Children with bright future

When we have to be both mother and father for our children in their primary residence it can be a challenge to know how to supply nurture, encouragement, protection and provision in the right measures. Our children will continue to evolve physically, emotionally and spiritually over time and their biggest influences, in their most informative years, will come from their home environment. As parents, we can only do our best. Remember that ‘best’ is a moving scale and that as we invest in our own development we create a bigger scope for our children to become more of who they were born to be. Here are my first 5 pointers to allowing your children their greatest scope for success:

1. Model Great Communication
Take time to be clear about what you want to say and why. My simplest strategies are:
• Keep it positive, so instead of ‘don’t’ speak to me like that’, try ‘speak to me politely and you’ll get a better response’.
• Try to practice replacing ‘but’ with ‘and’ - it will allow your children to retain the information in the first part of the sentence (which is usually the positive part), so ‘I think you dressed yourself really well today and tomorrow I’d like you to try a little faster.’

2. Encourage an Open Mind
Remember that there is rarely one right way. Take eggs: boil them, fry them, scramble them, poach them. Take personalities: adventurous, caring, entertaining, strategic. Take artwork: Monet, Dali, Emin or Eisner. It’s all a matter of taste, personality and preference. Encourage your child
to find out what’s right for them as well as what might be others’ experience. Be open to discussions around gender, race, age, ability, height, weight, beauty, culture, faith and education. Also be aware of
your own assumptions in these areas – no one way is better than another – all have benefits and advantages.

3. Model Respect
‘Treat others as you want to be treated’ is valuable advice that has existed for generations. If you want to be loved, then love. If you want to be encouraged, then encourage. If you want to be bruise-free, don’t bruise. Being respectful can have its challenges – especially when we deal with our ex-partners – so practice acknowledging differences – ‘I can see that you think differently about the children’s summer clubs. Let me think about it’; or ‘It sounds like your faith works for you as much as mine works for me … which is good’. Your children will take their model for respect and tolerance from you (initially) – giving them the best start possible.

4. Maintain Boundaries
Consistency encourages confidence. This applies to our homes and physical surroundings, our ability to handle a new school or work place, our understanding of how to ‘be’ around other people (family, friends, work colleagues and relatives). Once we learn the rules we can practice succeeding within them. With children, this means being consistent with messages of affirmation, rules at mealtimes, routines around home-time, bath and bed, standards of politeness and respect. Keeping these things consistent, even when we’re feeling sensitive and challenged ourselves will pay off in the end.

5. Encourage Responsibility for Relationships
It’s all very easy, especially when our children are little, to intercede in their relationships. This includes us stepping in to resolve disagreements with friends over toys, communicating with their teacher with regard to behavior and taking their side in a conversation with their other parent. There’s a difference between taking over a situation and equipping our children to learn from a situation. Again, for an easier life, I recommend putting some effort into the latter.

Buying Stuffed Animals

Buying toys and plush animals for children isn't always easy. No longer being children ourselves, it's hard to get into the head of the modern child and understand what they would enjoy. This is especially true if we don't have a lot of experience with kids, and so we often bemoan the lack of guidelines for what to look for in the toy section. Toy stores and toy sections rarely have knowledgeable staff, and all the toy label itself will have is the general information that tells us what ages the toy is safe for. We often end up buying the so-called "must have" toy of the season, either because it has been heavily advertised, or because that's what the sales person tells us is the "hot" toy. But how do we know this "must have" toy is right for child we're getting it for?

That is why we have developed these five guidelines that will help you decide which stuffed animal is the right one to give for a gift. Read on, and make your gift giving experience much easier.

1. Age

Age can be a good indicator in as that it can tell you how specific you have to be. If you're getting a gift for a toddler, practically any stuffed animal is good, as they haven't developed specific tastes yet. But if the child is older, it's probably a good idea to ask their parents if they are really into a particular animal. For example, they could love whimsical creatures such as unicorns, or they might love jungle animals, such as a stuffed lion. Remember, most older children have very developed likes, so it doesn't hurt to do a little research by talking to someone close to them.

2.Safety

This is a critical consideration. Always make sure that the toy you buy is safe, especially if the child is very young. If the child is under three years of age, any toy with small parts or sharp edges is a big no-no. For example, make sure that the nose and eyes of a stuffed animal won't easily fall off and give the child something to choke on.

3. Gender

There are very different toys marketed for little boys and little girls, so always consider gender when getting a gift. Girls often prefer plush animals that are colorful, cute, and sweet. These could include cute teddy bears, little chipmunks, a plush cat, or a plush dog. Boys often enjoy stuffed animals that are a bit mightier, with an edge of danger. These include stuffed lions, stuffed tigers, or a big grizzly bear.

4. Quality

This ties in with the issue of safety. If a toy is not high-quality, you run the danger of having a safety issue. A poorly built or stitched toy could allow parts to come off, and cause the possibility of choking on little pieces. Also, just imagine how sad a child would be if they got attached to the stuffed animal you bought them, and then it falls apart! Don't sacrifice quality for price. Remember, there are plenty of high quality stuffed animals out there that you can get a good deal on.

5. Purpose

The last guideline has to do with the purpose you have when giving the gift. Maybe you want to give them a bed time toy, or you want to get them something with some educational value. Educational toys feed a child's curiosity. Just imagine getting them a stuffed lion or stuffed tiger with the purpose of feeding their curiosity on the natural world. Or maybe you know that they are having a hard time lately. Get them something comforting, such as a cute teddy bear or a sweet stuffed toy pet. You can combine the function of the present with the child's personality and needs, getting them a great gift.

So as you can see, there are five easy guidelines to follow when getting a gift for a child. Don't just buy the newest "hot" toy with no forethought. Consider age, gender, safety, quality and the function of your gift. Getting a fantastic present doesn't have to be difficult when you have these great guidelines to follow!

You got male

I thought this was funny. Since I am almost 6 months
pregnant, I hope my doctor never says that to me.
Could you imagine? Don't get me wrong I think it's
great that doctors have a sense of humor sometimes
but not like that.LOL

Be generous

Generosity is a way of thing and looking at life
situations. When you have a generous attitude, you
are willing to think the best of others and give
them the benefit of the doubt, even when you disagree
with them.

A generous person lives from the heart and is willing
to share resources with others: time, energy, finances,
and love. A pinched attitude closes off resources: a
generous attitude allows simple abundance to flow freely.

Find More Rewarding Work

When you're happy with your job, you give
your full energy and excitement in doing
the work. The work becomes its own reward.
It's easier on you to do work that you
enjoy than to be unhappy at your job.

Ask yourself what simple steps you can take
to either make the job your in more fulfilling
or to find more rewarding work? Don't under
estimate your ability to create the life you
desire. Look for ways to improve or expand your
skills, or update your resume and look for
a new job.

Things My Mother Taught Me

My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE
"If you're going kill each other, do it outside - I just finished cleaning!"

My mother taught me RELIGION
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

My mother taught me LOGIC
"Because I said so, that's why."

My mother taught me FORESIGHT
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

My mother taught me IRONY
"Keep laughing and I'll give you something to cry about."

My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper!"

My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM
"Will you look at the dirt on the back of your neck!"

My mother taught me about STAMINA
"You'll sit there 'til all that spinach is finished."

My mother taught me about WEATHER
"It looks as if a tornado swept through your room."

My mother taught me how to solve PHYSICS PROBLEMS
"If I yelled because I saw a meteor coming toward you; would you listen then?"

My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY
"If I've told you once, I've told you a million times - Don't Exaggerate!!!"

My mother taught me THE CIRCLE OF LIFE
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION
"Stop acting like your father!"

My mother taught me about ENVY
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do!"

Make Friends your Allies

Friends can be your greatest allies in the quest
for a simpler and more meaningful way of life.
They can encourage you when you're weary adn remind
you to stick to your goals when you are tempted
to stray. Spend time with encouraging friends who
share the same goals and values. Give less energy
to relationships that drain or distract you.

You can partner with a friend and hold each other
accountable as you work together to create a simpler
lifestyle. Get together on a regular basis and
compare notes. Brainstorm creative ideas for each
other, and lend a helping hand when you can.