Later School Start Times Offer Kids Health Benefits

Parents become accustomed to hearing their children say, "I can't fall asleep" from a young age. However, what many parents may not realize is that their children are not trying to delay bedtime, but may be suffering from a legitimate inability to fall asleep.

Our modern way of life can be overstimulating for adults and children alike. Electronics with backlit displays such as cellular phones, laptops, gaming devices, and even televisions can create a sense of confusion within the body, leaving the mind overactive and unable to rest when bedtime arises. In children, this can be particularly troublesome. Their growing minds and bodies require significantly more sleep each night than adults need to function optimally. Unfortunately, many children simply are not getting the sleep they need.

Schools across the country have responded to this growing problem by instituting later school start times. Districts that have experimented with later starts report fewer illnesses, absences, and missed classes from their students. Additionally, parents and teachers claim the students are more alert and focused and less irritable when they get a later start on school in the morning.

Kids, particularly teenagers, also report happiness with later school start times. They are likely to discover they feel less depressed and anxious, and the additional sleep they are able to get in the morning leaves them feeling better rested and better able to cope with whatever comes their way.

One interesting side effect of the delayed school starting times is that children have more time to eat a full breakfast in the morning. When kids are pressured and rushed into awakening early in order to make it to school on time on too little sleep, a nutritious breakfast is frequently one of the first things sacrificed. Even a delay of 30 minutes to an hour in the morning allows children more time to wake up naturally, get themselves prepared for the day, and sit down to a healthy breakfast. Getting into the habit of eating a nutritious, energizing breakfast at an early age will serve them well throughout their lives. People who eat breakfast each day tend to have an easier time maintaining a healthy body weight and report greater feelings of health and energy than those who develop the habit of skipping breakfast.

While it is unlikely our way of life will change dramatically as time goes by, we can help give our kids a better start on their adult lives by allowing later school times. The extra sleep our children are able to have now will pay dividends in their health and well-being in the years to come.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6983054

Why Should Parents Care About Kids Fashion?

How can little curious brains ignore the inclination of people over stylish clothing trends? Like adults, kids are equally interested in shopping for fashionable clothes that are prevalent and famous. Even many parents are also keen on appareling their children according to latest kids' fashion. On the contrary, there are also mothers and fathers who don't believe in fashion for their kids. But parents should understand that trend for a kid is all about displaying their taste. Furthermore, hectic lifestyle is also a major obstacle preventing parents to think about children's fashion.

However, there are several clothing brands offering trendy yet sensible clothes for kids that appeal to parents as well as kids. Also, the parents do not have to take out extra time as they can shop for remarkable dresses within the comfort of their own home by exploring various online kids clothing stores.

But before any parent gives the child liberty of shopping clothes for own selves, it is important that mother or father should teach their little ones about fashion and its basics. Though children are stubborn, having proper conversation with them can bring the solution and help the min properly choosing their clothing. Letting them relish the liberty is advantageous for their own development, but how? Read the below to find out.

• Selecting From Options

It is true that kids, nowadays, have sense about stylizing their own selves. Witnessing the passion of children towards clothing motivate parents to invest in their wardrobe. Spending money on kids clothing is not just to make them look wonderful, but the child relishes as they are exposed to several options that are quiet trendy and fashionable. When provided the necessary freedom, a child under proper guidance can make a wise choice. The capability of taking a stand will be instilled from the very beginning.

However, with so many options in front of them, a child might insist on buying more than the planned pair of clothes as he is unaware about the budget. Hence, the parents must be strict and must not fall weak if a child cries.

• Enhance Confidence

Donning various dresses and clothes will not just make them appear trendy, but this will also boost their confidence. Since the child is highly inclined over a particular dress, which will not only make him feel wonderful, but contentment and satisfaction will also be sensed by him. Trendy clothes for your baby boy or girl will enhance the confidence and will also generate positivity.

• Showcasing Individuality

Every person in this world possesses his or her own individuality. Beginning from childhood, everyone has own tastes, habits, fashion style etc. Likewise, kids should be offered freedom while choosing their own clothes. At early stages, a kid remains glued to certain kinds of dresses. But when the child grows older, he demands colors, patterns, different styles based on his or her interests. Moreover, the exposure makes the kids understand that good personality is required in contemporary times.

Letting a child opt for fashionable dresses will make him or her display their individuality. Parents can help and guide their children in picking a favorite piece of clothing from latest fashion so that they are happy on their part because the choice will put forward their identity.

This way the kid will be able to come up with their own dressing sense.

• Developing their own style statement

Parent's liberty, freedom and guidance in choosing the latest fashion boost the confidence of a child. Besides, it will also help the kids to create his or her style statement that will help them in the future.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7940936

Bonding Activities For Kids And Parents

Activities for Parents and Toddlers to Do Together

Obviously you can't have everything on hand for every activity, but there are a few things that no parent of a toddler should be without. If you have these five categories of supplies, you can entertain just about any toddler!

• Crayons, markers, and pencils
• Paper and colouring books
• White glue
• Washable paints
• Common household items that could have an imaginative use (cups, egg cartons, boxes, sacks, old socks, anything!)

The activities described below represent many of the familiar activities that we know and love plus new and different ones. You can pick one, adapt it to your own toddler, and take off. The activities are simple and are suitable for children ages 18 months and up. You'll notice that very few bells and whistles are necessary when it comes to entertaining your toddler. The point is for the two of you to have fun!

This Is the Way...

Sing the familiar song and add whatever activity it is you want your toddler to do. Sing, "This is the way we button our shirt, button our shirt... " or "This is the way we brush our teeth... " and so on. Actually, you can make up silly songs for all sorts of things. Toddlers love to giggle, and these kinds of activities are a great way to get them to cooperate!

Simon Says

No explanation needed - toddlers do love this time-tested favourite!

Look at Me!

Have your toddler lie down on a piece of large paper and draw a line around his body. When he gets up, give him crayons and tell him to colour "himself." He can put on clothes, shoes, hair, and other items, and he can name all the body parts for you.

Making a Turkey

Trace around your toddler's outstretched hand on a piece of paper. Then show him how to make a turkey, a puppy, and other animals using this form. If you're feeling especially confident, help him glue on wings, a beak, or a puppy-dog tail made from other craft materials.

Do the Hokey Pokey

Again, no explanation needed, but this is another toddler favourite!

Puppets

Take an old sock or glove and gather some fun pieces of yarn, felt, and other materials to create a puppet. Use markers to draw the eyes and mouth, then glue (only the parent should handle the glue) on the decorations. Once it is complete, the two of you can put on a puppet show or simply have your puppets talks to each other.

I know you care about your children. I'm a parent too. I've more tips about parenting smart kids to share with you. Start guiding your children to success!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8015556

Team Building For Kids

When is it the right time to get kids involved in teamwork and what it means to be part of a team? There are many great ways to introduce kids to team building. Use team building games and activities to get kids understanding the meaning of being on a team. There are several ways to do this. Choosing team activities should be done with your team in mind. Gear games towards certain purposes or outcomes. Kids do not take long to catch on and they tend to be very eager learners. Capture their attention with fun, intriguing activities and your team will come together in no time.

Try to find some games that get kids working together on some kind of problem solving. Children can naturally have a shorter attention span than adults so you want to present this type of activity in a fun manner. Create a reward system for teams that are able to work together in order to reach a common goal. When they solve the problem and receive a reward, it gives them initiative to keep working hard and co-operating with the others on their team. The best games are those that require direct interaction between team members.

Organize a game of 20 questions for the kids to play while team building. Draw up a series of cards with different questions on each. Have each child select a card and then ask another the questions from it. It's a great way for the kids to share and discover common interests. Children need to be entertained and social when in a large group. This will lighten the mood considerably and help the quieter team members to come out of their shell.

Have the kids sit in a circle or around a table and share their favorite things. Start with something like movies or books and move on to anything from toys to animals. Sharing interests creates discussion. When you share interests with someone, it is easier to relate to them. Kids ultimately want to be friends with most other kids. Encouraging them to get along socially is always positive. By sharing interests they can form valuable bonds that will serve them as both individuals and as a team.

Organize a scavenger hunt of some kind that requires the kids to work as teams. Give each team a list of items that they must find and a time limit that is the same for all of them. Have a prize for each team regardless of who wins. It is all about having fun and learning to work together to solve a problem or make a discovery.

Have idea sharing time so that the kids can give valuable input they may otherwise keep to themselves. Sometimes encouragement is needed to get people of all ages to open up and contribute without fear. It is even more so with kids. Team building for kids should be fun and positive but also be effective. Teaching kids how to work as a team now will serve them throughout their adult, professional life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2268690

Best Shoes For Kids

Doctors and other health professionals have anointed minimal shoes as the best for children's feet development and growth. The number of companies and shoes being designed in support of this theory has grown phenomenally in just the past few years. Here are some of the most popular shoe brands that subscribe to the new minimal theory.

#1 - Vivo Barefoot Shoes

Vivo Barefoot Shoes is a unique shoe brand that operates on the philosophy that cushioning and padding in shoes is actually unnatural for your feet and may increase the risk of injury. There byline is "No heel, no midsole, no arch support, no gimmicks!" Vivo Barefoot calls its technology "Pure Barefoot Technology." They believe that your body already has all the built-in mechanics that you need and they give come compelling evidence on their website. Their shoes strive to not interfere with your body's natural mechanics.

Kids, who spend more time than adults in bare feet, love Vivo because they provide protection while being as close to bare feet as possible.

#2 - Merrel BareForm

Merrel BareForms also subscribe to the minimal mechanics and have a very thin sole with a lightly padded layer. They give kids a close to barefoot experience with protection from the occasional stone. This is a very popular shoe with kids because of its natural, barefoot feeling and its easy-to-wear strap-on design.

#3 - Soft Star

Soft Star concentrates on shoes that feature free movement, soft soles, and natural, breathable materials. Soft Star believes that barefoot is best to promote healthy feet and development. They believe healthy shoes for kids are roomy. The younger the child the roomier the shoes. Young children's feet are developing and should be allowed to develop in as close to a barefoot environment as possible. Soft Star also provides the unique service of allowing you to design your own Soft Stars by choosing colors and motifs for an additional fee.

#4 - Skidders

Safety is at the core of the Skidders line of gripper shoes and grip socks. Skidders has grown from the original Skidders shoe that features a soft flexible rubber sole and great traction indoors and out. They've only been around since 2008 but, they now have 18 collections and over 550 styles of shoes. They design comfortable socks and shoes that are versatile, stylish, and safe. Skidders shoes are machine washable making them a big hit with parents. Skidders are easy for kids to put on by themselves which makes them very popular with kids.

#5 - Robeez

Robeez believes that footwear should mimic bare feet by being flexible, supporting growing feet, promoting good balance, and protecting. Kids shoes need to stay on and Robeez has designed elasticized ankles to make sure the fit is always comfortable. They only use the highest quality leather and other materials in their shoes. Robeez designs promote comfort and durability by using soft cushioning and gripping soles. No matter what phase your child is in, Robeez will support crawling, cruising, walking, or running both indoors and out. Robeez is a very popular shoe with kids and parents alike.

If you haven't looked into minimal shoes for kids, you should check them out. I hope this article give you a place to look and compare.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7716998

Most Parents Program Kids To Be Overweight, Obese

Most parents want what's best for their children and do their best to raise happy, healthy kids. Unfortunately most parents program their children during their formative years to be overweight or obese in later years without realizing it. Earlier generations did the same, resulting in today's obesity epidemic and the ongoing struggle with weight loss.

Your constant battle to lose weight today is the result of actions that started before you could even speak. Babies have little memory or past experience, so they have to rely almost exclusively on instinct. When you were hungry, you cried so as to be fed. When you weren't hungry, you had no interest in eating, right?

Enter the 'airplane game'... A well-meaning parent figured you had to eat right then, probably because they were. Since you weren't hungry and didn't want to eat they turned it into playtime. With a spoonful of food hovering around in the air in front of you, your parent imitated the sound of an airplane. Surprised and pleased, you smiled - and your parent zoomed that food into your open mouth. This was great fun and quickly became a regular mealtime game. BAM! You just learned that eating, when you're not hungry, can be fun!

As you get a bit older, dessert becomes a part of most dinners, and sometimes lunch - but it also becomes leverage. No matter how hungry you are or aren't, your plate is filled and you're expected to eat it ALL. "There's no dessert if you don't finish your dinner." How many times did you hear that growing up? Or "You've been good - I guess you can have a treat... "? BAM! You just learned that high-sugar-content and high-fat treats are a reward to be given or withheld based on how good you are.

When you fell off your bike, skinned your knee or were just really sad, did they give you a treat to help? Come out with a bandage and some frozen, flavored sugar-water to make you 'all better'? BAM! You just learned that sweets are comfort foods, designed to help you feel better when physically or emotionally distressed.

Almost every child goes through these events repeated times during their formative years - the period in our lives when we're programmed for our future patterns. And we've been taught that sweet, high sugar foods are comforting rewards if we're good - and a refuge for us when others are nasty. In the high-stress world we live in today, is it any wonder that so many struggle with weight loss, yo-yo dieting, Type 2 diabetes and obesity?

Each of the 'lessons' we learned above are false, and your conscious mind knows that now as an adult. But your sub-conscious may well retain those memories and create urges for bad foods when you are upset or hurting - or even when you're really proud of an accomplishment! You may or may not be willing and able to remap those urges into a healthier result, but at least you need to be aware of them and fight them when they raise their ugly, health-destroying heads.

Quite simply, your mind and body form an amazing machine well-suited to everything you normally need to do, and food is simply the fuel for that machine - nothing more and nothing less. Give your body the cleanest-burning fuel you can, learn all you can about healthy nutrition and be careful not to program YOUR children with emotional attachments to food that will lead them into their own obesity, weight loss crisis, diabetes or worse. Eat well, live long and help your children do the same!

Fitness publisher and certified personal trainer D. Champigny is on a mission to help the aging population get stronger, get fit and live a healthy lifestyle right through their senior years, and help bodybuilders and weightlifters get better results more safely. To stay up-to-date with the health, exercise, nutrition and weight loss tips Champigny shares across his numerous fitness sites and blogs, follow Flirting With Fitness on Facebook and Google+ today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7174391

Children's Health - Choosing Healthy Foods For Your Kids

Are you concerned about your child's eating habits? It can be challenging to feed toddlers a healthy diet every day, but I have a secret weapon. A homemade smoothie is an easy way to serve your child at least one serving of fruits, vegetables, and calcium every day. Follow these five simple guidelines to help your child eat a nutritious diet:

Five Effortless Nutrition Suggestions for More Nutritious Kids:

3+ portions of veggies, 2 portions of fruit, 3 portions of whole grain products, 3 food servings of calcium, 1/2 their entire body weight in grams of lean health proteins

One serving size of veggies is just one cup raw or 1/2 cup prepared. Even though it can often be difficult to get small children to eat raw vegetables, it's simple to include at least one portion of veggies in a delicious homemade smoothie. Spinach, mixed greens, and steamed baby carrots are specially effortless to conceal in mouth watering shakes. One of the best smoothie recipe with blended veggies is called Frog Juice, and my favorite recipe made with baby carrots is Bunny Juice. Your kids will happily eat their vegetables if you serve them inside a healthy smoothie!

It's substantially simpler and easier to persuade children to eat their fruits instead of vegetables. One helping of fresh fruit is one actual fruit (such as 1 apple or mango), or 3/4 cup of berries. Although fruits aren't necessary to make great drinks, smoothies taste better with a bit of sweet fruit added! Frozen bananas are very popular in smoothies, because they add cold and creamy texture to the drink. The preparation to add bananas into a juice smoothie is basically non-existent: just peel and throw in. Apples are another popular fresh fruits to add to smoothies. Apples are very nutritious and taste great.

Whole Grain Products have a greater nutritional value than processed, highly refined, white grains. Because children consume a relatively small amount of food day-to-day, it is imperative to ensure that they receive the maximum nutritional value for the amount of food that they eat. One serving of whole grains is equal to 1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta, 1 slice of whole grain bread, 1/2 cup dry oatmeal or 1 cup whole grain breakfast cereal (with less than 6 grams of sugar, and 3 or more grams of fiber per serving). You can easily add a serving of breakfast cereal to your child's drinks, or add dry oats if your vita mixer is effective enough. The whole grain cereal found in the baby section is one other option, though it will be challenging to find a baby cereal with at least 3 grams per serving of fibers.

Chances are your son or daughter will get nearly all of their daily calcium supplement by drinking milk, but calcium is also found in yogurt, cottage cheese, traditional cheeses, green veggies, legumes, and tofu, along with calcium-fortified food items including waffles and orange fruit juice. One serving of calcium is equal to 1 cup dairy, yogurt, or calcium-fortified juice, 1/2 to One cup beans or broccoli, or four ounces of tofu. You should seek out low-fat versions of dairy, yogurt, and cheese, which are healthier since they have less artery-clogging fat. Children over the age of 2 should always consume 1% milk, never the full fat variety. Smoothies made with low-fat milk, soymilk, citrus veggie juice, or even low-fat natural yogurt are specially scrumptious solutions to consume your calcium.

Lean proteins is another sticky point in children's diets. My own child weighs in at 36 pounds. It's ideal for her to consume one half of that in grams, 18 grams, of lean protein each and every day. Children can get protein from a assortment of sources: cooked chicken, poultry hamburgers, yogurt, lowfat milk, peanut butter, tofu, eggs, almonds, vegan burgers, lasagna, and string cheese are common proteins sources amongst this particular age bracket. You'll really need to look at nutrition facts for one's particular grams of proteins for each amount for each item. Try to consider that barbequed chicken along with turkey burgers are definitely the hefty hitters, averaging twenty-one gr of protein per helping that is the dimensions of ones palm. Natural yogurt, low-fat dairy, peanut butter, as well as tofu are usually fantastic sources of trim necessary protein that taste delightful in kid's shakes!

Now that we've reduced down every single nutrition rule you can see exactly how our nourishing smoothie tested recipes for children could go a considerable ways to ensure your child is ingesting great-tasting, healthful food each day. All the best!

Disclosure: I 'm not an expert in nutrition, only a mommy attempting to make certain my little princess dines on food that is as nutritious as possible. Speak with your doctor before switching your child's diet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7038531

Top 7 Reasons for Kids to Learn Swimming

If you haven't given it much thought, consider the top 7 reasons for kids to learn swimming. There is no better physical activity for children than swimming. Perhaps you have thought about your child learning to swim but just haven't made up your mind. There is any number of reasons why you may want your child to learn to swim. Most likely your reason falls into one of these categories.

Feeling Safe In or Near Water

Not everyone takes to water easily. Some are born with a fear of the water. Perhaps they have experienced an event which caused the fear. In either case, it is imperative that your child feels safe and comfortable when he or she is near or in water. Having the basic ability to swim will give them confidence. That confidence is necessary so that should they ever find themselves in the water, they will not panic. Panicking can lead to drowning. A child that has learned to swim will have the skills and confidence to stay calm

Sense of Accomplishment

Many children, like their adult counterparts, are goal oriented. They enjoy the accomplishment of "leveling up", to use the vernacular of the day. Swimming is taught in various stages from basic water survival skills to increasingly advanced strokes and techniques. The sense of accomplishment a child gets from mastering theses skills teaches him valuable lessons he can apply to other aspects of his life as well.

Health Benefits

Swimming is an excellent aerobic and strength training exercise. People who stay physically active have a better chance of remaining healthy. Daily activity can ward off many health problems associated with a more sedentary life such risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and many more. Teaching children, particularly at an early age to value daily activity makes it less of a chore and more fun. Swimming can definitely be included on the list of "fun" activities that can provide your child with health benefits now and well into their future.

Develop Natural Abilities

Some children naturally take to water. They are terrific swimmers almost from the moment they step into the pool. Even these children can benefit from swimming lessons. Whether they swim for personal pleasure or competitive reasons, the techniques they can learn will enhance their swimming experiences.

Weight Loss

Childhood obesity is a rising problem in the world we live in. The aerobic nature of swimming can help children lose weight without seeming like exercise. It is a low impact activity that reduces the strain on bones and joints while giving a complete workout. Letting your child learn to swim can be the first steps to reversing a weight problem that could lead to other health issues.

Self-Discipline

To excel at anything, one must practice the skills involved. Regular practice not only builds technique, skill and style, it builds self-discipline. Children can see how their efforts to improve result in learning the basic steps, then add new skills and increase speed and power. Seeing these results over time reinforces the importance of practice. Your child will not only improve as a swimmer but will carry this companion skill of self-discipline into other areas of their life.

Social Skills and Team Building

While many places offer private swimming lessons, often children learn to swim in group settings. The interaction teaches social skills. Positive reinforcement and encouragement from staff to student carries over as students encourage one another. As the student progresses or moves to competitive swimming, these skills become team building skills.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6795156

5 Ways for Busy Parents to Connect With Their Kids

Having children can sometimes drive a person crazy. You wake up at the crack of dawn, haul off to work, work, work some more, keep working, then come home and all you want to do is collapse into the couch and dream about the next vacation you have lined up. That is, until you are unwittingly attacked by a 30-lb teeth-baring tattered-hair gremlin-er-child that is apparently your offspring.

Or maybe you planned on this delightful explosive nuclear ball of energy coming into your life. Either way, maybe after they walk away dejected and slightly heartbroken because the person they love most in the world is too exhausted to play a round of "bad guy attacking me until the stuffed animal chips his tooth," you feel a twinge of guilt. Or sadness. Or both. And you wonder, "What the heck? How can this go any differently?"

Without divulging years of indefatigable knowledge I have acquired on parenting from reading books, listening to talk shows, and chipping my teeth, I present to you 5 ways for busy and exhausted parents to connect with their children in meaningful, convenient, and genuine ways:

1. Go Geocaching

A friend introduced me to this hobby several years ago when he had one of the first GPS devices on the market. Nowadays, with the advent of smart phones, virtually anyone can download a geocaching app and begin following the map in their area to find hidden boxes, containers, etc. that contain a register of people just like you who have found the same one previously. It's recommended you bring a small trinket to exchange for one that is already in the box. This is the most fun I've had with my kid in a long time, and you can find them virtually everywhere. If I need to give mom a break, or I need to run some errands, I ask the kiddo if she wants to go geocaching. Her response is either indecipherable screams of delight, or a look that says, "Is this a trick question, or... " We go get a prescription, or go shopping for food, or whatever, then I bring up my app, and blam. Geocache, half a mile away. We do our errands, the drive, park, I hand her the phone, and she leads the way following the map for some awesome secret treasure.

2. Cooking

This is a lost art. Not everyone can make good food. But everyone can try! I mean, you gotta eat anyway right? It doesn't have to be the Iron Chef, or Chéz Le French restaurant. You can do this with ramen, mac-n-cheez, or even making yourself a quesadilla (pronounced "dih-luh"). But let them lead the way, help them do it (safely), and don't get upset when they spill or dump in too much of whatever into the bowl/counter/sink. We learn by making mistakes. And don't pretend like the kitchen wasn't trashed already. Besides, then you can make a clean-up game after (which may or may not take hold, but is at least worth a shot!).

3. Exercise

We've all heard of this mysterious word, and yet somehow so few of us can find the time to discover its meaning. Ditch the gym and play a quick game of tag or hide-and-go-seek. The positions you may find yourself in are akin to yoga, and will burn at least 7000 calories (or that's what it feels like after 5 minutes). Or, actually do yoga. Seriously. And let them make up the moves if they want. We have a rope hanging from our ceiling with knots that our daughter rarely ever lets go of upon arriving at home. It is an epicenter for exercise and games we've invented. You don't need an iPod strapped to your arm, or sexy pants to show everyone you're working out. Just run around with your kids and you'll see what I mean. 10 minutes can mean the world to them.

4. Garden/Yarden

This is more of a weekend one, caters to older kids (8+) and I may be accused of breaking the "busy" rule. But if you can take one weekend to develop one part of your yard into a garden (garden+yard=yarden! Get it? Right guys? Right? Guys?), your main task is done. Then, take one day a week to spend 30 minutes planting, preparing, harvesting, weeding, and doing other gardeny things with your kids (for ideas on how/what to do search "permaculture," "lasagna gardening," "food not lawns," and, you guessed it "yarden"). You might not always get to do it together, but you will have a shared common interest with which to connect about later. And you get tomatoes. Then see step 2.

5. Schedule it in!

Maybe you're not sure how to go about doing this. Maybe your life is so scattered you feel overwhelmed all the time. Maybe the big report for Jim is due on Monday. I don't need to stress the importance of taking 10 minutes out of your oh-so-busy-adult-life day to spend with your very own doting flesh and blood. You already know that. But maybe you don't know about Google calendar? Or Microsoft Outlook? Or one of those binders they sell at the checkout counter that clearly details ways to make your life smoother and easier? My point is, you schedule your workday, and you get work done. Schedule time with your kids, and you get connection! And treat it like it's a meeting. Turn your phone off. Don't begrudge interruptions (if someone needs to speak with you, whether it's family, friend, or business, let them know you're in the middle of something and will catch up at the next available moment). When your kids know they are the most important thing in your life, they will stop attacking you to let you know they are the most important thing in your life.

There, now that you've connected with your kids, you can sit down and visualize that vacation. However, you might want to get a mouth guard or two (those things don't really grow back, you know).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7684621

Kids' Play Tents

Children can have endless hours of fun and laughter with play tents, providing them not only recreation and entertainment but also a real feel of the camping experience. Kids' play tents also stimulate kids' creativity and ingenuity, where they can pretend to have their own headquarters like real soldiers, or play as if they are on a jamboree. The possibilities are just limitless.

Because these toys are made of lightweight material, they can be easily assembled and pitched especially for indoor use but may also be brought outside so long as extra care is taken. It may be best to consider that while these structures resemble the tents used by professional campers, they are made more for recreation and play.

Before scouring for play tents in the nearest hardware or DIY shop, it may be best to know the various types, sizes, functions, features and other considerations so that you will be guided on what model to buy in accordance with your specifications. Here are some important things to know about kids' play tents.

Different Types:

• Bed Tents - These are built to accommodate a real-sized bed, including the mattress. These models are usually the bigger, bulkier types of play tents.
• Homemade tents - These are referred to as the original play tents as these can be pitched over tables, chairs and other smaller pieces of furniture.
• Mini camp tents - These are miniatures of real camp tents, hence, the term "mini".
• Tee-pee tents - These are the sort of tents that look like an inverted ice cream cone, characteristic of Native American tents.
• Tent and tunnel sets - These tents have built-in crawl-through tunnels. You can even attach two or more tents together for greater fun.

Sizes:

The average height of a kids' play tent is 4 feet and its average width is four feet. Because these structures are especially made for indoor utilization, they can be pitched in the garage, in the living area, on the porch or some other indoor area. For tunnel tents, greater space is required while for homemade tents, availability of building "materials "will determine their size.

Functions:

The possibilities of how play tents can be enjoyed can only be determined by how far and wide children stretch their imagination and initiative. A play tent can serve as a clubhouse, a hideout, a headquarter, a fort, a scouting camp or practically anything they can fancy. Whatever they use it for, they are guaranteed of fun, enjoyment and satisfaction. One caution though: kids' play tents must not be used for real camp-outs as they are not weatherproof.

Features:

Because these tents are miniatures, most of the time they do not come with a zipper or a screen mesh intended for security and good ventilation. Also, most play tents can be closed using ties, which are easier to use for smaller children. The more recent models do not require tent pegs as they are built by shock-cord poles or pegs.

Considerations:

• Space is a critical indicator when pitching tents indoors. See to it that you have sufficient space in order to maximize the learning experience of your children as they explore the amazing wonders of play with the use of tents.
• Be careful when children bring pets inside the tent. Animals may feel threatened by the tight environment, which might trigger them to be aggressive and eventually attack kids.
• Use these tents outdoors only when the weather is fine. Likewise, it is also important not to pitch tents on concrete grounds.

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Bring Down Your Child's Fever Naturally

Fevers are not bad. Let me say that again. Fevers are not bad. A fever is a response of the body fighting off infection. Taking ibuprofin or tylenol is acceptable but it may slow down the body's ability to fight the infection, which consequently could drag out the sickness.

With that said, there are some natural ways to bring down your child's fever without the use of over the counter drugs. Having five children, we've endured many fevers. Our son and our youngest daughter just seemed to always get the highest fevers, you know the ones over 104. It's scary. The last thing any parent wants is for their children to be in pain. I am going to share some things that we've done to help our kids when they've been sick.

1. Popsicles - They're cold, and it will help get some fluids in their system. Most kids when they're sick don't want to eat or drink. Try to make sure they are drinking lots of water, as a fever can quickly dehydrate a little one.

2. Cold wash cloth - Keeping a cold was cloth over the top of the forehead and behind the neck really helps to cool them down.

3. Less is best - They may have the chills and want to stay under the blankets but the point is to cool the body down so less is best.

4. Lukewarm Bath - I am not a big fan of this one but can help, so I felt I had to add it. Keep in mind even a lukewarm bath will feel cold to a child with a fever. Never put a child in a cold bath. It could put their bodies in shock.

5. Egg Whites - This one seems a little odd but hear me out. Take just the whites of the eggs (no yolks), whip them up a little and soak either a couple of hankerchiefs, paper towels, or anything thin and apply to both feet. Cover the feet with saran wrap or socks and leave it on till it dries and reapply if needed. We actually did this treatment when our son was about 4 years old.

He had one of those high fevers and we did the motrin, tylenol rotation, along with everything we knew to do but it wasn't breaking. We finally decided to try this and I want to say it was within 20-30 minutes his fever came down considerably. Supposedly the eggs whites draw the fever down from the head into the feet.

My sons fever was relatively high, so the paper towels we used dried pretty quickly (from the heat of the fever) We ended up reapplying a total of 3 times to get the fever down to a low grade fever. I don't totally understand the science behind it, I just know it works.

Note* Fever in children under four months of age, fever along with other serious symptoms, and fever lasting over a week should seek medical attention.

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Close Relationships Between Parents and Children

Everybody with kids dreams of having close and lasting relationships between the parents and children. Being a parent does not necessarily mean that you will have great child parent relationships.

As with all relationships, they take a significant amount of work to develop and stay strong for the long haul. There isn't a relationship in the world that can be guaranteed to withstand the test of time but by following these parenting advice, you will have a better chance of success with your precious kids.

Choose the Right Glue

All too many people believe that bonding with their kids is complete by the time that they are out of diapers. The truth is that parents and children continue bonding throughout their lives. Sitting together, cuddling and spending quality time should not stop because the child has learned to use the toilet.

All relationships grow and change with time but using the right bonding agent will help it to last a lifetime. Love mixed with respect, care, fun, understanding and trust is the perfect recipe for creating an unending bond for the parent child relationships.

Just Play People

One of the best ways to get to know what is going on in your kid's life is to simply take the time to play with them. Playtime allows them to connect, have fun and actually strengthen the child parent relationship without even working at it. Being a parent doesn't have to be all about rules and discipline. The best relationships are forged through play.

Time for Talk

So many people are simply too busy worrying about what is going on with their business lives to take the time to ensure that their family relationships are in good shape. Let's face it; by the time many people arrive home from work, they simply feed, bathe and put their kids to bed. Do people really think that this way of life will create a strong bond between parents and children?

One of the keys to a lasting parent child relationship is communication. Talking with your kids as well as truly listening to what they have to say is important. Your child might take a bit longer to be able to express his feelings or problems but being a parent, you must be willing to put everything else aside and pay close attention to him. Allowing him the time to communicate with you freely and completely about anything under the sun will help to establish a bond that cannot be broken.

Don't Spoil the Child

Proper behavior is important to parents and children need to know their boundaries. Many parents would rather avoid recognizing and correcting inappropriate behavior than taking the time and energy to correct it. This causes the child to run amok and in effect, shows the child that the parents do not care about his behavior nor want to ensure that he grows up to be a responsible member of society.

Discipline should be handled by parents and children who have guidelines and rules actually thrive better than those that do not. Kids respect their parents when they set rules and thus, the child parent relationship thrives because of them.

Unruly kids show no respect to others or to the property or feelings of others. Fair and just discipline helps to delineate the roles of both parents and children and allows each to have genuine respect for the other. Without discipline, the family will be in for a world of trouble in the future. Remember, discipline shows your kids that you truly love and care about them.

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The Pros and Cons of Kids Playing Sports

It's no big secret that exercise should be a top priority for children of all ages, especially given the fact that childhood obesity is on the rise. Yet many parents today are reluctant to enroll their children in organized sports because of the fierce competition.

In many cases, parents are likely to take sports competition even more seriously than their kids do. One recent parent brawl at a Little League game was caught on tape in Columbus, Ohio.

The fight started when one parent asked another parent to turn down the loud music they were playing to celebrate a win. Moments later, words were exchanged, fists were flying, and a full-on brawl had ensued. Police were called to the scene to arrest parents that had set a terrible example for their children.

The Pros of Children's Sports Teams

Beyond peer competition and brutal fights between parents, organized children's sports provide a long list of benefits that include:

• Regular exercise. Kids on a sports team, like an Austin soccer team, will be able to run, jump, and play with friends. Exercising in a group environment will teach kids to appreciate physical activity at a young age, likely reinforcing the habit for life. Keeping a child active is one key to preventing a sedentary lifestyle that could lead to serious health conditions like type II diabetes, stemming from childhood obesity.

• Learn sportsmanship. When children play an organized sport, they'll learn to work together as a team to better understand respect and sportsmanship. Even though a soccer team may win a game, kids will be taught to congratulate the losing team and vice versa when the tables are turned.

• Relieve stress. Children that have difficulty coping with day-to-day stress at school or at home can use group sports for much-needed stress relief. Even more importantly, children with a bad home environment can use team sports as an outlet instead of turning to drugs or crime as a result of peer pressure.

The Cons of Children's Sports Teams

For a fair comparison, it's important to explore the potential disadvantages of enrolling your child in organized sports, like:

• Too much competition. A young child may not be able to handle the pressure of playing on a highly competitive team, especially if their parents are pushing them into it. If a coach is more focused on winning than on the love of the game, a child may be more susceptible to performance pressure that could stick with them throughout their future career.

• Strain or injury. A child may be too timid to ask for a break if they feel overexerted. Children are also more prone to dehydration and heat stroke caused by exposure to hot weather during a long game. Kids should be encouraged to take breaks regularly and drink water and sports drinks to stay balanced and hydrated in both practices and games.

If you're on the fence about enrolling your child in organized sports, it's clear that the good outweighs the bad. When approached with a healthy attitude, a sports team will give your child the opportunity to exercise, spend time with friends, and learn respect for others.

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A Girl's Underwear Essentials

We wear them every day, and they hold the mysterious power to affect our mood and confidence. Yet many women don't pay enough attention or spend enough time making sure that their underwear collection suits their lifestyle and personality - or that it has enough variety. Every girl should own an array of underwear for every situation (there's nothing worse than having a Bridget Jones moment!) So here's a checklist for your underwear collection. What do you need more of?

- Day to day wear. You don't have to wear sexy or seductive underwear every day of the week. Comfortable, cotton underwear is a must-have for every girl. The fundamental criteria for day to day underwear are that it be comfortable and not easily detectable under your clothing. Remember, comfortable doesn't have to mean boring! There are lots of fun patterns and colours to choose from. Lovable, for example, makes a great range of comfortable and functional lingerie in fun and flirty colours and styles that will be great under women's dresses or jeans.

- Seductive selection. Every girl should invest in some sexy and slinky lingerie - and it should not be contingent on whether anyone else is going to see it! Wearing nice underwear will boost your confidence and make you feel self assured and able to conquer every situation. Of course, if you've got an occasion (romantic or otherwise!) then a seductive selection will make it all the more special.

- Sport appropriate. Exercise appropriate underwear is essential when working out or doing strenuous activity, particularly for women with a larger bust. If exercising is uncomfortable, then it's unlikely that you will be motivated to do it. Fit yourself with supportive and comfortable underwear so that you can exercise with ease.

- Shapewear. Shapewear refers to specially fitted undergarments that are designed to shape and mould a women's body into a particular form. If you're wearing a tight women's skirt or other tight items, then a figure hugging slip will give your body a compact and thinned shape.

Because our underwear is hidden under our clothing, it's easy to let it get out of date or let it wear a bit thin. Making sure that your selection is varied, comfortable and appropriate for a variety of situations will help give you confidence and have you feeling body beautiful at all times.

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