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Archive for October, 2007

Exercise and Kids

October 3, 2007 at 5:43 am · Filed under Exercise, Parenting

Today obesity in kids is on the rise. Some experts estimate that 15% of kids are overweight and another 15% are at risk. What can we do to encourage our kids to eat right, exercise and make the decisions necessary to become healthy adults. The best way to do this is to set the example for them. When they see you making good decisions they will learn the best way to a healthy lifestyle. Surround them with good food choices. Get them involved in the grocery shopping and preparing the food. Research healthy recipes online together. Living a healthly lifestyle goes beyond our food choices. We must make exercise a part of our daily routine. Family walks after dinner are a good start. You can also get your kids involved in extracurricular activities such as dance, tae kwon do, baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, track, swimming and many more. Find out what your kids are interested in and then make that activity a part of their lives. There are also many resources available on DVD for at home exercise opportunities. The bottom line, do whatever it takes to get moving!

Check out the exercise video series on Oprah.com by Dr. OZ and The Outline just for Kids by Dr. OZ’s daughter Daphne

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Idea: Party Favor for Kids Age 4+

October 3, 2007 at 4:40 am · Filed under Birthday Party Ideas

What a great idea! Girls love jewelry and what’s more fun than making your own? We have found a website that has made it all possible.

Jewelry kits for girls age 4 and up. The kits come with more than 100 beads, storage case and easy to follow instructions. There are no additional tools needed. The kits are $5 each.

Visit the Jewelry Just for Her website today for more information and pictures.

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Activity Boxes for Kids

October 3, 2007 at 4:20 am · Filed under Parenting

Do your kids ever say “Mom, I bored”? Why not try putting together activity boxes for your kids so when they feel bored they can pull one out and use their creativity and stimulate their minds. Here are just a few ideas of different activity boxes that you can put together.

*Card Games – Fill the box with your kids favorite card games.Wig Out Skip-Bo Uno

*Create-a-Card – Fill the box with markers, stamps, colored pencils, stickers, glue, glitter and plain cardstock foldable blank cards. Your kids will be creating their own greeting cards in no time.

*Mad Libs – A favorite form of entertainment for all children. It’s even educational as you fill in the blank and discuss what noun, pronoun, adverb or adjective should go in the blank.Find out more about Mad Libs

*Magic Pen activity books – Who can forget these great books that entertained us for hours as a child? Each book comes with a magic pen that makes things magically appear in the activity book. Books include such things as hangman, baseball, basketball, trivia [yes and know] and there are a whole series of Disney related activity books.

*Reading Box – This is a great way to get your kids motivated to read! Include a reading chart for each kid so they can log their minutes.

*Coloring books – A classic pastime for all ages. Fill the box with books for all ages and interests.

*Draw it!- Fill this box with pencils, pens, markers, crayons and colored pencils. Add stencils to this box for even more fun and maybe some “how to” books on drawing. Ed Emberley is a great author who has made drawing accessible to children everywhere.

Find out more about Ed Emberley

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Making Chore Time Fun

October 3, 2007 at 4:20 am · Filed under Parenting

You might think it’s impossible to make chores fun, but where there is a will there is a way.
Whether you are a stay at home mom or work outside the home there never seems to be enough time for household chores.
What better way to get your chores done then to involve the kids.
You would be surprised at how much fun they have helping mommy out. My son loves to scrub the dishes and clean the kitchen table. Laundry time is fun for him too. He loves pouring in the soap and watching the bubbles form. Who knows you may discover that chores can be fun too when you look at it from a child’s perspective.
Here are some ideas that may help your kids get pumped about cleaning.
*Time it – make cleaning/straightening a race; turn on a timer and have them spend 5 minutes picking up the family room or play room. When the kids see the end in sight it gives them motivation to get the job done.
*Jam session – have the kids turn up their radios or cd players and rock out while tidying up their rooms or putting away laundry. One of my daughters loves to listen to stories on tape while she cleans her room.
*Keep cleaning wet wipes under the cabinet in the bathroom so they can wipe it down. Let the kids spray the mirror and wipe it down.
*Have them bring their clothes to the laundry room and separate them into different colored piles. If you have several laundry tubs they can “shoot baskets” into the correct tub.
*Chore charts are a great motivator too. Check out this site where you can print chore charts for free. http://www.successfulfamilychores.com/Chore_Charts/

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Archive for October, 2007

Exercise and Kids

Idea: Party Favor for Kids Age 4+

Activity Boxes for Kids

Making Chore Time Fun

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