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1.  Grades. Yes, there are some of us parents that want to see our children succeed and know when we’ve seen high marks there are no reason for low ones. If there are low marks, that means something is up in their life that needs to be changed.

2.  Time.  Too much time on their hands. I know this is like one of those counter statements because while they don’t have any of their own time at school or once they get home they still have TIME. Time for a child can definitely be stressful though especially when you pile that with 7-9 classes in a day and then homework. Time may seem small because of technology too, they could be online the whole time they are home or texting the moment they get on the school bus.

3.  Economic pressures. Sure mom and dad keep quiet about the bills but even kids pick up on things. Remember when you would jump at the mention of them needing a new jacket and now you ask how long can the one they currently have last? Well, they know what that means.

Now the American Psychological Association wrote a survey called, Stress in America, which had kids 7-18 years of age.  Many of the things kids are stressed about the parents had no clue.

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Are Our Children Too Stressed?

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Sometimes these involved Halloween costumes, perhaps midst colorful leaves.  Other times the photos simply consisted of my daughter, grandchildren or nieces with pumpkins they carved or have ready to decorate.

My nieces sold pumpkins from their garden for several years and had a mound of them near the road in front of their house.  My husband took  lovely photos of the girls midst their pumpkins.

I’ve included some of my pumpkin photos in the book I made, using scrapbooking techniques and my fall poetry.  Those of pumpkins and youngsters definitely added interest.

I’ve mainly used this as a teaching tool in my scrapbooking and poetry classes.  But I’d like to investigate self-publishing it.

During these lovely fall days, take your camera, find some pumpkins and arrange them with your youngsters for a photo opportunity.  The photos definitely will create memories.

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Photos of Youngsters with Pumpkins

It’s time to play referee.

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With a kitchen timer.

Sit the two camps down. Grab your kitchen timer and set it for three minutes. Ask Kid Number One to air his side of the story within those three minutes. There should be no interruptions from others, just straight talk from whoever’s got the airtime. When the timer goes DING!, let Kid Number Two do the same.

This is a fair way to let both camps air their side and more importantly, be heard. But it’s best that an older person, a parent or a guardian, facilitate the discussion lest the kids start pulling each other’s hair out while the timer’s still going on.

It teaches kids patience, listening skills, and respect for others’ opinions. And hopefully, it spares parents of pulling their kids apart when a verbal fight gets physical!

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It’s my turn to talk!

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How can you get kids to exercise more? Here are some tried-and-tested ideas gathered from friends and relatives who’ve successfully balanced couch potato time with lots of good exercise time with their kids.

1. Exercise as a family. Kids will learn how to appreciate getting fit even more if they see their parents are genuinely interested in exercise too. 5-year-old Max and her parents go to a university’s open grounds every Sunday for a brisk walk around the campus. It’s become a Sunday bonding ritual for the family, with the benefits of good exercise too.
2. Walk the dog. Don’t let Dad walk the dog alone again. Bring your children along during the walk.
3. Play tag. What kid doesn’t want to run around in an open space chasing other kids? Better yet, play tag with your kids. That would make for great memories for them too.
4. Get a home gaming console that encourages movement. If the kids are resistant to getting out of the house and are still holding on to those game control pads, maybe video games that involve players’ actual moves can transition them into exercise better. Think Wii games.
5. Use walking time as bonding time. When she was a child, Cherry’s grandfather would take her along during his morning walks. During these moments together, he would share stories about the war and his younger days. Their walks around the neighborhood built not only their endurance but their relationship as well.
6. Blend activity into daily routines. Teach kids to take stairs instead of elevators.
7. Set play dates in playgrounds. Encourage interaction among children among slides and monkey bars, not just dollhouses and train sets.
8. Bring out the bicycles. Bicycling is great aerobic activity. And think about all the sights you and your children can explore as you bicycle around town together!
9. Schedule exploring sessions. Curiosity is strong among children. Why not engage their senses by taking them on hikes? Check out kid-friendly hiking trails in your area.
10. Don’t be afraid to let the kids get dirty. One strong hindrance to playtime is getting stains on those cute clothes. The more they stay put, the cleaner their clothes will stay, yes. That gets quite limiting for children, doesn’t it? Let go of that possible fear or disdain of washing dirty clothes. Let your kids be kids. The more free they feel, the more they can move around and get fit.

And finally, have fun. While good health is the goal of good exercise, remember that getting fit is more enjoyable when everyone is having fun. And since we’re dealing with children here, fun could be the primary motivation.

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Getting Your Kids to Exercise More

Being bored wasn’t something we admitted to when I was a child.  Mom or Dad would find more farm work and housework for bored children.  So we discovered all types of hobbies and creative play.

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I’ve discovered, too, that bored children often grow up to be bored adults.  So why not encourage hobbies of many types for your children.  Become involved yourself and include your youngsters.  Introduce them to new activities.  These should include a mix of sit down and active hobbies.

You never know what life will bring. When I had a broken back, as an adult, and lay in bed in a body cast for six weeks, people wondered if I wasn’t bored out of my mind.  No, I had much to do, when I wasn’t too tired.  I read, I wrote, I played games with my granddaughter.  Occasionally the family brought the TV into my room (we only had one in the family room) and played movies.  But I was never bored.

Some hobby ideas:

• Reading
• Board games
• Outdoor games like croquet, catch, hoop shoots
• Sewing and related activities
• Painting, sketching and other arts
• Knitting and crocheting
• Fabric art, altered books
• Scrapbooking
• Photography
• Collections of many kinds
• Geocaching

Some of these may be computer related, like digital photography and scrapbooking, but they’re still using your creativity.

What activities do you encourage with your children?

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Encourage Hobbies with Your Children

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 The words we say to our children and the way we say them have a great effect.  That’s not to say that we’re to ignore discipline and sugar coat everything.  But if youngsters hear repeated emphasis on their failures and where these will lead, they’re encouraged to plan in this direction.

 I once asked a psychologist about a boy with Aspberger’s how best to help the child as he progressed through school and prepared for life beyond the home.  “Build upon his strengths,” the psychologist replied.

 I’ve often thought of this when working with any children, whether as a substitute teacher, a grandmother, a friend or neighbor.  Encourage them in their strengths and teach them to turn their weaknesses into strengths or at least minimize them.

 Think about how you’re talking to your children and how you’re conditioning them with the words you say.  

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How Do You Talk to Your Children?

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Empathy means you can relate to the animal, (or other person), and understand how things are for them. I think that adults who have enjoyed having pets as children, can often relate well to other people in many different situations.

So, what are good pets for children? Here are the observations I made from my sister’s experiences.

They started with one rabbit, which led to two. A male and a female. Consequently the family had many babies!! The children fed them really well, and cleaned them out with some coaxing The real fun times were when the babies were running around the house. They were normally housed outside, but the little ones would be brought in to be played with.

They were so cute.

The children were shown how to be careful with the babies, and think how they would feel in the same situation. Luckily my sister had old, coloured axminster carpet on the floors, so there was no evidence left behind when the babies left. Well, none that they could see anyway! Seeing them being gently pushed around in a pink Barbie car was cute. Getting them all lined up for a photo was fun, especially when there were 8 of them, and invariably one or two would move just when you were about to take the photo. But there were tender moments also, like sitting in the sun, cuddling a rabbit on your knee.

Outside, the rabbits had many times when they roamed free around the yard and I often found them great company when doing the gardening.

Their other pets include two cats, and these have been great company also. They have freedom to roam the house, and spend their nights sleeping on the kids’ beds. I can relate to this! So nice to hear a purring sound as you drop off to sleep, or have a wet nuzzle to your face in the morning to wake you up, and tell you that somebody’s humgry!

The children have also learnt about the care needed for their pets when they are sick, and about trips to the vet. If you think about it we spend more time and money on vets than for our children when they’re young. This only holds true if your family (like ours!) is lucky enough to rarely needs to go to the doctor!  So, this is all part of the learning process for children about how to care for someone and what to do when they are not well.

Pets can be a lot of work, but if you chose ones that are right for you and your family, they can bring a lot of pleasure and companionship and develop responsibilty and understanding in children.

What do you think?

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Good Pets for Children

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But as with all storms, I have one that gets very scared. The baby, he’s only 2 and the only storms he’s heard are the loud ones that come with the sirens so he doesn’t like them. In fact if he hears thunder he runs or tucks himself under a blanket. He did finally fall asleep but he definitely wasn’t looking out from his covers.

How different do your kids react to storms? Do you have one that likes them and another that doesn’t?

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Children and Storms

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Janet shared:

I took care of my grandson from the time he was six months until he was 2 1/2 while his mom returned to work. It was an absolutely wonderful experience. I am so happy that I had the opportunity to bond with him and to watch him grow.

I watched him crawl for the first time and take his first steps and I helped to potty train him. I will remember these important firsts the same as I remember my own childrens.

He calls me Grammy and I love it!

On a personal note, I’ve had the pleasure of watching my two grandchildren grow, and being involved in their lives,  from the time they were 1 and 5 years old, because they and their parents have lived with us for a number of years.  Now our granddaughter goes off to college in the fall.

Share with us the joys of grandparenting.

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Grandparents Share About Parenting

I think this is a great way for kids to stay connected. A friend of mine had cancer when we were both very young, and she missed tons of school while trying to recuperate at home. If we would have had something like this, her recovery might have been quicker. At the very least, she wouldn’t have had the added stress of having to catch up on lessons after she was finally able to come to school.

Image: sxc.hu.

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Laptops for Sick Kids