Top Ten Things To Do with Your Child
Go
to a Ball
Game, Soccer Game
or the Circus. Events like these give
the opportunity
of simple
conversation. Perhaps
your teenager like mine does
not talk all, but there
is a chance We
go to Soccer Gamers
and have purchased two season passes. This way
my wife
and I go at different times
and with a different Child.
These events by their
nature open conversation opportunities where other events may
not. A movie
for example is not a place for
interacting. It's
Your Day
This is
something I
heard while listening
to a Tony Robbins
tape. Have one special day for each child where
they can do what ever they want within reason
and budget. If
you can, schedule a vacation day
to do this. The older child will realize
the importance of
the event and
the time was set-aside just for
them. I would say: "Jacob
this is
your day what would you like
to do" My advice is also to keep a hot list of things you heard
in the past just
in case
the child says " I
don't know"
Time Capsule
Just
get some stuff together and bury it. Be around when the items are
selected. This creates a lot of interaction and conversation. Don't know how to make one
or what to choose? There are plenty of suggestions by a searching Google.
Letter Boxing
Letter
boxing is a combination of hiking,
puzzle solving and treasure
hunting. Basically folks have hidden
little boxes all over the
country. In these
boxes are logbooks and a hand made rubber
stamps. You
follow clues to the box. Once you find
it you stamp their logbook
with your family stamps and use their stamp in your logbook.
For more information of this great hobby and pastime plus clues for
boxes all over the United
States: http://www.letterboxing.org/Rake Leaves in a Park
This works
with the younger children
up to
12 I would guess.
Go to your
local park with a rake and
pile up those leaves. As you know children
likes to jump in them. The beauty of the park trip is
that you don't have to
pick them up. We bring hotdogs as well.
Wedding Album
Go
though your wedding album
or video. There are always a lot of questions and there is the
closeness of looking at a book together.
Game Night
Turn the
TV off and
pick a game. It is that simple. At my house I have some of the colorful board
games hanging on the wall like pictures.
They are reminders of games
we own. Try the game
Apples to Apples
it is a great game with a very slight learning curve. There are two versions to choose from.
Read Together
This might not work well with the older child but for those younger ones it is good also if you have them read to you. You can assess their reading skills this way.
Does Something On a Whim
Do something that is not planed. Do something you may not have done before or in a long time.
Make it spontaneous. Go to the Zoo, Museum, Movie, Miniature Golf, and Ice Cream, Get a Pumpkin or go
out to dinner. Just do it.
Dinner Together
In today's fast paced work and school schedule it may be a
rare time where the family is together for a meal. Simply make it happen. The
results will get you all in touch with each other's lives.
Eric Hoyt is owner, writer, webmaster of Average Guy Reviews. A new
review site for the average person. To read reviews
about movies, products and web
sites go to
http://www.averageguyreviews.com
How to Stop Spending Your Hard Earned Money
Answer these questions:
a.
Does
your spouse
or partner complain that you spend too much money?
b.
Are you surprised
each month
when your credit
card bill arrives
at how much
more you charged than
you thought
you had?
c. Do
you have more shoes
and clothes
in your closet than you could ever
possibly wear?
d. Do you own every
new gadget
before it has time
to collect dust
on a retailers shelf?
e. Do you
buy things you
didnt know you wanted until you saw them on
display in
a store?
If you answered
yes to any
two of the above questions, you
are an impulse spender
and indulge yourself in retail therapy.
This
is not a good thing.
It will prevent you from
saving for the important things
like a house, a
new car, a vacation or retirement. You must
set some financial goals
and resist
spending money on items that
really dont
matter in the long run.
Impulse spending will not only put a strain on
your finances but
your relationships, as well. To
overcome the problem, the first
thing to do is learn to separate your needs from your wants.
Advertisers blitz
us hawking their
products at us
24/7. The trick is to
give yourself a
cooling-off period
before you buy anything that you
have not
planned for. When you go shopping, make a list
and take only
enough cash to pay for what you
have planned to
buy. Leave your credit cards at home.
If you see something you think you really
need, give yourself two weeks to
decide if it is really something you
need or something you can easily do without.
By following this simple solution, you will
mend your financial fences and your
relationships. Written by
http://www.diyconservatories-and-windows.co.uk/ of
http://www.digital-view-web.co.uk/ Neil Parnham
How Do I Puppy Proof My Home?
If there's
one lesson that I've
learned well
as a dog
owner, it's this: Before bringing that
new puppy home,
you want
to puppy proof
your home.
Here's
how you
can do just that.
Identify
and remove
any toxic plants that could
effect your puppy
Many plants that
are common
to our gardens
and homes (including
the dead leaves)
can be poisonous
to our dogs.
Here
is the ASPCA listing which is an excellent listing
and resource: Toxic Plants
Think about toxic human
foods the yummy things that can kill
your puppy!
There
are human foods that
are very toxic to dogs.
Chief among
them are onions, chocolate, grapes and raisins.
It is very important that you
make any children in
your house
AND neighborhood aware
of this.
For
a complete list go to:
Bad Food List
Third, here are ten things to do
the day before that new bundle
of fir arrives.
Close doors
or set up
baby gates to rooms you don't want
the puppy to get into.
Puppies are naturally
curious and
will explore. It is
best to keep them confined to one room or
part of a room, and gradually increase
their range.
Get
all plant,
small pets (gerbils,
guinea pigs, fish, lizards, etc.), electrical cords and curtain/shade pulls
out of
puppy range. Covers for electrical cords are advisable.
Keep kids' toys picked up and out of puppy reach. Puppies do
not know
the difference between their toys and your daughter's brand new Barbie doll.
Remote controls and video game equipment
(which are often used and left
on the
floor) needs to
be put in a secure location away from a curious puppy.
Lift up your wastebaskets! Gross as it sounds, dogs love dirty tissues and other nasty things that are put in wastebaskets! It is like their own disgusting, nose level buffet.
My adult dogs are five and ten years
old and will still occasionally sneak things out of the wastebaskets.
Check your fencing
make sure it goes completely to the ground.
You would
be amazed at how
small a gap a puppy can fit
through! In
fact, I recommend keeping
puppies tethered, even if the backyard is fenced, until they are fairly
reliable on the
recall. The game of 'Catch the Puppy' is not a good game to be playing with your young puppy. You need to stay in
control as much as possible.
Keep all medications and chemicals
securely hidden. Dogs can counter cruise and a simple bottle of pain reliever
consumed by a curious pup can have fatal consequences.
Remember, your puppy is going to
grow! What may pass for puppy-proof today may not be
adequate in another month or two. Be aware of your
pup's ever increasing range and curiosity.
Bottom line is you have to be watching your puppy constantly. Any thing other than food that they chew and swallow has the
potential to make them sick or,
worse yet, kill them.
Don't forget the tail.
Not all puppy damage is done by puppy chewing. Make sure all breakable items are above tail level. One good swipe with a
happy tail and
grandma's crystal
vase is shattered.
Finally, have Poison Control Center
information handy
If you think your puppy has been poisoned Call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center The telephone number is (888) 426-4435. There is a consultation fee for this service.
Use the ideas presented here to prepare your home for your new puppy.
This article is part of a chapter in Edie MacKenzie's ebook "Your Doodle Puppy's First Year Made Easy." For more great tips on how to raise a healthy, fun loving, well-behaved dog, go to
http://www.labradoodle-guide.com/LdoodPuppy.htm
