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your Kids Activities & Positive Parenting Newsletter
June 09, 2009

“Positive Parenting Tips” June newsletter

Thank you for subscribing to our toddlers activity & kids games monthly newsletter

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

Inspiring Quotes:

"It doesn't matter what you are thinking or what fear you have, if you just do it. Action is the only thing that matters.. I can see that at the end of my life, I'm going to look back and say, 'Gosh, I wish I had taken more action'." - Diana von Welanetz Wentworth "Life is no longer a mystery. I have found me." - Anne Axam

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.

French skipping

This game is also known as Elastics, Chinese skipping or Chinese jump rope.

Two people are the “enders” and stand inside the loop of elastic. They stretch the elastic into a rectangle shape by standing with their feet slightly apart. To start with the elastic should be at ankle height.

The jumper then has to perform different hops and jumps, jumps in and around and on the elastic.

These jumps can be done whilst chanting skipping rhymes or songs.

If the jumper is successful in completing the rhyme (and the jumps) the height of the elastic is raised to the knees, then the thighs, then the waist!

See the message board for jumping ideas and rhymes for French skipping.

What you need

A hard, flat ground surface

A rope made from a piece of elastic or stretchy rope tied together to form a loop about 3 metres long

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

Easy Kids Recipe:

“Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies”

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies - These cookies use sweet rice flour, also known as glutinous rice flour. Don't be fooled by the name; there's no gluten in glutinous rice flour (or any rice flour, for that matter). This flour, like most gluten-free flours, is easy to find if an Asian grocery can be located. It can also be found in many boutique grocery stores, such as Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. Other gluten-free flours may be substituted, but be prepared to adjust the amount of flour needed to compensate for variations in starchiness.

It should go without saying, for any household coping with celiac disease, that it is imperative to make sure all your ingredients, work surfaces, and utensils are free of gluten contamination. Special care should be taken with compound ingredients such as baking powder; make sure its ingredients list does not include gluten-containing items such as modified food starch.

The cookies are pictured to the right with various additions to the dough. Experimenting is encouraged, but please be careful choosing additions. Some of the cookies pictured have oats added, which introduce trace amounts of gluten and are not safe for celiacs.

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl

• Stand mixer and bowl (or a hand-held mixer and a medium mixing bowl)

• Wooden spoon

• Cookie sheet

• Non-stick silicone baking sheet liner (Silpat, etc.)

Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick) (120ml) butter

• ½ cup (120ml) sugar

• ½ cup (120ml) brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 1¼ cup (300ml) (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) sweet rice flour

• 1 tsp xanthan gum

• ¾ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• Chocolate chips (as many as you like)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

2. Mix the sweet rice flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.

3. In a smaller mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue mixing.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Don't worry about over-mixing; since there is no gluten in the flour, there is no danger of overworking it.

5. Fold in the chocolate chips.

6. Line cookie sheet with silicone mat and spoon on balls of dough, about 1½" (4cm) in diameter.

7. Bake until golden brown.

Notes

This will likely take longer to bake than a gluten-containing cookie recipe—perhaps about 25 minutes. Baking time will depend on the flour you use, since the protein content of the flour will determine the rate of browning from the Maillard reaction.

The silicone baking sheet liner is important, as these cookies tend to stick to the pan more than most. If you don't have one, parchment paper might also work.

Retrieved from
"http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Chocolate_Chip_Cookies_%28Gluten-Free%29"

Child Arts & Crafts Activities:

“Fall Leaf Crafts and Fun”

Looking for something to do with all those leaves piling up in your yard?

• Make a mask. Collect different colour leaves. Once dry, glue them to a plain mask to make a really cool Fall mask. You might even use for Halloween.

• Create a colourful centrepiece for Thanksgiving (October in Canada, November in USA). You can collect leaves still on the branch to fill a vase or collect fallen leaves and fill a clear glass bowl.

• When making a hand-outlined turkey (a craft involving making a turkey out of the shape of your hand) you can use colourful leaves for the tail feathers instead of feathers. You can also use pressed leaves on homemade dream catchers (press them so they last longer and keep their colourfulness instead of turning brown)

• Rake up your leaves and get a head start on Halloween decorations by stuffing a scarecrow with them.

• Collect different kinds of leaves and research them to find out what kinds of trees they come from. Then make a chart for future reference. Perhaps you could try collecting seeds from the trees as well and growing them. Don't label them when you plant them and see if you can identify the tree's type from the chart you made.

• Make a leaf wreath for Thanksgiving, or just for fall. Glue the leaves onto a circle of cardboard for the frame.

• Press the leaves and make them into cards for next year. Homemade cards are a lot more special then bought card and can be enjoyed for years to come.

• Grab a green leaf before it changes colour, trace its outline on a piece of paper (or construction paper) and colour it different colours. Try to imagine what colour the tree will be, and check back later to see how close you were. If the colours have already changed, trace the coloured leaf and try to colour it exactly like the leaf!

• Put leaves between layers of waxed paper, put a dishtowel underneath and on top, and run a hot iron over it for a minute or two. The wax will transfer to the leaves and they'll stay shiny and colorful for quite a while.

Positive Parenting Resources:

“How Moms Can Change The World”

It was the strangest time to have the blues. I was preparing to graduate summa cum laude from a prestigious university.

Once a week, a favorite professor would meet me in the hallway outside my classroom with a clipboard of ideas for the things I could do and achieve in my life.

But the more success I achieved, the less I cared, and it took me a while to realize why: Everything I did was all about me.

My depression amplified my self-centeredness. I worried incessantly about when I was going to feel better. How was I going to make myself feel right again?

Then, for reasons I really can't explain, I started visiting a bunch of ladies in a nursing home. I read Edgar Allen Poe to Dorothy and USA Today to Beth. Edie loved me to do her fingernails in sunset red, and Pauline just wanted me to listen to her talk about her great-grandchildren who lived far, far away.

As I sat listening to their stories, painting their fingernails, and playing some very long checkers games, I began to see myself through their eyes. To these women, I was a person with value just because I was sitting there. As demanding as my days were in those final months of college, the only thing that really mattered to anyone was that I showed up at the Candlelight Lodge at 3 pm. And so I did.

Now that I'm a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom, I sometimes feel - perhaps like many of you - that I don't have anything left to give at the end of the day. But people who live their life in service to others just seem to have that extra "oomph" of energy when they need it, as though their work is so important that their spirit won't allow them to tire so soon. They have the energy they need to be the people they need to be.

Who better to change the world than a mother, with her instinctive capacity for compassion, empathy, and unconditional love? Here are a few ways - large and small - that we moms can make a difference in our world.

Focus on Motherhood No one knows about living a life of service quite like a mother. We know that the best way to nurture ourselves is to nurture other people. Each day, we dedicate ourselves to enhancing the future generation. It is not only our legacy but our responsibility.

When you frame each chore as something you do out of love for your family, suddenly even plunging your hands in soapy dishwater, slicing the carrots for tonight's stew, and changing the baby's diaper take on new meaning. Let us remind one another that, each day, we all make a contribution by performing at our personal best.

Get Informed Use the Internet to research the issues you are interested in. Virtually every cause has a host of websites, information, and specific calls to action published online.

Visit http://www.makeadifferenceday.com to find projects you can participate in locally, and spend a few moments with the Project Idea Generator, which will give you ideas and examples of past projects that match your specific skills and style of giving.

Volunteer If you're prone to the holiday blues, helping someone in need is an effective way to ward off depression. In fact, RealAge.com reports that people who volunteer show improvement in areas such as "life satisfaction, well-being, and overall health." That's because, RealAge.com speculates, volunteers also experience more meaningfulness and social interaction in their lives.

With the isolation many stay-at-home moms experience from time to time, this social interaction component is not to be overlooked. You can meet people your own age by volunteering, or get a group of friends united in a cause and spend a guilt-free afternoon away from the house.

During the holiday season, opportunities abound. Just look in your local paper. On the Internet, Volunteermatch can set you up with an opportunity or idea with your specific skills in mind.

Voice Your Opinions Be politically pro-active by writing to your congressperson and staying up-to-date on the issues that matter to you. Log on to http://www.house.gov or http://www.senate.gov for representative names, contact information, and bill numbers.

Share We women tend to divide our donations among a number of causes. This year, consider giving to one or two causes that mean a lot to you, or combine your contributions with those of your friends so you can make a real difference. You can also start your own fundraising drive, or give holiday gifts by donating in your friend or relative's name. For ideas and more tips on effective giving, visit the Women's Philanthropy Institute.

When we share the wealth, we model a sense of selflessness to our children. Encourage them to follow-through by asking that they give away toys they no longer use, set aside a portion of their allowance for needy children, or share their time by visiting a retirement center or convalescent home along with you.

Mentor Confident parents make wonderful mentors. Big Brothers and Big Sisters is a national program that pairs children from single-parent homes with adult mentors. Similar programs may exist specific to your area, as well.

Mentoring children doesn't have to mean joining an organized effort. Perhaps you know a child who just needs a little extra time and attention. And, if you're a stay-at-home mom, you can simply make sure your home is the kids' hangout. Then get to know their friends on a personal level.

Make a personal contribution Everyone has a special skill that can make a difference in the world. What's yours? Be enterprising. Brainstorm ways you can help others. If you can teach, volunteer to share your knowledge at your local free university or at one of the many online education portals. (For links, see Brain Food ala Carte: A Guide to the Web's Best Education Portals). If you can write, pen persuasive letters to the editor or tutor a child in the skill. Do you know anyone who doesn't have a place to go for the holidays? Take them in this year.

Look around you. What do people in your community need? If you're ready to make a big commitment, the world needs foster parents, adoptive parents, and people willing to speak out on behalf of mothers and children.

The world needs a mother's caring, compassion, and strength. Let us show the world what a difference we can make.

We would love to hear your success stories. Let us know how you have shared your time and energy to help the world. We'll post your words in an article supplement.

Free Toddlers Activity & Child Discipline Guide
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Editor’s notes & humour:

FreeToddlersActivity&DisciplineGuide

Newlyweds

A young couple got married and left on their honeymoon. When they got back the bride immediately called her mother.

"Well," said her mother, "how was the honeymoon?"

"Oh, mama," she replied, "the honeymoon was wonderful! So romantic... " Suddenly she burst out crying. "But, mama, as soon as we returned, Sam started using the most horrible language. Things I'd never heard before! I mean, all these awful 4-letter words! You've got to come get me and take me home... PLEASE MAMA! "

"Sarah, Sarah," her mother said, "calm down! Tell me, what could be so awful? WHAT 4-letter words?"

"Please don't make me tell you, mama," wept the daughter, "I'm so embarrassed-they're just too awful! COME GET ME, PLEASE !!!

"Darling, baby, you must tell me what has you so upset... Tell your mother these horrible 4-letter words!"

Still sobbing, the bride said, "Oh, mama...words like: Dust, Wash, Iron, Cook....

"I'll pick you up in ten minutes," said the mother

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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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