2. "My Dad knew I was going to be a comedian. When I was a baby he said, ‘Is this a joke?" - Ken Dodd

3. "Being touched and caressed, being massaged, is food for the infant; food as necessary as minerals, vitamins, and proteins. Deprived of this food, the name of which is love, Babies would rather die. And often they do." - Frederick Leboyer

4. "I always wondered why babies spend so much time sucking their thumbs. Then I tasted “baby food." - Robert Orben

5. "Did you ever notice that a new baby always seem to bear a striking resemblance to the relative who has the most money?" - Robert Paul

6. "There are three reasons for breast-feeding: the milk is always at the right temperature; it comes in attractive containers; and the cat can’t get it." - Irena Chalmers

7. "You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she’s pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment." - Dave Barry, “Things That It Took Me 50 Years to Learn”

8. "It sometimes happens, even in the best of families, that a baby is born. This is not necessarily cause for alarm. The important thing is to keep your wits about you and borrow some money." - Elinor Goulding Smith

9. "Getting down on all fours and imitating a rhinoceros stops babies from crying. (Put an empty cigarette pack on your nose for a horn and make loud “snort” noises.) I don’t know why parents don’t do this more often. Usually it makes the kid laugh. Sometimes it sends him into shock. Either way it quiets him down. If you’re a parent, acting like a rhino has another advantage. Keep it up until the kid is a teenager and he definitely won’t have his friends hanging around your house all the time." - P.J. O’Rourke

10. "It is a pleasant thing to reflect upon, and furnishes a complete answer to those who contend for the gradual degeneration of the human species, that every baby born into the world is a finer one than the last." - Charles Dickens

11. "If you desire to drain to the dregs the fullest cup of scorn and hatred that a fellow human being can pour out for you, let a young mother hear you call dear baby ‘it’." -Jerome K. Jerome

12. "Every new baby is a blind desperate vote for survival: people who find themselves unable to register an effective political protest against extermination do so by a biological act." - Lewis Mumford

13. "Babies are necessary to grown-ups. A new baby is like the beginning of all things - wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities. In a world that is cutting down its trees to build highways, losing its earth to concrete… babies are almost the only remaining link with nature, with the natural world of living things from which we spring." - Eda J. Le Shan

14. "A woman has two smiles that an angel might envy - the smile that accepts a lover before words are uttered, and the smile that lights on the first born babe, and assures it of a mother’s love." - Thomas C. Haliburton

15. “I don’t know any parents that look into the eyes of a newborn baby and say, How can we screw this kid up.” - Russell Bishop

16. "Families with babies and families without are so sorry for each other." - Ed Howe

17. "If you want a baby, have a new one. Don’t baby the old one." - Jessamyn West

18. "There is no finer investment for any community than putting milk into babies." - Winston Churchill

19. "People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one." -Leo J. Burke

20. "A baby is born with a need to be loved and never outgrows it." - Frank A. Clark

Copyright © 2005, Bridget Mwape writes for the Baby Shop UK: http://www.baby-shop.org.uk/ which features baby information including articles and discounts on baby products, gifts and advice from other parents.

This article may be republished as long as all the above links are active and clickable and this author box (byline) is not edited.

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This newsletter focuses primarily on what you can do to help children up to 10 years of age. During these years you can lay the foundation for you child to become a lifelong reader.

There is no need to worry about the amount of time you need to devote, it is the quality of time that counts. Just be consistent-give as much time as you can each day to help your child. The activities suggested are designed to fit into busy schedules.

Helping your child become a reader is an adventure you will not want to miss. The benefits to your child are immeasurable, and in the process you will find your world becoming richer as well.

Why?

Do you ever get tired of hearing that same old question? But Why? Just remember, the best way for children to learn is to ask questions. Every child has a natural curiosity and their very own imagination. As a parent, or caregiver, you can awaken your children to the joy of learning by encouraging their imagination and curiosity.

For instance: Picking up toys does not have to be a chore that you dread, instead make it into a game of sorting; - sorting is a major function in math and science; let your child help you cook a meal-cooking involves not only math and science but good heath as well, tell stories together-storytelling is the basis for reading and writing. By doing things together, you will show that learning is fun and important. You will be encouraging your child to study, learn, and stay in school.

Where to Begin

There is no more important activity for preparing your child to succeed as a reader than reading aloud together. Fill your story times with a variety of books. Be consistent, be patient, and watch the magic work.

At just a few months of age, an infant can look at pictures, listen to your voice, and point to objects on cardboard pages. Guide your child be pointing to the pictures, and saying the names of the objects. By drawing attention to pictures and associating the words with both pictures and the real-world objects, your child will learn the importance of language. Child learn to love the sound of language before they even notice the existence of printed words on a page. Reading books aloud to children stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world. It helps them develop language and listening skills and prepares them to understand the written word. When the rhythm and melody of language become a part of a child’s life, learning to read will be as natural as learning to walk and talk.

Even after children learn to read by themselves, it is still important for you to read aloud together. By reading stories that are on their interest, level, but beyond their reading level, you can stretch young readers’ understanding and motivate them to improve their skills.

The Joy of Reading

Children learn from example. The best example you can give is to show your child your love of reading. You can do this by not only reading to your child, but by letting your child see you read.

We can help our children find the tools they need to succeed in life. Having access to information through the printed word is an absolute necessity. Knowledge is power, and books are full of it. But reading is more than just a practical tool. Through books we can enrich our minds, we can also relax and enjoy some precious leisure moments.

With your help, your children can begin a lifelong relationship with the printed word, so they grow into adults who read easily and frequently whether for business, knowledge, or pleasure.

In the words of Aristotle, ‘happiness is self contentedness helping to make children deeply and quietly glad that they are who they are, and give them a priceless legacy; the strength to meet life’s stresses and the courage to become committed, responsible, productive, creative, and fully human adults…Helping a child is the greatest gift you can five in the language of the human heart. It spells love in the most profound way."

A time to remember

Many children begin to recognize words on a page between the ages of 4-7. In today’s world this may begin by recognition of a logo, a favorite cereal box, or the cover of their favorite bed time story book. Think back to a time when you were young. What do you remember recognizing?

You can help remove part of the mystery without worrying about a lot of theory. Just read the stories and poems and let them work their wonders. There is no better way to prepare your child for that moment when reading starts to ‘click,’ even if it is years down the road.

When the time comes that your child wants to read you the story, from the pictures, by all means let them, even if the story is not being told as per the written page. This is just the beginning of their desire to read to you. You can help your child’s transition by:

? Pointing to the print as you read aloud.

? Words on a page have meaning, and that is what we learn to read.

? Follow the words with your finger as you read.

The above is an example of hieroglyphics. Can you imagine how you would feel if you were trying to translate an entire book of these symbols? That’s how children feel. But with a little patience, understanding and game playing it is certain to build confidence.

It is no secret that activities at home are important supplements to the classroom. There are things that parents and caregivers can give a child at home that the classrooms can not give. Memories of good time spent together to treasure, the stories that made them laugh and cry, sharing these times with someone they love and the way that it was taught to them to pass on to their own children. By reading aloud together, by being examples, and by doing other activities, parents are in a unique position to help children enjoy reading and see the value of it.

Keeping the fun in learning

It is important to keep reading time with your child fun and keep the tone and pace as lively as possible. Most children at some point will become distracted or just plain stubborn. It is in their nature to try and assert their own independence. If at this time you force the issue of having to sit still and read they are likely to rebel, leaving you frustrated and them seeing that learning is a chore not a fun activity. It is best if you let your child set the pace and do something different. They will come back to it when they are ready. Being a parent can sometimes be compared to a trainer. It takes patience, confidence, and playfulness in your approach to get the desired results. Children love to learn but at times they need a little breathing room. This way their interest will always be renewed.

It is important to try and keep to a schedule for reading with your child. This helps give your child a solid of organization and a time too look forward to each day. One of the best times is at bed time. This not only encourages the child to get ready for bed but helps to relax them, preparing them for a peaceful sleep. If you have more than one child, it is important to try and give each a reading time alone. However, it is also a big benefit to read together and allow the older child to participate in the reading to a younger child. This not only encourages the older child to read but helps show the younger child that it is possible to make sense of the jungle of words on a page. Encourage your child to ask questions about things they don’t understand, as well as give them the opportunity to voice what they think will happen next. Talking about Stories

Talking to your child about a story if often a good idea, however, don’t over-do it by feeling the need to discuss every story. Sometime a child needs a day or two to think about that you have read, then come back and ask questions about it or mention something that they remember. By allowing your child to voice their opinion on upcoming events in the story will also encourage them to think about what you are reading and promote reading comprehension. Another way to enhance the message that reading is fun for everyone, is to invite others to join the story time, for time to time. This will give your child other opinions to think about a variety of storytelling routines.

Remember to make reading with your child enjoyable, and increase writing, talking, and listening to boost your child’s love of language.

© Copyright Long, Debbie 2005

Debbie Long is a writer/illustrator and founding member of ‘The Muse Program’, a literacy program for children. Debbie has spent many years writing curriculum for The Muse Program based on the Board of Educations curriculum units. She currently has the first two books in the Imagination Series published. ‘Short Stories with Imagination’ and ‘Story Building with Imagination’.

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Colleges and universities can be expensive sometimes getting accepted into the school of your choice can be the easy part of the educational journey of the new student. It isn’t always easy to find the money that you need to pay for your education, but there are ways to make paying for school much easier. Two of the more common ways to ease the cost of continuing education are student grants and scholarships, both of which provide certain amounts of money that can be applied toward the cost of further education without the need to repay them.

Student grants and scholarships aren’t always easy to find or to win, but the extra time taken in researching and applying for them is well worth it if you are awarded any of those that you apply for.

Defining Grants and Scholarships

The first thing that you need to know when looking for student grants and scholarships is exactly what the difference between grants and scholarships is. Both grants and scholarships are funds that are given to students based upon academic performance, financial need, or other reasons, and do not require the student to pay them back after graduation unlike student loans.

The major difference in grants and scholarships are their origins and the ways in which they are used. Grants are usually given by government offices and non-profit organizations and can generally be used to cover a variety of different expenses. Scholarships, on the other hand, are usually created by businesses or private individuals and are used to cover specific costs such as tuition or dormitory costs.

Both grants and scholarships must be applied for, and are generally considered to be highly competitive since there’s only so much grant or scholarship money to go around each semester or each year.

Finding Grants and Scholarships

There are several different ways that you can locate grants and scholarships to assist with the cost of attending a college or university. Most school guidance counselors have listings of available grants and scholarships, as well as application information on many of them. Additionally, the financial aid offices of the colleges and universities where prospective students are considering attending can provide detailed information on many of the scholarships and grants that their students receive.

The internet can also be a useful tool in assisting your search, allowing you to find grants and scholarships that can be applied for that many people don’t even know exist. While all of these might not be large grants or scholarships, even smaller ones can provide some much-needed financial aid.

The Application Process

Unlike many loans, the applications for grants and scholarships are usually somewhat involved and may require several different items in addition to the application. Many scholarship and grant applications require letters of recommendation from former teachers, community or business leaders, or others who can speak knowingly of the applicant, and they may also require essays or other written pieces from the applicant as well.

Those scholarships and grants that are given based upon financial need may require that tax statements or earned income statements be provided by the student or by their parents, so that the decision makers might be able to determine that the student falls within the level of financial need that is needed for the particular grant or scholarship.

Others may also require that the student or their parents be employed in a certain industry, be a member of a certain organization, or meet other criteria set forth when the grant or scholarship was first created.

–

You may freely reprint this article provided the following author’s biography (including the live URL link) remains intact:

About The Author

John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.

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To begin, you can learn from your own father:

Whether you consider him to have been a good father or not, you can use your experience to become a better parent to YOUR children.

Patterns of behavior are often passed on unconsciously from one generation to the next. By becoming aware of those patterns in your family, you can make a conscious decision about which ones to pass on to YOUR children.

Ask yourself: what did your father do that strengthened your feeling of connection with him and made you feel loved and safe and appreciated?

Take a few minutes and think about those things. (Even if there weren’t many, at least acknowledge what he did right.)

Write them down, and add to the list as you think of more.

Now here is the value of this exercise:

By doing those things yourself, you will strengthen the connection with your own child.

Did your dad have a way of greeting you that made you feel special?

Did he spend time with you? What did you do together?

Did he let you help him? Did he teach you how to do the things he did?

Think about how you can use those memories to nurture your relationship with your own child?

Now here is the tough part - (but your relationship with your child is worth looking at this):

What did your father do that pushed you away or made you feel shut out or inadequate or unloved.

I am not trying to open old wounds or cause you discomfort. I am hoping to help you avoid passing on those mistakes.

Make a list of those things as well.

Was it the way he spoke to you?

Was it that he was sometimes in a bad mood and that mood filled the whole house?

Did he discipline in a cruel way that made you feel fear or resentment?

No matter what your father did, you have the choice to follow the same pattern or to raise your children in a better way.

Look at your list.

Now think about what you can do to avoid making the same mistakes.

How can you speak to your child that will invite her rather than shut her out?

How can you create an atmosphere in your home that is welcoming and safe?

How can you discipline your child in a way that assures him that he is okay and you still love him?

You can learn from your own experience and give your child the things that you needed and did not get from your father.

Use your memories - not to be bitter and angry, but to become the best father you can be .

You now have the opportunity to create GOOD memories for YOUR child.

So how can you be the best father possible?

The answer is really simple: Just give your child the best of yourself.

Ask yourself - what do I have to share with my child?

Well here’s a hint:

?your love and your time and your ideas and your unique, funny way of looking at the world and your love - oh did I say that already?

?and your wisdom - yes - you have a lot of wisdom - and your child will help you to tap into it more than you anything else in your life.

Oh, and did I say your love?

Use your love in everything you do.

Every time you talk with your child, do it in a way that is gentle and affirming - in a way that says, "I treasure you."

I am not suggesting that you let your child manipulate you or that you give into his every demand.

In fact, you do have a responsibility to set limits and provide guidance.

But today we are talking about your RELATIONSHIP - how you feel about each other and interact with each other.

You can create a relationship that is loving and safe and peaceful.

Isn’t that the kind of family legacy you would like to pass on to your children and grandchildren?

Pat and Larry Downing have many years of experience counseling teenagers and their parents, conducting family mediations and leading workshops and support groups. They are co-authors of the e-Book, Feel Good Parenting: How to Use the Power of Your Heart to Create an Extraordinary Relationship with Your Child.”

For a free e-book, “How to Get the Best from Your Children,” and for more information on how to create harmonious relationships with your children, you may go to: http://www.feelgoodparenting.com

© 2005 Patricia Downing

PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on websites, provided you include ALL the above information about the authors, as it appears, including copyright information and live website link.

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Holding schools and teachers accountable, and expecting students to demonstrate what they’ve learned, sounds like a good idea. But this Act means that badly-taught students, victims of dumbed-down texts and bad teaching methods like new math and whole-language instruction, now have to pass difficult standardized tests they are not ready for.

As a result, millions of students may fail these tests, not because they are dumb, but because the schools never taught them to read properly or solve a math problem without a calculator. Millions of high school students with low reading and math skills now risk not graduating from high school until they pass these tests.

It is important that parents know the unvarnished truth about their children’s real academic abilities, but many parents are now frantic because they see their children’s failing grades on these new tests. As a result, they complain to school boards that they do not want their children taking these tests or not graduating from high school because of low test scores. To protect their children, many parents are now demanding dumbed-down tests to make sure that their kids graduate from high school and go to college.

The No Child Left Behind Act is now forcing many parents to condone schools that dumb-down their tests and standards, instead of blaming these schools for their children’s failure to learn. This is a typical unintended consequence of more government laws that try to fix problems that a government-controlled school system created in the first place.

State lawmakers in New York, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and other states have yielded to parent pressure. They have scrapped or watered-down high-stakes graduation tests that proved too tough even for students in the so-called better schools in the suburbs.

In Wisconsin, state legislators backed off plans to require high school graduation tests because of strong opposition by parents from affluent suburbs. One parent group calling itself "Advocates for Education" argued that high-stakes testing would not be fair to children and would hurt educational quality in the schools.

Critics of the graduation tests were worried that the tests would put too much pressure on the children. Suburban parents lobbied parent-teacher organizations, and state legislators eventually scrapped the graduation test before a single high-school student had taken it.

Similarly, New York and Massachusetts officials yielded to pressure by parents to set low passing grades for their new graduation tests. In Virginia and Arizona, state boards of education have backed away from graduation tests that were too tough for even the so-called better schools. Only 7 percent of schools in Virginia met new achievement standards, and 9 out of 10 sophomores in Arizona schools failed a new math test.

In New York City, school authorities estimated that over 30 percent of the city’s 11th-graders would not be eligible to graduate if the English language standard that will take effect next year was being applied today. Diane Ravitch of the Brookings Institute in Washington is a longtime analyst of New York’s public-school system She estimated that in some neighborhoods, less than 5 percent of high-school seniors would qualify to graduate under the new standards.

Parents, particularly those with younger children, should take heed. You don’t want to end up with high-school kids who may not graduate because they can’t pass the new tests. In Chapters 8, 9, and the Resource section of “Public Schools, Public Menace,” I explore how you can circumvent these serious problems by finding real education alternatives outside the public schools.

Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst, and author of "Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children.”

Contact Information: Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com, Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348.

Article Copyrighted © 2005 by Joel Turtel

NOTE: You may post this Article on another website only if you set up a hyperlink to Joel Turtel’s email address and website URL, http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com

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Also, many school officials now believe it is not important to teach correct spelling because, so the theory goes, a child will "eventually" learn to spell correctly. Unfortunately, millions of children who start out as poor spellers, stay that way. How, in our Alice-in-Wonderland public-school classrooms, will a child learn to spell correctly if public schools think that correct spelling is meaningless?

Charles J. Sykes, author of “Dumbing Down Our Kids,” provides the following real-life examples of invented spelling in our public schools:

"Joan W. and Beverly J. [last names omitted for privacy] are not experts. They just didn’t understand why their children weren’t learning to write, spell, or read very well. They didn’t understand why their children kept coming home with sloppy papers filled with spelling mistakes and bad grammar and why teachers never corrected them or demanded better work. Mrs. W. couldn’t fathom why her child’s teacher would write a "Wow!" and award a check-plus (for above average work) to a paper that read:

"I’m goin to has majik skates. Im goin to go to disenalen. Im goin to bin my mom and dad and brusr and sisd. We r go to se mickey mouse."

On another assignment where the children were told to write about why, where, and how they would run away from home without their parents knowing about it, here’s what one child wrote: "I would run awar because by mom and Dad don’t love me. I would run away with my brother to the musan in mlewsky. We will use are packpacks and put all are close in it. We will take a lot of mony with us so we can go on the bus to the musam. We will stay there for a tlong timne so my mom and dad know they did not love us."

Not only is this child’s spelling atrocious and the teacher’s "Wow" grade damaging to the child, but the lesson itself is insidious. Should teachers be giving writing assignments to children about how and why they should run away from home?

Spelling affects people’s lives. A person who doesn’t spell words correctly can’t communicate effectively with employees, supervisors, customers, patients, clients, business associates, contractors, or parents. He or she can’t be sure of the exact meaning of misspelled words in a contract, mortgage, medical consent form, or other crucial documents or instructions.

Invented spelling also makes a bad impression on employers and college admissions officers. Yet many public schools no longer think spelling is important enough to spend time on during the school day.

Parents, invented spelling is yet another reason why you should seriously consider taking your children out of public school and looking for better education alternatives elsewhere. The Resources section in “Public Schools, Public Menace” describes many low-cost, quality education alternatives you can take advantage of right now.

Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst, and author of "Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children.”

Contact Information: Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com, Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348.

Article Copyrighted © 2005 by Joel Turtel

NOTE: You may post this Article on another website only if you set up a hyperlink to Joel Turtel’s email address and website URL, http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com

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With the Christmas season approaching, here are 10 reasons to do your toy shopping online.

1. Child free. Trying to shop for the Christmas presents with your children in tow does not really work. Why not shop on the Internet when they are in bed or busy with something else?

2. Crowd free. Avoid the hustle and bustle of the High Street, trying to get a pushchair around a cramped and busy shop.

3. 24/7 shopping. The Internet is open for shopping at all hours. With the exception of a couple of large supermarkets, why tie yourself to when your local toy shops are open?

4. Range of toys available. You can find pretty much every toy available on the Internet. It’s a great way to find unusual and different ideas when you get stuck in the rut of buying the same type of present year after year - after all, our niche is wooden toys (www.in2play.co.uk) and we stock some very hard to find items. A surefire way of getting away from the cloned High Streets and malls we live with today.

5. Time saving. The children are not with you - and do not know what you have got them. You are not fighting off the crowds of other shoppers. You can fit your shopping into a time that is convenient for your. No finding the last parking space in town. Get the toy shopping out of the way and when you do go to the High Street, you can relax and shop for fun.

6. No shopping bags. Five full shopping bags hanging off the pushchair, the car parked at the top of a multistory carpark a mile away and the busy shopping center to negotiate. Shop online and juggling the shopping bags is history (as is keeping out the little prying hands and eyes).

7. Home or work delivery. The majority of online stores will happily deliver to your workplace or home. If you want the toys quickly, many stores will offer a courier option. While most stores will charge a postage and packing fee, just think how much you have saved on car parking, petrol and time - and if you spend enough, the store will probably throw in free postage.

8. Range of payment options. On the Internet you can pay easily by card. Many stores will accept payment by cheque or postal order. Then there are also the online payment options such as PayPal. Don’t forget that PayPal and many banks and credit card companies offer Internet fraud protection for online purchases.

9. Discounts. You may well get a good price on the Internet, but the trick to getting extra discounts is to sign up for mailing lists on websites that interest you. You will probably find that from time to time you will get extra offers, discounts and lower shipping costs.

10. Right to Cancel. In many countries you have extra rights when purchasing online. In Britain and the EU, you may cancel your order at any time during the first seven working days after delivery - for any reason at all.

Above all play safe when paying for your Christmas shopping. Check the page that asks for your payment details either has a padlock icon at the bottom or https:// before the web address. Check that you have ‘real world’ contact details for the shop. Do a quick search on the Internet for the store to see if anyone has reported unresolved problems.

Enjoy your Christmas shopping!

About The Author

Paul Harvey is owner of in2play Wooden Toys (www.in2play.co.uk) in the UK. He is also a teacher of Humanities at secondary (high) school level.

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Rubber Ducky Bathtime

This little washing game will delight the children and parents with its emphasis on good, clean washing fun! All you need is a rubber ducky and a washcloth for each child, a washing basin, bars of soap and either some flour, breadcrumbs, syrup or molasses. Before the party take out the rubber ducks and make them look as dirty as possible. Dip them in molasses or corn syrup and roll them in flour, cereal, breadcrumbs, or whatever you’ve got (you get the picture). Store them in a tray in the freezer. Once the children are ready, round them to come around the washbasin and give the rubber ducks a bath. Pass them out on a tray and put each child to work (help them out, of course, if they need it). Once they’ve cleaned their ducks they each get to take their clean ducky home with them!

Animals and the Sounds They Make

Gather up an eclectic mix of stuffed animals, plastic animal toys or animal puppets into a toy basket. With each animal, hold up the toy and ask the children, "What’s this?" and "What kind of noise does this animal make?" Go through all the animals at least once. Soon the children will be meowing and bowing and hissing and mooing in unison. Let the children play with the soft animal toys afterwards!

Bubble Popping Contest

Use either a bubble machine or get someone to blow bubbles so the children can catch and pop them by clapping their hands. If you have a cat that’s safe around small children, you may want to let him or her join in! Put on some fun music and let the popping begin!

Sandbox

If you have a sand pit, hide toys (small trucks are ideal!) and sweets in plastic containers and have the kids dig for them. They can go one at a time for say a minute each and keep what they can find and place in the bucket (but make sure you have enough to go round if clever diggers uncover most of the goodies early on!) If you have no sandpit, you can fill a large box or paddling pool with sand instead for the day.

It’s a Story Time

Gather the children around for a cozy story time or, if you’re feeling creative, coordinate a puppet show for the kids. Use bought or homemade sock puppets or your child’s toys, and try to get at least one other person to help out. Hang a portable coat rack with a red blanket or curtain as a partition and stage the puppet play just above it. Sure to capture the awe and giggles of the children! Narrate and act out one of your child’s favorite educational storybooks. Remember to read with lots of expression to keep them enchanted!

See other First Birthday Party Ideas including games, party decoration tips, and free printable invitations.

About the Author: Oleg Khasimkhanov is a father of two loving children. He thinks kids are our future and we should constantly learn how to contribute to their development. He was amazed when discovered that building a themed website is a great way to learn and share knowledge at the same time. Look at his website about Ideas for Kids Birthday Parties.

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A night of walking over hot wheels and leggos has special meaning for me, and I doubt I will ever forget the night of the little tykes tractor story, but life does have a purpose - and for me that purpose is in the form of children. It’s the loving, the kisses, the hugging, the owies, and all the problems and hassles of parenthood, as well as the joys of being a mother. Nothing else compares.

I can’t imagine life without my *treasures* or living without the fun of parenting teenagers, toddlers, and tweens, and yet somehow I can imagine that life without them, for someone who never had children is pretty much the same as mine - FULL and SATISFYING. My friends who don’t have children seem to find ways to utilize the spirit of nurturing that God gave them, and it seems to give them pleasure in the same way.

I meet people throughout life who have children who do not feel the need or desire to be fully involved parents and I wonder if they realize what they are missing. But, when I share the joys of parenting with them, they just don’t understand. So, I suppose there are those among us who just don’t get it, but for those, I’m sure God has a plan somewhere in his massive order of life to satisfy. I just really wonder what that plan could be.

For me, the oatmeal kisses, band aide covered knees, broken trophies of my past, and scattered clutter are all made worth it by the years of love and honor that my children bestow up on me in the single moment when they proudly introduce me as mom.

Copyright © 2001 ? Jan Verhoeff Printed in the USA

Jan Verhoeff is a business consultant who specializes in the development of new businesses throughout the Greater Great Plains States. She educates business owners in the process of developing business and marketing plans for their businesses that will encourage them to set and meet productive business goals.

She is the author of a variety of articles published in a variety of business and trade publications throughout the USA.

Visit her blog at http://coffeeclatter.blogspot.com

She may be reached by phone at 719-336-4036 or by email at: janverhoeff@yahoo.com.

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I remember counseling a young boy who was a ‘Sammy the Slacker.’ One day his teacher confided, "When I tell my class, ‘Children, please take out your readers,’ Sammy leans back in his chair, his arms hanging over its back, and calls out, ‘I can’t find my book!’ Sure enough, a little girl scrambles over, looks his messy desk, and finds it for him."

Sammy irritated his teacher, lost the respect of his classmates, and had no friends. These are not the consequences most parents want for their children. To help Sammy, I worked with his parents, especially his mother. I found out that her mother and grandmother believed it was their duty to be servants to their families. They were to pick up after everyone, do all the housework, and be happy too.

Sammy’s mom finally understood that she was spoiling her child, making him weak, dependent, and distasteful to others. She decided to turn off the internal voices of her mother and grandmother.

Sammy’s mother did three things:

1. Wrote out age-appropriate chores for Sammy

2. Created a chart to help build his character

3. Worked with Sammy to choose a goal for his chart

Sammy’s mother learned that goals must be clear, simple, and positive. At the top of Sammy’s chart he wrote, "My goal is to do my own work and then help others."

Sammy’s mom strengthed her bond with Sammy by:

1. Offering stickers for his chart

2. Creating a cost-free bonding activity list

3. Offering Sammy the choice of a bonding activity to do together when he earned a certain number of stickers

Once the chart was created, they posted it on the refrigerator. Sammy’s mom knew she had to encourage his improvements by:

1. Being consistent in rewarding Sammy.

2. Offering his stickers soon after he completed a task

3. Scheduling his bonding activity soon after he earned enough stickers

Because Sammy’s mom was positive and consistent in rewarding him, he went from being Sammy the Slacker to becoming Sammy the Helper. His teacher sent home reports of improvement and, slowly but surely, Sammy made friends.

Whether you have a Billy the Blamer, a Gretta the Greedy, or a child with some other problem behavior, consider using CHARACTER-BUILDING CHARTS. You’ll be teaching your child responsibility, self-discipline, and teamwork. You’ll even enjoy finding out who lives in your house. You’ll be saner and happier and you’ll be building character too.

Character Building Charts and a Bonding Activities List have been created for your convenience.

About the Author:

Jean Tracy, Edmonds, WA, USA

Jean Tracy,MSS, invites you to build character in young hearts and growing minds. To raise awesome kids with solid characters, sign up for her FREE Parenting Newsletter. Download her FREE bonding activities, parenting tips, and parenting articles at, http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

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