“Positive Parenting Tips” newsletter February 2011

Inspiring Quotes:

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." - Elizabeth Kübler-Ross

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. " - Antoine de St. Exupery

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.

Indoor Hockey

This is a great indoor game for those wet days the kids are getting restless. Hockey is very popular with kids today in schools, public etc….

Indoor hockey is not as physical as the outdoor game. Its fun to play and the kids love to join in setting up for their game of indoor hockey.

What You Need:

Table – Top

Books

Iceblock Sticks

Paper

Masking Tape

What To Do:

On a table top, position thick books all around the edges to form sides for the hockey field. Leave a gap at each end of the table for the goal area. Use an ice block stick as your hockey stick.

Making the ball: Use a piece of paper and scrunch it into a form of a ball, then wrap masking tape around it so as it keeps its shape.

Each player stands at opposites ends of the table, taking it in turns to shoot for a goal.

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

Easy Kids Recipe:

Fairy Cakes

Children love birthday parties with Great party cakes and treats, here are some party favorites. With these easy party recipes your children will love to help decorate their party treats.

Fairy Cakes are cupcakes that are decorated to look like fairies.

Ingredients

• 125 grams butter
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla or lemon extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup jam
• 1/2 cup cream, whipped
• powdered sugar to dust with
Method

1. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla or lemon extract until creamy.
2. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
3. Fold in the sifted flour alternately with the milk.
4. Three-quarters fill 18 well-greased paper patty cases or well-greased muffin tins.
5. Bake at 180°C for 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden. Cool on a cake rack.
6. Cut out a small circle in the top of each cake and cut each circle in half. Spoon a little jam in the centre hollow and top with whipped cream. Arrange the "wings" into the cream and dust with icing sugar before serving.

Child Arts & Crafts Activities:

How to Make Amazing Crafts with Kids

There are countless reasons why it is a great idea to do arts and crafts with your kids. For one, working on arts crafts helps to hone children's creativity.

Arts and crafts can also help promote teamwork and sharing, as well as offering the perfect opportunity to bond and find new common interests. Arts and crafts also allow kids to openly express themselves, even at very young ages. Nonetheless, despite all these positives, the best reason for getting your kids involved in arts and crafts is that it is fun!

If you are panicking that you will not know how to guide your child through their first craft, there is no need to worry; there are plenty of arts and crafts ideas for all ages from pre-schoolers up through teenage artists.

Best practices for doing arts crafts with kids

1. Don't ask 'What is it?' when you are befuddled as to the identity of your kids final creation. Just ask your kid to tell you more about their art or craft, and let them explain how they see their creation.

2. There will be a mess. There is nothing you can do about it. As soon as you make that realization, the whole experience will be far more enjoyable. Indeed, sometimes it is even important to make a mess. Take that knowledge to plan ahead. Get a large clear workspace for your kids, and give them the opportunity to be creative without having to worry about getting paint on your new Persian rug

2. Making arts and crafts is supposed to be about using your imagination. For this reason, try not to show your kids a completed craft as an example. Instead, let your kids learn to interpret the instructions as they wish in order to truly be creative. This will also give your kids a good lesson on the best ways to follow and adapt instructions.

4. Making arts and crafts requires a lot of focus. For this reason, it is best to get your kids to calm down a bit before placing them in front of glue and scissors.

Basic supplies for making arts crafts with kids

Just like your kitchen pantry, a kid's craft drawer should have a few staples. While you may need something more specific for special crafts, for the most part you will be able to get by with the following list: kid-friendly paint, scissors, crayons, etc. Its also a good idea to keep a drawer stocked with construction paper, beads, glitter, paint brushes, glue sticks, and the ever popular 'wiggly eyes'.

The education benefit of arts crafts

Arts and crafts can be used to apply hands-on learning to any subject. Using crafts this way helps kids think more in-depth about the subject of their artwork or craft projects. Virtually any subject matter can be taught using arts crafts with a little creativity. For instance, if you are learning about world geography, you could have the kids make a tissue paper globe.

Learn about holidays, history, and any other topic your kids should study. Even math can be enriched through arts and crafts. Remember that school isn't the only place kids should be learning; your kids will be much more willing and excited to learn if you make learning fun with interactive arts and crafts projects.

Some ideas for kids arts crafts

Kids arts and crafts can be quick and simple to keep the attention of on-the-go toddlers. They can also be sophisticated and complex for older kids who are up to a challenge. To get an idea of the scope of arts and crafts projects out there, take a trip to your local arts and crafts store or teachers supply shop. These stores will have pre-designed craft kits, including jewelry art, painting kits, and other craft ideas. Each kit will come with instructions and all of the materials you require.

Another good idea, once you have gained some experience, is to walk arts and craft stores to shop for kids art ideas. Here are some ideas: try straw painting, where kids can create arts and crafts by blowing paint through a straw onto a poster board or construction paper; or let your kids dip marbles in paint and roll them across the painting surface for a messy (but fun!) painting project.

If you are looking for something a bit less messy then try pipe cleaner art. This is a great craft because kids of all ages can join in. Young children can use their imaginations to create simple objects out of pipe cleaners. Older kids may enjoy incorporating other supplies such as beads into pipe cleaner art.

Steve Dolan loves arts and crafts and has been creating amazing projects for kids and families for years. See his exciting new ideas at http://www.funcraft sweb.com/ kids, and be sure to visit our main Arts and Crafts page http://www.funcraft sweb.com for more fun projects!

Positive Parenting Resources:

Disciplining Your Child

Too many parents in this country are unwilling to discipline their children. They demand too little in the way of good conduct and do not hold kids accountable for bad behavior. They have been convinced by mental health professionals and early childhood development experts that children need to feel good about themselves above all. Building self esteem has taken the place of forming good character.

Some mums and dads have come to believe that is their duty to erase frustration, disappointment, and boredom from their children’s lives, and help them be happy at all times. Others feel guilty because neither the parent is around for most of the day. They do not want to spoil what little time they have together by punishing when kids misbehave.

They fear that discipline may be misunderstood as withholding affection. Embarrassed about their own authority, they act like they are not sure how to accept the responsibility of being an adult in charge of a child-as if they are more comfortable being a pal than a parent. This sets the stage for ongoing issues of control in the home.

We should not be surprised if these parent’s children grow into students who do not want assignments that call for hard work, who have to be entertained as they are educated, and who complain when they are asked to meet high standards. After all, they are used to something else. We should not be surprised to hear teachers remark that their classrooms are full of young people who think of little but themselves. We should not be shocked if young adults do not understand that self gratification is not the goal of life, and that there are real world consequences for bad behavior.

If you do not discipline your child in the early years, you are inculcating some awful habits, attitudes, and expectations that are liked to carry in to the school years and beyond. You are denying your child a critical part of a good education. If you want him to turn in to a good student and a morally strong person, you cannot be reluctant to correct bad conduct. A child’s self esteem is far more resilient than many parents think and many experts imply. In the long run, a child’s self-respect will be greater if he has developed a solid sense of self control.

There is no single right way to discipline. Different approaches including scolding, time-outs, spanking, removal of privileges each work with different children, ages, and circumstances. Yet effective methods share some common traits: Parents are firm about maintaining limits. They set the clear rules so children have no doubts about the boundaries of acceptable behavior. They make sure kids know the consequences of unacceptable conduct, and they remain consistent about enforcing the rules. They leave no question about who has the final say when disagreements arise.

Parents punish when necessary, but thy also praise and reward good behavior. They try to live up to the standards they set for their children. When parents do wrong themselves, they set and example by apologizing and accepting responsibility. It is important that children see adults facing up to their own mistakes. It is also important fo them to understand that grown-ups’ shortcoming are not an excuse for kids to misbehave.

It is critical that parents agree on the boundaries of acceptable behavior and the type of discipline to be used. Make sure regular baby sitters and day care providers follow the same line. It is a recipe for trouble when a child gets mixed signals from the various adults who are supposed to be in charge.

As in most successful activities, effective discipline involves moderation and common sense. Parents must be realistic about the abilities of young children. Obviously, the younger the child, the less adults can expect in the way of self-control. Effective disciplinarians set reasonable rules, manageable limits, and fair punishments. They do not govern for the sake of control. Rather, they recognize their children’s individuality, and allow them to exercise as much autonomy as possible. They leave room for mistakes, knowing that children are not angels and that forgiving is part of a parent’s job.

Finally, effective discipline includes one essential ingredient: parents let their daughters and sons know over and over that they care more than anything else about their children’s well being, and that they discipline out of love.

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Editor’s notes & humour:

9 Rules of Friendship

A little silliness to start your day with a smile - I hope you enjoy it, too!

1. When you are sad, I will jump on the person who made you sad like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew!!!

2. When you are blue, I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile, I will know you are plotting something diabolical and that I must help you with it!

4. When you're scared, we will high tail it out of here together.

5. When you are worried, I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining, ya big baby!!!!

6. When you are confused, I will use little words.

7. When you are sick, stay away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever crud you have...

8. When you fall, I'll pick you up and dust you off-- Right after I laugh my rear off!!

9. This is my oath and I pledge it to the end. 'Why?' you may ask -- because you are my FRIEND!

Well, this has got to be the simplest, and most effective, formula for personal goal setting success ever.

You need no other formula or strategy, ever.

In order to achieve any and every goal, you simply need to answer these 3 questions.

"In order to achieve my goal....

1. What do I need to STOP doing?

2. What do I need to START doing?

3. What do I need to DO MORE OF?"

THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO THIS FORMULA FOR SUCCESSFUL GOALSETTING...

But if you DO want more suggestions and tips for goalsetting, go to:

Personal Goal Setting free self help articles

What Did You Do Today?

One day a man comes home from work to find total mayhem at home. The kids were outside still in their pajamas playing in the mud and muck. There were empty food boxes and wrappers all around.

As he proceeded into the house, he found an even bigger mess. Dishes on the counter, dog food spilled on the floor, a broken glass under the table, and a small pile of sand by the back door. The family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing, and a lamp had been knocked over.

He headed up the stairs, stepping over toys, to look for his wife. He was becoming worried that she may be ill, or that something had happened to her.

He found her in the bedroom, still in bed with her pajamas on, reading a book.

She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What happened here today?"

She again smiled and answered, "You know everyday when you come home from work and ask me what I did today?"

"Yes, was his reply."

She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it!"

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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.
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Your Editor,
Theresea Hughes.
http://free-toddlers-activity-and-discipline-guide.com

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