Birthdays are no big deal to us, but they certainly are to anyone under 21! After that they speed up and other than the prezzies, no one wants to admit to another year, but this book will show you how to make the most of those specials days for your kids.
“Lifestyle expert David Tutera offers practical tips from his television show for throwing extraordinary yet easy and affordable birthday parties for all ages. David Tutera is a highly regarded event designer whose clients have included Jennifer Lopez, Elton John, Barbara Walters, and the Rolling Stones. He is also the …read more

“To answer this question, I went to the parents of the most confident kids I know. I asked if they had a secret formula. All the parents agreed that while parents (or aunts) can’t give their children self-confidence, they can create opportunities that can. ”
Go and take a look at the list. It makes a lot of sense!!
Everyday Ways to Raise Smart, Strong, Confident Girls: Successful Teens Tell Us What Works

My husband and I were talking about it this morning. The kids on our street are not even allowed to walk to the bus stop on their own. The parents in our neighborhood pile the kids into the car and drive them the one block and then sit there with the car idling, until the bus arrives. It’s kind of sad when I think back to how much fun we had simply exploring. On the weekend, we would pack a lunch and then go exploring for the day. My mother thought nothing of it.
It’s a sad world that we …read more

Every once in a while I pull a book off my shelf just to see what I have and today it’s The Charm of Simple Things.
I began thumbing through it and thought that of all my blogs, maybe this would be the perfect one. Anyone who knows me, knows that a love of simple things just isn’t me. I always seem to want more, but after reading a few pages, I had to stop and think about what I had read. Like this for example…
Where will the kind, thoughtful, caring people come from for the next generation if …read more

In many respects, the preteen years mimic adolescence, but without one essential ingredient: hormones.
Author: Balter, Lawrence
I wonder what my mom would say were my better years. I’m not quite sure that I want to ask her!!

If this is a problem in your house, you might be wondering what to do about the baking part of the holiday. Do you skip it, or exactly how do you handle it??
According to Sylvia Rimm, PH.D., and co-author of Rescuing the Emotional Lives of Our Overweight Children, she suggests that you might simply want to scale back on the baking, but under no circumstances do you cancel that part of the festivities. It is more important to teach your children about eating wisely and about moderation.
And personally having to handle/understand diabetes, I’m learning all about moderation.
*Rescuing the Emotional …read more

The people in our neighborhood are just beginning to decorate for Christmas and while the weather is still nice, gather up the family (teens too) and go for a walk around the block. Chances are that once the kids are actually out, they will want to extend the walk. The hard part is just getting them out the door! And if it goes over well, suggest that they do the “Christmas Walk” once a week just to see what is new.

Don’t kid yourself, your pre-teens still get excited about their Christmas stocking. And I think that these nail polishes will fit the bill quite nicely!
Details
Each pretty polish goes on with a glint of glimmer and dries with a sweet, candy-like scent. Choose from Strawberry (light pink sparkle), Raspberry (fuchsia sparkle), Cotton Candy (white sparkle), and Blackberry (lilac sparkle).
If you are looking for some oohs and ahhs, giving your tweens something that will make them feel all grown up will certainly put a smile on their faces! And the nice thing about it, you get to choose something age …read more

“It’s early evening, and at first, there is quiet in the living room. Then nine-year-old Georgia giggles from where she sprawls under the window on the couch. She has reached a funny part of her novel. Kevin, 14, recites aloud an interesting fact from the website he is perusing at the small computer desk tucked into the corner of the room. Sophie, 12, longingly mentions an ad describing a horse for sale in her magazine and nudges her mother to look.”
Sadly enough, my son hated reading all the way through school. But the minute he graduated and could read …read more

“Teach your child responsibility and money management through the assignment of household chores and the dispensation of a regular allowance. Learn the best way to set your child’s allowance — and whether you should reward your child for helping out with household chores.”
Times have changed since my kids were on the receiving ends of allowances, so I’m turning it over to you for discussion. When should you start handing out money and what do you expect in return? Is it a child’s right or should there be “strings” attached?
*Money Doesn’t Grow On Trees: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Financially …read more