HELP 4 EVERY PARENT

www.help4everyparent.com

 

July Issue 2010

Welcome to this issue of my free parenting E-zine in which I bring you small snapshots of the joys and problems of raising children.

SPECIALS

FEATURES

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 SPECIALS - When time is short

Time is something most people are short of, especially when it comes to the non essentials. But what are the non essentials? They will be different for each of us.

Big time gobblers are

  • housework( cooking, cleaning, washing, tidying etc.)

  • paid work

  • caring for the kids

  • driving kids places and picking them up

  • shopping

  • worrying

  • home entertainment such as TV or computer.

Some of the above might be very important to you and some will be of low importance. Everyone has different priorities just as we have different approaches to home and parenting. From time to time it is good to look at how we use our time especially if we are frequently feeling rushed. Good organisers have more time. Here are some helpful tips.

  • List the essential tasks you  should do each day

  • list one or two non essential tasks also

  • tick off the tasks as you do them, or at the end of the day

  • plan your menus for the week

  • write your shopping list as you do the menu

  • do other town jobs on shopping day instead of a few each day

  • do the main shop without the kids in tow

  • keep email and computer tasks up to date daily

  • organise your desk so things are not lost in the clutter

  • fold clothes as you take them from the line and put away immediately

  • plan your route so you don’t get lost when going on an outing

  • read instructions well before attempting new tasks

  • set time limits to spend on tasks whether it be on talking on the phone, gardening, helping the kids etc.

  • take time to relax and enjoy life and don’t feel guilty when you take a break.

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FEATURES

Ages and Stages-Acting together

Its great to do things together with your children whatever their ages. If you start this when the children are young, it is easier to keep doing it and so keep in touch with their interests and abilities. Once kids get to school age, their peers take up most of their time and many parents stop spending so much time together as families. Family times can be so much fun when a couple of families join together for leisure activities. If your child plays soccer or tennis, goes to little athletics, swimming or learns ballet, there are bound to be opportunities for you to watch the children side by side with other parents. Extend that casual meeting with the parents of your child’s friend, and make a new friend yourself. You can
  • make the effort to socialise together at home or at some other venue
  • invite your child’s friends home at weekends or after school
  • offer to drive both lots of  kids to sport sometimes
  • allow your child to have a sleepover
  • talk to your child about their friends
  • be positive and show you like their friends.

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Kids 'n Gardening-Growing Cress and Mustard

The great thing about growing cress and mustard is that it can be planted at any time of the year and it is ready to harvest in four to six weeks. For kids who like quick results, these are the plants to grow.

Prepare two or more boxes or pots so that the seeds can be grown separately. Use a good quality seed raising mix or soil and mix in some general fertiliser. Sprinkle the seeds liberally on top, covering them with a fine layer of compost or vermiculite. They should be kept damp until the seeds germinate – about a week in winter, but much more quickly in warmer weather.

Don’t worry about thinning the seedlings when they emerge, just place them in a sunny spot to grow. A spray bottle is good to water these seedlings with – you can also use it to keep the soil damp while they germinate.

Once these little plants measure 10-15 cm you can cut them off just above ground level with a pair of scissors and add them to sandwiches, salads or stews. If you want to have a good supply, plant pots of them successively – at about two weeks apart.

        Copyright Bev Boorer 2010

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Kids in the news -Born to Read

I’ve just been away to Manilla, a rural town in northern NSW,  to take part in a special day called Born to Read. Every child in the school came dressed in a special way to reflect their interest in reading. Special activities were on all day that encouraged reading, storytelling, writing digital stories using props and cameras, and watching an aboriginal Dance Group. Parents were involved too and I was impressed with the time and effort so many volunteers had put into making the day a resounding success. The media attended thus giving the broader community a chance to see what their young people are doing. I attended as a storyteller to junior age groups and I was honoured to be part of the event. Days like this, Literacy week, and Book Week are important days for all communities.

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Healthy Living Keeping clean

Now its winter time it can be quite daunting even for adults to take off all ones clothes and shower or bath, although the thought of plenty of hot water helps. Make sure the children are washing as thoroughly as they do in the hot weather. Look at their clothes too and make sure they are changed regularly. The washing takes longer to dry, and sometimes a long spell of wet weather depletes the supply of clean clothes.

Classrooms in particular can be smelly places in winter if the windows are all shut. Shoes and socks are amongst the worst offenders especially if the kids have to take them off for music and movement or PE. Do the shoes at your place get washed or cleaned regularly? Sports shoes can usually be washed but can be really offensive to the nose. Airing shoes every day in fresh air or sun can help. Airing jumpers and coats is a good idea too. Smoke and cooking smells get into our clothes but the sun fixes the problem. Remember that clothes carry germs so even when articles still look clean, they may be harbouring nasty cold germs.

 I saw a new ad on TV the other day that showed someone vacuuming the mattress. Now that’s something I haven’t done in a long time. I’d better get busy. There must be months of invisible germs there even though the sheets are clean.

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Book Review -Queen Victoria's Underpants

Jackie French, Illustrated by  Bruce Whatley

Published by Angus and Robertson 2010

ISBN 9780732288228

In Queen Victoria's time women didn't have underpants. Instead they wore layers of petticoats to keep themselves warm. when the Queen heard about underpants, though, she had to have them. Just as in today's world it was popular people who set fashions, and of course it wasn't long before all ladies followed the Queen's example. Jackie French, in her typical style, has taken an unusual bit of history and created a book that will delight those of us who enjoy humour, history and fashion. You will chuckle over the ideas the sewer's family had as they considered the style the royal undies should be sewn in. You will love the way the Queen's dogs carry on. the first pictures show other inventions that will interest all readers too, perhaps sparking a visit to a museum. Children of five and upwards will love this book as will their mothers and grandmothers.

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Play ideasCooking together.

Children love to do things with their parents and cooking together is something that you can do regularly. Cooking with your child doesn’t have to be  time set aside for making a special recipe. There are many jobs in food preparation that children will love helping with such as

  • snapping ends off beans

  • shelling peas

  • washing vegetables

  • using the peeler and the grater

  • beating eggs

  • adding ingredients

  • measuring flour and dried fruit.

Older children can slice soft vegies such as zucchinis and cucumber, butter bread, oil or grease the pans.  Reluctant eaters are often encouraged to try new foods when they help with the preparation. If your child has a sweet tooth, balance preparation of special treats with preparing healthy foods. Take some photos of your child helping with the cooking. These can be used as story cards. Take three pictures of the stages of the cooking of lasagne. Take a fourth picture of the family eating it. Ask your child to put the pictures in the right order and tell you what each one is about.

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Click here to contact Helen if you would like to make suggestions or have comments to make.

Copyright 2009

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Helen's  books, Everyday learning about storytelling and Simply Storytelling, will help you to tell stories to your children. For Everyday learning, go to www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au and look at the catalogue

For Simply Storytelling (ISBN 9780864588104 published by Tertiary Press)  go to  www.pearsoned.com.au/VetDirect put the title in the keyword search and click.

Three of Helen's picture books are available as downloads or CD's from Writer's Exchange at Reader's Eden. Children from 3 to 10 will love them.
Here is the link:  
http://tinyurl.com/2hm2db
 This will take you to my author's
 page.

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