I was babysitting about a year ago for a family of two. The daughter was 8 years old while the son was 6 years old. When I arrived at the house, I was surprised to see that their parents had planned for me to make the family’s meal for the following day!

Yes, I was going to make “tomorrow’s” meal, but actually, it was planned to be a fun activity with the kids! If you have never tried this before, it certainly is a great idea!

Okay, so what the parents had done was prepare a lot of meatball “batter” for the…

On this past Sunday, we took a leisurely hike at a nearby lake with two of our children.  During the hike we discussed dinner for the night, a new meal we wanted to try.  Both kids were excited about this meal and immediately asked to assist with cooking.  The kids are 10 and 12, so they can be very helpful during meal preparation. . .as long as they aren’t bickering over which job each gets to do.

After a trip to the grocery store, it was time to begin our kitchen work.  To prevent any possible arguments, we divided into teams. …

Back to school means more than fresh notebooks and new crayons. With a new teacher comes homework assignments! Each teacher has her own homework policies, and many also send home forms to be completed throughout the year. Here’s how to keep it all straight.

Get a folder for homework related notes and policies. Put any reading lists, book clubs, and instructions in the pocket so they always will be handy. Often, teachers provide phone numbers, e-mails, and even websites that students can…

I know that every parent wants to bring his child up with a healthy lifestyle. While this is a good idea, I must stress that you do not take this thought too far, specifically in the case of food. If you’re
not careful, being “too healthy” with your child might actually put your child in a worse position.

I’m not an expert, but I’m a teen. I know what’s going on among my peers. I also have seen the effects of parenting, both good and bad, on a child. One of my friends is a classic example of parenting with…

Shyness may seem endearing at times, but it also presents a lot of drawbacks for a person. Most people are shy when they are kids, but they learn to outgrow this shyness through exposure and social interaction. However, there are kids who carry their shyness through adulthood. Their lives will contain sequences of missed opportunities because they become too shy to go after what they want. Anything you do to ease your kid’s shyness right now can help him have a better future. So, how can you help your kid get over his shyness? Here are some helpful…