Yahtzee - an Educational Game?

Education can be "hidden" in a lot of toys and games.  When you think of educational toys and games for your children don't overlook some of the obvious ones.

 Today we will talk about Yahtzee, most say it is all in the luck of the roll.  That maybe true but there is some logic involved as well.  Do you use four ones for your four of a kind or do you try for sixes instead.  Do you go for your large straight when you have a 2, 3, 4, 5, or do you try in when you have a 1, 2, 4, 5?

 But besides the logic there is basic addition.  Learning to count by 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's, and 6's.  Then of course you need to total up the score.

 The game of Yahtzee doesn't take long and even if you are playing with a younger child that cannot add up the final scores just the exposure to counting by 2's and 5's for example will help them understand math concepts later on.

 Yahtzee is also great because it doesn't matter how many players you have, and you can even play by yourself and try to top your best score.

 Then you must not forget the sheer pleasure of spending time with your children doing something enjoyable.  Children flourish when attention is spent on them.  You don't have to plan an expensive trip to the amusement park to spend quality time with your children, just doing something that is enjoyable to both of you and giving them your attention is often enough.

 Start your children young introducing them to different concepts such as addition, reading, etc.  Young children love to learn and you will most often find a willing pupil that is excited to learn new things, especially when it is their favorite teacher instructing them, you.

 Your Personal Parenting Style and Your Child’s Sleep

 Good mothers and fathers come in many styles. Each one of us has different strengths, interests, and values that make us a great parent. Don’t let yourself become discouraged or disappointed when others ‘give you advice’ that doesn’t seem to mesh with who you are. Maybe you’re not a roll around on the floor kind of parent with your child.  Maybe you’ve decided to hang back and let your little one explore. That’s great! As long as it works for you and your child, nobody should be able to convince you that your method is incorrect or wrong. Once you recognize and embrace your own personal parenting style, you can stop trying to live up to everyone else's expectations and get on with the business of enjoying being a parent.

 It’s important to keep in mind too, that these well-meaning advice givers don’t know your child as well as you.  They aren’t there with your child night and day, watching him grow, learn, explore, play, eat, and sleep.  Only you know what’s best for your child, and you know what works best in your household and for your lifestyle.  As with anything, figuring things out along the way will involve trial and error. 

 So when you receive yet another unsolicited piece of advice regarding your child’s napping or nighttime sleeping habits, keep both your and your child’s personal style in mind.  You’ve done the legwork, you’ve experimented, and you’ve learned together what works and what doesn’t work.  The cues should come from your instincts regarding your child and from your child directly.  There’s no such thing as a hard-and-fast rule for sleep habits among children other than it is needed! As your child grows, his cues may change, but as long as you stay in tune with him, his sleep habits shouldn’t have to suffer as a result. And neither should yours.

 

YMCA Helps Families Bring Healthy Habits Home

Keeping kids physically active and healthy isn't exactly child's play. Efforts to keep kids fit are most successful when scheduled as a family affair, according to Chicago-based YMCA of the USA. Children are more likely to stay active and to make smart, health-related choices when parents lead by example.

 "Families that make health, activity and exercise priorities in their daily life enjoy many benefits like strengthening family ties, developing similar interests, preventing chronic diseases and, most importantly, simply having fun as a family," said Mike Spezzano, national health and fitness specialty consultant for YMCA of the USA.

 The YMCA offers six "get started" tips for embracing a healthier lifestyle at home:

 1. Commit to 20-30 minutes of physical activity as a family each day. Walk the dog as a group before dinner; share an afternoon bike ride; play a game of tag; plan fun weekend outings like nature hikes or skating.

2. Prepare healthy meals at least five days a week. Select recipes that use lower fat, sodium, and refined sugar; choose natural and unprocessed ingredients when buying prepared meals; buy fruits and vegetables over unhealthy snacks.

 3. Choose to eat meals together in the kitchen or dining room. Eating on the go or in front of the television leads to unhealthy eating habits.

 4. Hold a weekly family meeting to set group goals about health and activity. For extra encouragement, display goals for everyone to see.

 5. Stress and conflict are major culprits in undermining healthy goals. Reduce stress at home by agreeing to respect the property and feelings of fellow family members; accept responsibility for personal actions; and behave in a caring and thoughtful manner.

 6. Celebrate success with simple rewards. Enjoy movie night or a YMCA family night; buy a new board game; create hand-made awards; reinforce achievements with positive verbal feedback.

 

 

 

Your Child Is Missing

If your child is missing, time is of the essence! Take a deep breath and try to remember the last place you saw your child. If your child is missing from home, search the house quickly, check the closets, basement, and laundry, under beds, where ever else you think your child may crawl or hide. Check the doors and windows, do you see any way somebody got in. Yell out their name. Remember all this must be acted on as fast as possible! I can’t stress that enough!

 If you still cannot find your child, immediately call your police department!

 Be ready to have as much as possible details for the police. Try not to panic as the police department will need your help .Grab as much recent photos of your child as possible. They will need to know vital information of your child. When you call the police, provide your child’s name, child's age, height, weight, and any other unique identifiers such as eyeglasses and braces. Tell them when you noticed that your child was missing and what clothing he or she was wearing. Supply them with the photos and if there is any signs of a break in.

 Let them know of any possible reasons your child may be missing. Were there any friends or strangers in the home before? Are you going through custody problems? Many missing children are abducted by family members or known people.

 The best thing to do is prepare your kids to help prevent these situations. Let them know over and over. Don’t speak to strangers. If you feel threatened let somebody know as soon as possible. If you are grabbed, yell out loud for help! No one has the right to touch, grab or force you to do anything that feels wrong. Tell them to bite and fight as much as they can. Many times these simple things will scare off a would be abductor.

 

Your Teen: Tips On Successfully Fitting In

Most teens feel "different" in one way or another. Parents may understand their teens, but sometimes not in a way their children want them to. Here are some things to remember that may help parents understand their teens and help them to fit in:

 Remember, at this age friendships are very important. School is a teen's home away from home and parents should be prepared to feel a little neglected at times.

 Understand and accept that teens can be a different person when they are at home or at school; when they are with family or with their friends.

 Allow teens to keep some of their thoughts to themselves. Whether they want to communicate or not, keep the lines open at all times.

 Remind young teens that everyone doesn't have to like them and that socializing is a skill that gets better with practice.

 A good way to learn how to fit in might be to read books and watch movies about how other kids their age do it, such as "Napoleon Dynamite" or "Dr. Doolittle 3," which has just been brought out in a new DVD.

 In the third Dr. Doolittle, the next generation, Maya Doolittle just wants to be a normal teenager despite the fact that she has inherited her father's uncanny ability to talk to the animals. So far this ability has brought her nothing but trouble.

 Maya heads to Durango summer camp to get to know herself better. While there, she realizes that she can use her gift to help save the troubled ranch.

 This hilarious third installment of the wildly popular series is not only great fun, it's a nice lesson on how new surroundings can sometimes help teens realize it is okay to be different.

Do Not Let Parenting Stress You Out

Parenting does not always have to be a stressful job. There are ways to take care of your kids without always getting stressed out. Here is a list of techniques that a person can use to help manage their daily stresses and anxieties while taking care of the kids.

 Share the responsibilities of being a parent with your spouse. Do not try to do everything all at once. If you and your spouse can learn to work together then parenting will not be as stressful. Your stress will decrease when you share the responsibilities in taking care of the kids.

 Many times we get overwhelmed with many different tasks that we face. When this happens, a person should stop what they are doing and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the problem. A person could take a walk, read a book, or watch some television to get their mind off of their problems. This will help you to refocus on your present situation.

 Do not put off tomorrow what you can do today. Things have a tendency to build up if you keep putting them off. Do what you can do today. If you have to help your kids with a school project, try to get started today instead of waiting till the end of the week. When the end of the week comes, you will feel better that you got started in this particular task.

 Learn to pace yourself. Don’t do too much because you will get burned out. A person can only do so much in a particular day. Stay organized and don’t do everything all at once. This will help you to manage your stress.

 Take a day to relax. Taking the day off to go to the beach or to go shopping will help you to relax. Let your babysitter or spouse take care of the kids for part of the day.

 Being a parent does not have to be that stressful. Finding ways to cope with your stresses will help you to enjoy taking care of the kids. If you have trouble doing this, then seek the services of a professional.