowledge their presence. You act as if they are invisible, not responding to them at all or giving them a very minimal and withheld response. Your hope in treating them this way is that they will get the message that they have displeased you. They have done something wrong in your eyes and deserve to be punished, deserve to have your love taken away.

Of course, what you are taking away is not love at all, since love is unconditional. What you are taking away is your approval, and for children and approval dependent adults, it is a powerful form of control.

THE CONSEQUENCES
While it may seem to you to work for the moment, there are huge negative consequences following the silent treatment. Children feel unloved and unlovable, developing deep beliefs about their inadequacy. While they may comply to avoid your withdrawal of approval, inwardly they are likely to feel lonely and heartbroken feelings that they can’t handle so they become angry and resistant to manage the feelings. Their anger and resistance may show up in others areas that cause problems for them and for you.

While your partner may scurry around to try to please you and get you to reconnect with him or her, the fact that you have so deeply disconnected creates feelings of heartache in your partner that may eventually lead to the end of the relationship. What seems to work for the moment may lead to exactly what you don’t want in the long run.

WHEN YOUR PARTNER IS PUNISHING YOU WITH THE SILENT TREATMENT
What goes on inside you when your partner shuts down to you?

* Do you tell yourself you must have done something wrong?
* Do you feel a sense of loneliness and heartache that feels unbearable?
* Do you feel alone and abandoned inside?
* Do you feel anxious and scared?

If you feel any of these, it is really because you are abandoning yourself and making your partner responsible for you. It is you doing this that is allowing the silent treatment to work to control you.

If you were taking loving care of yourself and taking 100 responsibility for your own feelings, here is what would be going on inside:

* You would be telling yourself: My partner is choosing to punish me rather than take responsibility for his or her feelings. Whatever I may or may not have done that he or she doesn’t like, I am not responsible for how he or she is dealing with it, and I have no control over him or her.

* You would be bringing love inside, letting yourself know that you are a good person and deserving of love.

* You would get out of range of your partner’s energy taking a walk, reading a book, calling a friend, or doing something else to make yourself happy.

* You would keep your own heart open, not going into anger or judgment toward your partner, so that when your partner decides to open again, there is no residue for you. You would not punish your partner for trying to punish you. You would just make sure that their punishment doesn’t work for them.

* You would embrace your loneliness and heartache with deep compassion for yourself, sitting with these feelings for a few minutes and then releasing them to Spirit.

Eventually, when you are truly taking loving care of yourself, others will stop using the silent treatment, since it will no longer work for them.

About the Author: Margaret Paul, Ph.D., best-selling author of 8 books, co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding® healing process. Join thousands who have discovered real love and intimacy! Learn Inner Bonding now! FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com/welcome/relationship_help.html. Phone Sessions. Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com

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Proposing Marriage at Christmas is Old Hat – What About Thanksgiving?: by Lawrence Reaves

One man related the tale of how he proposed on Christmas Day and arranged the marriage for New Years Day – “How romantic!”, you hear people claim, but the real reason was because he had a terrible memory for dates and was already in annual trouble for forgetting his other half’s birthday. Not wishing to forget their wedding anniversary, he made sure it was held on a memorable date so he’d never forget!

Perhaps this is one reason why Christmas and New Year proposals and wedding dates are so popular today. The romanticism of New Year’s is obvious with the clock winding down for midnight and emotions and expectations running so high for the New Year. Christmas is just as bad with all that mistletoe hanging around just waiting for opportunists to launch a romantic ambush.

This said, using your imagination is vitally important in any relationship and especially marriage! It pays to exercise some creativity when you are considering a proposal because not only do you want it to be memorable for both of you, but you also want to stand out from the crowd.

If everyone else is getting swept away with Yuletide spirits, that leaves the rest of the year open for something much more unique and therefore, more special. Using other dates to propose, wed or celebrate also makes life much less expensive; it stands to plain reason that you will be able to hire a venue at much reduced rates outside of December when company and family parties are booking everything hotel, restaurant and club in sight which raises the price. The same can be said for any other marriage related activity as it is one of the most busy times of the year all round.

Thanksgiving is soon to be upon us and is a time when most American families get together; indeed, many families only get together in such an intimate fashion at this time of year with other, extended family commitments pulling many people away from their own blood relations. If you want to make your proposal or celebrate nuptials in front of the entire family, this is one of the best dates to get down on one knee or walk down the aisle.

Catering and venue availability is also going to be much more likely to be available giving you a wider choice and a reduced cost. As you are booking outside of the busy December period you can expect to get much more for your wedding budget. Thanksgiving is a popular American holiday but it does not dominate the year the way Christmas and New Years does. Planning your wedding or engagement celebration at this time of the year means it is unlikely to get lost in the whirl of social calendar events that are marked in all over December for most people.

There is also the simple reality that for many people, Christmas and New Years is a time when they want to be with their family, especially if they have children. Putting a major event, such as a wedding, onto already busy and committed friends and family members may actually mean that your Christmas nuptials are not attended by as many of your close friends and family as you may have hoped for. Thanksgiving gives as many people as possible the opportunity for them to attend without the sacrifice but with the cost savings you are likely to benefit from, you will have the budget to cater for them too.

About the Author: Lawrence Reaves, writing about wedding ring sets, engagement rings and fine jewelry. Danforth Diamond provides wisdom and advice to help you choose the right ring at the right price. Visit http://www.DanforthDiamond.com or call 877.404.RING

Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com

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What You Need to Teach Your Kids About Money: by Stephanie Hale

Most of us make sure our children learn how to read, write and make good life decisions to prepare them to become responsible adults. What most parents and most schools don’t do, is teach kids about money.

In many families, finances are a personal, private matter not to be discussed. As a result, children leave the nest without the essential skills they need to be financially secure and successful. Whether it’s out of ignorance or fear, this lack of communication perpetuates the cycle of ignorance when it comes to money skills.

You don’t need a degree in economics to teach the basics of money management. A few simple but valuable principles can go a long way in helping your child learn about financial responsibility. The information can help ensure they become self confident, economically independent adults.

What should you do?

Start Early–

Children can grasp basic money concepts by the age of 3 or 4. Once your kids are old enough to count you can begin talking to them about earning, spending and saving. Young children learn early on that money buys them things they want. Teach them that money is what’s valuable, not the toys it buys.

Teach Saving–

You can start by keeping coins in a jar or piggy bank where your child can visually watch their money grow. As they get older, take them to the bank and open a savings account in their name. Having kids set a goal of saving for something specific gives them the opportunity to learn delayed gratification and experience the satisfaction of reaching their goal.

Give an Allowance–

How much depends on the age of the child and what you feel comfortable with. You can assign household chores as part of the allowance to show how money is earned. Some families require a percentage of the allowance go toward savings and charity, and let the child decide what to do with the rest. Regardless of how you set it up, an allowance gives your kids practice handling and making decisions about money.

Share the Household Budget–

Routine things like grocery shopping and bill paying are great opportunities to teach children money concepts. Have them compare prices in the grocery store and show them the receipt. Let them see the bill for your mobile phone and talk about monthly expenses like car insurance and petrol. Sharing your budget will help illustrate the differences between wants and needs and how you make choices about money. When your kids are about to go out on their own for the first time they’ll better understand the expenses involved and what they can afford.

Encourage Older Kids to Get a Job–

An allowance doesn’t have to be the only way for kids to earn money. Start with a lemonade stand or let them sell toys they’ve outgrown at a yard sale. Depending on age, your kids might do yard work for neighbours or offer babysitting services. By holding down such jobs, kids learn about working, earning, saving, and investing money. It also gives them a sense of pride and self confidence.

Teaching your children to manage money is a parental responsibility that will safeguard their future. By starting early, your efforts will bring them lifelong benefits.

About the Author: Get the free ebook 'Millionaire Tips for Women' and other bonus gifts (value over £350 / $575) at http://www.MillionaireWomenMillionaireYou.com. Stephanie J. Hale was once a struggling single mother. Today, she's a successful entrepreneur and speaker, teaching other women how to achieve financial freedom.
Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com

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Relationships and Communication: by Brenda Williams

Relationships are hard work. In fact, there are many people who would argue that maintaining a relationship with another person is the most difficult thing one can endure. Human beings have been building relationships with one another since the beginning of time. Even in modern days, failed relationships can be linked to much of the undue stress and tragedy that humans face in the world.

Think about all of the people who use drugs illegally. Now, think of all the people who commit crimes. At the heart of it all, it seems like relationships play an extremely important role. There’s a saying that a lot of young couples hear when they are first married, which is that you shouldn’t go to bed mad at each other. This is true. People who get married today have over a 50 chance of getting divorced. So, now the question becomes “why?” Why is it that we can’t seem to stay together? Has the view on marriage changed? Perhaps. It seems as if a lot of young people today get married for the wrong reasons. Many people marry for financial reasons, and the the financial strain develops into the cause of the couple breaking up.

The number one reason that people fail at relationships with one another is due to a lapse or lack of communication. It takes two people to communicate effectively to the other. If one person is constantly doing all of the work in trying to convey feelings or ideas to the other person, then it is only a matter of time before problems arise. We are not mind readers. No one person is the same as the next, therefore we aren’t expected to get along. However, good relationships require good communication which requires compromise from either party involved. For example, if your husband is slovenly and leaves things out around the house, rather than reprimand him, let him know how you are feeling without nagging him to death. “Usually, you are so good about not leaving things out, honey would you mind just picking that up and putting it away?” sounds ten times better than: “I’m sick and tired of having to clean up after you!”

When it comes to communicating well, you have to be innovative. Everyone has something that makes him or her tick. Figure out what that thing is and use it to communicate more effectively. When you are first starting out in a relationship, you need to make sure that you’re getting involved for the right reasons. Simply recognizing someone for the physical attributes that they possess is not going to be enough to sustain you through the long term because as time goes on, people’s physical appearances tend to change. Similarly, you shouldn’t just get involved with someone based on material items or because of how much money they make because that, too, can change. Instead, look at the person’s character. How do they make you feel? How do their actions affect you? How do they treat other people? What sorts of things do others have to say about them?

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Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com

The Beauty of Motherhood: by Sara Ryan

Being a mother is both a beautiful and challenging life long event. Once you become a mother it never stops, it is eternal. Motherhood can help you find humor out of anything whether is being pooped and peed on, your 5 year old saying his stomach hurts because he has “massage stones” like his grandpa or realizing you haven’t did your hair in a week. Embrace it. They can be the happiest days of your life. You don’t get money from being a mother but you do actually get watch as someone that was once inside of you blossom into an adult. There is no other feeling like that of the maternal urge. So all you mommies to be, get ready. You are in for an experience of a lifetime!

You learn on a daily basis, you make mistakes and you may laugh or cry. Don’t be nervous about having to raise a extension of yourself, some believe that having a child is the end of their life but actually it is a new beginning. You don’t have to completely say good bye to your social life rather you might find the old and the new integrating created a healthy balance for both. Keep in mind that this whole world is new for Baby and you are his/her guide and protector. Don’t be afraid to act silly, make noises or funny faces. Reminisce on how your maternal figure probably made you feel loved and focus on that. Don’t be afraid to nurture or discipline.

Motherhood is your time to find new and innovative ways to raise a healthy, sound minded person. Read up on motherhood issues like potty training, appropriate discipline and developmental techniques. Follow your first mind if it doesn’t sound right for you then don’t force it. Only you will know what you are comfortable with for your child. As time goes on, you will have a routine and then have to change it. It can be frustrating at first but being a mommy teaches versatility and patience. Keep in mind that you are the best mother you can be and practice saying that over and over in your head. It will be needed for those times of insecurity that sometimes come along with parenthood. If you don’t know the answer to some question you may have, ask your own mommy or someone you can get advice that you can trust. Some things re learned by experience, others by asking and some you just stumble upon.

One of the best parts of being “Mommy” is knowing you are giving them the best at all times. The best has nothing to do with materialistic items but more to do with what you are contributing to them as a person. So when the terrible twos, threes and fours hit, be conscious of the fact that you were once a child too. We go through a lot of stages in life but once you are a mother, you will always be one. Enjoy your new path of motherhood.

About the Author: Sara Ryan regularly writes for http://www.tirmassagestone.com, the leading hot stone massage supplies provider. They provide massage stones and many other accessories in the massage industry. Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com

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Supporting Your Work at Home Wife: by Allen Hart

The new trend in our society is working from home. Many women are leaving the corporate world to come home and care for their families, but they still desire to contribute financially. It can be challenging to work from home, especially for women who have children to care for as well.

Is your wife is one of the growing number of work at home moms? Here are ten key tips on supporting her:

1. Encouragement is key

Sometimes all that your wife needs in order to be successful with whatever she is working on is a little encouragement. Often times she won’t have anyone else around to give her the encouragement that she needs and you may be the only person that can give her the encouragement she needs.

2. Help with whatever she is doing

Depending on the business there may be extra work that could be done by you. For example, with my wife’s website, Christian Work at Home Moms (http://www.cwahm.com/), she will often need someone to write a script, setup an email account, or proofread a document. Some of the tasks aren’t going to be the most glamorous but 5 minutes could save your partner hours of time and added stress.

3. Be positive

It's easy to be a positive influence on your wife and her business. Listen to her when she talks about her business. Don't put down her ideas for business growth - help her think of new ideas to help her business grow. Remember that just because she is working from home, that does not make her business any less important or legitimate. If you are a positive influence on your wife and take an interest in her business, there's no telling how big the business might grow! As wives, we need our husband's support and encouragement!

4. Watch the kids

Your wife is at home with the kids all day every day. Sometimes she is going to need a chance to work with no distractions. If the kids are constantly asking questions and bugging your wife she can’t get anything done. Don’t wait to be asked. Be proactive and offer to watch the kids.

5. Listen

Your wife might not have a large support system or other co-workers to bounce ideas off of. She is going to need someone to talk to and more importantly listen to the ideas she has. I think this goes hand in hand with encouragement. You will need to listen and encourage, sometimes that is all she needs.

6. Let her run the show

This is her job her business she gets to call the shots. I know that the way my wife and I handle the business decisions is that she runs all of her ideas by me and we mutually make the decisions. A lot of the decisions can be costly and take a lot of time. Those decisions should be made together but ultimately it isn’t your decision.

7. Be a part of the business

Many wives want their husbands to take part in their home business even if it's just helping to stuff envelopes. Taking the time to do even small things like this will encourage your wife and show her that you support her. If there isn't a way to be directly involved with your wife's business, pick one day a week and do the dishes or another chore that will free up some time for your wife to work at her business.

8. Don't let her give up

Most work at home moms will tell you that it takes 3-4 years to build a successful business. It doesn't happen overnight. When your wife feels discouraged, listen to her and ask if she would like your input on the situation. She will need your encouragement to stick with it. We wives do not like to fail our husbands and we sometimes feel like failures when our businesses are not doing well. Remind your wife of the time that it takes to grow a business and that EVERY business has times during the year when sales are slow.

9. Surprise her

This may not sound like a business tip, but a great way to help your wife stay motivated is to bring her little “surprises” – flowers, her favorite candy, a business supply that she can’t bring her self to spend the money on. All of these are great ways to remind her of your support.

10. Pray

Most importantly, this business is going to need prayer. Never underestimate the power of prayer to help you get going and keep the whole project rolling. If you aren’t talking to God on a regular basis it will be very hard to stay on track.

By following these ten simple tips, you can help strengthen your wife’s home-based business. She will appreciate your efforts and your marriage will benefit as well. Supporting your work at home wife is one of the best ways to show you care.

Allen Hart is the founder of CWAHD.com, Christian Work at Home Dads. CWAHD.com was designed to assist dads in their quest for a work at home job or business. For more information and additional articles, visit www.cwahd.com or contact Allen at info@cwahd.com. Article Source: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/online_business/article_3765.shtml

Like Mother, Like Daughter: by Karen Schachter

We moms have a tough path to walk as we help our daughters navigate the sometimes choppy waters of growing up girl. It's our job to protect our children and do our best to keep them safe and healthy, yet we also have to allow them to grow, stretch and learn from their own mistakes. It's a fine line between letting them be who they are and wanting to "tweak" them just a little bit so they don't suffer from the same mistakes or struggles that we did.

When it comes to healthy eating and a positive body image, this fine line can feel fragile and confusing, particularly if you struggle with these issues yourself.

When I teach workshops or work individually with moms, I am always asked some of the same questions: Should I let my kids have desert every day? How do I deal with their love of sweets? How can I help her stop eating when she's not hungry anymore? How can I help her lose weight without making her feel bad about her body? How can I help her feel good about her body, no matter what its size? How can I help her feel good about herself and treat herself with respect? Although I can give concrete "answers" to many of these questions, the truth is, there is no one "right" answer that works for everyone, all the time. There is no "magic bullet" to self-esteem, body confidence, self-care, and inspiring good health in your daughter. However, there is one piece of the puzzle that is so important, one KEY asset that is SO valuable, and one action that IS within our control...that is more powerful than anything we can say or anything we can feed them.
YOU.
As her mom, the only thing you really have control over (especially as she gets older) is who YOU are BEING and how YOU are negotiating your own health, your own eating, your own body image and your own self -esteem. Are you embodying the actions and feelings that you want her to learn? Here's a little food for thought to get you going:

1. Next time you notice yourself betwixt and between about an eating habit of your daughter's, check in with yourself: Is there something about that behavior that reminds you of one of your own struggles? (Go ahead and address it in YOURSELF first).

2. Imagine that your daughter develops a delicious, nourishing and healthy relationship to food, eating and her body - what will that look like? Go ahead and try out some of those self-nourishing actions for YOURSELF.

3. What if food, eating and body image weren't a concern, for you or for your daughter? What if you had true freedom and peace with these things? What would your energy and attention be focused on instead? (Go ahead and give it a try).

Here's the thing: Our daughters learn how to live in their bodies and care for themselves with food and in their lives from MANY sources, including the media, their peers, their families, and from all the women in their lives. I am on a mission - and I invite you to join me - to help change the "face" of what the next generation of girls is learning - and I believe we must first BE THE CHANGE we wish to see in them. (When moms set their minds to something, there is no telling what could happen...)

Copyright (c) 2009 Healthy Bodies, Happy Minds: Karen Schachter, a psychotherapist and coach, is committed to helping girls and women find peace, nourishment and wellbeing with food and their bodies. Visit http://www.healthybodieshappyminds.com.
Article Source:http://www.articlecity.com/articles/parenting/article_1972.shtml

my bikes....

As i took my 4.5 year old daughter for small ride on her pink bike on a saturday morning , it seemed i was repeating a ritual that my dad did for me some 30 years ago. He had gifted me my first bike some 30 years ago. It was a red colored smaller bike with rims of creme color. Like my daughters one now , which is of course more flashier , it also had two smaller wheels on the sides of rear wheel to prevent me from falling. It had taken me some time to pick it up and learn moving the handle in the right direction , which of course my daughter picked up much faster given the generational shift. While this is chronologically only 3 decades ago , but then in India , seems like eons ago , given the amount of change our generation has seen in last 3 decades. Yet , few things won't change- idle chatter of mine to my dad , is the same which i get from my daughter. As i don't remember all the things i had said to my dad, so won't she later in life. But then , this wont come back to me ever again ....she wont be 4.5 years old again....and i wanted to savour every moment of this , even though , it is so boring to hear her same stories over and over again. It is some divine logic , which makes you feel like holding sand , which you know is slipping and you like it both slipping away and holding it at the same time....i fell in love with my parents once i became a father ...

Moving on to my bikes story ...that was first bike....second one was even better. It was a 6 years old Saine Raliegh cycle which my father had bought in 1971 , when he joined his first job. My mom says that i used to sit in the front rod of the cycle on a small child seat. It was definitely a luxury.And my parents used to walk for kilometers make me have a ride across the small town called Sindri. That cycle gave way to new Vijay Delux scooter parrot green in color , which was added to our family in 1977 , when my younger brother came in. This scooter was my best fantasy come alive with me standing in front of dad holding on to the handle. The air blasting past my ears while dad used to drive was so much of a whizz....i turned 10 , when i tried to first hand on my dad's bicycle. Believe , it was an experience to feel so high perched on the top of the moving metal. I was not tall , so it took me a while before i could climb up the perch easily...which i did eventually and much to my delight , circled around the colony that we lived over so many rounds that in the evening , my mother had to put my legs in salted hot waters to relax my thighs. Then for so many years that was stable companion of sorts , i did most of my home errands on that for my mother. i carried vegetables , took wheat for grinding to the local grinder shops , all on my dad's bicycle. That old man stayed with me for another 20 years , when finally in house , my wife tried to be kind with some local washerman , and gave that to him which he never returned.

Then as i moved to Tata Steel as a GT in 95 , i still remember that first week of August sometime , when all my friends had already bought their Yamaha RX 100 , the bike that stirred our generation, i was destined to purchase a cheaper 4 stroke version of Kawasaki 4S bajaj. But this was a compromise that i had to live with. Yamaha was Yamaha...it could start at the 4 gear directly . Only Yamaha could , others of that generation of bikes could not. It was not era of Pulsars and Hayabushas in India. Yamaha was the best. That synchronous sound of the engine that went past the hostel rooms were so exotic. And yet , each day , i pretended that my 4S was equally good , which i did it was not. Yet , it was faithful , like the wife and Yamaha was the sexy neighbour that i could never my hands on. So much so on Yamaha...even today after 15 years , as i look at old ones whizzing on the road ,not comparable to newer flashy ones , i still cannot get over the high that i gave me then , like an old wine , it gets sweetened with age.

Today , i believe , may be as i would turn 40 , may be , i can purchase the king of the roads the
Royal Enfield Bullet ...may be a show piece , to showcase , my remaining manliness. Indeed , you start needing that 40 onwards perhaps ....

Top 12 Family Fun Activities for Holidays

We all just love holidays, don't we! They provide a great opportunity to spend quality time with family or friends, give in to hobby fever, do some outdoor activities, or just laze around. There are many things we like to do on holidays with the usual ones being travelling, playing indoor or outdoor games, watching movies and believe it or not, sleeping! Though I personally feel sleeping (during the day at least) is such a waste of time. I would rather do something more interesting, like shopping :). I wait and wait for my hubby to be at home on the weekends. And when the weekend comes, hubby dearest keeps dozing off!:)

Enough about that. Here are a few fun activities, some usual and some not so usual, to indulge in with your family on a holiday. You probably do some of these already and you can try those you arent!

Outdoor Fun

1. Travel
Travelling is and will remain the most popular thing to do on a holiday. Be it a weekend trip or a longer vacation, it will break the routine and give you ample time to have fun together as a family. Once on vacation, you can plan for sight seeing, picnics or just simple relaxing around in the hotel. For day visits, you can just pack everyone into the car and go to the zoo, the beach, the botanical gardens or an easy choice, the local park.

2. Sports
Outdoor sports are a great way to bond with your loved ones and keep fit. Choose any game that your family enjoys such as football, baseball, tennis or cricket or for the more adventurous, rafting, surfing, rock climbing, paragliding or skiing. Let each of you choose the family fun sports for the holiday, turn by turn.

3. Community Service
Volunteer for a community service in your neighbourhood. You can help out in a retirement home or a homeless shelter. You can also collect and donate useful stuff to needy people. These activities will teach your children the value of sharing and give them a sense of social responsibility.

4. Star Gazing
Star gazing with your family is a cool way to learn exciting things about the sky as well as spend quality time together. On a clear night, you can look for the brightest stars and figure out the constellations. And, if you have a telescope, you can delve deeper. Look at the moon and search for the planets. Your kids will love it for sure.

5. Exercise
Exercise as a family. This will make exercise fun. Yoga, aerobics, jogging or swimming, whatever it is that you can do and enjoy together, do it. All of you can lead the exercise routine, turn by turn.

6. Shopping
This never goes out of style. Its fun to go shopping with family especially for stuff that you would use together at home. Maybe a new stereo system or a new computer. Good idea! Perhaps we'll go stereo system hunting this week. Actually, shopping for clothes together isn't all that bad too, though your kids may feel otherwise, especially if they are at the 'I am grown up now' age :)

Indoor Fun

1. House Work
Though these might seem more like work, believe me, if you do it together in the right spirit, it will be fun!
>> Painting - Paint the children's room or the garden fence. Children running around in their paint-laden overalls..thats a 'Kodak' moment for sure!
>> Gardening - Plant new roses or attend to existing flowers. Let your children plant some seeds themselves. As their plant grows, watch their faces light up.
>> Cooking - Make your kids head chefs and assist them to cook a meal for all of you. Extra cookies for them if the meal turns out great! Dad dear can cook too, if he wants, or if Mom pushes him to :)
>> Arranging Photos - Bundles of photos piled up in no particular order! Those memories need more respect. Gather together, sort them out, laugh at the old ones and put them in albums. Sure, you have many of them on your computer too. Its a digital age after all. But nothing beats the good ol' photo album, right?

2. Build Together
Building something as a family is exciting and gives you a sense of achievement as a team. Be it a school project, an aeroplane model, a handicraft decoration for the living room or a family jigsaw puzzle, do it together and see how much fun you have. Reward yourselves with icecream when you successfully complete what you started.

3. Reading Time
Have a family reading session, at least, once every week. You can get together to read aloud stories or general material. Select different themes every week - entertainment, religious, spiritual or educational.

4. Watch Movies
Watch TV or movies together. You can have a small home theatre show with comfy pillows and a big bowl of popcorn. Its really nice to watch old home movies together too: weddings, birthdays, the baby's first step, grandpa snoring and the like :)

5. Photography
Who says the camera can come out of its case on special occasions and when you go out? Any day can be 'snap' day. Photograph each other in jazzy costumes, funny poses and doing silly stuff. Fun to shoot and fun to watch later!

6. Gossip
Last but not the least, get together and gossip! Nothing mean, you know, just fun stuff about your relatives, neighbours or friends. Nothing like relaxing with a cup of coffee/tea or milk (for kids, I mean) and talking about others :)

Of course, there is other fun stuff you can do, but I jotted down the ones I liked. You are welcome to share other fun stuff you do with your family, in the comments section.

Funny & Sweet Quotes for All..

Look what I found..few great quotes for you, some funny, some sweet, but all so true! Enjoy!

Hubby and Wife

* Love is the thing that enables a woman to sing while she mops up the floor after her husband has walked across it in his barn boots.~ Hoosier Farmer

* My husband and I have figured out a really good system about the housework: neither one of us does it.~ Dottie Archibald

* An archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets the more interested he is in her.~ Agatha Christie

* To catch a husband is an art; to hold him is a job.~ Simone De Beauvoir

* My husband says I feed him like he's a god: every meal is a burnt offering.~ Rhonda Hansome

Parents and Children

* If your parents never had children, chances are you won't either. ~ Dick Cavett

* My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance.~ Tim Allen

* As long as a woman can look ten years younger than her own daughter, she is perfectly satisfied.~ Oscar Wilde

* There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it.~ Chinese Proverbs

* I want my children to have all the things I couldn't afford. Then I want to move in with them.~ Phyllis Diller

* You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back.~ William D. Tammeus.

* All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his.~ Oscar Wilde

Brothers and Sisters

* A sister is a little bit of childhood that is never lost.~ Marion Garretty

* A brother is a friend given by Nature.~ Legouve

* The Rule of Sibs: If your sibling gets something you want, you (1) try to take it; (2) break it; or (3) say it's no good~ Patricia Fleming

Friends

* A true friend stabs you in the front.~ Oscar Wilde

* Money can't buy friends, but you can get a better class of enemy. ~ Spike Milligan

* A friend who is near and dear may in time become as useless as a relative. ~ George Ade

* A good friend can tell you what is the matter with you in a minute. He may not seem such a good friend after telling. ~ Arthur Brisbane

* A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.~ Bernard Meltzer

* There are three faithful friends, an old wife, an old dog, and ready money.~ Benjamin Franklin

* Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one.~ C.S. Lewis

Bringing up children: what’s the right way?

We all bring up our children in the way we think best. But who is to say which is the right way and which isn’t. This topic requires so much insight and experience that I thought it best to put forth few thoughts based on the teachings of one of the greatest spiritual Gurus.

Bringing children into the world and bringing them up is not only one of nature’s most wonderful gifts to us, but it is also one of our biggest responsibilities. And to make sure that we, as parents, do this right, here are a few insights which may help all of us in becoming better parents.

1. Share responsibility of children and train them at home

Both mother and father should share responsibility in bringing up the child. Even though the child may possibly be spending more time with his mother, the father should play his role of being a good parent as well.

The proper training of children begins at home, not at school. Raising children is truly difficult these days. But it is our duty to protect, guide and care for the children we bring into this world. If we plant a small tree in our garden, and we want it to grow healthily, we must be there to support it and protect it in all types of weather. It’s the same for children. To fully blossom, they need nurturing through love, guidance and understanding that only parents can give them.

2. Discipline your children

Children need discipline. This does not mean beating them, which should never be done! We should guide our children with firmness, but also love and patience. As once said, “These little ones cannot express discrimination and understanding, even though these qualities are innate in the soul”.

Children should be taught the right attitude and the right behavior which will stay with them as a support system for the rest of their lives.

3. Build the right relationship

We should build the right relationship with our children. In an effort to come closer to them, some parents try to become one of them. This may work to some extent, but not completely. Children should learn to love and respect us as parents. This doesn’t mean we cannot have fun with our kids; this just means we should be responsible parents.

4. Communicate openly

We need to be approachable to our children. They should feel that they can talk to us, confide in us and be truthful. If we give a child a hard time because he had the courage to come and tell us something we didn’t like, this could turn him away forever. He might look for another confidant or worse, turn to something ‘else’ for comfort which is definitely not what we want. Good rapport with children should begin in the early years.

Parents should spend time to talk with their children in a language that they can understand. Instead of just saying “Don’t do it”, explain why. We need to reason out with them instead of simply asking them to obey orders.

5. Make your children responsible; don’t pamper them too much

Parents should guide children such that it helps them to develop skills and responsibility. Else, they may grow up to be careless and unreliable, who would not know how to teach their own children. Bad habits are passed from generation to generation.

Children should learn at an early age that nothing comes without effort. One has to earn what he receives in this world. Parents should teach the child that he should contribute his part to the family, to his friends and to his community.

If a child is given a task to do, parents should see to it that he fulfills it. This includes simple things like clearing up the mess in his/her room before sleeping at night. Insist that he do this, without spanking him/her. Once good habits have been formed, children will automatically continue to do so. Young ones will do what is asked if they feel they are contributing and helping out. Give them praise and encouragement, make them want to do it. But make sure that the responsibility given to the child is as per his capability. You can give rewards for good behavior or good work done in certain situations. This may not be the best thing to do, but works in most cases!

Parents often indulge in their children too much. We should give our child a chance to achieve on his own, to learn from his own success and failures and meet the challenges of life, but with our strong support. By giving in to all his whims, we cannot ensure that he or she will be happy always and may in the long run, hamper his progress.

6. Don’t impose yourself

Children should be allowed to develop their own personalities. We must be there to give them the right sense of direction and the right principles. But we should not overshadow their lives completely by forcing them to become us.

7. Teach your children to pray

It will be a good thing if from early on parents and children pray together before going to bed. A child who is taught to pray for self and others loves it and does it throughout life. It teaches the young one to have faith in God, be thankful for what he has been given in life and care for others.

***
Probably, the best thing we can do in raising our children successfully is to lead by example. If our children see the good results of following the standards we set in our life, they will respect us and listen to us. Amen to that!

First Day of School Checklist - The Top 10 Things to Do

Do you remember your first day of school? Well, I don't..But I am sure many of you remember your little one's first day of school (those who have kids of course), just like I will remember my little boy's, for a long time to come. He probably did not realise how special an event it was. But I was nervous and excited days before he had to go; it seemed like I had to prepare for so much, quite a lot of it on the emotional front I guess. More than readying him, I had to prepare myself for this journey he was about to begin, which would continue for many years to come and would play a big part in shaping up his personality. There probably is lots of information on the internet about what to do before your child's first day of school. I just thought I would add my bit and put it all in once place. I did some thinking earlier on and made a mental checklist of what I needed to do, and it did help me quite a bit. So here goes...

1. Mental Preparation:
First and foremost, you and your kid both need to be ready for this! First target yourself :) You need to be prepared for your child to be away from you, in the care of others, even if its for a few hours everyday; of course, more so, if you are a stay-at-home mom. You have to understand that he will be learning many more things now, will be meeting more kids now and may in fact become naughtier :) Its all a part of the game, sigh..thats what I had to tell myself. It was not easy, let me tell you. As far as your baby is concerned, its better to start preparing him/her earlier on so that he gets all excited about going to school. We took our little boy along with us when we started our survey of schools (step 2 below). This was a few months before he actually started going to school. We kept telling him how much fun it was going to be and how he would make many friends and play with them. The first day he was very happy and in fact, wasn't ready to come back home after school :)

2. Survey:
Look around, ask around; find out about the good schools in your area. Its great if the school is near your house, for many reasons, but that of course is not the only criteria. The school needs to have a good reputation, especially if its a preparatory school, pre-school if you will, like we have where we live. Such schools are stepping stones to the proper school that your child will be enrolled into when he is around 4-5 years of age. Of course, this concept varies from place to place. Visit the schools, talk to their principals and check out what kind of schooling philosophy is in place, i.e, their ideas about learning, teaching concepts, aids, facilities etc. At this age, your child should be made to feel comfortable in school, as its his first step outside home, without you, especially true for kids with stay-at-home moms. I have selected a good school in the vicinity where learning is done through various kinds of fun activities without putting undue pressure on them.

3. Shopping:
Next you make a small list of items you need to purchase and go shopping. Was one of my favorite parts of this whole exercise. Most likely, this would include a school bag, lunch box, water bottle/sipper, crayons and new clothes surely:) Make sure that you check with the teacher in charge about the things you need to put in his/her bag. They might have some tips for you such as sending napkins and a change of clothes/undergarments for smaller kids. Some schools may provide joining kits which include a school bag and some other stuff, so its better to check before you purchase. It may be a good idea to take your kid alongwith you for the shopping in case he/she has his own choice of colours for his bag/bottle etc. And perhaps you could buy him/her a toy as a 'first day of school' gift :)

4. Labels:
Make sure you label everything with your kid's name. Things are likely to get mixed up in school, so labeling is required. Sticky labels will do for bags, but for lunch boxes and water bottles, you need to write with permanent markers, as these things would be washed regularly. Though through personal experience, what works better than permanent markers is nailpolish! (i.e. if you dont mind writing with it!)

5. Toilet Training:
Oh now the scariest of them all :) I was really worried about this & am still worried to some extent. Though he has grasped everything pretty quickly, my son took a long time to get toilet-trained. We tried for long, but he got trained only about a month before he had to begin school and it was only at home that he did tell us. He wore diapers whenever we went out somewhere. Its better to keep reminding your child that when in school, he needs to inform his teacher when he wishes to go. Also, check when you are school hunting, what the school policy is about this point. Where we live, some schools do not allow diapers, and some do. Luckily, the school we chose was not rigid about it. I was advised to send him in diapers for the first week, and then without. They were ready to take care of wet accidents, and assured me that he would settle down in a few days. Its working out alright as of now, but I do have to send a change of clothes.

6. Lunch/Snack Box:
No junk food! Its convenient, sure, but is unhealthy and if you give it sometime, the kid would take it for granted that he would always get to eat such stuff during snack time. Then, when you give something healthy, he might not eat it. Nowadays, teachers stress on healthy snacks too, so that kind of helps.

7. School Work:
Make it a practice to check your child's bag when you take out his lunch box after school. More often than not, there will your child's school work that day (his drawings etc) in it and/or a teacher's note. This is more applicable to pre-school kids I think. It will be very encouraging for the child if you appreciate the work he has done at school and also a good idea to keep his all work carefully. The set will serve as good memories later :)

8. Talk after school:
After school, do spend time with your child and ask him/her what he/she did at school and listen to a whole list of things he will tell you. Its fun, isnt it, when they just babble on :) Some part of it you may not understand, depending on how old your child is, but its fun nevertheless plus it assures him that you are a part of his school life too.

9. Good word for the teachers:
Time and again, put in a good word for the class teacher while talking to your kid. Tell him or her she is very nice and will take care of him and he should listen to her carefully. It will help the teacher in class.

10. Routine:
Last but not the least, do not forget to set a routine for your kid. He/she should be sleeping early and getting up early. Try to set up the routine days before he starts going to school so that its easier for the child to adjust.

I hope this helps some moms out there. And if you have some more experiences to share, do add a post or a comment.