Or ice day, as the case may be.  Where I live, we get very little snow, but a ton of ice.  The effect is the same, though–5 people stuck in the same house together for 72 hours or more.  Usually we consider it a nice, roomy house, but on these days, it starts to feel a bit crowded.  

So, let’s talk about what to do to keep from going crazy on snow days. 

First of all, take a deep breath and get a grip on your patience.  You’re just going to have to accept that your day is going to be different, and much more kid-centered, than you had planned.  This can be a problem if you work from home (I can’t even count how many times today I told my kids, “Just because you’re home doesn’t mean that Daddy and I don’t have to work.”).  But kids aren’t entirely unreasonable.  If they’re old enough, make it clear when you need them to be independent and when you can give them attention.  You may have to reinforce it a few times, but they’ll usually work with you.

Here are some other ways to pass the time in a positive way.  Don’t forget that any of these can be spaced throughout the day or traded off (Dad plays board games while Mom reads, Mom bakes cookies while Dad uses computer).

• Trilogies.  Star Wars, Back to the Future, Shrek, Indiana Jones… at least 3, sometimes 4 or even 6 movies.  Watch one in the morning, one after lunch, and one after dinner.   This way they don’t veg in front of the TV all day, but it can still be fun to watch the whole series.  You can use the in-between time to work while they play, draw, or do chores.  Yes, you heard me, I said…
• Chores.  You might need to supervise, but why shouldn’t they fold socks, vacuum, or put away the dishes?  Not all day, of course, because snow days are supposed to be fun, but after a movie or an activity is a good time to say, “Now before we do anything else, I need everyone to bring me the sheets off their beds.”
• Board games.  Admit it; you have a bunch of games, but you hardly ever play them as a family.  Snow days are tailor made for some good family game time.  Younger kids can team up with parents or older siblings if they can’t play on their own.  And like I said above, one parent can play best 2-out-of-3 in Candyland while the other parent takes a break or gets some work done. 
• Work out tapes.  Our kids are usually in better shape than we are, but that’s because they’re used to being active.  If they are stuck inside the house all day, all that energy is going to be diverted to fighting with siblings or bugging you.  Work some of it out with them by doing an aerobics tape together.  Another way to fit in some activity is to put on a CD and dance around the living room for several songs.  But it’s no fun for them unless you get up and get moving with them.
• Baking.  Even little kids can pour a cup of flour in a bowl, and they take such pride in eating what they’ve helped make.  And then when they start whining that they’re hungry, you have something to give them!
• Reading out loud.  Give them coloring or drawing materials and start a chapter book.  You can do several chapters throughout the day, or just do a few at night.  The sitting and listeing involved helps keep everyone calm, and it has also been known to divert arguments.  The drawing during a story helps them process what they’re hearing and tap into their creative side.

Snow days don’t have to be crazy-making.  With a little patience and a good attitude, they can be some of your family’s best memories.

Upon hearing about the news that Osama Bin Laden has been killed by US Navy Seals, my friend’s 8 year old daughter had asked her this question — “Who is Bin Laden?”

You think it would be so easy to answer the question but for a parent, my friend didn’t know where to start talking about the man most wanted by America and several nations in the world.

Children younger than 5 years old will have no recollection of what has happened on the unfortunate morning of 9/11. It’s difficult to explain this to a child because it would have to open up a can of worms, so to speak. Apparently, my friend isn’t the only one with the same dilemma.

If you start by saying — “Osama was a bad guy who killed thousands of people.” You can count on hearing a lot of “Why?” from the kids. It is inevitable to discuss the facts without going on about the war.

Over Twitter, parents of younger kids have expressed their difficulty in explaining why people are rejoicing when a man has been attacked and shot. We teach our children that killing a person is bad, but what they saw on the news yesterday was different.

A psychologist say that with kids, it would be best to be straightforward but simple. And have patience with answering the why’s. Trust that you children with be able to fully understand all of this when they are a lot older.

Have you and your children discussed the Bin Laden situation at home?

There are 3 easy methods to teach your child effective time management. These are: by teaching your child how to tell time; by teaching your child how to set priorities; and by showing your child that managing time is fun.

We’ve all been children before, so we know that some hardcore beliefs that we’ve decided to keep our entire lifetime had been passed on to us by our parents at an early age in our lives. We might even have forgotten when they actually first started telling us this and that, but we’re sure they’ve been doing so for as long as we can remember. Time management skills might just be what he needs to cope better in life when he’s grown. So how can you effectively teach your child this skill?

By teaching your child how to tell time

Teach your child early on to tell time. If you want your child to learn how to manage time, then this is the first step. Other than the advantage of being introduced early to numbers as well, your child will become more responsible and disciplined when he knows how to tell time and why it’s important. Use a clock with the three hands rather than a digital clock because your child might be bored with the latter. Choose a large one with attractive designs to make it more fun. For example, when your child asks for ice cream, tell him he can have one at four o’clock. Then show him the numbers where the hands should point at this time (You’ll also be teaching him patience through this.). As he asks for more things, he’ll have the idea that activities are done at different times during the day.

By teaching your child how to set priorities

As is always said, there are always more things to do than there is enough time to do all of them. This can be true even for a child. By teaching your child how to set his priorities, he’ll know how to divide his time among his different activities; he’ll know where to spend more time on, and where to spend little. You can teach your child this by using the reward principle. If he finishes his home work first, he will have the remaining time before bedtime entirely for television. But if he wants television first, he would have to watch only until a certain time, regardless if he’s watching a favorite show. Sometimes also, you might find your child having a dilemma between doing two school projects. Ask him which one he finds more difficult and advise him to do that one first. This way, he won’t dread doing the second project because he’ll know it’ll be easier. Always make your child see the advantages of wise choices; he’ll carry this skill until the time he starts making decisions for himself.

By showing your child that managing time means fun

You should never left this part out. If you allow sufficient time to be allotted for playing, entertainment, and doing the things your child enjoys, this will ensure that he knows you mean well and that you’re not simply making his childhood miserable. This is true for all the other things you want to teach your child; if you want your child to really accept the lessons you’re teaching him, it is always imperative that you let him see the fun part of it. Also, this is important for your child to learn how to balance responsibility and relaxation, which will ultimately make him the well-rounded individual that you want him to be.

As a parent, consulting a time management e-book might help in further honing your kid’s time management skills.

Now that your child has begun to walk, talk and feed himself, it’s a good time to buy a spillproof cup. Experts says babies should start drinking from a cup at about age 1. Why the rush to wean? because prolonged and frequent bottle use can lead to cavities in baby teeth as well as in the permanent ones forming underneath.According to Fred Ferguson a professor of pediatric dentistry, Baby-bottle tooth decay occurs when the sugars in milk, juice and other beverages react with bacteria in a baby’s mouth to form acid.

So here are the following tips to make the switch (from bottle to cup) easier:

* You should make the cup irresistable: Let your child  drink from the cup to quench his thirst during meals and then offer him his bottle afterward. Once things are going well, you can cut the bottle out completely. You can also offer only water in your child’s bottle while filling the cup with his favorite drinks. Water doesn’t promote tooth decay and given the choice, a child will choose a cup filled with milk or juice over a bottle of plain water.

*Distract him with other things- If your toddler asks for his bottle, try distracting him with a toy, an activity, or a snack instead. Let your toddler see you or other older siblings  drinking from a cup. Chances are he’ll be doing what you and the other big kids are doing.

* Continue to encourage him – If your gradual  weaning isn’t working, (your last option is to  throw all your toddler’s bottles) you can always praise him for being a big kid and explain the the” bottle man” is coming soon to collect bottles for all the new babies being born. Toddlers may complain for two or three days but typically they will move on.

Great recommended reads from around our network?

This is mine!

Parentcall: The snow solution

Steps to ensure your child doesn’t get bullied

 ”honey, it’s time for you to sleep now.” “but mom!!!!!!!! I’m not yet sleepy and besides I’m not even tired yet” 

This is a normal conversation between a mom and her little one who prefers playing than sleeping. During this moment, your patience will be tested and yes, It won’t be easy. It is important that your child understands why she needs to sleep.  That heavy and groggy feeling shows that your child is not at her best condition. She needs to know that her body is like a celphone battery that needs to be recharged.  So here  are the following things that you can do to help your child love sleeping.

• Sleep with your little one. It helps your child get into a routine.
• Try bedtime routines like, reading, or taking a warm bath. It helps your child to  be calm and relax.
• No sodas, ice tea or any food contains caffeine before bedtime.
• Avoid having TV inside your child’s room. Study shows that kids who have TV’s in their rooms sleep less.
• Remember that children has wild imaginations. Avoid watching scary movies or TV shows close to bedtime because it makes it hard for them to fall asleep. Just incase this situation happens, pray with your child before they go to sleep.
• Use your child’s bed only for sleeping. In that way,you’ll train your child’s body to associate her bed with sleep.
• Have a “bedtime chit-chat”. This is the time to ask your child how her day was. This will  help your child relax and It will be easy for her to sleep.

Great recommended reads from around our network?

Keep your child’s holiday “party safe”

Holiday gift ideas