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your Kids Activities & Positive Parenting Newsletter
December 14, 2010

“Positive Parenting Tips” newsletter December 10

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FreeToddlersActivity&DisciplineGuide INDEX:
Inspiring Quotes
Toddlers Activities & Games
Easy Kids Recipe
Child Arts & Crafts Activities:
Positive Parenting Resources
Sponsored Resources
Editor’s Note / Humour / new free books

"If you are serious about your goals, drop the conditions. Go directly to your goal. Be your goal! Conditions often disguise strategies for escaping accountability. Why not just take charge and create the experience you are looking for?" - Eric Allenbaugh

"It is good to dream, but it is better to dream and work. Faith is mighty, but action with faith is mightier. Desiring is helpful, but work and desire are invincible." - Thomas Robert Gaines

"Nothing happens until somebody sells something." - Mary Kay Ash

Kids Activities:

Not only do kids of all ages love to play games, games are a creative and inexpensive way to entertain children. With a little imagination you will soon have them making up their own games!

Whether you're looking for birthday party games or just something to keep the little ones busy for a little while, I think you'll find these games easy to learn and fun for all ages.

Shadow Fun

By: Deborah Shelton Are you looking for fun projects to do, but are short on supplies? The answer is simple: Shadows!

Shadow Tag

Turn an ordinary walk to the mailbox into a lively game of shadow tag. It’s played much the same way as regular tag, except that instead of tagging a person, you tag the person’s shadow.

Silhouettes

Use the combination of light and shadow to create frameable works of art. Use tacks or tape to hang a sheet of white construction paper or poster board to the wall. Sit or stand next to the paper so that the shadow of your profile shows up when a light (flashlights work well) is shined on you. While you sit very still, have someone trace the outline of your shadow on the paper with a pencil. Once the tracing is complete, cut the silhouette out with a pair of scissors and mount it on a sheet of black paper. Make several silhouettes of your family members and display them together.

Shadow Puppets

Who doesn’t love shadow puppets? This is the perfect almost- no-materials-required activity for guaranteed fun. Simply direct light onto a wall (again, flashlights work great) and make shadows with your hands. Try some easy favorites such as a barking dog and a turkey with a droopy, dangly neck. Then invent shadow puppets you’ve never seen before just by moving and bending your fingers and hands in different positions.

Shadow Town

Imagination is a wonderful thing—especially when there is lots of sunshine around! Make your own shadow town by arranging small boxes, cans, and other small items into a straight line in direct sunlight. Try doing this activity on a concrete driveway or on a large piece of paper or cardboard. Once the objects are lined up and casting a shadow, trace the outline of the shadow with sidewalk chalk to form your city’s “skyline.” When the skyline is finished, invite your friends to bring their toy cars over to play in your shadow town.

About The Author
Deborah Shelton is a mother, freelance writer, and author of the brand new book, "The Five Minute Parent: Fun & Fast Activities for You and Your Little Ones." Visit Deborah's website for more family-friendly ideas: http://www.fiveminuteparent.com; deborah@fiveminuteparent.com

Visit for our Free Kids Games & Activities from A to Z

Easy Kids Recipe:

Christmas Cookies: Santa's Midnight Snack

Cookies. Who doesn't love them? We dip them in milk. We cover them with icing and sprinkles. We make them in various shapes and sizes and devour them with abandon, not giving a second thought to their caloric content.

Why? Because they're delicious!

We eat cookies year 'round and don't need an excuse to crave them, but the holiday season is the perfect time to overindulge. No cookie is better than a freshly baked Christmas cookie, after all. We bake them with our children while singing Christmas songs or decorating the Christmas tree. We sneak late-night bites while wrapping gifts and stuffing stockings. We leave a plate of cookies, along with a glass of milk, for Santa to nibble on during his Christmas Eve visit.

Of all the food and drink we associate with the holidays, none are more essential and revered than the Christmas cookie. Which is why we're bringing you a recipe you'll want to try in your kitchen come December. Not just any run of the mill cookie can be a Christmas cookie, after all. You want something special when you celebrate the occasion with family and friends, and we're happy to oblige by showing you how to make the best Christmas cookie on the block (no offense to your grandma's time-tested recipe!). And, to boot, they're easy and quick to make!

Santa's Midnight Snack (or Rudolph's Sugar Cookie)

3/4 cup butter-flavored shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Icing and sprinkles

Mix shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large mixer bowl at medium speed with electric mixer. Mix until light and creamy. Next, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture and mix on low speed until well blended. Cover dough and chill for one hour. Preheat oven to 375 F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut in desired shapes (Christmas trees, stockings, Santas, gift boxes, etc.). Place on baking sheets and bake 8-10 minutes, until edges are golden brown. After cooling, decorate cookies with icing and sprinkles as desired.

Did you know that Santa's also a peanut butter fanatic? That's right, jolly ol' St. Nick can't get enough peanut butter fudge in that jelly like tummy of his. As long as you don't have any elves at home allergic to peanut products, give this recipe a try (not a cookie, we know, so we're fudging a bit on this one ... but, hey, this recipe is super easy and super tasty!):

Penultimate Peanut Butter Fudge

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup milk

1/2 stick margarine

Pinch of salt

1 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix sugar, milk, margarine and salt in a saucepan. Boil, stirring frequently, until it forms a soft ball in cold water. Remove from stove and add peanut butter and vanilla. Beat until creamy and pour into buttered 9x9 pan. Let cool before cutting.

Jeremy White, a writer for Imaginary Greetings, Inc. (http://www.imaginarygreetings.com), is a regular contributing author specializing in features, sports, business and food writing, and frequently contributes to a a variety of print and online publications. To learn more about how to truly light up your child's eyes this holiday season like never before visit: http://www.santashotline.com.

Child Arts & Crafts Activities:

Making Streamers

Children enjoy making these toddlers activity colourful streamers, for sports days cheering their favourite team, using while dancing, or just having fun with a friend.

YOU WILL NEED:

• Pieces of dowel, Rulers, Chopsticks or even sticks from the back yard

• Crepe Paper using a verity of colours

• Glue

• Scissors

• Paint if available

WHAT TO DO:

Assist your children while cutting the toddlers activity long length of crepe paper. Have your children choose their toddlers activity colours, glue them from the end of the dowel, ruler, chopsticks or the back yard sticks.

If using the back yard sticks. Painting the sticks will dress your toddlers activity streamers up to look like the real thing.

Roll up the toddler’s activity streamers tightly, and then release them letting the toddlers activity streamers unwind.

Show the children the wonderful colours displayed when the toddlers activity streamers are in motion.

Put some of the children’s favourite toddlers activity music on and watch them dance with their colourful streamers. Outside in the garden is most enjoyable.

Positive Parenting Resources:

How to Teach Respect

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

It’s so easy for Aretha Franklin to spell it in a song. But it is a lot more complicated teaching it to children.

Respect is one of the values that a parent must teach his child. This is a core quality that he should possess even at a young age and must maintain through adolescence and adulthood.

Respect is not similar to obedience. Look at it this way: a child obeys quickly because he’s afraid. But if he respects you, then he will obey you because he trusts that you know the best for him.

Therefore, in that paragraph alone, you already see the connection between obedience and respect.

The best way you can actually teach respect to your child is to show him respect yourself. You have to respect your child. In doing so, he will do the same to you because he would feel its importance.

Remind him the golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” A child, even if he is in his grade school years will already understand this.

Instill in him that respect is an attitude and he can succeed in life if he has this value. Tell him that if he doesn’t respect his peers, his authority or even himself, there will always be personal obstacles.

You should also tell the child that respect does not only mean one-on-one interaction. It could also be taking care of the belongings of other people. It could also mean doing what is expected of him, or his responsibilities.

A respectful child gets along so well with his peers because he is mature enough to understand that he is not the only person in the entire universe. He is also aware that his actions can affect others around him.

Respect, even though it is taught at school, must also be learned at home. Parents have more influence with regards to respect when compared to the teachers. When the children see how respectful their parents are of other people, then they will do the exact same thing.

Here are some tips for the parent to show respect to their children. 1. If you do something wrong, admit your fault then apologize. Be honest. You may be the parent but that does not mean that you cannot make mistakes.

2. Never insult, embarrass or make fun of your child – especially in public. This will only affect his self-esteem. Always compliment them.

3. When your child is old enough, let him make his own decisions and take responsibility of the consequences from that action.

4. Always let your child have the liberty to explain his side. Let him say his peace and listen.

5. Be there for your child. Give him your full attention.

6. Children can easily learn from anything the parent says or does. Make sure that you as a parent are a good model when it comes to respect.

7. Follow rules. Take for example, driving. Always do what the signs ask of you even if there are no cops around.

8. Show that you are concerned about the welfare of others: people, animals and environment.

9. Whenever you see a public figure that you can refer to as a poor model, discuss them with your child. Make your child aware that these actions must not be done.

10. By teaching your child to respect himself, he will then respect other people. It all begins with self-respect. Once we can respect ourselves, then respecting others is a cinch.

11. Their parents’ opinions matter to them. If the parent believes that the child can succeed, then the child’s confidence will be boosted, thus allowing him to progress more.

12. Build the child’s independence. Give them responsibilities that they can easily handle – like chores around the house, paying the bills, watching over a younger sibling and the like.

13. Set rules in the house but explain to the child why it must be obeyed. Stick to the rules you make as well.

14. Help the child set his goals. Again, self-respect is the secret. With a good amount of self-respect, confidence skyrockets upward, thus the child can really achieve his goals.

15. Honesty is the best policy. Remind your child that if they were able to pull off fooling other people, they can’t fool themselves. Lying, cheating and stealing is not only harmful to others, it is also detrimental to one’s self.

16. Last but definitely not the least, show love! In fact, say, “I love you” often. Hugs and kisses are great.

Free Toddlers Activity & Child Discipline Guide
Free parenting resources to help you use positive parenting in your child’s development, toddlers activities & games, toddler arts & crafts, kids easy recipes, free kids books for bedtime reading and even child discipline help!
http://free-toddlers-activity-and-discipline-guide.com

Editor’s notes & humour:

FreeToddlersActivity&DisciplineGuide

Recently a “Husband Shopping Centre” opened in Melbourne where women could go to choose a husband from a range of many men.

It was laid out in five floors, with the men increasing in positive attributes as you ascended.

The only rule was, once you opened a door to any floor, you had to choose a man from that floor.

If you went up a floor, you couldn’t go back down, except to leave the place, never to return.

A couple of girlfriends went shopping to find some husbands and went up in the elevator.

First Floor: The door had a sign saying, “These men have jobs and love kids”.

The women read the sign and said “Well, that’s better than not having a job, or not loving kids, but I wonder what’s further up?” So up they went.

Second Floor: The sign read, “These men have high paying jobs, love kids, and are extremely good looking”.

“Hmmmm”’ said the ladies, “but I wonder what’s further up”?

Third Floor: The sign read, “These men have high paying jobs, love kids, are extremely good looking, and help with the housework”.

“Wow!” said the women. “Very tempting, but, there’s even more further up!” And so up they went.

Fourth Floor: The sign read, “These men have high paying jobs, love kids, are extremely good looking, help with the housework, and have a strong romantic streak”.

“Oh my God!” they exclaimed, “But what must be waiting for us further up?” So up to the fifth floor they went.

Fifth Floor: When they got to the fifth floor, the sign on that door read, “This floor is empty and exists only to prove that women are impossible to please”.

Get your fr’ee party games ebook download here - Just "right mouse button click" on the links below, then select "save target/link as" from the window that appears, to download the book to your desktop.

1. Christmas Planning & party games book!

2. Dickens “A Christmas Carol”

3. Dickens “A Christmas Tree”

4. Dickens “What Christmas is as we Grow Older”

5. And a classic Toddler picture reader to include the little ones in the reading for Christmas preparation:

Night Before Christmas

For more books, visit our Free Kids Books Directory page

Thank you for joining us this month, I hope that you have found some extra motivation and inspiration for your positive parenting.

Visit today for latest Toddlers Activity & Child Discipline Guide articles.
Free parenting resources added each week to help you use positive parenting in your child’s development, toddlers activities & games, toddler arts & crafts, kids easy recipes, free kids books for bedtime reading and even child discipline help!
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Your Editor,
Theresea Hughes.
http://free-toddlers-activity-and-discipline-guide.com

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