Outdoor Summer Life Science Activities, Biology Nature Crafts for Kids

Life science, or biology, is an essential school subject. But kids often hate science because it's taught from boring textbooks in meaningless paper-and-pencil activities. Whether you homeschool or not, summer is a great time to explore life science with kids--outdoors, up-close and personal! Rediscover the inherent fascination of life science this summer with hands-on experiments and crafts. Teach green, using recycled supplies.  Outdoor Summer Life Science Activities, Biology Nature Crafts

How Parents Can Manage Free Summer Childcare Plus Teach Kids Accountability

Kids are rejoicing that "school's out for the summer" but parents who face three months without childcare may be singing a different tune. How do you juggle daycare if you can't afford a babysitter (which many work at home parents can't)? You think like a detective and ask who, why, where, when and what. Then based on your answers, you develop a plan for free and low-cost summer childcare.  How Parents Can Manage Free Summer Childcare, Teach Kids Accountability

How Parents Effectively Teach Kids, Putting Learning Theory Into Practice in the Home

I'm a teacher and former homeschool parent. I've explored learning theory inside out and found home an ideal teaching environment. It's best-suited to real-life learning experiences. Parents, you don't have call yourself a "homeschooler." Because parenting IS educating. Here are effective ways to teach children using everyday family activities.How Parents Effectively Teach Kids at Home, Learning Theory Into Practice

Survival Tips for Memorial Day Weekend Travel with Kids, 2.0 Parent Version!

Memorial Day weekend is here. Your family is heading out for a much needed vacation. But wait--traveling with kids--that sounds like more headache than holiday. And it will be, if you don't follow these parent survival tips. Enjoy stress-free car travel with kids. Follow my lead. Parent Survival Tips for Memorial Day Weekend Travel with Kids

Mother's Day Activities for Moms Who Have Lost Children and Kids Who Have Lost Moms

 Mother's Day is a favorite holiday for me. I have four lovely kids plus my mother, step mother and mother-in-law still living. Mother's Day can be bittersweet for kids who have lost moms. And what about the mother who has lost a child? Mother's Day may just be bitter for her. Here are ways to acknowledge Mother's Day (or just survive) if you or someone you love has lost a child. I've included ideas for children (even adult kids) who have lost moms, too. Mother's Day Activities for Moms Who Have Lost Children

Trim Costs on Kids' Christmas Presents

I like the holidays, but honestly, Christmas expenses dim some of the joy. Shopping for four kids, my holiday spending can quickly get out of hand. When I overspend, this Mommy Santa grows less jolly with each incoming bill. Debt-ridden is no way to start the new year. Here are penny-pinching tips to keep kids' Christmas present costs under control.  read more

How to actively listen to your teen

"We need to talk." Those words make me nervous. I don't know whether it's the faint implication of censure, the possible portent of bad news or just the fear of the unknown, but I get edgy. Kids do, too. When it's said without any added details, the person can only conclude it must be something really dire. And frankly, approaching someone with an ominous opener like that will not engender healthy communication.  Kids shouldn't have to walk on eggshells wondering what they've done wrong now. If they've done something you disapprove of, say so. Don't be cagey. Don't play games. Don't turn it into a drama fest. The only thing you'll accomplish is to alienate your teen.  Be honest and open with your kids and they'll be more likely to return the favor. Here are other parenting tips on talking to teens so everyone feels comfortable. How to actively listen to your teen and talk with empathy 

Parent coping tips for teen anger and mood swings

Clinical teen depression is relatively uncommon, but tell that to parents of teens and they may not agree. I certainly wouldn't have. Bouts of moodiness are hallmarks of teen behavior and one of the most worrisome for parents. Here's a parent survival kit for dealing with teen mood swings.  Parent coping tips for teen anger and mood swings

How to talk and listen to your teen

"We need to talk." Hearing those words makes me nervous. I don't know whether it's the faint implication of censure, the possible portent of bad news or just the fear of the unknown, but I get edgy when someone says that to me. Kids get nervous, too. Here are parenting tips on talking to teens so everyone feels comfortable.  To read the article, click here How to listen to your teen. (Please note: there are several errors in this article and I apologize for that. I'm not sure, but I think they're happening when I transfer the article from WORD to the template I'm using.)

Simple life parenting: Teaching kids how to slow down

Whenever I ask fellow parents how they are, the first answer is always "busy." Parents are under a lot of pressure from work, family, school and community. It's easy to get so caught up in our busy lives that we forget to live. We disconnect from spouses and kids because we're stuck in a too-fast lifestyle. We complain that kids are too busy, but they learn from our example. Here are ways parents teach kids, by example, how to slow down. Simple life parenting: Teaching kids how to slow down 

Teaching kids friendship skills begins with parent example

Making friends (and keeping them) is one of the most important skills kids learn. But it's not learned with textbooks or lesson plans. Building healthy relationships is a hands-on activity. When kids struggle to make friends, it's easy for to blames schools. But schools can only do so much to foster friendship skills. The best lessons begin and end at home. Here are ways parents can teach kids to make friends. Teaching kids friendship skills begins with parent example 

Why Smother Mothers Welcome Boomerang Sons Back

Reuters recently published results of a study on "Flying the Nest" that showed how "smother mothers" (overprotective moms) welcomed their adult "boomerang sons" back home. Why are do women let adult sons live at home? Is it healthy?

The 2010 film "Cyrus" explores the humor and pathos of smother mother love. The tagline says is well: "A recently divorced guy meets the woman of his dreams. Then he meets her son." Bouncing off from this film and the debate over boomerang sons, why are mothers quick to let adults sons live at home, while adult daughters fly the nest for good?  Why Smother Mothers Welcome Boomerang Sons Back 

Parents' back-to-school concerns: Should kids ride the bus or walk to school?

Nervous about kids going back to school? A big cause of back-to-school anxiety for parents is transportation. Should kids walk to school? Are school buses safe? I drive to school; how do I juggle schedules? Here are parenting tips on coordinating school transportation. This article explores considerations for walkers, bus riders, parent pick-up and bikers. Parents' back-to-school concerns: Should kids ride the bus or walk to school?

Back to school: Online study aids and apps to motivate your kids

Back to school--three words kids hate and parents (let's admit it) look forward to. Too much unstructured summer vacation gets old (even for kids, but they won't admit it). But no parent looks forward to school homework battles. Got a "reluctant learner" (or in parent-speak--"lazy kid")? Here are free online study aids and calendar apps to crack the organizational whip, er., I mean to motivate students. The penny pincher in me loves that these apps cost nothing and save money on school supplies. There's even a financial planner app for kids. Read more at Back to school: Online study aids and apps to motivate your kids

Parenting teens through relationship drama (without tearing your hair out)

 As a mom, I'm generally confident handling childhood hurdles--potty-training, picky eaters, night frights--bring 'em on. There's one issue that shakes my equanimity--teen relationship drama. Whether they're boyfriend-girlfriend connections or same-gender friendships, teenage relationships are often fraught with drama and drenched in anxiety. Frankly, I'd rather walk barefoot over hot coals carrying a sack of nails on my head than deal with drama (esp. OP--other peoples'--drama. I can distance from drama in my own relationships. In my kid's--not so much). Even the term "drama" makes my face twitch. Disagreeable as they are, relationship problems are part of a teen's life and they need us parents for emotional support. After four kids (and a lot of trial and error), I've assembled some thoughts for parents on helping kids navigate peer relationships.  How to parent teens through relationship drama without going crazy - Yahoo! Shine

Verbal bullying: 7 kinds of talk that kids shouldn't be subjected to

No parent is perfect, and I'm no exception. I've used inappropriate language and said things I shouldn't around my kids. But that doesn't mean I don't have standards about what I do and don't want my kids to hear. Some kinds of language constitute verbal harassment and bullying. I may not be able to protect my kids from everything, but I can certainly stand up to objectionable things. No matter who is saying these things, be they friend or family, there are certain kinds of talk that I won't subject my kids to. If it comes on television, the set goes off. My kids know that songs that use these words don't come in the house.  7 kinds of talk that kids shouldn't be subjected to 

TSA Lacks Common Sense in Pat-Down of 4-Year-Old Girl

Transportation Security Administration officials are defending agents at a Kansas airport against criticism that they traumatized a 4-year-old girl with a pat-down, says the Associated Press. Isabella Brademeyer and her mother Michelle had passed through security scanners, but then the child hugged her grandmother, Lori Croft, who hadn't yet cleared security. TSA agents told mom to grab the child or they would close the airport. A little reactionary and melodramatic, but that's not the worst part. TSA Lacks Common Sense in Pat-Down of 4-Year-Old Girl

Parenting Overweight Kids and Maintaining Healthy Weight-- Don't Let Them Get Too Hungry

This article gives tips for parenting kids with eating disorders, obesity or weight problems. It also helps moms and dads maintain good nutrition habits. One of the biggest mistakes dieters (and parents) make is to lets themselves (or their kids) get too hungry. Either by intentional fasting or simply by not taking time to eat, being over hungry is a diet and weight loss disaster. Eat small meals regularly. When the body is not given enough fuel to sustain activity, the blood sugar level drops. Tiredness, lethargy, confusion and extreme hunger take over.  Diet and Weight Loss Tips: Don't Let Yourself Get Too Hungry

Duggar Parents' Stillborn Baby Photos Stir Up Debate

Duggar Parents' Stillborn Baby Photos Stir Up Debate Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, parents of TLC's "19 and Counting," lost child No. 20 in a second trimester miscarriage Dec. 11. At baby Jubilee Shalom's memorial service, photos showing the child's hands and feet sparked debate, says ABC News. Here are details about infant death rituals and the controversy they sometimes cause. Read on... 

(N.B. We lost two stillborn daughters at 19 weeks gestation~ Jubilee's age. I believe our daughters, Mary-Therese and Isobella Raine are in heaven with Jesus and His Blessed Mother. To Michelle, Jim Bob and the kids, love and prayers to you. Eternal rest grant unto baby Jubilee Shalom and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul, the souls of the faithful departed and those whose fate is known only to God, rest in peace. Amen.)

How to Get Your Teen to Respect You Without Compromising Your Integrity

How to Get Your Teen to Respect You Without Compromising Your Integrity
Respect is the name of the game for parents, but how to achieve that oft-elusive goal with teens and children? How can you "get" teens to respect you? With these simple tips. Read on...