Dear 15 year-old Tonia Jordan,I know this sounds strange, but I know somewhere in your silly sci-fi mind, you're going to believe me: I'm you in 10 years. That's right - I'm writing this at the age of 25, and I have some advice for you.First off, I want you to realize that High School is nothing. Once you graduate, you'll never see those people again. That group of kids who pick on you everyday because they think...more
Great kids Halloween costumes are a bit subjective - it depends whose point of view you're looking at them from. As a parent, a great costume is one that's safe and appropriate for the childrens age.From a kid's point of view, practicality isn't really that important - they're more interested in the latest TV or movie character, the latest fad or a current celebrity.Finding a happy medium is the best way to go, but...more
I have two children which even though are similar in age, are completely different when it comes to their areas of interest. My daughter who is in her teens is interested in fashion, guys, and dates. But her primary hobby is talking on the phone; she is doing it all the time. My son is ten years old and all he cares about are toys and things that crawl, smell and make funny noises. Not to mention that his favourite activity is trying to make my daughter's life a living hell.This is why I got very surprised when one day both of them said they wanted to make a class project with pictures of dinosaurs. I could have expected such an idea popping up in my son's head, but I was surprised that my daughter's art class was concentrating on dinosaurs. My son found the idea of working together with his sister trying to discover pictures of dinosaurs brilliant, but she didn't even want to hear about it. She highly disliked this project and she had no intention of making things worse by doing research about dinosaurs with her younger brother.I thought it would be funny and easy to help my children with their projects. After all, how hard could it be to find some pictures of...more
Volunteering is excellent but some kids want to generate real cash for tzedakah so they can contribute in a tangible way. Of course it's hard because kids don't have much earning power at age 12 or 13. Ebay has changed that with a new program - "Giving Works" - which allows you to sell items just as you would normally on ebay. But, you...more
Routines are very important for toddlers. Routines give structure to their day and help to reduce temper tantrums and crankiness that result from irregular sleeping and eating schedules.Daily routines are great for moms too, whether you stay at home or you work outside of the home.The effectiveness of a daily routine isn't so much what time...more
This is a simple children's Christmas party game. I deal for young children due to the simple rules and it's all round good fun.Preparing the gameDraw a large reindeer to pin on the wall or to stick to a table. Try not to leave indented drawing lines on the paper, we don't want any cheating!Make a red nose and cut it out. Or you could paint a Ping-Pong ball red and use that for Rudolf's nose. Stick some blue tack on the back of the nose so that it easily sticks to the large reindeer drawing.How to playBlindfold your first contestant with a scarf. Give them the nose and then turn them round 3 times and then guide them to the reindeer picture.The contestant must then stick the nose on where they think Rudolf's nose should be in the picture whilst still blindfolded.Once the nose is stuck in place, the contestant can remove their blindfold to see the result. The referee should mark the spot with a small 'x' and then label it with the contestant's name. Blindfold the next contestant to repeat the process.Once everyone has taken a turn, the winner is the contestant whose 'x' is closest to the correct place for Rudolf's bright red...more
Watch as Santa Claus pops out of the chimney pot. But don't get him stuck because if he catches you he won't bring you any Christmas presents. To make a popup Santa you will need - 2 loo-roll tubes. One needs to be slightly bigger than the...more
Chat is all the rage these days, and the best way to keep in touch with friends, and maybe even family, is to use internet messengers like AIM or Yahoo. By using messengers or chat, you don't have to break your phone curfew, but you can still...more
Smokey Bear the icon was born in the mind of Rudy Wendelin, who was an artist for the U.S. Forest Service. In 1944 the Forest Service authorized his poster of Smokey Bear as the symbol for fire prevention.The real life Smokey Bear was discovered in...more
The nativity and the birth of Jesus Christ are the fundamental part of Christmas. It's the story of Mary and Joseph travelling to Bethlehem to be counted for the census. Poor Mary was heavily pregnant and had to ride on a donkey. When they got...more
A newborn's baptism is a time when loved ones join together to witness a joyous occasion. It's an event that should be marked by a gift, but many don't know what type of present is appropriate to celebrate a baptism. While some choose...more
Dora the Explorer has proven to be a phenomenon of mass proportion among young children. As with most things popular with children, Dora makes a great theme for a birthday party. Of course, planning and throwing a party is no small task, and a Dora...more