Just because school is out for the summer, doesn’t mean that learning has to stop. Grinding out worksheets isn’t exactly high on anyone’s list of things to do on a lazy summer day. But if you let your kids get lax, the skills they have worked so hard to acquire during the school year can melt away like a Popsicle. Children this age need continuous focus on academic subjects or they can very easily slip backwards.

So make the most of the summer break. The months off from school can be a great opportunity for a struggling student to catch up, or for a successful one to zip even further ahead. Just mix academic skills into the stuff you do every day and then add a few games. The following are a few suggestions for incorporating learning into any vacation.

Skill Builders: Make Math Matter

During the school year, an elementary age student is studying basic addition and subtraction, learning about money, telling time, and mastering fractions. You can help him practice these skills without so much as a single drill.

For example, even if it takes longer, make your child the banker when you go to the store. He gets to hold the currency, pay for your purchases, and maybe even keep the change. Back in the classroom, knowing how many dimes and nickels it takes to make a dollar matters. If you appoint him to be the house timekeeper (Come and get me when it’s 5:45, or “The cookies need to bake for 10 minutes, what time will it be?”) he’ll become a natural clock reader. And don’t pass up opportunities for keeping fractions in the mix. Bring measuring cups to the beach, or let him try his hand at dividing the pizza or ice cream cake.

Skill Builders: Jump on Numbers

Have your child take a piece of chalk and draw a line on the sidewalk marking off 1 to 10. Call out random numbers and challenge her to hump ahead or backward. Up the ante by creating simple math problems. Ask how many jumps it will take to get from 5 to 8? From 7 to 3?

Skill Builders: Spy Shapes

Go on a walk around the neighborhood, and hunt for circles, squares, triangles, rectangles, and ovals. Before you leave, decide how many of each shape you’ll be looking for. Then divide a piece of paper into columns putting the shape and the number at the top. As you go on your hunt, have your kid make a mark every time she spots one of the items on the list. Give an older child more challenging things to look for, such as specific types of triangles, octagons, and pentagons.

Skill Builders: Reinforce Reading

Now that they’ve mastered basic numbers, 6- to 8-year-olds are focusing on stuff like consonant blends, alphabetizing, and comprehension. This is the age when children learn to express themselves in writing and understand what they’re reading. Make reading a part of every day. For book lovers, this can mean weekly trips to the library. For reluctant readers, look beyond books. As long as there are words on a page, you should consider it reading material, even if it’s a set of instructions, a favorite comic book, or the sports section.

Skill Builders: Chalk It Up

Draw a basic hopscotch board, but instead of numbering the squares, write letter blends such as “ch”, “sh”, and “tr”. When he tosses a stone into each square, your child can hop to the spot - but to continue he has to call out a word that uses that sound like “church” or “sheep”.

Skill Builders: Catch Some Questions

Randomly write “question” words (who, what, when, where, how) on a beach ball. After reading a story together, go play ball. The catcher has to freeze and check under their thumb to see what’s written on the ball. The thrower has to ask a question using that word, based on the story (”Who was the book about?” or “When did the story take place?”) Once the question is answered, toss the ball back.

Skill Builders: Science Study

During the school year, your little Einstein is mostly doing hands-on projects that focus on teaching him to ask questions, gather data, and explore his physical world. Build on these lessons by helping your kids learn star constellations, start a collection of anything from seashells to flowers, bird watch, or create a habitat for a frog, a garden snake, or a hermit crab.

However you look at it, life is full of opportunities for learning and growth. There are learning possibilities everywhere you look, just be sure to put them to good use and make learning time a fun and regular summer activity.

Kat Hafen writes for many baby publications including HugaMonkey, which has baby slings, changing pads, baby carriers, and much more. Visit HugaMonkey to find the perfect item to help with your baby!

[tags]summer skill building, summer learning, children learning in summer, summer schooling[/tags]

None of us wants “spoiled” kids - children who are bratty, self-centered, demanding, and inconsiderate. So, what factors spoil kids and which ones don’t?

Come common advice that has been given to young parents may go along these lines, “You will spoil your baby if you don’t let her cry or if you hold her too much”. This is not true. You can’t spoil a child with love. Children need love as much as they need food and water. The problem is defining ‘love”.

We are not loving our children when we give them everything they want on a material level. Parents often think they are loving their children when they pile them up with all the toys or activities they desire, but what is the actual result of indulging our children in this way?

There are three big negative consequences of “spoiling” our kids on the material level:

It Fosters Addictive Behavior - Filling them up from the outside with things and activities, rather than filling them up from the inside through caring and creativity. When we offer our kids too many toys, activities, comfort food, or allow too much TV, we are not loving them. We are training them to be addicted.

It Condones Inconsiderate Behavior - Often parents provide things and activities for their children while denying their own needs. It is not loving to give in to his every demand, especially if it means putting yourself aside. When you constantly give in to your child, and deny your own needs, you are teaching him that it is acceptable to be inconsiderate of other’s needs and become demanding. Children may not learn to consider others if you don’t expect them to consider you.

It Devalues Their Self-Worth - One of the biggest issues in our society is that children learn to identify their self-worth with approval for how they look, how many toys they have, how expensive their clothing is, etc. Unless parents show their children that they value them for their inner qualities - their caring, creativity, compassion, laughter, joy, and passion for life - rather than for their looks, possessions, and performance, children learn to attach their self-worth to peer approval.

True self-worth comes from inside, from knowing we are valuable for who we are, and not for how we look or what we do. Unfortunately, our materialistic society fosters attaching self-worth and lovability to peer approval for things such as a car, a house, or clothes. When we “spoil” our kids with material possessions, we foster co-dependency, which is dependency on peer approval for a sense of self-worth.

We can spoil our kids with material things, but we can’t spoil them with love. Love is the energy of acceptance for who the child really is. Love is understanding, compassion, caring. You are loving your kids when you spend time hanging out with them, being fully present with them, teaching them, and really listening to them. Valuing your child for who he really is on the inside is what love is and nothing material can ever replace it.

Kat Hafen writes for many baby publications including HugaMonkey, which has baby slings, changing pads, baby carriers, and much more. Visit HugaMonkey to find the perfect item to help with your baby!

[tags]spoiled children, spoiling kids, what makes kids spoiled[/tags]

Are your mornings often rushed, chaotic, and disorganized? You’re not alone and it’s time to take control and make morning into a good start for a wonderful day. When your morning activities run smoothly and you’re out the door on time, it can make your whole day go better. Here are some steps to create a more peaceful morning routine.

Start Your Morning-at Night - A real key to smoothing out your morning is to prepare as much as you can the night before. This means choosing the day’s clothing, packing lunches, gathering homework, and setting out breakfast items.

Post a Calendar - Buy the biggest wall calendar you have space for and hang it in a central location. Write down events and appointments for everyone. Use different color makers to code items for easy reading, e.g., ball practice in red, carpool in green, doctors and dentist appointments in purple. Keep the calendar up-to-date and you’ll be more organized.

Create a Drop Box - Have a labeled box for every member of the family by the door. Use this to store shoes, keys, backpacks, coats, and anything else that goes out the door with you in the morning. Plastic tubs or decorated crates make great drop boxes.

Use a Morning List - Sit down and analyze a typical morning. Make a list of everything that needs to be done. Create a poster-sized list of the standard morning activities according to their daily order. If you have a child who gets easily distracted and ignores the morning chart, don’t give up!

Just make a mini-sized chart, laminate it, put it on a chain, and let your child wear it as his “morning necklace”! Another idea for younger children is to find small pictures of their chores so he can identify the activity without having to ask for help. Your part is to make a few gentle reminders, not to do the job for them.

Check Out Sleep Time - If your child has trouble getting up in the morning and sticking to his schedule, look at what time he or she is going to bed. Without adequate sleep, a child won’t be able to follow a morning routine successfully. If your child is running behind schedule and feels the rush and anxiety of the morning, he will be more likely to have frustration at school.

Fix Problems With a Family Meeting - If problems persist, take the time to sit down with your children and talk about it. Let everyone have a turn talking, and work to find solutions that will benefit everyone. Come up with a plan to reward the children or the whole family for getting the morning rolling successfully.

For example, set aside a special after-school snack, an extra 15 minutes of game time, or TV time for those who have completed their morning routine on time. Or plan a once weekly family activity of going for ice cream to reward the whole team for helping out!

Praise Successes - Remember, your words of praise will encourage your children to continue to meet their goals.

An on-time family is usually much more relaxed and happy during the day. Spending the time to get yourself organized and set for manageable mornings will pay off in no time!

Kat Hafen writes for many baby publications including HugaMonkey, which has baby slings, changing pads, baby carriers, and much more. Visit HugaMonkey to find the perfect item to help with your baby!

[tags]managing mornings, tips for morning management, family management[/tags]

If you have ever really observed a newborn, you will notice for a moment they are like a rag doll. In this early phase of their life, they have no control over their limbs. As they sleep, loud sounds take place around the home. For example: the phone ringing, your dog barking, the sound of pots and pans banging around as a family member prepares a meal, or even you attempting to pick up the new baby. You may notice how his or her limbs make jerking, quick, and startling movements. When this happens, it wakes your newborn from his or her sound sleep. The baby will then let out a loud piercing cry, which often times prevents them from continuing to sleep for hours at a time. Instead, they take quick catnaps for about 15- 30 minutes at a time.

Often, many new parents are at a loss as to what they need to do in order to keep their baby from waking up and most importantly, keep them sleeping. Growth hormones are released while they sleep. When they do not get the proper amount of sleep, another type of hormone is released for pain. Therefore, parents find themselves dealing with a cranky baby. A well-rested baby is a happy baby, which leaves the parents feeling confident and happy.

The baby just came out of your body where it was tightly wrapped within you. This was the baby’s comfort zone and what he or she is accustomed to. Remember how the nurses wrapped your newborn in those first few days? This technique is called swaddling. Swaddling is the act of tightly wrapping your infant in a blanket. This is a familiar feeling to your newborn and the solution to his or her sleeping problems. When the baby arrives into the world, its limbs are very loose and stretched out. The baby has no control over them and no concept of where his or her body ends and where the world begins. It is a scary thing for an infant to experience with all the bright lights and loud sounds. Swaddling comforts and warms the baby so it feels more comfortable and relaxed.

Keeping your little one swaddled tightly is giving her back the feeling of security and warmth. Swaddling controls their limbs from thrashing about and helps to keep the baby asleep for longer periods of time, which give the new mother the time she needs to rest until the next feeding. When the baby is resting, the mother can rest which results in a more relaxed and peaceful home.

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I’ve had so many people admire my relationship with my son Orion and wish they shared the honesty, closeness, and trust with their own child or parents. Others praise the close relationship I have with my daughter-in-law Nichola. They wish they could be so lucky and fortunate. Grandparents long for the time and quality relationship Doug and I share with our grandson Sebastian.

Parents who come to me for coaching feel uncertain or powerless when it comes to creating a joyous relationship with their child. Mothers come to me feeling overwhelmed with what feels like an impossible situation with their child.

Instead of trust and closeness, families often experience deep resentment and hard feelings between parents and their children, especially as their child matures into adolescence and adulthood and they become more aware of their true feelings toward their parents and the way they were raised as children.

The relationships with in-laws, especially mothers-in-law, are notorious for their difficulty. In fact, relationships with mothers-in-law often separate children from their own parents.

It can look like luck and good fortune when you don’t know what’s gone into making a joyous family happen. Over the last 33 years, I’ve focused on essential guidelines to create the relationship I now share with Orion and his family.

I promise you. What we have did not occur by chance. It has taken conscious communication and a deep willingness and desire on everyone’s part to share the trust, honesty, love and joy we now have as a family.

You can do something beginning today. These close, delightful relationships begin with the emotional foundation you create when your child is born (I would even say before your child is born) and continue throughout your lifetime.

Here are four quick tips to empower you to share the joy and love you most desire with your child. These tips will help keep you from wasting precious time as the years go speeding by.

If you want to begin to take action now to create a joyous relationship with your child that will last a lifetime, here are some things I’ve done to create what I share with our kids.

1. Make your emotional connection with your child one of your highest priorities. Nothing has a greater, more positive impact in your relationship and in your child’s success and joy in life.

When you share a positive emotional connection, you have a tremendous positive impact in your child’s life. He wants to be with you, even when he is a teen and into adulthood. He trusts you and looks to you for guidance in times of uncertainty and hardship. You all pull together and work together as an honest, deeply trusting family.

2. Understand what’s happening with your child emotionally. Without this, you can mistakenly believe you’re on track and miss your child entirely. Too often parents believe everything is okay, only to painfully discover in adolescence and adulthood, the lack of true understanding they had with their child.

This is one of the biggest challenges for parents. As a culture, we don’t know a lot about our emotions and how to create authentic, trusting relationships with our children or our spouse. With this information, you have a deeply positive effect on your child and life she creates for herself.

3. Admire your child for the unique and amazing person she is. Admiration and appreciation help her to flourish and to feel loved. She sees her beauty mirrored back to her in your eyes.

4. Honesty is always the best policy. Without this, your child knows on a deep level that he cannot trust you. Mutual trust and respect is the firmest foundation you can create with your child.

You Are in the Driver’s Seat Whether You Know It or Not
I’ve created a powerful, trusting loving relationship with my now 33-year-old son Orion, daughter-in-law Nichola and grandson Sebastian using these and other essential principles. There is nothing more important to me than my relationship with them. They bless Doug’s and my life daily. Such a delightful joy to cherish what we have all created together!

You can have this with your child also. The choice is yours. Life will always bring changes filled with new opportunities and challenges. The only way to get through these with a renewed and stronger connection with your child of any age is to create a relationship of honest, open trust, love, and regard for one another. One that nurtures your child’s and your own Emotional Wholeness.

If you want more harmony with your child both now and in the future, develop a joyous emotional foundation with your child starting today. It is never too late to begin, no matter how old your child. Your heart will be profoundly touched by the closeness you create.

Copyright 2009 Connie Allen

Connie Allen, M.A. of Joy with Children. Connie helps parents and educators who are unsure how to best empower their child. . For information on how you can nurture the joyous inner spirit of children, subscribe to her free e-newsletter “Joy with Children”. Visit her blog.

[tags]parenting, child, behavior, children, relationship, kid, kids, parents, daughter, son[/tags]

Although technology has taken over most of our learning tools, like writing by hand to computer keyboards, reading remains to be an essential tool for student learning. It is very unlikely these days that you find a child holding a children book in their hands whenever they are not inside the classroom. Oftentimes, you see them staring at the television, watching their favorites shows for educational purposes or even just for entertainment. Book reading has become an unpopular activity. A stack of kids book is often found gathering dusts on a bookshelf inside their bedrooms.

They are no longer accustomed to having a reading time like most of their parents did when they were younger. But parents have a very important role in keeping this book reading habit injected to a child’s regular learning process. It is surely not sufficient for parents to give their kid a children book but it is also their responsibility that kids read them.

Reading to kids has several benefits on the kids’ emotional and intellectual development. Several advantages are also discussed below:

Letter Recognition
When you read with a child and they see the letters and the sounds formed when you say the words, they can easily associate these two which start the letter recognition of children. Reading to kids allows them to better recognize the words as a whole when you utter them. Eventually, when they read on their own, they will remember how you said them and can pronounce the words properly. And even without the sounds or reading out loud, the kids will learn to read the books on their own mimicking the sounds consciously but in silence.

Better Comprehension
Book reading also improves a child’s comprehension. Reading to kids is very important so as parents you must find time with your kid reading a kids book. As the stories unfold from one chapter to the next, you will see the excitement from your kid’s eyes and they will not only understand what the letters or words meant but they will soon be able to comprehend the meaning of the sentences and the story itself on their own. Book reading will be a fun way for them to spend more time with you.

Increased Vocabulary
Children book follow categories written on their cover especially for elementary students. They have sections for toddlers, for pre-schoolers et cetera. As they read more kids book, they learn more words and they can improve their vocabulary.

Reading Habit
Reading to kids creates the habit of reading. If you start at an early age, the kids will value the art of reading. As parents, this should be part of their weekly bonding with their children. Having bedtime stories may seem too traditional nowadays but if the kids like this type of reading session, then continue to do so until they can read on their own.

Children book is available in many bookstores and can be borrowed from public libraries. There are a lot of good themes and topics that your kids might be interested in. Finding the right kids book for your child means knowing what they are excited about and what themes are suitable for their age.

To find out more about reading books to children, visit http://www.7books.com.au/ and http://www.gm22.net/

[tags]children books, reading books to children, kids books[/tags]

With summer fast approaching, many parents’ thoughts are now turning towards those long days of summer. If you’re dreading listening to that famous phrase, “I’m bored….” yet again this summer, the good news is you don’t have to! That phrase can be completely eliminated from your kids’ lips if you create fun yet carefree days for them to enjoy on their summer break.

Day Camps. If you live in a mid to larger-sized city, you no doubt have a lot of options for day camps. Most day camps are structured in time periods of 1-2 weeks, giving you ample time to enjoy a summer vacation or a trip to grandma’s house in between camps. Camps can be expensive, especially if you have more than one child. So you may want to consider scheduling one week of camp every month rather than booking the kids’ schedules solid with camps.

The bonus of day camps is that they are a great way to get the kids to experience new things. Camps are available for sports such as soccer, cheerleading, volleyball, football, and more. You can also find art camps that incorporate theater, studio arts, and others into the program. There are other camps that offer a more traditional camper experience, with canoeing, horseback riding, and so forth. And still other camps cater to video gamers, computer programmers, and more, offering both fun and educational aspects to the program. Camps are a great way to give kids that may be focused on one sport or extracurricular activity during the year the opportunity to explore other interests.

Water Fun In The Backyard. When the kids aren’t off exploring their interests at camp, encourage some outdoor fun with some water activities to beat the heat. If you don’t have a neighborhood pool (or if the kids grow tired of the same old pool just a week or two into the summer), you can purchase any number of sprinkler or backyard water activities for the kids to enjoy.

Age Is Not A Question. Even older kids can have hours of fun with a sandbox or a baby pool in the backyard. As they build sandcastles or explore new ways to splash all of the water out of the pool, they will be stretching their creativity as well as entertaining themselves out of your hair.

Park It. Most cities have at least a couple of parks, and in major cities, you can enjoy literally hundreds of parks. Walk or ride your bikes to the park to stretch out the experience. Avoid going to the same old park every day. Switch things up a bit and visit the park of another nearby neighborhood. You can even make a fun game of visiting a different park each day of the week if your city has enough parks nearby.

Visit The Library Regularly. In the summer months, the library is often far more than simply a place to borrow books. Most public libraries offer a variety of summer activities, such as kids’ reading programs and visiting performers such as magicians and musicians. Stop by your library to pick up the summer schedule, and be sure to visit the library regularly to take advantage of their programs. You can also borrow books, CDs, and movies that will help you and the kids pass the time.

Plan Mini-Trips. While it may be fun to go on one week-long trip, it may help to break your summer up a bit if you plan several smaller trips. Think about it - once your week-long trip is over, the kids have nothing else to look forward to all some summer, and the days start growing longer. If you plan a mini-trip every couple of weeks, once you return home from one trip, they will have another trip a few weeks later to look forward to.

The Community Calendar. Pay attention to when special events take place in your community. Think about places such as the museum, local movie theaters, the zoo, and other kids’ venues. Also consider street festivals and other activities and events that will help to break up the monotony of long summer days and weeks.

It’s a good idea to schedule some events and activities with your kids, but don’t go overboard. Kids with too much free time can certainly get bored. But kids that are overbooked can become irritable. So plan out some activities, but play things by ear. Give your kids the option each day of doing what you have planned or finding their own activities at home, and you will have a happy and relaxed summer with your kids!

Kevin Andersen is the owner of a company that creates personalized childrens books and specializing in custom children’s titles such as the Scooby Doo Book.

[tags]summer, camp, trips, vacation, kids, children, fun[/tags]

Last year, Florida’s child custody laws changed significantly. As part of these changes, state courts will no longer award primary residential custody of the child to either parent or visitation time to the noncustodial parent. Instead, state law now requires parents to develop a parenting plan that will spell out when the child will spend time with each parent, where the child will live and how the parents will make important decisions regarding the child’s care and upbringing.

The new parenting plan law reflects a desire on the part of the state legislature to move away from a child custody system that favored the mother over the father and towards a more progressive system that recognizes the importance of both parents playing an active role in the child’s life.

Among other things, the parenting plan must address:
- Time-sharing: In addition to determining the child’s weekly schedule, parents must decide upon a holiday and vacation schedule.
- Decision-making: Parents are presumed to share decision-making authority for the child’s day-to-day activities, but sometimes parents have significant disagreements on major issues. When parents can’t agree, which parent will be in charge of major decisions like religious upbringing and school selection?
- Communication: When the child is with one parent, how can the other parent communicate with the child? Are there restrictions on phone calls? Will the child have access to email?

While the goal of a parenting plan is to provide each parent more time with the child, circumstances may prevent a 50/50 split in parenting time. For example, if the parents live in different cities or even different states, it may be impossible to divide time equally. Also, if there are circumstances that might pose a danger to the child, a parent’s contact with the child may be limited or denied altogether, such as in cases of substance abuse, domestic violence and/or child abuse.

Custody Modifications

Once the court has accepted a parenting plan, the plan still may be changed at a later date. The parents can work together and agree to make the changes or, if the parents cannot reach an agreement, the parent desiring the change can petition the court for a modification.

To successfully petition the court for a modification, the parent must demonstrate two things:
-There has been a substantial change in circumstanceswarranting a change in the parenting plan (or custody order, if entered before the 2008 changes in the law)
-It is in the child’s best interests to grant the modification

Under Florida law, a “substantial change in circumstances” means a substantial, permanent and involuntary material change. In other words, the change cannot be temporary, it cannot be caused by something the parent voluntarily did and the change must be big enough to warrant the court changing the original parenting plan or custody agreement.

Some of the factors the court may consider in modifying a custody agreement include:
-Any difficulties in carrying out the current custody or parenting plan
-The physical and mental health of the parents
-The financial circumstances of each parent
-The parents’ relationship with one another
-Any deliberate acts by either parent to prevent the other from spending time with the child
-The level of involvement of each parent in the child’s life
-The length of time the child has spent with each parent
-The type of living environment each parent can provide

Generally, the court will consider several factors in determining whether the custody arrangement should be changed. While any one of these factors on their own may not be enough to justify a modification, two or more together may be sufficient evidence for the court to grant the change.

Parent Relocation

Parent relocation is one of the most common grounds for seeking a change in custody. The modification request may be submitted by a relocating parent who wants to take the child with them, or a parent opposing relocation who wants the child be placed with them.

Oftentimes, when one parent moves to another town or part of the state, the terms of the previous parenting plan or custody agreement can become impossible to keep. The travel expenses of the non-relocating parent are likely to increase while the frequency of time spent with the child is likely to decrease. This becomes even more problematic when one parent wants to move to another state.

Under Florida law, the parent who intends to relocate is required to notify the other parent of the intended relocation. The notice must be in writing and include specific information, such as the reasons for the move. After receiving the notice, the non-relocating parent has 30 days to file an objection to the proposed relocation. If a parent relocates with a child without providing the required notice, the court may order the child returned and award temporary custody to the other parent.

In determining whether or not to allow relocation, the court ultimately will base its decision on the best interests of the child. In reaching this decision, the court may consider a variety of factors, including:
-The nature, quality, extent and duration of the child’s relationship with each parent
-The impact of the move on the child’s emotional development
-Whether the child’s relationship with the non-relocating parent can be preserved with alternate arrangements
-The child’s preference, if the child is of suitable age and maturity level to communicate one
-Whether the relocation will enhance both the relocating parent and the child’s lives
-The reasons the parent wants to move
-The reasons the parent opposes the move

Parents also may reach a voluntary agreement regarding one parent’s proposed relocation. As long as they sign a written agreement that proves both parents consent to the relocation and provides a new time-sharing agreement, the relocating parent will not have to seek court approval for the move. However, the relocation agreement still will have to be submitted to the court for ratification.

Ultimately, the terms of any parenting plan will depend upon the individual circumstances at hand. For more information on the 2008 changes to Florida’s child custody laws, parenting plan modifications or relocation, speak with a knowledgeable family lawyer.

Reference: Tamara K. Holden PA

24-7 Press Release
Visit us at http://www.24-7pressrelease.com
Visit us at http://www.floridadivorcelawyer4u.com

[tags]findlaw, 24-7pressrelease[/tags]

The biggest concern for any parent is keeping their child safe from things that can harm them. You worry about strangers abducting them, even though it is not very likely this will happen, you warn them about the dangers of them anyway. You teach them not to go into the deep end of a pool until they can swim adequately. When they are small you keep things like knives or scissors out of their reach so they can not get to them. You help them with their homework so they will have a good education. You pay close attention to the friends they hang out with as they become teenagers. The one thing that some parents do not take seriously enough is smoking or drinking in front of them.

These two things can do far more harm to your kids than you might ever think. If you smoke and drink in front of your children, you are predisposing them to two things that that severely damage them in the future. They might even begin one or both of these bad habits before they even reach their teenage years. You might never have thought you would have to worry about your ten or twelve year old trying cigarettes or alcohol, but the truth is that when these things are kept in the home around children, this is often where they can try them first.

If a parent chooses to drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, it is of course their own business as adults, the only problem with your exercising your right as an adult is when your kids are around you, you are a normally the biggest influence in their life. Would you like to know that you are the one who caused your child to start drinking or smoking at a very early age. When a child sees their parent dealing with their problems or trying to have a good time by smoking tobacco or drinking alcohol, it can send a signal to the child that this must be an effective method.

If you smoke, at least have sense enough to not do it in front of your children. The last thing you want is for them to grow up and smoke too, if it takes that long for them to start. Drinking alcohol is no way to solve any problem and if they decide to try it because you did it in front of them, you do not know what other things it could lead them into like drug abuse. Smoking and drinking are sometimes the first steps into drug abuse. This is definitely something you do not want on your conscience as a parent. Protecting your child starts at home, just make sure you are not the one causing the harm.

Aydan Corkern is a writer an you can visit his sites for more information:
electric cigarette and E-Liquid.

[tags]children,smoking cigarettes,alcohol,drug abuse,teenage years,[/tags]

It is surprising but true; in today’s technology-dependent world, little focus is being placed on the importance of reading to kids. Getting children book selections and reading to kids is important now if the children are to develop a desire for reading in the future or for the long term. Kids books and reading are a vital component for brain development too; the more a child reads, the easier it is to learn new material and to assimilate it into his or her learning.

Book reading is definitively an important factor in every child’s life. Book reading opens new doors for children allowing them to explore other parts of the world, new ideas, new concepts, new cultures, and novel innovations. Reading to kids when they are young instills the joy of discovery in children and encourages children to want to learn and/or to read more in later years. Kids books are filled with wonderful tales, characters, and adventures: these are memories that kids will have for the rest of their lives.

Book reading teaches children how to do new things, how to handle life situations, how to develop morals, and how to forever remain curious about the world. Parents that are reading to kids are giving their children a vital educational gift since a lifelong love of reading can make the child’s life more successful, happy, and full. While it is true that the Internet is becoming a learning resource for children, it is equally true that a good reading ability is needed to actually harness the educational offerings on the Internet. Thus, book reading should come first, and an appreciation of the Internet and technology should come second.

Kids books are inexpensive, and a visit to the library can result in access to a free book to read, so there is no reason why parents should not be reading to kids. It is possible to get a children book title right online too; there are many free classical kids books online which can be read directly from the website or which can be downloaded into an eBook reader for reading enjoyment. Still, nothing beats the moment when parents share quality time with their children reading to kids in person. The act of reading to kids becomes a way to develop a close parent child relationship while simultaneously promoting a love of reading.

To find out more about books and reading, visit http://www.7books.com.au/.

[tags]children reading, childrens books, kids books, reading for kids[/tags]