Tag Archives: kids

Teaching Children to be Thankful

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It is our responsibility as parents to teach our children how to be thankful.

Teaching children to be thankful for what they have will help them become compassionate adults who want to help others.

Teaching Children to be ThankfulHere are some ways to teach children of different ages to be thankful.

Parents should start teaching their children to be thankful when they are toddlers.

  • Ask your toddler what they are thankful for and have them draw pictures of what they appreciate. These can be hung on the refrigerator as a reminder.
  • Parents should spend time talking with their toddlers about how they would feel if they didn’t have those things to be thankful for in their lives. This helps toddlers understand that being thankful feels good, so they recognize thankfulness is a positive emotion.
  • Toddlers should also be taught to be thankful for people and emotions instead of just things.

Teaching an older child to be thankful is different.

It is often easier to teach elementary age children or even teens to be thankful by showing them people who don’t have all the things to be thankful for that they have.

  • Taking children to volunteer at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter can open their eyes and help them appreciate what they have.
  • Parents can go with their kids to volunteer for local veterans’ associations or battered women’s shelters.  This may help your child become aware of how difficult life could be and thus make your child more thankful for what he/she has.

Children have a way of learning to be thankful when they understand that other people don’t have all that they do.

Do you have tips on how to teach a child to be thankful? Please share them with our readers in the comments below.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Keep Your Kids Safe this Halloween with These Halloween Safety Tips For Kids

Holiday, New posts, Parenting Articles, Safety, , , ,
When your kids are heading out to trick or treat it is important that you keep them safe. Kids get excited when it comes to trick or treating, so you need to make sure that they know how to stay safe. It is also important for adults to take safety precautions when there are kids trick or treating on the roads.

Halloween Safety Tips for Kids
Tips for parents

  • Make sure that your child’s costume isn’t too long. They could trip and fall.
  • Make sure that children have full visibility when they are wearing any kind of mask.
  • Check your children’s candy before they eat it. Some places offer candy x-rays for safety.
  • Know where your kids are going, if you aren’t going with them. If they have a cell phone make sure they have it on them so you can check in, or so they can get a hold of you in case of emergency.
  • Set a curfew for your children so that you know when to expect them home and are not stuck wondering about their safety.
  • Go over all the tips and rules for a safe Halloween with your children before they head out of the house.

Tips for kids

  • Don’t talk to strangers while you are walking alone.
  • Better yet, use the buddy system and don’t walk anywhere alone.
  • Only go to houses that have their porch light on.
  • Don’t run.
  • Look both ways before crossing the road.
  • Always say thank you after receiving your treats.
  • Do not vandalize anyone’s property. This is illegal. This included toilet papering, egging or just damaging decorations.

Tips for drivers

  • Drive slow.
  • Make sure your headlights are on.
  • Watch carefully for children running or walking into the road.
Have a fun and safe Halloween!
If you are still looking for a Halloween costume for your kids, check out Chasing-Firelies.com!  They have the most adorable, well-made Halloween costumes.  My daughter plays dress up in her costume almost every day.
Alicia Hagan, Editor

How To Keep Young Kids Occupied In The Summer

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Summer Fun

Summer is most probably be every kid’s favorite season, especially with the summer holidays. It is also the best time for parents to spend time with their children as a family. However, while you are at work, the kids need something to occupy themselves, and everyone knows how expensive summer activities could be. Here are some suggestions on how to keep young kids occupied in the summer without burning a hole in your pocket.

You do not have to send your kids to summer camps, unless you could afford hundreds a week. However, you could survey around town to look for affordable summer activities. Like for examples, libraries usually always have summer reading activities that could keep your child busy, and at the same time it is productive. Or yet even better, what you could do is find like-minded parents around the neighborhood and organize your own group activity.

Another low-cost form of quality time and fun with the kids is to bring them out for picnics. There is not a young child who would not enjoy going out for picnics. The food can be prepared from home, and be sure to plan fun activities for the family. Picnic is a good time for fun and family bonding. It is also one of those times where you get to gather your family all at once, and have a good meal together.

The summer could also be a great time to teach your young child something new. Depending on your interest, if it is something that you do not know yourself, it would be even better if the both of you learn at the same time, for example, gardening, craft making and so much more. Teaching or learning together with young kids could prove to be one of the best ways to bond.

Summer is the time where the best movies of the year are released. The cinemas are often lined up with great movies suitable for young kids. Bring them to movies, or arrange an outing for them in a group to watch movies together. You might be surprised how enjoyable watching movies could be for them.

Do not stop your  young kids from having fun, as summer should be an exciting time for them, not a boring one. The best thing to do is, when summer is almost arriving, you should plan ahead activities for your children to keep them occupied and engaged throughout summer with productive and fun activities.

Join in the conversationHow do you keep your young child(ren) occupied in the summer?  Join in the conversation.. leave a comment below.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Are you Happy or Stressed that the Kids are out of School for the Summer?

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summer vacation stress question

I asked the question on Twitter this morning “Two more days until my 11 yr old is out of school. Do you get excited about your kids being out of school, stressed, or both?” and was thrilled to get a good mix of answers includes those below..

Kids out of school for summer vacation - are you happy or stressed?

 

Yes, I am super excited that my 5 year old daughter is already out of school and that my 11 yr old son will be out of school is T-24 and counting.  But I also get a little stressed when I think about trying to run a business (AtlantaMoms.com too), transport my son to camp, cook, clean, play, travel, etc..

Here’s what I’m most excited about:

  • Not having to wake up at or before the crack of dawn to get the kids off to school.
  • Being able to jump in the car and go to the park (or where ever) whenever we want.
  • My son experiencing some amazing summer camps.
  • Going to the beach with my family for a week.

Here’s what I’m least excited about:

  • Not knowing from minute to minute when my 5 year old is going to come into my office or whatever room I happen to be working in at the moment, and ask for a snack, help with a toy, or for me to play a game
  • The money I’m going to spend on gas for transporting my son to his four summer camps.
  • Having to take the kids everywhere I go.. grocery store, etc..

What are your most and least favorite things about the kids being out of school for the summer?

P.S. Follow me on Twitter here.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

GeoPalz Activity Tracker for Kids Review & Giveaway

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GeoPalz Activity Tracker
GeoPalz Activity Tracker

Do you wish your kids were more active? Not the on-the-couch active that they think it active because they are moving their eyes or hands, but the get up and move kind of active?  I do and since seriously limited the amount of TV that my kids watch, they’ve been more active and they love it as much as I do!

Something that helped my son get more active is his new GeoPalz activity tracker.

With GeoPalz, the kids in your family will want to join in on the activity and stay active this spring. GeoPalz (www.geopalz.com) activity tracker is the first decorative pedometer and online game that tracks your child’s physical activity throughout the day. The GeoPalz easy-to-use pedometer sits on your child’s waistline and comes in several kid-friendly designs.

GeoPalz Activity Tracker
GeoPalz Activity Tracker - Marcus

And the cool thing about GeoPalz…the kids walk to win! For every mile your child achieves with GeoPalz, it counts as one pedpoint when you register your GeoPalz online. Your child can manually enter his or her steps online and once the points start to add up, he or she can use the points to redeem fun, activity-focused prizes, such as baseballs, Frisbees and gift cards to popular stores, such as Target.

Sebastian is very motivated by prizes no matter how big or small and GeoPalz has got the prize thing mastered.

 

GeoPalz

GeoPalz Website

Follow GeoPalz on Twitter

Follow GeoPalz on Facebook

GIVEAWAY!

We are giving a lucky reader a GeoPalz of their choice.  To enter to win leave a comment below telling me which GeoPalz is your favorite and why you want your child to have a GeoPalz.

Entries accepted through April 10th, 2011.  Open to U.S. residents 18+ only.

Extra entries:

  • Follow @mommyinsider on Twitter
  • Like us on Facebook
  • Like GeoPalz on Facebook
  • Like GeoPalz on Twitter
  • Tweet this: “I entered to win a GeoPalz Activity Tracker on TheMommyInsider.com!  You can entere here: http://wp.me/plszx-275”
  • Be sure to tell us what you’ve done in the comments below!

 

Alicia Hagan, Mom Blog editor