Hi again. Glad you took the time to drop by Parents R Us! Today for reference as well as laughs, I present to you a Parents Dictionary. I'm sure you'll recognize quite a few of the terms and you may even learn a few too.

-A-

Airplane - That thing parents act like to get toddlers to eat their carrots.

Alien - What you think invaded your home when your teen does chores on their own.

Apples - Fruit that is good for you. Usually passed by for something with sugar.


-B-

Bajillion - Number of times parents tell their kids to do something.

Bathroom - Everyone uses it but most have the idea (except for Mommy) that bathrooms clean themselves.

Because - A catch all reason parents give when kids ask "Why?"


-C-

Car - That thing your teen is always begging for.

China - paper plates

Cook - (see Mom)


-D-

Date - When Mom and Dad go out without the kids. Rarely occurs.


-E-

Ears - Kids keep a pound of dirt here.

Eating - Happens all the time except for at meals.

Energy - Mom has none, kids have plenty until time to do homework or chores.


-F-

Fables - Those tales teens tell to get out of various scraps.

Food - Answer of choice by parents when children ask "What's for dinner?"


-G-

Gum - Object attracted to both shoes and hair.


-H-

Hamper - Usually in the center of piles of dirty clothes with nothing in it.

Handy Wipe - Material closest to child's mouth.


-I-

Ice - Product of fiction. The ice tray is always empty. Strangely no one knows why.


-J-

Jeans - Clothing of choice for most kids

Junk - What's under your kids bed.


-K-

Ketchup - Favorite side of choice as well as most common stain in the house.

Kisses - Band-Aids from Mommy.


-L-

Lying - 50% of what comes out of your teens mouth.

Loser - The way your kids refer to their friends.


-M-

Makeup - Something mom's never use anymore and you forbid your daughter to wear.

Maybe - NO WAY.

Milk - Only consumed with large quantities of chocolate or sugary cereal.

Mom - (see Cook, Chauffer, Maid etc.)

MOMMMMM!!!!!!!!! - Frantic yell by a kid that wants something.


-N-

Naughty - Means Santa won't bring you presents.


-O-

Ocean - The state of the bathroom floor after family showers.


-P-

Pet - Wanted by kids - taken care of by parents.

Purse - Mom's bag of gear.


-Q-

Quietness - Myth


-R-

Refrigerator - Where your teen lives.


-S-

Screaming - Kids communication of choice.

Soap - All kids seem to be allergic to this.

Spoiled - Your kids after Grandma visits.


-T-

Teacher Conferences - When parents meet with teachers and find out about everything still hiding in your child's bookbag.

Towels - Kids idea of shower rug.


-U-

Underwear - Something kids often forget to change and run out of Sunday night at 10pm.


-V-

Vacation - Wishful thinking.


-W-

Wall - Drawing board for toddlers.

When Daddy Gets Home - Length of time until punishment occurs.


-X-

Xylophone - What every parents prays the grandparents won't get for the kids. (see Guitar, Drums, Musical Instruments)


-Y-

Yahoo - Exclamation of glee that the kids go back to school tomorrow. Also something most teens are addicted to.


-Z-

Zero - Amount of peaceful time parents have during the day.

Today at Parents R Us I want to take a bit of a different route than we usually do with our blog. Perhaps you could call this a parent "heart to heart."

I have to tell you, there are days that I'm not so sure why I'm writing this blog for parents. Here I am giving advice to other parents, and I'll admit I don't always feel I have it all together myself. LOL. However, this blog is all about us learning together and providing a place where parents can pick up tips, spend some time venting, or even get a good laugh.

More than likely you can identify with the way I feel. You've probably had days when you feel exactly like I do - like you don't know a thing about being a parent. Things are going along okay…you think you have the hang of things…and then something happens that lets you know you're just learning. Yeah…don't be self righteous out there. You've felt that way too!

Most of you know I'm a step parent. I've been at this now for going on a year and a half. There are some days I feel like I'm getting in the groove, getting the hang of the whole parenting thing, and then there are those days where I sit back and feel like I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. Of course I don't let the kiddies know that though. I'm pretty good at acting like I know what I'm doing.

So, what do you do when you sit down and realize that parenting is still a mystery to you? Well, you keep going. Parenting isn't all about a short sprint - it's a long marathon. You get to about the 5 mile point of your 20 mile marathon and you feel like quitting. Muscles burn, you can barely breathe, and you don't feel like you can go on…but you do. It's like that with parenting. There are days your parenting "muscles" burn, you can't breathe, and you aren't sure how to go on, but you just keep on going!

While there are many things I don't know about being a parent, here are the things I DO know. I know that parenting is not for cowards. It's not for people who give up and quit. Parenting takes perseverance and it's not for the selfish. It is ALL about love. Okay, so maybe I'm not doing so bad here.

I know that practically every parent out there deals with these same feelings. Admit it…you know you do, lol. Just remember, you don't have to know what you're doing to be a good parent. As long as you don't quit on your kids, you're doing great. If you have moments like this, feel free to share. We'd love to hear what you have to say…so go ahead and vent.

I want to do something a little bit funny today with Parents “R” US and this popped into my mind. I was wondering what it would take to make people think they were a parents and I came up with this list.

10 - If your kids complain that the remote for the television doesn’t work, but you still remember having to get up off of the couch and turn a knob to change the channel, you might be a parent.

9 – If your kids tell you they can’t do their math homework because the internet connection is to slow, but you remember when it was hard to use a calculator, you might be a parent.

8 – If the kids tell you they can’t go where you want to go, because their cell phone gets no reception there, but you still remember when you had to stay home to get a phone call because there was no such things as cell phones, you might be a parent.

7 – If your kids tell you that a 30 dollar pair of levis isn’t good enough, because if you don’t have the 100 dollar pair of designer jeans everyone else is wearing you are a nobody, but you remember when you had to fight with your parents just to get a pair of Levis because Lee’s weren’t cool enough, you might be a parent.

6 – If your 14 year old daughter or son tells you they want to go hang out at the mall and will be home at midnight on a school night, but you remember when 8pm was too late to stay out on a school night, you might be a parent.

5 – If your kids tell you 20 dollars a week for an allowance is not enough and everyone else gets more, but you can remember when 5 dollars a week was considered a great allowance, you might be a parent.

4 – If your kids tell you they can’t eat a meal at Burger King for less than 6 dollars, but you still remember when 3 cheeseburgers, a large fry, and a medium chocolate shake cost $2.94 there, you might be a parent.

3 – If you have to tell your kids to buckle up because it is the law, but you remember when babies rode in cars without any restraints and riding in the back of a pickup truck was considered a treat, you might be a parent.

2 – If you take your family of four out to the movies for a treat and it costs you $22.50 for tickets, $20.00 for soda’s, and $20.00 for a large popcorn and two boxes of candy, but remember when the whole shebang cost less than $20.00 for either a theater or drive-in, you might be a parent.

And now for the number one example of if you might be a parent…..

1– If you are walking around the house, or the grocery store, or even doing the house cleaning and you know all of the words to The Wiggles Another Cup of Rosy Tea and you are singing it at the time, you might be a parent.

I hope this brings back great memories of more simple times to those of us lucky enough to have grown up in them. Have an awesome day, CIAO4NOW!!!!!

As every parent knows as your kids get older their mode of communication changes as does their terminology, and with teenager’s talking or TEENSPEAK as I call it, it is at its most confusing for a parent. They use words in ways that would make an English teacher cringe.

My daughter is a perfect example. One of her favorite words is “like” and I have learned that this word also has more than one meaning and that depends on the tone of voice or where it is used in a sentence.

One of the ways that the word “like” is used is as a sentence break as if her mind hasn’t quite caught up with her mouth. Here is one example. “You know we were like hanging out in the cafeteria and like we were “like” so gross”.

Another way it is used for example is as a way to say that s guy is really cute. An example of this is “He is “like” SOOOO cute”. Another example of this is “look at that guy he is “like” so cool”.

Yet another way the word “like” is used is as a form of saying that it is really important that I believe her. Here is an example of this. “You know “like” it’s the truth”, or “hey “like” this is serious”. Again remember that the tonality of the voice is the key.

Of course there are many other words that teens use, but I thought that we should start out with something easy for the first blog on TEENSPEAK and work our way up to the harder words and phrases that are part of the TEENSPEAK code.

The reason for parents discussing TEENSPEAK on this blog is because in order for us to communicate with our teenagers effectively we need to understand what the heck they are saying.

For me it is a lot like learning a foreign language, but without any of the travel that you would normally enjoy going abroad. It is however a real learning experience traveling the potholed road known as your teenager’s mind.

Have a terrific Tuesday and thanks for visiting Parents R Us again! I will be back again with another TEENSPEAK blog as soon as I can figure out what more of these teen words means, LOL, CIAO4NOW!!!!!

P.S. check out the link at the bottom of this post to help you decode TEENSPEAK.

http://www.teenchatdecoder.com/

Welcome back again to Parents R Us. I hope you had a wonderful weekend, and I'm sure you're all ready to get the kids back in school!

Today I want to address a serious topic - healthy eating for kids. Sadly childhood obesity has become a horrible problem today in the United States. More and more children are considered obese before the age of 10 and many kids are actually ending up with Type II diabetes. The problem…the foods that kids are eating.

Now you probably know that getting kids to eat healthy is not always such an easy task. However, with some work on the parts of parents, it can be done. While it's often easy to give up and hit the fast food joint or grab something quick at the store that's less than healthy, it's important that you start focusing on making sure your kids eat healthy foods. Here are some great tips for getting kids to eat healthy that can make a huge difference in their life now, and in the future.

Tip #1 - Buy Healthy Foods - First of all, healthy eating for kids starts out by you purchasing health foods. Kids are going to eat what is available to them. If you want them to eat healthy foods, then buy healthy foods for them. Leave the junk food at the store and they won't eat it. Purchase more fruits, veggies, and snacks that are healthy.

Tip #2 - Set a Healthy Example - Setting a healthy example as parents is also very important. Kids watch what you eat. If you are telling them to eat healthy and you don't do it yourself, expect them to mimic your actions, not your words. More than likely if you eat healthy foods in front of them, they are going to want to sample what you're having.

Tip #3 - Get Kids Involved - Get your kids involved with food preparation if you want them to eat healthy. If kids get to help make the food in some way, they are more likely to eat it. Come up with small tasks that they can help you with in the kitchen when you are preparing meals. It will get them more interested in the food. Allowing them to help out with choosing healthy foods at the store is another great idea. (If you dare to take the kiddies grocery shopping…lol)

Tip #4 - Presentation is Important - Presentation of the food is important. Part of getting kids to eat healthy is presenting it to them in an attractive way. If it looks bad, kids probably won't eat it. They are pretty picky about the way food looks. So, work hard to make the healthy food look enticing on their plate and they'll be more likely to eat it.

These are just a few tips that can help you get your kids to start eating healthy foods. Healthy eating for kids is so important. Not only is it going to impact them now, but the eating habits they learn as kids will stick with them for life. Get them eating healthy foods when they are young, and they'll be less likely to deal with health problems later in their lives. Hopefully you'll find these tips helpful and get your own kids to eat healthy foods.

Today on Parents “R” Us we are going to talk about the family pet. Most families have one, whether it’s a dog, cat, parakeet, or hamster etc etc etc. As you all know these animals over time come to be viewed as members of the family and loved by everyone in the house. However this should not exempt your pet from having a few rules that they must live by. Here are a few rules we have found are useful when dealing with pets, especially with dogs, which I prefer.

1) Bedrooms are off limits particularly mine and all bedrooms at bedtime. Your animals do not need to sleep in your bed; they should have one of their own.
2) No pets in the kitchen or dining room at meal times. They are your pets not people and do not have a place at the dinner table.
3) Do not feed your pet food from your dinner table; they should eat their own food. Besides which your pet might get sick from eating the wrong thing, people food is not designed for pets.
4) Whether or not your pet is an indoor or outdoor pet or both get them in the habit of using the outdoors rather than your floors for bathroom breaks. If your pet is an indoor pet you still need to make sure they get plenty of yard time.
5) Show them as much affection as they require, because they will lavish affection upon you. If you are a good master to your pet they will love you unconditionally and expect the same in return.
6) Never ever under any circumstances abuse your pet. You may have to punish them occasionally until they learn the rules, but excessively beating or verbally abusing your pet is a bad thing and could cause them to turn on you, so be very sure you are ready for a pet.

Under normal circumstances your pets will be with you all of their lives and deserve your love and respect. Like I said they become a part of your family over time and will be there through the best and the worst your lives will encounter. They will be happy or sad as you are, because they will sense how you are and what emotions you’re experiencing.

I hope this is helpful to all of you who are pet owners as well as readers of this blog. Have an awesome day and CIAO4NOW!!!!!

Welcome back again to Parents R Us. We hope you have been enjoying our posts and we look forward to hearing your feedback too. After all, hearing from other parents is what this blog is all about. So, don't be shy!

Today I want to introduce to you the idea of a "green hour" in your home. It's something that my husband and I are seriously considering for our own kids and I wanted to introduce this idea to you as well.

Kids today are surrounded by electronics. They have computers, televisions, video games, and cell phones. Too many kids spend the most part of their day watching some kind of a screen. Sadly most kids don't get any time of unstructured play, especially outdoors.

The concept of "green hour" comes from GreenHour.org. This idea is to give your kids an hour a day where they have interaction with nature and play that is unstructured. It includes taking away the electronics for an hour, and getting your kids involved in play that is emotionally, physically, and mentally good for them.

I know sometimes I look at my kids and think how different it is to grow up today. Many kids just don't get out much. They don't relate to nature, and they don't fully explore their imagination by unstructured play.

This website, GreenHour.org, understands that it can be difficult to come up with ideas for your "green hour," so they provide a discovery journal and some great activities. In fact, each week you'll find a great list of activities to use, or you can come up with your own. You can even talk to other parents and share activities, ideas, and more.

The National Wildlife Federation is actually behind the "Green Hour" campaign. Some of the benefits of unstructured time outdoors has been proven to provide the benefits of lowering stress in kids, keeping them in shape, helping them develop immune systems that are strong, encouraging creativity, developing imaginations, and kids that play outdoors are less likely to deal with the symptoms of ADHD.

So, maybe it is time that your kids get some "green" time. It's so easy to let them stay occupied with all the technology of the day. Why not work to get them to spend some time playing outdoors or doing something creative? One day they'll thank you, even though they may fight you now.

With the average kid in the U.S. spending 44+ hours each week looking at some kind of screen, it's time to do something. So, why don't you join with me and try this out? If you do, I'd love to hear how it goes for you.

Let’s talk about dinner time here for a minute. In my opinion this is one of the most important times of the day for families and parents in particular. There are a few reasons why dinner is time is so important so let’s tick them down.

1) Dinner time is probably the only time of the day where the entire family will be together in one place as a unit. This is important because it instills all family members with a feeling of unity as a family.

2) Dinner time is that time of day where the family gets together and discusses how their day went. What was good, what was bad and what any other member of the family might need to know about current or future affairs in each others lives.

3) Dinner time is the one meal where you can make sure that everyone in your family eats a healthy meal, instead of something fast from a drive-thru window. That is how most people I know eat lunch,

4) Dinner time is that time of the day where you can slow down and take a step back from all of the stress that usually encompasses a hectic day and relax. It is nice to take a deep breath and get a little perspective on the events of your day.

Of course in my home there are a few rules for dinner time that help it to go smoothly and comfortably at least for me. Let’s take a look at those rules.

1) Dinner time is everyone’s time so everyone needs to be at the table on time. This is a good habit to get into and helps with the whole responsibility thing.

2) No cell phones, laptops, or other distractions at the table. Everyone is there to eat and catch up with everybody else about their day. Any phone calls, instant messages, or chapters in the kid’s school books can wait till dinner is over.

3) Everyone eats everything on their plate’s mom and I are not short order cooks. Besides mom and I are awesome cooks so there should be none of this EWWWW I don’t like this, because we know what our family likes to eat.

4) No one is excused from the table until everyone else is finished eating. The reason for this is that it is rude. This rule also includes no bad table manners, but those are usually decided upon by each individual family.

This is how we make dinner time a successful event in our home, and for us it is very rare to miss a homemade dinner, because we seldom eat fast food. I think if more families tried out this kind of meal plan there would a lot more family values instilled within a family and its future generations. I hope this post helps all of you readers out, and I hope you all have a glorious St Patrick’s Day.

Welcome back to Parents R Us! Thanks for stopping by again. Today I want to talk about a topic that is near and dear to my heart, lol. Responsibility. I was taught by my parents to be responsible and I firmly believe that we as parents today need to pass this on to our children. Unfortunately, we live in a very irresponsible world.

Just look around. Crime is one type of irresponsibility. People commit crimes they don't want to be responsible for. There are many people in our world that live off the government because they aren't responsible enough to go out and work. Kids today often want everything handed to them instead of taking responsibility themselves. It seems that teaching kids about responsibility has become a lost art.

When parents don't teach their children to be responsible, they are handicapping their children for life. Life meets no one halfway, as my husband often says, and responsibility is imperative in every part of life. Learning responsibility gives a feeling of value and self confidence. Kids that are taught responsibility are more likely to get better grades, have better self esteem, and become successful in life.

Teaching kids about being responsible isn't something you decide to do when they turn 13 and become a teenager. You have to start young. From the time your kids can walk and talk, you can start teaching them to be responsible. As soon as they are able, teach them to make their bed. It may not be perfect, but it is a small task. Have them place their clothing in the dirty clothes each night instead of on the floor. Make sure they pick up toys when they are done. All these simple things can make a huge difference and teach kids responsibility while they are young.

As kids begin to get older, they can take on a little more responsibility. Preteens and teenagers can be responsible for taking out the trash, washing dishes, sweeping the floor, cleaning the bathroom, and other tasks that they are adequately able to handle. Not only does this help them learn about responsibility, but it makes kids feel more like a part of the family. For a house to run efficiently, everyone has to work together. This also keeps mom from being the one who gets left with all the work in the house.

Although kids should not be overwhelmed with chores that steal away their childhood, a certain amount of chores in their life is great for teaching them how to be responsible later in life. Often giving them an allowance for doing their chores is a great way that they can EARN their money, instead of merely being handed something for nothing. It teaches kids the importance of money. When they have to earn it, it becomes more valuable to them.

Of course not only should responsibility be taught around the home, but in other areas of life. There is the responsibility to learn and work hard in school. They must learn to pay for their actions as well. There are consequences to each action, which is another part of responsibility. When they make mistakes, they need to deal with the consequences of their actions.

While it's often a bit of a battle of wills to teach your child responsibility, it is imperative to their success in life. Children who are taught responsibility will be better prepared for life on their own. They will learn how to achieve success, they'll become great workers, and learn how important responsibility is in each part of their life.

Today we don't see a lot of responsibility. It's time we start ensuring that our kids become responsible adults. Many problems in society today could have been prevented if parents would have required their children to be responsible. So, make sure you give your child some jobs to do and let them learn to be responsible while they are young. It may make the difference in their adult life.

I’m going to tell you right now raising a teenager or two can be very hard. That is because while they are not little children any more they are not quite adults yet either, but are extremely knowledgeable and certainly more bold than when I was in that age group. Sometimes it seem like everything is a contest or a power of wills if you will.

You are still responsible for raising them right, as well as feeding them, clothing them, and putting a roof over their heads. It also goes without saying that you are also responsible for teaching them responsibility and their discipline to. Talk about walking a tightrope lol.

Fortunately I still have a few tools at my disposal and I am not shy about using them to get my way either. My favorite tools are their allowances, the internet, and their cell phones. These are particularly good tools to have in your arsenal because it allows you to have supreme control over their environment in your home and nearly as much on them when they are outside of the home.

An allowance is a good way to teach them responsibility. My kids earn their allowances by performing chores both in the home and on the property as well. I am not saying they do all of the work, but to get their cash they have to earn it. They also have to learn that right now having a paying job is a privilege not a right. They also have to learn that if they don’t do their work then there is a penalty and it costs them money.

The internet is another tool that I have that I use all the time. Having access to the internet is also a privilege not a right. I don’t know a teenager that can go more than one day without suffering from a Web Jones. If my kids don’t do their homework or don’t do their work in school, they don’t get on the computer. That’s it, end of story for them. They also lose this privilege if they think they can win an argument with either me or my better half, because we refuse to lose.

Last but most certainly not least is their cell phones. I treat these much as I do the internet - they are not a right they are also a privilege. They can use these if they do what is required of them educationally, as well as following the rules we lay out for them. If they don’t live up to their responsibilities they don’t have phone privileges.

Of course the one idea that I go out of my way to reinforce with them is that any and all of these privileges can be revoked for any offense, depending upon the severity of their transgression. That does not mean that I am a harsh taskmaster, on the contrary I am very mellow person most of the time. I just make sure they know where my limitations and their boundaries are and keep those lines drawn consistently.

I hope this little blog has helped to give some of you parents with brain damaged teenagers to raise a little insight and help in the arena of parenting, lol. Have a great Friday the 13th and an awesome weekend, CIAO4NOW!!!!!

Since becoming a parent, I've learned quite a bit. Some of you know that I'm a step parent of 2 teens, and I've only been mom now for about a year and a half. Since then, I've learned a whole lot. I thought that I'd share with you today a few of the things I've learned in my parenting crash course.

1. Parents Speak in Different Languages - Yep, that's right…parents speak in a different language. Each family has their own dialect. Parents have things they say that would make no sense to someone else. Sometimes I reflect back on something I say and laugh. No one else but our family would understand it. I've acquired the "parent speak."

2. I Now See Money Differently - Or should I say I spend it differently. We have a budget. We plan out what we spend. Now I've always been fairly careful about what I buy and have always been one to look for bargains. Since becoming a parent I'm always looking for the best food deal, coupons that will help me save, and trying to figure out where the money is going to go. After all, you know you're a parent when you do your "happy dance" in the meat aisle because ground beef is on sale.

3. Me-time is Actually Planned - Having kids means you are always on call. Even if they're in school, you're still on call. I can't count the times we get phone calls from school. When the kids are home, you're especially on call…even in the middle of the night. Finding me-time is a whole different story. You actually have to plan it. My husband and I plan dates together. If we didn't, we wouldn't get them.

4. Time has a Different Meaning - Speaking of time. Time has a whole different meaning when you're a parent. I used to always be 15 minutes early for everything. It rarely works that way when you have kids. You have to get them ready, get them motivated, and out the door. I've always liked things to happen on time. Well it doesn't happen that way with kids. I've learned to live with it. Lol

5. Love and Like are Two Different Things - I love the kids all the time. I don't always like the things that they do. I've learned that love is still there even when you are not at ALL happy with something they pull. In the past few months of being a parent, I've learned more about unconditional love than ever before.

6. Laughter is a Parents Best Friend - Sometimes you just have to laugh. You may want to cry, you may want to be upset, but you go ahead and laugh. Times with the kids are precious. I've learned to spend as much of that time possible laughing.

7. Parents Aren't Perfect - Shhhhh. Don't tell the kids out there, but I've discovered there is no way for parents to be perfect. Every single child wonders at some of the mistakes their parents make. It's only when you become a parent that you understand how tough it is and how easy it is to make mistakes. I make mistakes all the time. After all, there is no manual out there and kids don't come with directions.

The list could go on an on about the things I've learned since becoming a parent. Of course I figured you all wanted a blog post, not a small book. Lol. Parenting is all about a learning experience. It's a crash course that you pray every day you'll pass. I'm sure some of you can identify with some of the things I've learned. I hope you will share things you've learned as well…feel free to leave comments. I'd love to hear them!

Stressing out? It's easy to do when you are a parent. After all, our kids often do their best to make sure we are stressed. Funny how that works. Parents deal with a huge amount of stress in their lives. As you probably know, stress can cause health problems and shorten your life. So, what can you do to help alleviate some of this stress? Well, here are some top stressbusters for mom and dad.

Get a Hug and a Kiss Each Morning
One of the best ways that you can deal with stress is to make sure you get a hug and kiss each morning. This can be from your spouse or from your kids. Hugging releases the "feel good" chemicals in your body, helping to ease your stress. So hug away. It's good for you.

Call a Friend When You're Frustrated
Ever got to the point where you are so frustrated with your kids you are seriously considering ripping out every shred of hair you have? It's at this point you need to communicate with a good friend. Instead of going bald, call a friend. When you talk with friends, your spouse, or even lose family, it can keep stress hormones from being released. So, call someone up and vent a bit of steam. Your hair will love you for it.

Buy or Pick Yourself Flowers
You don't have to wait for someone else to bring you some flowers. Go out and pick or purchase some flowers every once in awhile. Put them on your desk or the table. Enjoy looking at them. Studies actually show that those flowers can relax you. Maybe you should give your spouse the hint…you'll relax if you get flowers.

Schedule in Some Free Time
We schedule everything into our days - except for some free time. Free time is so important. It doesn't matter what you do with it, you just deserve to have some free time. This time to yourself can really help you to get rid of some of the stress that you are dealing with. So, guard that "you" time carefully.

Laugh, Giggle, Chuckle
Laughter is truly great for relieving stress. Sometimes we take ourselves far too seriously as parents. Find something funny every day. Your heart and your blood pressure will thank you for it.

Hello all of you out there I guess you all know that this will be my first blog here. I am a parent and have been one for more than twenty years. I have sons and daughters and one of them is even a special needs teen. As a result I have a little bit of experience as a parent.

I will tell you that even after two decades as a parent you will most likely still learn something new everyday in the arena of parenting, because I do. This leads me to today’s topic, which is aptly titled "Whose Castle Is It Anyway".

The Castle Law is something that needs to be established early and firmly within the family unit. The first thing that you need to teach the child or children as the case may be, is that they are the child, and that you are the parent or.

One way to do this is to let them have their opinion but to let them know that you have the final word. This is especially helpful with teens as they feel the need to be heard, and you can delegate responsibility to them depending on the intelligence of their input making them feel more involved in the decision making process.

The second thing you need to teach your kids as soon as possible is what is and isn’t out of bounds in the house. Some examples of out of bounds areas are your bedroom, office, and kitchen except for getting a drink. For you dads out there the garage is your domain, LOL. You need to let them know that permission is required for them to enter these places and for good reason to.

You and your spouse may have things of a personal nature in your bedroom that they need have no knowledge of. In the office you keep the things you need to run your household and if your spouse is a work at home mom or you work at home you make your livelihood there. The kitchen is mentioned, because if you let them they will ruin their appetites and the meal you made might be a waste. In the garage there may be things kept or stored there that could hurt them. Of course all the family areas are open to all members of the family.

Chores are a good way to establish your authority and a way to reward them on a performance basis. With chores assigned to each child or teen you can delegate some of the more mundane or unessential tasks to them and attach an allowance or reward to the completion of those tasks. This will teach them the value of a dollar as well as give them some idea of what it might cost to run your household, as well teach them the axiom of “The Buck Stops Here”.

Let them know you love them even when they mess up. Also let them know that if they break the rules you set or doing something they know better than to do that there will be consequences, but that you still love them and no less than before they screwed up. Kids make mistakes, but you are responsible for them and for their actions, but they need to know that all of their actions good or bad have some sort of effect good or bad on those they share their lives with.

Lastly be there for them no matter what. Be there for the good and the bad that happens in their lives. You should be their first and last choice of who to turn to when they need someone or something. Believe it or not your kids want to talk to you and tell you what is wrong or right in their lives, but you need to be willing to listen and they need to know it or they won’t turn to you and you will have no idea what is going on.

To all of you parents out there if you do these simple things and do them right not only will the house be a home to a family but it will certainly be your castle to rule and your rule will be accepted without question and with the love and respect of all who dwell there. What I am saying is to be compassionate, kind, caring, understanding, and firm. This has worked for me for more than two decades.

Have a great evening and a wonderful weekend, CIAO4NOW!!!!!

Every child knows the exact buttons to push with their parents. They know what makes you upset. Sometimes they don't hesitate to use that knowledge. Every parent gets angry. If you're sitting there thinking "not me," get real, stop being so righteous, and realize that you have at some point been angry with something your child did.

What parents need to realize is that anger is a human emotion. It happens. If you haven't experienced it yet - you will! I guarantee it. Why? Because you are human. You don't need to feel guilty because you get angry, but you do need to know that how you handle that anger is important.

No matter how much you love your children, you will experience anger. Learning to handle it is imperative. Here are some tips for dealing with anger that are important for parents.

Tip #1 - Exit Stage Right… - Sometimes the best way to deal with your anger is to exit. Take a breather before confronting your child. As a parent myself, there have been times I walked away because I was angry and I needed to get a better perspective on the situation before I responded.

Addressing your child when you are angry is not the best option. When you are angry, you may say things that are not wise or you may even be angry at the wrong thing. If you feel angry, take a breather, figure out why you are really angry, get perspective on the problem, and then go back and deal with it.

Tip #2 - Don't Use Anger to Bring up History - With kids it's best to focus on the present situation. When you are angry with your child, often it is because there have been a series of an events that have occurred in the past weeks to bring you to this point. However, even though you are upset about the last few weeks of behavior with your child, it is best to address the current situation, especially with smaller children. Chances are they don't even remember what happened a few weeks ago. Let go of the anger and address the current situation.

Tip #3 - Get to the Point - When you're angry, it's easy to drone on to your child about what they have done and how upset you are. After about 5 minutes there's a good chance your child is going to turn you off. Try to keep it short, get right to the point, and make sure the important issues are addressed. This way you avoid making your kids go "parent deaf."

Tip #4 - Figure Out What REALLY Matters - Sometimes as a parent, you need to choose your battles. Make sure that you choose the ones that really matter. Don't just pick a battle because you are angry. Make sure that you focus on the important matters and allow the small things to go.

Tip #5 - Let Your Kids Know You Love Them - Once you have dealt with your anger, make sure that you let your kids know that you love them. Handling your anger appropriately teaches your child an important lesson. Letting them know you love them even when they do things that make you upset also teaches them an important lesson - the lesson that you'll always love them. This is an important lesson for them to learn.

Anger is going to occur. It is a human emotion. You are only responsible for how you handle and deal with this emotion. Keep these tips in mind when you are angry with your children, especially the last one - loving them.

Kids are well known for coming up with questions that totally floor their parents. Sometimes their questions are like a curve ball that leave you fumbling for the right answer. If you are a parent, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Unfortunately, many parents make the mistake of avoiding the question or giving the wrong answer, shutting down communication and sending the wrong message to their kids.

So, how can you answer your kids' questions and learn to appropriately talk to your kids? It's important that we learn how to talk "with" kids instead of "at" your kids. Here are some excellent tips that can help.

Be Respectful of Their Question
First of all, you need to be respectful of the question they ask. It may be tempting to laugh or act astounded at their question. However, you need to remember that it's amazing that they came to YOU for the answer in the first place. You don't want to make your child feel stupid. If you do, then they may never come back to you again.

Let your kids know that their question isn't stupid. Reassure them that you are happy to answer questions. Always make time to talk. This opens up the door for further communication in the future.

Ensure You Answer the "REAL" Question
Sometimes the question that your kid asks isn't what actually spoken. Figure out what they really want to know before you give them an answer. This can help you ensure you answer the right question.

Know When to Keep Quiet
It's also important that you know when you should keep quiet. Parents have a tendency to say more than they should. Kids can't absorb things that fast. Give them a bit of information to think about, then stop. You can talk to them more later.

These simple tips can help you talk to your kids in any situation. Communication with your kids is important, so remember these tips to make sure you can keep those lines of communication open.

If you are a parent, you'll find that life will go a bit better if you have certain things on hand all the time. Here is your list of things you must have if you have kids in the house.

#1 - Disinfectant Wipes - These wipes, such as Chlorox or Lysol wipes make life so much easier. They work on just about any surface, they wipe up all manner of messes, and they kill germs. This is a must in your home if you have kids.


#2 - Plenty of TP - Toilet paper. You need plenty of it. With kids, toilet paper tends to go fast. Stock up.


#3 - Eggs, Milk, Bread, and Butter - You can make many different things with these four ingredients. Keep them on hand all the time.


#4 - Ice - Ice is great for making milkshakes, smoothies, and cold drinks. It will help keep your kids happy. Either buy a bag of ice or keep the ice trays full.


#5 - Anti Bacterial Hand Gel - This is great for when you are out and about. Always carry it with you. You never know what kids are going to get into.


#6 - Paper Towels - Messes happen in a house with kids. Go with a good brand. If the paper towels are cheap, they won't soak anything up. Buy in bulk - you'll really use them all.


#7 - Soap Scrubbers - Want to make bath time fast and easy without making a big mess? Get soap scrubbers. They are made by Johnson's and great for kids.


#8 - Children's Tylenol - Have Children's Tylenol or a similar product on hand at all times. It's great for bringing down a fever. The best option is Multi Symptom Cold. This has a fever reducer, antihistamine, and decongestant in it. It knocks fevers and colds fast.


#9 - Emergency Numbers - You never know when something bad will happen. It's not being negative to think about it - it's only practical. Have important emergency numbers, such as poison control, your child's doctor, and more on hand. This way if something happens, you are prepared for it.


#10 - A Great Digital Camera - Kids grow up so fast. You should be taking pictures all the time. You don't want to forget these years. They'll be all grown up before you know it. So, take time to snap pictures on a regular basis.