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SATS! - A Daunting Educational Yardstick
The Dreaded SATS - A Teenagers Nightmare! Well, here we are again facing the dreaded standardized achievement tests (SATS). Everyone involved is a bundle of nerves. The head teacher wants to look go...
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Saving Money on Preschool: Readiness Skills Needed for Kindergarten
As a mom of 4 who's youngest child is about to start Kindergarten this Fall, I'd like to share with you some things I've learned about Preschool over the last ten years, along with a list of readin...
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Science Toys are Educational Toys
My son Jack had been quietly playing with his Meccano set when we heard him scream, sweet! What a cool toy, my friend Dave said, it's a ferris wheel. It's a solar powered ferris wheel, said Jack. Da...
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Scorpio's Child
Scorpios get a lot of bad press. They're vindictive, mean, and obsessed with sex. That's not really fair. Scorpio rules the house of sharing. They are the stewards of sharing money, resources, love, ...
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Seeing The Souls of Your Children
Your toddler is having her second tantrum of the day while your four year old son is racing around the house with the neighbor’s child. You feel completely stressed out and are questioning your decis...
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Selecting a Baby Shower Theme: Easy as One Two Three
No aspect of party planning is more crucial and sometimes mind boggling to a baby shower planner than selecting the baby shower theme. There are almost too many ideas available today, and often the h...
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Send Your Child to College FREE!
College is one of the largest expenses through the course of your child's life. It is also one of the main causes of debt in America. With today's rates of inflation, it is very hard to save for an e...
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Shared Dancing Has Benefits for Babies and New Moms Alike
Every parent knows the calming effects on their baby of rocking and gentle motion. After all, who among us has not paced the floor at 2 am trying to entice a little one back to sleep by rocking, boun...
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Sharing Baby Photos Online with Birth Announcements & Baby Photo Album Services
Congratulations! You’re a new parent and you’ve brought your precious, beautiful baby into the world. You want to shout from the rooftops that you have this wonderful bundle of joy and you are so p...
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Should the Dad Attend the Birth of His Baby?
Not so long ago a dad-to-be would pace up and down outside the labor room and would be admitted only after the birth. Modern practice is to assume the dad-to-be should be at the birth to offer suppor...
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Six Steps to Raising Financially Responsible Teens
In today’s money-driven society, teens are constantly bombarded by magazines, television ads, and peer pressure which make them feel less than ideal if they do not wear the latest clothing style and ...
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Slash Your Grocery Prices with Coupons
Coupons save consumers hundreds of dollars a year. Smart shoppers take the time to look for, cut out, file, and use coupons on a regular basis. You may be surprised how much money you can save in the...
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SmartStart: Home-Based Cognitive and Language Remediation Program for Internationally Adopted Children
Children of different ages adopted internationally are often ”at risk” educationally. Deprived of essential learning experiences in orphanages, children are indeed disadvantaged and may have cognitiv...
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So You Want to Know the Truth about Child Birth and Labor?
Labor and childbirth was an amazing, positive experience for me, both times. I am very fortunate, I know. But I do believe that if you prepare yourself through education (reading books, reading artic...
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So You Want to Start a Home Daycare
I hang out with the other mommies. No, I am not a "Mister Mom" or a "Househusband". I do have one enviable situation, though. I work from home and I have the flexibility to say, "This morning I am...
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So, The Thing Is... We Reap What We Sow
So, the thing is… we reap what we sow. A few weeks ago, my daughters and I planted some seeds. It was a fun project to do together because it involved digging in the dirt and talking about how plan...
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Someone Stole My Book
At a recent library presentation, a woman stole our book. Not the copyright, not the story, but a single copy of our children's book. Another person might view this as a compliment. The book has enou...
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Soul Mate - a Pain in the Neck
"and they lived happily ever after... That is how our favorite childhood fairytales have always ended. That is how the romantic movies from Hollywood always end. And that is what the media agencies a...
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Special Baby Clothes For Those Special Days
Baby clothes are a necessity more than anything else, but there are a couple of special occasions that make the baby the center of attention. It is moments like this that the mother's keen sense of f...
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Special Occasion Baby Wear
Finding special suits for baptisms, christenings, and other ceremonies Religious ceremonies, celebrations, and occasions are a big part of a newborn baby’s life in many families. Naming ceremonies, c...
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Spelling Games
The following spelling games can be used by parents to reinforce spelling in children: SPELLING GAME 1: USE BOARD GAMES, SUCH AS MONOPOLY Play any game that is normally played with dice with the chil...
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Spelling Success for Back to School
Back to school. Whether you approach this time of year with anticipation or dread, it’s about to happen. Your child will have new teachers and classes, different rules and expectations. Children and ...
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Spending time with Chuck
I have been waking up thinking about something that happening to me and my son Chuck. I have decided to write it down while it’s on my mind. Chuck was seventeen, we had him when I was seventeen, a ...
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Sports Psychology Guidelines for Sports Parents
Sports parents have a big impact on their young superstars. A healthy and successful sports experience will depend on sports parents' ability to instill confidence and self-esteem in athletes. Read s...
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Start Growing Healthy Children Before Getting Pregnant
When I was in my early 20’s, I read Adele Davis’s book, “Let’s Eat Right To Keep fit.” I learned from her that “you are what you eat.” I also learned that our babies are what we eat while we are preg...
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Stop Lying NOW
Do you have a consistent problem with your child lying to you, even though he or she is normally a “good” child? Sometimes the lies are even about things that don’t really matter or your child contin...
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Stop, Look, Listen! Steps to Better Parenting Communication
As a parent is seems that the majority of your day is spent trying to get your children to listen to what you are trying to teach them. Make them understand how to me a responsible child. Convince th...
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Stopping Young Risk Takers
(NC)-In Canada, more child deaths are due to unintentional injuries than to all other causes combined. Furthermore, injuries are a primary cause of children's hospitalizations and visits to emergency...
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Strategies To Help Boost Your Child's Self Esteem
Self esteem in an important quality for all children to have. As parents, you can help to boost your child's self esteem by following the steps below: Model good self-esteem: Express through your ac...
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Study Shows High Pollutant Levels in Mother's Milk
There is no doubt mothers’ milk is the best food in the world for the babies. Unfortunately, mothers’ milk of today ain't the same as the mothers' milk thirty years ago. A recent study confirmed prev...
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Study Skills - How Can YOU Help Your Kids?
Some years ago when touring the Scottish Highlands, a man I met said something that's stuck with me ever since. He was elderly, yet was still working away on his small farm. He had no intention of r...
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Stuffed Toys that are Suitable and Safe.
Adorable stuffed dogs are a favorite gift for dog lovers. Learn what to look for and what to Avoid. Although it's hard to say when the first stuffed dogs appeared, I would guess that it was soon afte...
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Sugar And Spice - Dressing Up Little Girls
I admit it - I'm a total sucker for sugar and spice baby girl clothing. Give me lace and roses, hand-crocheted pinafores, add hand-smocked bodices and I'm in heaven. I've raised two little girls and ...
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Surviving a C-Section
After 42 weeks of pregnancy, two days of undergoing inducement and physical stress on the baby, my daughter was delivered via an emergency C-section. Oh, it was music to my ears when my gynecologist ...
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Surviving Colic
Colic is basically uncontrollable crying in a healthy baby. It can come as early as two weeks and last as long as three months. Typically they will cry for hours at a time and may do this a few times...
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Swaddling Your Baby
Your baby was safely sheltered in the cozy cocoon of your womb for nine months before being transported into the big bad world. No wonder swaddling her makes her feel 'at home'. What is swaddling? Sw...
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Sweep Away Colic Baby Crying with White Noise
It doesn’t make sense does it? You do everything possible as a new parent to keep your baby healthy and happy. So why is it, your baby decides to start screaming inconsolably right around dinner ti...
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Talk Your Child Clever
Most parents can hardly wait for their baby to say its first word. This usually happens between the nine months and a year. From about two years, the child should be able to use simple phrases, and b...
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Talking to Kids ABout War
A few days ago, my 8 year old daughter asked my wife “What state is Iraq?” My wife explained that Iraq is not a state, but another country. This led to a number of other questions: &#...
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Teach Your Child to Live for Maximum Potential
At times, everyone feels a little depressed about life, and children are no exception. Just like you, children often experience “the same old grind.” They get up for school, day care, or camp to trav...
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Teaching Children Good Manners
Last week in my newsletter, I mentioned that my children knew how to behave in nice restaurants because they had been exposed to the atmosphere at an early age. My idea of well behaved might be diffe...
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Teaching Kids to Value Books and Reading
Joys and Importance of Reading Recent research indicates that seventy percent of high school graduates are unable to read at the twelfth grade level. In many cases, reading is subordinated to other...
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Teaching Your Children with Coupons
Coupons can be a great tool in educating your child about saving money, being frugal, and shopping smart. Who doesn’t want their children to grow up knowing how to save easily on every purchase? Wi...
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Teen Driver Statistics
As a parent, if you search for any information about Teen Driving Statistics you will find statistics similar to those below. I have reviewed various websites to summarize the information from these...
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Teenagers Taking Risks
It can be hard being a parent with a teen going through what I term the 'I'm Invincible' phase. This is the phase when teens start doing scary and dangerous things (according to us parents) as a way ...
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Teething Symptoms and How to Treat Them
Teething is what your baby experiences when her first set of teeth begins to appear. Some babies will go through this event without a problem. However, other babies will experience discomfort. To te...
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Temporary Internet Files - the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
A little bit of time invested into learning about internet security can go a long way in preventing mishaps on your computer. Temporary internet files are not something we should be afraid of, but we...
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Ten Great Careers For Single Parents
The challenges of raising a child by yourself, whether you’re a mother or father, can be very difficult. Add the burden of having to be out of the home for 40+ hours per week to work and raising a ch...
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Ten Suggestions For The Overscheduled Child
Ever wonder what happened to the family dinner hour? Or for that matter the family dinner half hour? Monday is Soccer Practice, Tuesday is Piano lesson, Wednesday is Church Activities, Thursday is a ...
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Ten ways to Become Best Friends with Your Teenagers
Best friends! It may seem impossible to believe, but today’s teens do want to consider their parents as friends, even though they think we could never understand the realities of their world. They ar...
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The "B" Word
Former students would probably attest to the fact that few things tried my patience as much as did the statement, “This is boring!” As I reflect back on my many years in the classroom, I can’t help b...
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The 5 B's of Effective Parenting
I hear the questions again and again: “How do I get my child to … …quit whining?” …do their homework?” …clean their room?” …do the dishes?” And I hear all kinds of answers for each situation...
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The 7 Feng Shui Fundamentals for Children's Bedrooms
Feng shui is a very popular and intriguing concept in home design today. In addition to the life benefits it provides, it also offers a roadmap, so to speak, of not just how to decorate... but why. ...
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The Art of Criticism
If you do anything / different / beyond others expectations in your work on your own way or private life that impacts someone else, Criticism is always possible, and likely. When you get criticized, ...
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The Baby Stroller- How To Choose
You will need to begin gathering the things your baby will need, now that you got the news that you are expecting a bundle of joy. You may feel overwhelmed if this is your first baby with all the dec...
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The Best Blue Christmas
It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just a few days away, isn’t it? Santa will soon be making his yearly run around the globe, delighting both children and adults alike. Christmas is the most magi...
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The Challenges of Single Parenting
Having worked with parents for the last 35 years and written books on parenting and relationships, I’ve discovered that one of the greatest challenges for us as parents is to be loving role-models fo...
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The Courage to Be a Loving Parent
Most of us really don’t like it when someone is angry at us. We don’t like it when people go into resistance to helping us when we need help, instead of caring about us. We don’t like it when people ...
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The Crucial Role Of The New DAD
Loving and caring for our babies is the most important thing we can do. Our babies of today are the adolescents of tomorrow, who will grow up to be the adults who influence the world we live in. It i...
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The Curse Reversed
Oh, that awful parental curse! At one time or another in a moment of desperation nearly every parent has spewed these venomous words upon their offspring: "I HOPE YOU HAVE ONE JUST LIKE YOU WHEN YOU...
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The Discipline Stick and Kindness
I remember one dad who made his 11-year old son dig his own grave in their backyard. No one remembers what wrong the son had done. Everyone remembers his dad's discipline. One mother beat and cursed ...
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The Effects of Televised Sexual Content on Adolescents
According to a September 2004 study by the RAND Corporation, "Adolescents who watch large amounts of television containing sexual content are twice as likely to begin engaging in sexual intercourse i...
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The Facts About College Financial Aid
The cost of a 4-year college education is soaring! Every year tuition, room & board and other related expenses increase 9% to as much as 15% at some schools, and have already climbed to $160,000 and ...
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The First Pair Of Baby Shoes
NEVER JUDGE A BABY UNTIL YOU’VE WOBBLED A MILE IN HER WEEBOK’S Any parent will tell you that there is nothing quite like watching as your child takes her first steps. When little Tom or Katie start t...
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The First Week with your Baby
The first week of your baby's life brings big adjustments for both of you. You are adjusting to being a mother and caring for your baby and your baby is adjusting to life outside the womb. It is a ti...
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The Great Diaper Debate
Way back when in the days of Home Ec, one favorite class was 'how to diaper baby'. Turning a flat piece of absorbent cotton into a comfortable, well-fitting nappy was a trick that seemed to require t...
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The Importance of Mothers
Moms, did you ever question your value as a role model, caretaker, administer of hugs and Band-Aids? I think we all have in today's climate of "do more, get more, have more." Many of us work to brin...
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The Importance of Teaching Children to Love Reading
Alot of children today are not developing a love of reading that will help them be successful adults. As parents, our fundamental duty is to prepare our children for adulthood. We give them our lov...
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The John Wayne vs Apron String Approach to Parenting
My husband and I have different views on parenting. He likes to recount a scene from an old John Wayne movie, "Hondo", where a young boy doesn't know how to swim. Raised solely by his mother who w...
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The Joy of Learning
“ Part of what motivates me to write this book is a concern that we’ve lost touch in education with the sheer joy of what it means to learn something new.” Thomas Armstrong, Author, Awakening Genius ...
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The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask…
The question I have for you drives right to the heart of the matter. It could alter that tired, haggard feeling you have at the end of a day or weekend. It could alter the life of your children for t...
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The Mystery Of Picky Eaters
If you were to ask 100 parents why they think their children are picky eaters, chances are you would get 90 different answers. Although we know some children are picky eaters for no apparent reason,...
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The Offspring of Aeolus - On the Incest Taboo
Incest is not such a clear-cut matter as it has been made out to be over millennia of taboos. Many participants claim to have enjoyed the act and its physical and emotional consequences. It is often ...
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The Only New Year’s Resolution You Need
I am going to make a bold statement. I think I have the only New Year’s Resolution you need. You have got to be kidding, right??!!! You don’t know me, Kimberly. You don’t know that I need to lose 20l...
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The Parent Teen Relationship And How To Improve It
It was the homework that did it. Each night became a challenge in how I was going to get my son, a non-academic, to do his homework. I tried patience, encouragement, and teaching, all to no avail. I ...
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The Pregnancy Glow and Other Myths of Motherhood
It happened during the ninth month of my first pregnancy. I was going through a department store check-out lane where a teenage girl was ringing up my purchases. She looked shyly at my burgeoning bel...
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The Real Dangers to Kids Online and How to Avoid Them
Did you know 1 out of 5 kids has been sexually solicited online 1 out of 4 kids has been sent a picture of naked people or people having sex online that May 21, 2002 there was the first death of a c...
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The Real Dangers to Kids Online and How to Avoid Them: Top 5 Internet Safety Tips
The Real Dangers to Kids Online and How to Avoid Them Did you know 1 out of 5 kids has been sexually solicited online 1 out of 4 kids has been sent a picture of naked people or people having sex onl...
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The Rejection is a Masked Deprivation
Parents rejection of the child, though unintentional, is also shown in various ways, like physical neglect, denial of love and affection, lack of interest in the child’s activities, interests and ach...
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The Seven Keys to Child Obedience
Learning obedience is an important part of child development. This is the tool that allows you as parents to train your child. Through obedience your child will learn self-control and develop other...
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The Shoemaker and the Brat
At seventeen years old, I was a brat. A mixture of innocence, immaturity and righteousness. And I carried that attitude with me everywhere, including my trip to the shoemaker. Now, to understand why ...
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The Supermum Myth Exposed
The Supermum myth is creating havoc in families and communities around the world. Think about it. There is so much pressure on mothers. They’re expected to know what their doing with a brand new b...
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The Ten Things That Successful Parents Do
1. They are leaders as well as parents. They don’t rely on the schools, the government, television, the movies or music to teach their children values and the difference between right and wrong. They...
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The Three Sure-Fire Ways to Teach Your Child About Safety
We understand that for your child to be truly “Kid Safe” that they must understand and use two types of self defense. Physical, which gives them the tools needed to keep them safe. And mental self de...
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The Top 10 Fun Things for Parents and Toddlers to Play With
1. Give your child a spray bottle of water and watch them spray every possible thing outside of the house! 2. Use shaving cream in the bathtub for extra fun. It is usually possible to find cans of sh...
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The Top 10 Tips for Communicating with Children
Most people have more training before they receive their driver's license than before they become a parent. Educating yourself on how to communicate effectively with your child can be the key to achi...
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The Top 10 Tips on Hiring a Babysitter
1. Encourage your babysitter by keeping their favorite foods/snacks on hand. Write a thank you card to your babysitters a couple of times a year. Experienced parents always say, "When you find a...
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The Treasure of reading to Children
This placard graced my late mother’s bedroom wall, and until recently, I didn’t understand what it meant. After spending a normal vacation with my loved ones in Atlanta and Detroit, I reflected how w...
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The Truth About Giving Advice
All of us want to help, protect, and shield our children from life’s daily disappointments. How can we give constructive advice, to a child, without being remembered as one of their worst critics? An...
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The Truth About Layettes
Recently, I was at a baby shower for a young friend of mine who is expecting her first child. Most of the attendees were college friends of ours, and almost no one in the room has had a child yet. Ne...
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The Village Idiot
That would be me! From what I can see, I’m just beginning the second year of a minimum four year sentence as a Village Idiot. I say minimum because the sentence may be extended at any time and with...
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Think Like Your Kids - And Understand Them More
Seven-year old Michael was on a school trip to a Wildlife Centre in Central Scotland. It was near the end of the day and they were in the Gift Shop before boarding the bus for the journey home. Poor...
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Those Old TV Shows
With a very few notable exceptions, TV programming in the last decade... or three... has been relatively lame. Huh? You disagree? Let's not forget "Supertrain," or "Meet the Parents," "Am I Hot," "Wh...
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Three Kinds Of Baby Clothes
When buying baby clothes parents are suddenly inundated with multiple choices that can become quite confusing. How many cute and adorable outfits does little Bill or Hillary need? How many “Onesie” b...
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Three Steps To Safety On Wheels
(NC)-Are your kids safe when riding on wheels - bicycles, scooters, skateboards or in-line skates? Safe Kids Canada, a national child safety program, has launched the "Got Wheels - Get a Helmet!" cam...
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Thrifty (but Unique) Holiday Gift Ideas for Young Children
It’s December, and as the holiday season drew closer, you found your preschooler saying this to you, “Mom, I want this and that toy …My friend is going to get those from his mom. ” When you went a...
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Time for Sleep..A Guide for First Time Parents
If you don’t want to fight your two year old for space in your own bed, you must start early in establishing good bedtime habits. Good bedtime habits will allow your child the comfort that he or she...
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Tips for Baby-Proofing Your Home
There’s never a bad time to baby-proof your home, but parents who plan to do it should get it done before their child starts crawling.
Childproofing your home involves looking at it in a new way. Some household items you use frequently will need t
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Tips for Buying Baby Gear
Buying baby gear can be a frustrating experience for new parents who want to have the best for the baby without breaking their budget. You need to buy baby furniture, such as a crib or bassinet, a ch...
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Tips For Buying Children's Books for Little Ones
Reading is seeing a return with more and more parents wanting their children to read. This has resulted in an increase in the sale of children's literature month by month. Parents want to catch their...
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Tips for Keeping Packed Lunches Fun and Interesting
• Let the child choose his or her own lunch box or reusable lunch bag. Encourage the child to add decorations, too. • Children like finger foods. Cut chicken, cheese, or meat into bite-sized pieces...
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Tips For Parents On How To Deal With Bullying
(NC)—Bullying behaviour may seem rather insignificant compared to the trouble that some kids can get into. Many dismiss it as just another part of "growing up." But we can't anymore. Statistics show ...
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Tips For Parents On How To Deal With Bullying
Often a serious problem for kids (NC)-Bullying behaviour may seem rather insignificant compared to the trouble that some kids can get into. In fact, it is often dismissed as just another part of "gro...
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Tips To Help A Child Live More Charity-Oriented
How much does your child think charity is important? This may sound like the beginning of a lecture on charity, but questions like this can start at home with your child at a very young age. Children...
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Too Much to Do? Too Little Time?
Have you ever felt like someone just pressed the Fast-forward button on your day and before you know it the day is over and you are sitting there wondering what you've accomplished? I love to organi...
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Tools to Find Family-Friendly Content
The Internet, is magnificent in its resources for families. Educational resources abound. Kids can easily find help for their homework blues without venturing to the library. Kids can chat with frien...
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Top 100 Baby Names And Helpful Tips To Consider When Naming Your Baby
Are you an expectant parent anxiously waiting for that little package of joy? Yet, you and your spouse are still looking for that perfect name? Well...fret no more! The list of the top 100 baby nam...
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Top Ten Reasons to Hold Family Meetings
1. Make stronger connections among individuals and, therefore, creates a closer family. In this very busy world, designating this time every week is one way to ensure that family members stay connec...
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Top Ten Ways Working Moms Can Take Care of Themselves
1. Get enough sleep. This means making sure the kids go to bed early enough so you can. Have an evening routine that is calming for everyone. 2. Eat well. Yes you know it. Most of you don’t do ...
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Traditional, Classic, And Old World Baby Clothing Dressing Your Baby The Old-School Way
In today’s world there are nearly as many styles in baby clothing as there are babies crawling about. Parents who want modern clothing can find it at the nearest Wal-Mart, those who desire alternativ...
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Twin and Multiple Births are on the Rise
Did you know that the number of twin births have more than doubled since the early 1970s? Today, about one of every 35 births in the United States are twins. Even more significant is the number of ...
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