How to Ease Children’s Fears at Christmas

Christmas can be a tough time for children. For one thing, they’re all keyed up about the presents that they’ve been dreaming of for months. Secondly, there’s a lot of extra commotion in the house during the holidays, and for many kids, way too much sugar. Thirdly, small children may have mixed feelings about the whole Santa thing - after all, a herd of hoofed animals on the roof isn’t something you see every day.

Kids can be excited about Christmas and scared at the same time. My three-year-old awoke from a nightmare the other night, and I couldn’t get many details out of him - but in the morning, he told me that he dreamed Santa was taking his toys away. In his nightmare, Santa wasn’t bringing presents, he was stealing them! Well, what do you expect someone who enters your house in the dead of night to do?

It’s a good idea to check in with small kids to make sure they don’t have fears about Santa or Christmas that you’re not aware of. Remind them that you’re taking care of them and that they’ll be safe. You’re allowed to change the Santa story a bit to make your child feel more comfortable. After all, Christmas should be joyful, not terrifying!

My older son was afraid of the reindeer when he was smaller. “They’re too big, and they have antlers,” he said. He’d seen elk in our town, so he knew what he was talking about. “They don’t come in the house,” I told him. “They are tied to Santa’s sleigh.” “Okay,” he said, “as long as they’re tied up.”

Sometimes a visit to a mall Santa can calm kids’ fears - sometimes it hurts more than it helps. Ask your child how he’s feeling about the whole thing - you may need to have a few heart-to-hearts to make sure that that holiday fears aren’t stressing him out. For some children, you may need to adjust the mythology so that Santa doesn’t come in the house. That’s okay. Let your child know that Santa will leave the presents in the garage, or make other ‘arrangements’ that will help your child feel comfortable. If Christmas is about the children, it’s perfectly fine to value the child’s experience over the traditional St. Nick story. One thing’s for certain - Santa won’t mind.

Liz Ryan is a CEO and a mother of five kids ages three to twelve. She leads the online network WorldWIT (http://www.worldwit.org). Liz lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Taking Kids for a Hike

With a little planning and forethought, hiking with children can be a fun and rewarding experience. Hiking is a wonderful way to help them develop a love and respect for nature, stimulate their imagination and encourage them to stay active.

Even Snoopy Hikes: A great way to introduce children to the idea of hiking is through stories featuring their favorite animated characters. Several great children’s books about hiking are available: “Curious George Goes Hiking,” “Take a Hike Snoopy,” “Berenstain Bears Blaze a Trail,” and “Sheep Take a Hike,” just to name a few. The stories give you an opportunity to talk about expectations before leaving home and give you something to refer to on the trail.

Where to Go: Start small children on short trails over easy terrain. In terms of ability, children can cover about 1 mile for every year they are in age. They may not want to hike that far, but they probably have the ability to do so. Short attention spans are kept busy on trails occupied with activities along the way (rocks to climb on, water to splash in, etc.). Older children are often motivated by the promise of something at the end a trail like a scenic vista or waterfall. Don’t forget to plan for bathroom breaks and rest stops along the way.

Clothing and Footwear: Ideally, children (like adults) should be prepared for any weather and dressed in layers. They should also have access to suitable rain gear. Properly fitting hiking boots or tennis shoes are a must to avoid sore and tired feet. Leave open-toed shoes at home.

Water & Snacks: Bring plenty of both. Fruit and salty snacks are best (although sometimes candy works as a good motivator). Try to avoid bringing snacks laden with sugar and caffeine. They cause spikes (then crashes) in energy levels and tend to promote dehydration.

Matters of Safety. Know the basics of administering first-aid. Allergic reactions to insects or plants can turn urgent quickly. Keep children on the trail and within your site at all times. Steer them clear of poisonous plants, steep ledges, overhangs, and potentially dangerous falls. A small, travel sized first aid kit is great for short hikes in the event of accidental scrapes or insect bites.

Essential Gear: Wet wipes are great for cleaning and double as toilet paper if necessary (bring plastic bags to carry them home). Always carry a compass and map, a flashlight, waterproof matches, bug dope, sunscreen and a whistle.

Opportunities for Fun & Learning

Hiking provides the perfect opportunity to instill in children a love and respect for nature that will last a lifetime. Singing camp songs (quietly) or designing a simple nature scavenger hunt is a great way to engage their minds and teach them about the environment. Give them disposable cameras and let them take pictures for a scrapbook or have them carry a nature journal to write in or draw things they see. Don’t forget to educate them about trail etiquette and the importance of leaving plants and animals undisturbed.

© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard. This article is provided courtesy of DoHiking.com - http://www.dohiking.com - a large and growing hiking website featuring articles, tips, advice and shopping for hiking & camping enthusiasts.

This article may be freely published on any website, as long as the author, copyright, website address and link, and this notice are left intact.

Kids Love Of Reading Turns Into Creative Writing

Do you read to your children or grandchildren? Do you let them read to you? Do you encourage them to write simple sentences?

I have been reading to my granddaughter for about three years. She is now seven years old and is in first grade. She still loves to be read to and now she can read on her own.

Because of her love of reading she is about two grades ahead of herself in reading and comprehension. I am so proud of her.

I just had a visit with her last weekend and I was absolutely blown away by a journal entry she had made that morning. She knows that I am a published author and she asked me if she could publish her little journal story.

The reason I was so amazed at her journal story was for several reasons.

(1) I could read her handwriting.

(2) It was well organized.

(3) Her thoughts were in complete sentences.

She is only seven years old. I wrote an article months ago called Imaginations Explode when you read to your children. I am now reaping the benefits of this article in my own personal life when I read that fabulous journal article my wonderful granddaughter had written.

I felt very close to her and wanted to pack her up and take her home with me. That of course is out of the question since she has wonderful parents.

Her parents have done a terrific job of reading to her when she was an infant and through out her young life. I know they are encouraging her now in her reading and her writing.

This can be achieved by your children. Just read to them from the time they are tiny and keep it going.

My little grandson sees me coming and runs and brings me a book for him to read. He has learned his love of books from his older sister. This makes me feel so happy and special inside I try to keep the tears from showing.

You do not need to be a child to learn how to read. There are many adults that can not read. I have had a friend for about twenty years and he has tried to learn how to read on his own.

When he was a child he hardly received an education and now in his eighties he is finally working with a professional tutor and reading.

He calls me on the phone reading me a paragraph from a book or article. He is so happy with his achievement. He had lead a fantastic life and he would have been happy to write it all down in a journal if he could have been able to read and write.

It is never too late. If your kids are still tiny or toddlers start reading to them and never stop. When they start reading to you cherish the time you have together.

Kids grow up so fast today your memories of those stolen moments together will live long into your memory.

Thank you for reading my article. Feel free to read my other articles.

Copyright Linda Meckler 2006

Linda is the author of, “Ghost Kids Trilogy,” Christy, 12 and her Brother Brad, 16 moves into an old house on top of a mountain and meet two Ghost Kids.
Become involved with all the characters and all the adventure and mystery.

Then we have a mysterious, magical Blue Vase where Uncle Charlie the villain is trapped. He wants out of the Blue Vase and exchange he will tell Christy and Brad where Pirates’ Treasure is Hidden.

Take a walk with Christy and Brad down a dark hall hunting for Pirates’ Treasure. You will think were you there right there with them. Love, Family Values and Charity burst off the pages.
Check out my website http://www.lmeckler.com

If you are bed or wheelchair confined or can’t bend to sit on a toilet you must check out on my website, “Instant Bladder Relief Urinal (IBRU)” http://www.lmeckler.com

Making Cupcakes A Fun Activity To Share With Your Kids

The more activities we share with our children the richer, fuller lives they will enjoy and the happier they will be overall. One such activity that can be shared with our children is the joy of baking and making cupcakes!

Cupcakes are a great cooking activity to share with children because the endeavor consists of many choices. Choices help give children the opportunity to really feel confident about their likes, dislikes and areas that they can feel free to express their creative juices.

With cupcakes, one can purchase the boxed mixes or one can try to make them from scratch following a favorite recipe or experimenting with new recipes each time a new batch is made. If you decide to choose a new recipe with each new batch, this can be the first fun choice for your child to make! He or she can choose which new recipe sounds best to their liking. Do they want to make “Sally’s Extra Fluffy Cupcakes” or “Carla’s Famous Cupcake Swirls”? This choice alone will change the outcome of one of their favorite dessert treats.

Then on to the toppings! What do they want to ornament their cupcakes with: frosting, fudge, sprinkles, and shavings? One, a combination, or how about all of the above? This gives children many choices. In addition, when baking cupcakes the majority of people tend to bake more than one at a time giving children typically eight blank dessert pallets to become the creative artist they are in their mind. The first “masterpiece” may be slathered with chocolate frosting and carefully placed chocolate chips arranged in a smiley face! The next a vanilla lover’s paradise with multi-colored sprinkles enticing the onlooker to take a bit. And, if one’s child is hesitant or reluctant to get started, then the parent can help by starting a few themselves!

Even cleaning up is a great part of the fun! There are mixing dishes to clean up, but if you tell your children as they help what a wonderful help they are to you, how you appreciate their help so much, and how much you enjoy doing things with them, they will for sure love helping! They will feel good about helping, feel proud about it, and even end up volunteering to find other things that they can do, non-related to the project to help out. Children want to feel good, if they know what pleases their parent they will continue to find things to do so.

Making cupcakes with children can be more than a simple baking experience. It can be an opportunity for children to feel free exploring their creativity without any restrictions. It can be a way for them to feel as though what they have created will be accepted and enjoyed by others; an essential lesson to learn. It can also be a way for children to feel appreciated. Feel as though their help, their efforts are things to be valued, and things that can help to improve their sense of self. It can also help them realize what they like to do, what they don’t like to do and so many other great possibilities! So why not make some cupcakes tonight!

For more great information about cupcakes, and cupcake recipes, visit: http://www.cupcake-recipes.com

Does Your Child Suffer From Autism

As parents we all want to believe that our children are perfect and we want the very best for them. How would you feel if you learned that your child suffered from Autism? As a parent of three children I am still in denial after learning that my youngest has characteristics in the Autism Spectrum. What exactly does this mean? Well, doctors have said to me that this means he has a few of the autism symptoms, but he is not exactly or totally autistic. He may start out slow (in some areas), but in a few years he could catch up with the other kids in the areas he was lagging in. What does this mean? Plain and simple it means there is hope. My son has delayed speech and withdraws from social interaction. Mind you he is only 4 years old, but this behavior is still in the autism spectrum. After attending a seminar with parents who’s children have autism I am starting to believe that my son may be Autistic.

My first response was there is no way that my son is handicapped. As I learned more about autism I learned that I was right. Autism is not a handicap it is a disadvantage. Autistic children may be great or even geniuses in math, but during P.E. (Physical Education) they may with draw. There other classes could be average or above, but socially they have no interest. These are a few examples, but the more you learn about autistic children the easier it is to understand your autistic child.

Should they be put in special education classes? My theory is while in the beginning this may sound good it could also be bad for the long-term progress of your child. Have you ever heard of monkey see monkey do? Over time your child could regress do to the progress of the other children. If the class your child is in has children with Down syndrome, or epilepsy the class my not be advanced enough for your autistic child. You could lose ground by not challenging them enough. The key here is to meet with the school officials and have them meet the requirements for your child.

Let’s be realistic as well. Your school district may not be equipped to handle your child’s needs at first, but you the parent must insist that your school district make efforts to accommodate your child. My son started speech therapy at age three, and the school administrator made accommodations for this. This has helped him in several areas where he was challenged before. In 6 months he is speaking in full sentences, but the gibberish talk is still there just not as bad as before. He has improved socially in some areas as well. He plays beside the other kids, but he still won’t interact, but before he would hide in a corner. He is progressing, and my goal as a parent is for my son to have every opportunity as the rest of the kids in school.

In my efforts to make parents aware that autism is real. I also want to give hope to those parents that are frustrated and feel helpless. Join the support seminars, and read about autism. The knowledge you receive about autism will better equip you to handle the pressure of being the parent of an autistic child. Remember this one point and don’t forget it. This is your child and your child is at a disadvantage, but he or she is not paralyzed. Your child has a chance to live a normal life. Follow the programs available to you, and do the research. Keep the hope in your heart. You will only have regret if you do nothing at all.

Don is the owner of several free information websites and the sole proprietor of Java Jakes Gourmet Coffee Co.
http://www.megainfosource.com

http://www.javajakes.com

http://www.healthyinfosource.com
Visit these sites today and become informed.

An Illness, Not Willfulness — ADHD In Kids

Your son is running through the house at 92 miles per hour (you’ve clocked him with a State Patrol radar gun) and won’t stop. Yes, he has ADHD, you know this, but you’ve asked and then told him to stop, and you could really care less about ADHD. You want this child to BE STILL.

In these circumstances it’s easy to think your ADDHD child is being willful and stubborn. That really is probably not the case. Remember that ADHD comes with impulse control as a main component, and kids with ADHD sometimes just can’t control themselves.

What to do when your ADHD child seems to be willfully disobeying you? First, take a deep breath. Count to ten if you have to.

Second, do whatever you can to redirect your ADHD child. In the case of running 92 mph through the living room, physically stop him. Step in front of your ADHD running machine, stop the forward movement, and put your hands on his shoulders to get his attention.

Third, state clearly what your expectations are in terms your ADHD child can understand. “I have asked you to stop running. I want you to stop running NOW.”

Fourth, redirect your ADHD child to something else that occupies his ADHD mind and, if necessary, body. “Instead of running, would you like to stand in the corner and do jumping jacks to burn off some energy?”

Fifth, tell him you love him and that his ADHD doesn’t affect that at all. “I love you very much. I can’t let you run in the house because you might hurt yourself. That has nothing to do with how much I love you.”

Finally, just remember that your child has ADHD, that it’s an illness, and that MOST of the time he is not really deliberately trying to make you angry. Okay, he may do that once in a while. Every child does. But the ADHD child is usually very eager to please and just unable to sometimes. Keep that in mind while you’re going through the steps of calming and redirecting your “willful” ADHD child.

Angie Dixon is a writer and ADHD mom of an ADHD son, Jack. For a free report on helping your ADHD son, see Angie’s site “That’s My Son!” at http://www.Raising-the-ADHD-boy.com

Timing And Planning To Make Your Bar Mitzvah Work

A Bar Mitzvah will be a very important part of your son’s life. For many, the best route to take is to hire a professional planning to plan the party. Though you can start collecting ideas for your party ahead of time, if you decide to plan the party yourself you need to make sure you have enough time to do everything.

First, you’ll need to determine the right location. Make sure that you pick a place that will be able to hold enough people for they Bar Mitzvah. Are you going to have a band and dancing? Take that into consideration also along with dinner and tables and any kind of games that you might want to set up when selecting the location.

If you know of people that are planning on inviting to the Bar Mitzvah from far away make sure that they are able to come. If you’re sending invitations to someone that has to travel, send them early, five to four weeks. This way they can make arrangements, the rest can be sent out three weeks in advance.

For a large dinner for the Bar Mitzvah think of hiring a caterer. Or, if this is too costly, have friends and family help in preparing the meal in a traditional family theme that works for your family. Once you’ve done all this, it’ll be time to set up for the Bar Mitzvah. Ask friends and family to help. Or hire a few workers for a couple hours to get everything done quicker. Take a few minutes to sit down and go over a time line of when things will take place with your son.

Then it’ll be time for your Bar Mitzvah! During the process, realize that everyone will want to spend time helping out to make this a memorable day for your entire family.

Mrs. Party… Gail Leino is the internet’s leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies (http://partysupplieshut.com), using proper etiquette, and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free coloring sheets, printable games, and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Party Themes (PartyThemeShop.com) to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or “just because” parties is at the Party Theme Shop. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

Exercise Smarter Not Harder - 10 Ways to Make Consistent Progress in Your Exercise Plan!

My name is Greg Ryan. I am a fitness expert, professional bodybuilder personal trainer to movie stars, and former employee of Kathy Smith. For twenty years I have been able to keep my body fat levels lower than most, and consistently exercise five days a week, and having fun in the mean time. Not because I am anything special, but because I have learned a few tricks along the way, that I would like to share with you. Start incorporating them into your plan today and notice the difference tomorrow.

1. Set a time limit on all your workouts. End the workout if you run over.

2. Exercise larger muscle groups before the smaller ones. I.e… Back, Legs and Chest before shoulders and arms.

3. Change your workout plan up every twelve to fourteen weeks.

4. Treat your time in the gym as if it is your most important time of the day.

5. Make the workouts at the beginning of the week harder than those toward the end of the week.

6. Take at least one day off a week from doing any form of exercising.

7. Change your cardiovascular equipment up each time you exercise.

8. Monitor your heart rate all the time.

9. Go over your workout in your head before you start.

10. Efficiency is more important than length. Have a number of reps in your head before each time you do a set.

These are just a few things I have learned over the years. Do not be afraid to try different things. Listen to your body and never be afraid to ask for help.

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Birthdays at Disneyland

Are you planning a Birthday party? Do you want to make it memorable? If your answer is yes then read on to explore the option of a Birthday at Disneyland. Yes, you heard it right, at Disneyland. You can have a blast on an occasion like a birthday at Disneyland.

A birthday is a very special day in a year and if you are young at heart and want to have the most memorable Birthday of your life then Disneyland is the place to be. Disneyland offers you various exciting and fun-filled options to celebrate your birthday and enjoy it.

One important aspect of a Birthday at Disneyland is the Birthday Sticker. It makes the person whose birthday it is to look out of the ordinary and makes sure the person is spotted easily. Some find it a little embarrassing and want to avoid it but really it is the funniest part of the whole event.

With a sticker on, you can be sure to be wished by most of the staff members whom you meet. And they will also make sure that you’re enjoying yourself. What else can you ask for when the when the sticker is free.

A special place at Disneyland is the Plaza Inn where you can celebrate the most happening Birthdays. The place offers birthday celebrations at a price of about $10 per person, which includes a cake and few drinks for the guests as well. The special part of the birthday is that the chances of Mickey and Minnie joining you for the party are quite high. And that is really a special gift especially if the guest of honour is one of the kids who are in love with Mickey.

As you must have imagined, a birthday at Disneyland is really a fun-filled outing and the idea is that if you have decided to go for it, you should plan a little in advance and make your reservations early to avoid any stress. Also, it could be a fun filled surprise for your loved one if you make the arrangements in advance and then just bump in the idea on the special day itself.

Disneyland is a wonderful place for kids, and a surprise birthday at disneyland with the family and some friends can be a lifetime memory for a child.

The Top 50 Ways to Survive College for the First-Time-Off-To-College Kid

1. Never miss a meal - you might regret it later that hour.

2. Park your car accessibly close.

3. Don’t park in timed zones (2 hour, etc.) - parking overtime adds up.

4. Don’t park in No Parking zones - parking tickets add up and have to be paid before next semester’s registration.

5. Don’t park in Tow Away zones - towing fees are hard to come by.

6. Take the bus.

7. A fine-point Sharpie is the best thing to use for signing autographs.

8. A fine-point Sharpie is the best thing to use for signing casts.

9. A fine-point Sharpie is the best thing to use for signing “I’m a friend when you need one” cards.

10. Staplers can be used to repair the hem on your jeans.

11. Staplers can NOT be used to repair a torn dress or bra strap.

12. Staple removers make great ice tongs for tiny ice cubes.

13. Staple removers are almost worthless for removing heavy-duty staples, whether they are in paper or your drunk roommate’s eyeball.

14. The smell of the contents of a laundry bag is proportional to the height of the guest you just brought in your dorm room compared to where the bag is hanging. The shorter the guest, the higher the bag needs to hang (fumes rise).

15. The smell of the contents of a laundry bag gets worse as the contents get higher in the bag.

16. There are two alternatives to the smell of the contents of the laundry bag:

a. Wash the clothes.

b. Buy new clothes.

c. Taking the clothes home for the weekend for Mama to wash is not an option!!

17. When you have to produce a chart for Geography class, make it color-coded.

18. The extra expense and time of a color-coded chart will be well worth the effort when you see the “A” on the paper.

19. RoseArt makes the cheapest markers and colored pencils for making charts for Geography class.

20. Crayola markers last longer and are probably darker, but since they all dry out eventually and you’ll have to buy another set next semester for the Anthropology charts, why waste the money now?

21. Wal-Mart is the best place to buy school supplies, towels with the University logo, and sweatshirts with the school emblem on them.

22. Prices for EVERYTHING at the college bookstore are seriously inflated to show a profit to the Board of Regents.

23. The Board of Regents really does not care how much you spent on markers.

24. Wal-Mart was the first store on the moon and on Mars, so there will be one in your college town. Find it. Patronize it. Get to know its manager.

25. Wal-Mart and Waffle House are case studies in your Marketing classes textbooks.

26. Waffle House is open 24 hours a day.

27. Waffle House coffee will hold open your eyes, fill an empty tummy that has no other money, and warm a tired student who needed a place to come in out of the rain.

28. Waffle House waitresses LIKE tips.

29. Waffle House waitresses love college kids who tip.

30. Waffle House waitresses will listen with interest when you are professor bashing - just make sure he’s not her brother before you start berating him.

31. Waffle House waitresses will come to your graduation and look on you with pride as their “rent-a-kid” if you’ve tipped often enough.

32. Use a corkboard, not the wall, as your bulletin board.

33. Push pins leave little holes in the wall.

34. Push pins leave little holes in your bank account when you have to pay to have the holes filled in at the end of the semester. Staples do, too.

35. Staples are hard to remove from a bulletin board. Use push pins.

36. Push pins can not be used to deflate your roommate’s boy(or girl)friend’s tires. Except when inserted into the sidewall of the tire (near the rim).

37. Taking 12 pairs of shoes to college is a bit excessive, especially since you’ll wear OUT your favorite tennis shoes, sandals, and loafers, but the others have to be transported to school and back home.

38. Dr. Scholl’s makes great gel inserts for worn-out favorite tennis shoes.

39. If you share a room/bath with several other roommates or hallmates, set the guidelines, nicely, on the first day:

a. Don’t use my ________ (insert soap, shampoo, cr