New Parents And Teens Child Parenting
Good Parents and Kids Parenting Tips
|
|
|
New Parents And Teens Child Parenting |
|
| ||||||
| ||||||
|
| ||||||
|
The baby sleep solution | Baby shower games | Secret to baby modeling success | Baby sign language | Planning baby showers | Baby boy names | | ||||||
|
You are free to use content from this page in your blog or website, in return for a link back to this page from that blog or website.
While You Have the Time, Take the Time
Here in Kansas, where we live, the leaves are turning beautiful shades and falling off the trees. Just last week, I was babysitting some little boys and we were playing outside. The area around their home was carpeted in leaves--ready for our enjoyment! We raked the leaves into huge piles, jumped in them, buried people underneath them, and threw leaves at each other. We had a blast! There was almost constant giggling, and no one was ready to go in when it was lunch time. (Except for the babysitter who had had enough leaves in her hair for one day!). Though such a simple thing, our time playing in the leaves brought such wholesome enjoyment. It also served to remind me of days gone by when I was a little girl. Every fall, my parents took us outside and played in the leaves with us. What happy memories! While being chased by little boys with handfuls of leaves, I couldn't help but wonder how many other children were missing out on such pleasure. In this post-modern age of video games, daycare, fast food, TV dinners, and entertainment overload, have our children been deprived of some of those marvelous "old-fashioned" joys of life' Almost a year ago, I donned a white dress and walked down a church aisle to pledge my love to the man of my dreams. In doing so, I exchanged one life for another. I am still my parents' daughter, but now I am also Jesse's wife. My childhood is over. I cannot relive those days, nor can my parents. There are no more bike rides to the ice cream store, no more wrestling matches with dad (okay, we only did that when we were little. When we got older, Dad started getting hurt, so the wrestling had to stop!), no more playing in the leaves, no more building snowmen or snow forts, no more piggyback rides, no more walks to the park. Yes, my childhood is over, but I am so thankful I can look back on it with such happy memories. My parents took so much time for me and spent so much time with me. Instead of sitting me in front of the TV, we made forts in the basement or played with finger paint. Instead of sending me off to daycare, Mom read to us, sang with us, taught us finger plays, and took us to museums. Instead of fast food for dinner, we had home-cooked meals with homemade bread we'd helped knead or green beans we had picked from our garden. Looking back over my childhood, I won't tell you my parents were perfect, but I do know they always had time for us. They realized that more important than our involvement in sports, or their volunteering in the community, was that they took the time to teach, train, and enjoy their children. Last week, a 19-year-old friend of mine died suddenly in a tragic car accident. Neither she nor her parents knew that Wednesday was her last day on this earth. Although we are grateful Rebekah is now in the presence of the Lord, we grieve that we no longer have an opportunity to spend time with her on this earth, and we are all reminded that our life is just a "vapor." While you still have it, take the time to invest in the lives of your children and those around you. Cherish each moment. You may not have many left. You may be thinking, "But I just don't have the time." Make the time. Evaluate your life: What activities are you currently involved in that are not going to matter ten years from now? How about 100 years? Simplify your life. Get rid of clutter and make room for joy. Someday when your children are grown and gone, they are probably not really going to remember the presents you bought for them or the opportunities you allowed them, but they will remember the time you spent with them. There are a lot of good things in life for one to devote time to--but only a few of those things are the best things. My parents chose the best, and I will always be indebted to them. Don't let another priceless moment slip through your hands because you are "too busy." While you have the time, take the time. Crystal Paine is a 23-year-old homeschool graduate and the owner of Covenant Wedding Source, LLC (an online retail bridal business). She writes articles on a variety of topics and recently authored her first booklet, The Merchant Maiden: Earning an Income Without Compromising Convictions. She lives with her husband in Topeka, KS. For more information on her business and booklet, visit her website:http://www.covenantweddingsource.com.
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How To Use Positive child Discipline I am a single mother of a 17 year old boy. He has turned out so great. Honor Student. Just a loving person. I attribute this to the way I brought up my son. I can't say I never yelled at him--that would not be true but I did not hit my son. Hitting is just a way of getting out your anger quickly. Verbal abuse is just as bad. So what can a mother do to raise her children in a loving way. My Husband Prioritizes Making Money Above Family Time "Money is tight, and my husband's obsessed with doing everything he can to make more of it. It's gotten so bad that he's lost interest in our daughter. He hardly spends any time with her anymore. What can I do'" Tips for Keeping Packed Lunches Fun and Interesting ' Let the child choose his or her own lunch box or reusable lunch bag. Encourage the child to add decorations, too. Toxic Chemicals, Are Your children Being Exposed' You do what you can to keep your little ones safe and healthy in this world we live in. You put your household cleaners out of reach and make sure the front door is securely locked. You tuck them in at night with a story and a kiss, wishing them sweet dreams. Unfortunately, your children are not safe! While they sleep, they are being exposed to toxic chemicals found in that crib or bed you so lovingly tucked them into. Whats Mine Is Mine You are at the grocery store with your daughter and she pulls out her hard-earned fifty cents and begins to buy a candy. Your son is at home with his soon to be step-Dad and fifty cents is jingling in your pocket... so you buy the same candy in a "boy" flavor to prevent any arguments when you get home. The Financially Intelligent Parent: 8 Steps to Raising Successful, Generous, Responsible children What you say and do about money has a profound influence on your child. There are money moments every day that you can use to teach your children important skills and lessons about life. But what to say or do isn't always obvious. Is it a good idea to pay for chores or grades? How do you help your child develop a work ethic? How do you structure an allowance to help your child learn to make choices? Why is involving your children in charity so important? Eileen and Jon Gallo, experts in the fields of children, psychology and money, provide parents with eight key behaviors that will help them raise financially responsible children: Pick Your Fights With Your Teenager Wisely I know as a single parent or even with 2 parents, it is hard raising a teenage girl or a boy. Hiking with children There is nothing quite like hiking with small children. The thrill of introducing these young ones to the wonder of nature is matched only by their eyes as they take it all in. If you follow a few simple rules when hiking with children, things go extremely well. Forget these simple rules and your treks with the young can be a recipe for disaster. Quality Time with Your Teen It's sometimes difficult to find ways to be involved with your teen without totally intruding in his/her life. You want to talk to them, they don't want to talk to you (most of the time anyway). I've found the best way to connect with my teenage daughter is to enter her world and do the things she likes to do. There's a saying that if you want to understand your child's world you have to play with them, no matter how old they are. Teaching Your children with Coupons Coupons can be a great tool in educating your child about saving money, being frugal, and shopping smart. Who doesn't want their children to grow up knowing how to save easily on every purchase? With coupon clipping you'll show them money saving skills they can use throughout their life! Alias: Aptitude Be aware. You may become totally overwhelmed when you get the results of the special education testing on your child. There is a lot of "stuff" on that report! And much of it sounds like a foreign language to many people. How Fathers Can Step Up to Fathering When our oldest son was 2, my wife went out of town for a weekend. When a friend of hers called and I told her she was out of town, she said Sibling Rivalry: The Magic Trick That Stops It Instantly It's a familiar scene: kids screaming at each other, complaining that, "He got a bigger piece of pie," or "She got to stay up an hour later last night." Mommie Moments ' Taking Time For Yourself Being a parent is a role that requires a large majority of our attention and time. Whether you have one child or fourteen children, you are more than likely aware that personal time is at a minimal. As a mother your attention is always on demand. There are meals to be made, clothes to be washed, and rooms to be cleaned. Not to mention other responsibilities like entertaining hungry little minds. From Go Fast kids to Calm child's How excited do kids get with the start of school approaching? Getting kids to go from the freedom of school holidays to move to that place of being settled and ready for school can be a challenge for some parents. Many children now days are identified as being ADD and ADHD I call these kids "go fasts" and the transition from holidays to school can be a bit more of a challenge for these child's. Being a "go fast" kid is fine, they are full of excitement and life, but it does not always suite the classroom environment. So how do you handle the transition time as they move into the structures of a new school year and a classroom environment? From Birth to Teen, Spirituality in children Until about the age of six, children do not generally have the aptitude to think in abstract terms. But they do have an imagination, and they do fantasize... it is just that they reduce or compare the fantasy to something real that they can comprehend. If they fantasize about a "universal mind" or a "universal being" or God then they usually conjure up an image that is real to them. children Cooperate When Appreciated Do you want your child to cooperate with you more? Relate With Your Teen And Gain Their Trust We were all teens at one time for some many years ago even if we don't like to admit it. Many of us can look back and say our teen years were good, but with many ups and downs as we approached adulthood. Some of us maybe were lucky enough to have parents we could talk to about anything with ease. Today's teens deal with many of the same issues, but also deal with some very difficult issues that are more prevalent in today's youth. 5 Tips for Improving Communication With Your Teenager Parents are always looking for ways to open up the communication with their teenagers. Here are 5 ideas that are all within your control. Some may represent an attitude shift, some are tactics you can apply; all have the potential to dramatically improve the communication between you and your teen. Homework Doesn't Have to Be a Battle of Wills Homework. It doesn't have to be a daily battle of wills between child and parent. There are several strategies and elements that a parent can use to maximize an opportunity to support a child's education and to massage the parent/child bond. For the parent, it is a way to understand what is going on at school and an opportunity for communication. Simply put, a parent has the ability to guide a child to positive feelings about education and to the rewards of good efforts.
|
| home | Parenting site map | Privacy policy |
| Copyright © 2011 parenting.babyinfocenter.com |
