A great way to build a good relationship with your child, is by showing interest in his or her day. This can be done by genuinely asking how his or her day went and then, giving your child your undivided attention. This is a way to learn what your child’s triumphs and disappointments are.

An important tip to consider in terms of parenting is to not stray far from exactly what the teacher requires for the class.  This is important because extra school supplies can add up quickly and there is a lot of items that your child may never end up using.

A good way to teach children not to be wasteful is to explain to them the cost of everyday living.  Spend some time showing your children not only that everything from electricity to food costs money, but also explain how hard and how much you must work to pay for these things.

Be patient with your child when you are disciplining him. Behavioral changes do not happen overnight, and it might take a while for your child to stop exhibiting a bad behavior. Monitor your child for small achievements, and remember to praise him when you see any improvement to give him encouragement.

To foster an environment where reading is encouraged, make sure a child is surrounded with books from a young age. For infants, have books with mirrors and textures that they can enjoy without language skills. For older children, have books with lots of pictures, and read to them often. A love of reading is formed very early, so it’s important to always create a reading environment.

If you can afford it as a parent, you should definitely send your children to private schools. Public schools are currently in shambles. Your political view might make you a little blind to the hard facts, but public schools are being held hostage by special interests and kids are continuing to fall behind.

An important tip to consider in terms of parenting is to make sure that you play an active role in your child’s life by introducing yourself to everybody that your child comes into regular contact with and getting to know them.  You want to ensure that your teachings are not being lost with other people that your child may look up to.

Having routines with your child is important for the kid and for you. Making sure you wake them up at a certain time every day instead of changing it around, or ensuring that you’re always there to pick them up at the same time ““ it’s these types of things that create routines and work to build trust in the parent-child relationship.

It is important to remember that when you discipline your children that you do it in a way that they know you still love them.  This is important because you never want to show anger in your discipline.  The goal is not to cause fear, but to teach a lesson.

If you want your teens to become good members of society, then show them by example. Your kids will follow your words and actions and will look to you as a role model. What type of role model you are is up to you. If they have a good role model to follow, then they are less likely to make decisions that are bad for them.

In conclusion, you need to make sure that you start raising your children properly as soon as possible in an effort to curb bad behavior.  The tips and tricks in this article will be perfect to start using on your children and within your family in order to have a healthy family.

Find out more information about Parenting at Better Parents

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You may be pleasantly surprised to read that particular on the major steps to make certain she or he becomes a harmless plus expert motorist is usually to let your teenager to push frequently. Consider it: if the teenage does not get any generating train, bed not the culprit this individual supposed to turn out to be encountered? And also without driving expertise, aches and pains ? she or he supposed to learn how to manage certain driving a vehicle cover letter email conditions?

You cannot only give your teen the particular tips when it is time for it to get away from with regard to institution. You will need to help she or he donrrrt harmless and experienced drivers previous to he or she actually leaves a nest. Listed here are some tips to get started.

Escape your energy. One method to help your teen turn into a professional operater would be to permit him to manage the provisions — even if it’s really a fast day at this store. Wouldn’t an individual rather start up ones boots and shoes prior to starting evening meal as compared to stand in set to get loaf of bread along with milk?

Take advantage of the climatic conditions. Do not will not enable your teen commute if it’s freezing out and also pouring birds. The times of year won’t end shifting while you’re don’t close to to be able to pound she or he, that serves to too prepare yourself him for everyone generating ailments.

Get smooth sailing. Make your teen demand for your Sunday spin and rewrite every now and then. He can gain benefit from the laid back traveling natural environment.

Make your teen’s driving a car practices. Every time you along with your adolescent are usually in the auto alongside one another, be aware of ones teen’s driving a car routines. Usually do not study or even criticize she or he that will simply call him up nervous. Praise the favorable actions, and proper a blunders.

A professional diagnosis is sometimes necessary if you believe that your child is autistic. If your child is autistic, or has another developmental problem, the sooner he or she is diagnosed correctly, the sooner the right kind of help can be provided. If your child does have autism, you may go through some form of denial once you find out that they have this disease. An example of an autistic symptom is a child that is unresponsive to touch or to the words that you say. Even if your child does not have autism, unusual behavior should be treated as quickly as possible. Expert advice is always something that you should get, especially if you feel that your child needs help.

Treatment options for autism are plentiful, yet puzzling, because there are so many to choose from. The subject of autism treatments is very controversial, with many treatments that are considered legitimate and others that are simply useless. The parents of autistic children should have an open mind to possible treatments yet be skeptical at the same time. There’s nothing wrong with trying a new treatment, especially if it’s not something dangerous, but don’t expect a miracle. Certain treatments, depending upon what they are, will be more helpful than others that you try. There is no cure for autism, however, you should rely on professional help to lead you toward potential cures that may help your child. Communicating together with your child about natural home remedies or any other subject could be simple when you’re working with your autistic child.

Giving an autistic child verbal instructions is the learning mode that they rarely respond to successfully. Each child has his or her own unique learning style. Visual learning is probably the most successful way to teach your child something and this can include a demonstration or pictures. You can include verbal instructions too, but they should be short and simple, not drawn out sentences. Autistic kids often have trouble keeping a series of steps in the right order, so it’s best to only give them one step at a time. It’s sometimes a good idea to combine the way you communicate with your child. Use a physical demonstration and pictures, as well as simple, short words.

Those that have autistic children know how important it is to be a parent with endless patience and a desire to help their children learn everyday. If you are consistent in your instruction with your autistic children, you can help them communicate better using your knowledge and the tips in this article. So go ahead and apply the above home remedies for earache guidelines to benefit your autistic child.

While schools are now required to provide care for autistic children, as well as those with any kind of developmental disorder, that doesn’t mean all schools are equal in this regard. Consider what alternatives you have and don’t neglect your research. This is tremendously important whenever you are considering any school, even a preschool, in which to enroll your autistic child. There are special schools that cater to severely afflicted autistic children and if that is the case with your child, you can enroll him or her in one of these schools. If not, there are always public and private schools with their special needs programs. The solution, obviously, isn’t clear-cut. A lot of your choices will be based on what schools are available close by and, more importantly, what your child’s special needs are. Don’t be shy about talking to the parents of other autistic children who live close to you. They are in a position to give you good, solid recommendations as well as support and advice.

Autistic children will definitely benefit if you can locate an autism support group in your area. This is very beneficial for many reasons. Other parents, that are raising autistic kids, will also be there and you can talk to them and learn tips and strategies. Most people that come to these meetings will be very friendly and open to sharing what they know with each other. Other parents may offer solutions to problems or questions that you might have, and that is why it is beneficial to be part of these types of groups. If you’re having trouble finding a group in your area, the next best thing would be to join an online community, and these are plentiful. Communicating with your child about Best Online Dating Advice or any other subject might be effortless when you are working with your autistic child.

It’s better for you to not think of autism as a disease. The reason for autism has not yet been discovered and one child’s case might not be the same as another child’s. Another important rule – don’t blame yourself. In the past, the parents – usually the mom – were blamed for causing autism in their child. “Refrigerator Mothers” is a term applied to mothers of children who became autistic because the mothers were cold and distant and the child was denied the opportunity to bond properly and, thus, became autistic. This has been shown to be completely false. You will find autistic children even in families that have very caring and affectionate parents. Scientists still don’t agree on the causes of autism, and there is a school of thought that genetics is the cause, even though why this is so isn’t clear. Another consensus is that environmental toxins are to blame, at least partly. The best thing you can do is realize that it’s not your fault. Science and research are no longer focused on “who to blame” and instead are focusing on understanding the causes. Accept your child and make the best life for him or her that you can.

While having an autistic child can be difficult, if you’re patient and pay attention to his or her particular needs, you can often make progress with the child. Although different, autistic children have the ability to communicate in many different ways and also learn effectively. Just do your best to research different methods to help your child learn and develop. So go ahead and apply the above Dating Women Tips ideas to benefit your autistic child.

There have been many studies performed on the topics of raising and/or caring for babies. These studies have even tackled a few touchy topics like sleeping habits. Some evidence supports the idea that sleeping with parents causes babies to sleep more soundly. Not only do these babies tend to wake less at night but they are also likely to fall asleep faster too. Then there is the fact that parents who sleep with their babies are able to respond faster when needed. Keep in mind that there are plenty of drawbacks that go along with co-sleeping too. Take a little time to get professional opinions as well as that of other parents before you take the plunge.

It can be unnerving for some men to display love and affection toward their children. Aside from that, you might even feel a little weird about showing admiration toward your children. But as you know, it is very important for the healthy development of children to receive such demonstrations from both parents. It is easy and practical for you to recognize the appropriate times to do this. Obviously, your personality is virtually set at this point, although you can show positive emotions and feelings. Even if you feel a bit uneasy in the beginning, it will become simpler if you do it more often. Even if it really is distressing, do not focus on it and rather focus on the positive web design aspect of it.

Single fathers can face the same challenge that single mothers face; they have to assume the roles of both parents. This basically means that when a certain situation arises you’ll have to put on different hats, so to speak, as you’ll need to be both a father and a mother. Time such as those really mean you need to be willing to provide emotional support and nurturing. We definitely know that this isn’t always the most comfortable thing for you to do. Perhaps you can help your self by simply engaging in empathetic thinking and feeling. By getting a sense of empathy for the way in which your child is feeling and what they’re experiencing you will be able to overcome obstacles more easily.

Both the experience of being a single parenting father and being able to make progress with your personal development can be very rewarding indeed. You can become more successful by simply finding out some more about the different challenges single parents encounter. So in the event you want to make your parenting as amazing as web designer, then it is crucial which you maintain these issues in mind as a father.

What will ever your toddler if this predicament is not to be fixed? Could he high quality all the learning’s he or she have instead of achieve way more? Being a parent, Almost certainly that you won’t help which appear so you might want to go at present. What is going to you choose to do using this question? Recommendations a answer, you can hire someone to be your kid’s trainer or you will, i think could possibly be the consultant for yourself little one, the treatment depends with your conclusion. End up being shrewd with the help of every last option you get, do not forget that whatever is important at present include the understanding which usually your youngster can result in.

If most people had commit that they are typically the instructor involving your toddler, check out requests that we will ask you will: what precisely devices you will employ that might improve your employees children’s a fixation with discovering? ; The things program and also systems you will employ? This article is idea so that you can with all your concern, of these everyone did refer to tutoring and even i will converse about the things that you should think of. Nevertheless, you may check tuition agency.

In coaching, educators use a lot of things or possibly equipment to make the youngsters a great deal more curious on trading. With tutoring your toddler, it not suggest you will purchase various materials to use, still blackboard can help, plus a stylish write ıncluding a documents. These are easy fabrics nevertheless absolutely ideal benefit to your youngster’s grasping.

You must show your current little one the demand of information times, the benefits however after increase when definitely focus on the understanding the concepts of procedure. It’s a few making her fully grasp the slide not to mention producing enjoy a fine suggestions considering the whole hobby. Provide him tasks to perform so you can find out this listlessness additionally, the issue where your dog can feel he or she is excellent.

Do not save your daughter or son any kind of cheer! When you can find out her change for the better, notify good remarks to be able to your pet which would really help them accumulate his or her self-esteem. Equally, average insurance expenses to grant pay back each and every time the thing is that all success in their research projects. Communicate with her trainer and even test their function. Use a fine experience of tutoring him. What is more, tuition agency can be connected with great guidance.

So, here are a dozen or so play-time ‘recipes’ to help keep your children entertained this winter.  Learn how to make homespun goop, papier mâché, cinnamon ornaments, soap crayons and much more. Pull out this article and stick it to your fridge – it will be one of your best weapons against the ‘boredom’ gremlins!

Washable window paints
A selection of tempera paints (powdered or premixed)
Clear dishwashing liquid
Mix powdered paints with dishwashing liquid until they resemble house paint. Be sure to line the window sashes with masking tape and spread newspaper under the window area to protect flooring. To erase paint or touch up mistakes just wipe paint away with a dry paper towel.

Home-made coloring books

Go online and download a dozen or so coloring book pages and collate them into a coloring book. Put this aside for rainy days or for long car/train/plane journeys. Little boys love images of cars and trucks while little girls prefer coloring book pictures of fairytales and princesses. At sites like Hello Kitty Coloring Pages you’ll find the best Hello Kitty colouring pages.

Cinnamon Christmas ornaments
3/4-1 cup applesauce
1 (4.12-oz.) bottle of ground cinnamon
Mix applesauce with cinnamon to form a stiff dough. Roll out to 5mm thickness. Cut with cookie cutter and make hole for ribbon using the end of a drinking straw. Carefully put aside to dry for several days – turning occasionally. This recipe makes twelve sweet-smelling ornaments/drawer scenters.

Goop

2 packets of cornflour
2 cups of water
Several drops of food colouring

Place newspaper or plastic sheets on your work surface. Mix the ingredients in a large bowl. Children love goop’s squishy consistency. You can also use coloured or black paper to make goop paintings if you wish. To remove goop from carpets, allow it to dry, then brush vigorously or vacuum. The great thing about goop is that it may be re-used after it has dried out. Crumble it to a powder then restore it to the original consistency by adding water a tablespoonful at a time.

Funny putty
2 tablespoons of white glue
1 tablespoon of liquid starch
Food colouring
Mix glue and desired food colour. Pour starch over top. Swish about so that all the glue is covered. Let this set 5 minutes. Squeeze off extra starch and knead until mixed.

Bubbles
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of glycerine
2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap
Mix water, glycerine and soap. Pour in sugar. Add food colouring if desired.

Papier mâché

1 cup flour
1 cup warm water
1/2 inch strips of newspaper
Balloon/s

In a large bowl, mix flour and water – add more flour is mixture is too sloppy (dripping). Place the newspaper strips into the mixture, then simply smooth onto blown up balloon. Cover balloon completely twice, letting dry in between layers. Do not cover the balloon’s knot. Dry in a warm place for around two or three days then hold the knot and pop the balloon with a pin. Paint, glitter and decorate the balloon as is or cut in half so you have a bowl/hat shape to embellish.

Modelling/play dough
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
water
food colouring

Mix the ingredients and knead to a dough consistency. To speed up the drying process, place the dough artwork in the oven on a low heat.

Soap crayons

1 3/4 cups of soap flakes

50 drops food colouring
1/4 cup water

Mix water and soap flakes together. Add food colouring and put mixture into an ice cube tray. When hardened, pop the ‘ice cubes’ out. These soap crayons are fun to write with on the tub and tiles during bath time. If grouting stains, simply spray with a weak solution of bleach.

Sand dye

Fine sand

Water

Food colouring

Paper cups

Plastic spoons

Fill paper cups half full with sand. Next, add water to the cups to completely cover sand. Add food colouring until you get the desired colour. Stir with a plastic spoon and let set for 15 minutes. Pour off the water, spoon sand onto paper towels and then spread the sand out to dry. Use sand to make pictures (spread glue on paper and sprinkle sand on top) or to fill pretty bottles in layers.

Cornstarch Art/Finger-paint

3 tablespoons of cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

2 drops of dishwashing liquid

1 cup boiling water

Food colouring

Combine cornstarch and cold water – stir until smooth. Add dishwashing liquid. Pour boiling water into the bowl and stir until the mixture thickens. Add some food colouring and let it cool. Use this exactly as you would use store-bought finger paint.

Puffy Paint

Flour

Salt

Water

Tempera paint

Mix equal parts of flour, salt and water in a bowl. Add a tiny amount of tempera paint to the mixture and pour into a small plastic squeezy bottle. Repeat this over and over to make as many colours as you wish. Squeeze liberally onto heavy paper or even cardboard to make designs. Mixture will look great when it hardens into puffy shapes.

Colourful Salt

1/2 cup salt

5 to 6 drops of food colouring

Add food colouring to salt. Stir well. Cook in microwave for 1-2 minutes or spread on waxed paper and let salt air dry. Store in an airtight container and use as you would glitter.

Choose the right drawing materials too as this is very  important. Many craft materials can be improvised (think of kitchen roll tubes, yogurt pots etc) but when drawing tools and paper are required, opt for a small selection of good quality age-appropriate products, rather than loads of inferior products. Be sure to check safety information and follow instructions. Young children should always be surpervised during arts and crafts activities because many necessary materials – such as crayons – pose a choking hazard.

Surroundings:As with writing or working at a computer, good posture and a comfortable position are important for drawing. A child sized table and chair is actually preferable to an easel. If the chair is a little high, provide a phone book for a footrest. An inexpensive plastic chair  set in front of a coffee table works well. A small kitchen storage trolley is perfect for containing supplies, or if space does not allow, a portable fishing tackle box is a great option too. Messy toddlers may need a drop-cloth and supervision to avoid ink-stained walls, as even ‘washable’ pens often don’t deliver on that promise!

Art Materials:Avoid cheap markers, too-hard pencils and thin paints – these types of materials are discouraging to the child and therefore  a waste of money. Provide many sheets of blank paper to inspire their creativity and occasionally invest in a canvas so that your child can paint something and chances are you’ll want to hang it on your wall!Provide coloring books as well or coloring pages which are bountiful online. True – coloring pages are not so great for creativity, however they do provide children with the chance to practice their fine motor skills – plus sometimes it’s very relaxing and just what they need. They can simply color in without feeling the ‘pressure’ about WHAT to draw.  Little boys typically enjoy coloring pictures of cars and trucks while little girls usually enjoy colouring images of princesses and fairies - however you can’t go wrong with Disney characters and at sites like Disney Coloring Pages you’ll find the best Mickey Mouse coloring.

When it comes to drawing and coloring, at each age/stage of your child’s life provide….

Toddlers:

• Child-safe markers and wipe-off boards
• Chalk boards and safe chalk
• Plain paper and coloring pages

Juniors:

• Sketchbook
• Student colored pencils
• Washable Markers
• Oil pastels
• Plain paper and coloring pages

Middle School:

• Sketchbook  or scrapbook
• Graphite Pencils
• Watercolor sketch paper
• Watercolor pencils
• Marker pens, marker paper
• Plain paper and coloring pages

High School

• Sketchbook  or scrapbook
• Quality drawing papers and boards
• Graphite Pencils
• Artists’ quality colored pencils
• Illustration markers, marker paper
• Pastel paper and hard pastels if liked
• Plain paper and canvases to work on

All ages:

• Safe sharpeners, erasers, dusters, stencils and rulers
• A  folder for storing large pieces
• Storage boxes for smaller pieces
• Consider photographing or scanning pieces for a permanent record.

Times are tough economically but entertaining kids has never been an expensive enterprise -  so here are eight ideas to keep your children busy, creative and active during these long summer months.

Milk Jug Bird Feeders – Rinse out an empty plastic gallon milk jug with lid. Cut a window in the front of the jug, and make two small poke holes for the perches. Insert sticks for perches and fill the bottom of the jug with bird seed suitable to the birds in your area. Depending on the ages of the child, let them problem solve and figure out the best way to secure the perch and if they wish they can decorate the birdfeeder before hanging it on the balcony or in the garden.

Aluminum Can Crafts – Paint an empty, rinsed out tuna can with acrylic paint or spray paint.Decorate with glitter, glue, buttons, stickers and any other odds and ends you might find.Once completed these make cute little holders for hair accessories, paper clips, rubber bands, keys, jewelry etc. Apply the same idea to an empty soup can to make a pen or pencil holder. These are great to give to fathers to take into the office.

Coloring in – Coloring in was the staple activity of many summer holidays when I was la litle girl. If you have access to the internet and a printer, it means you don’t even have to pay for a coloring book. When it comes to coloring pictures, you really can’t go wrong with Disney and at sites like Disney Coloring Pages you’ll find the best Disney coloring book pages

Coffee Can Stilts – Using two 1-pound coffee cans, turn each can upside down so that the plastic lid is on the bottom. Using a scredriver, an adult should poke two holes – one each side of the can. Using some rope, thread through holes in the cans. Tie off inside the can and practice walking on them. Kids can decorate the cans if they so wish to make them more personal.

Jar Candles – Keep aside the stubs of candles. When you have saved several, melt them all together using a double boiler. Color the wax by adding small pieces of wax crayon to the mixture. Pour the wax into glass jelly or mason jars or metal cans. Use cotton string for wicks and decorate the outside of the candle holder with acrylic paints. Once the sun sets – light your candle…but always make sure that you surpervise your children around flames!

Paper Towel Rain Makers – Young kids love noise makers such as maracas. Color, paint and decorate paper towel rolls. Cover one end of a paper towel roll with waxed paper (for extra noise!) and close it off with a rubber band or three. Pour a handful or three of dried beans or split peas in the open end and close the open end the same way as the other. Poke toothpicks through the rolls at different intervals to add a ‘rain shaker’ sound – like the ones the aboriginal people of Australia create.

Paper Towel Tube Holders – Decorate a discarded paper towel tube with paint, markers, stickers and crayons. Once decorated this is  a colorful carrying tube. Roll up drawings and put them inside the tube to take them to their teacher, grandparents, friends or relatives.

Pet Rocks – Pet rocks have stood the test of time and any rock can be turned into a pet rock with a lick of paint and some googly eyes. First, find smooth, flat or round rocks. Be sure to clean off any mud or sand and dry completely before starting. Painting with acrylic paints. Decorate faces by adding yarn for hair, googly eyes, glitter and any other bits and pieces you like. I always put freckles on mine!

Enjoy the summer holidays!

Here are some great family project ideas that you might want to adopt – and who knows, some of these may well become a family tradition before too long.

SPOTTING SATELLITES

Did you know that there are over eight thousand artificial objects orbiting Earth? Over 2,500 are satellites, operative and inoperative while the remaining objects are orbital debris: parts such as nosecone shrouds, lenses, hatch covers, rocket bodies, and even objects that ‘escape’ from manned spacecraft during operations.

To spot satellites, grab a few lawn chairs and head for the garden. Depending on the evening you choose, you will see from one of many satellites passing overhead. These could range from communications satellites, to simply space trash. They look somewhat like really bright stars, passing overhead in a straight path. Those in the know state that the first hour or so after sun down is the best time to spot them. There still has to be enough light in the sky for the satellites to reflect it – so dusk is the best time. When you spot a satellite log what you see and keep a family record.

MAKE A COLORING BOOK

Make coloring books together. Print coloring pages from the Internet and create coloring books for relatives, friends, nephews, nieces or even for yourselves to be put away for a rainy day. You could also keep a book or two aside as something for younger children to do when they visit your home.

You really can’t go wrong if you create a Disney coloring book because children of all ages love the many Disney characters from Mulan to Mickey Mouse and from Goofy to Mowgli. To get you started, at sites like Disney Coloring Pages you’ll find many Disney print and color to print and collate.

Next, create a cover sheet that reads something like, ‘The Smith Family Coloring Book’ and perhaps add ‘To’ and ‘From’ if you plan to give it as a gift.

CONTAINER GARDENS

Container (terrarium) gardens are an ideal project for families living in the Gulf – indoor gardening is much more bearable than the outdoor variety at this time of year. Shopping for plants together on a cool evening and choosing a suitable container are all part of the fun. Because terrariums recycle their moisture, they need very little ‘gardening’ and care – and they actually thrive on neglect!

Any clear container can be made into a terrarium; the main requirement is that it be watertight. Choose something that is large enough to accommodate the plants, and has a cover or lid to keep the moisture from escaping. Jars, bottles and aquariums are some of the more common containers used. To begin your garden place a 2cm layer of small gravel on the bottom of the container and top it with a good potting soil. The number of plants you place in the garden will depend on the size of the receptacle and the plants. Plants such as miniature African violets, Aeschynanthus, Podocarpus and Fittonia thrive in containers, as do very small ferns and creeping figs. Try not to over plant and leave space for the plants to grow. Water your garden lightly and stand back to admire your work.  

PRESERVE THE PAST

A time capsule can be a great family project to commemorate a special occasion. Fill it with photographs and mementos and then decide how long you would like to put it away for. For instance, is it something you’ll want to look at in 5 or 15 years time? The next step is to choose a container and a good location for said box. 

Any waterproof, airtight and preferably fireproof container will do, there are even websites that will ship custom-made time capsules to you. If your stay at your current location is temporary (if for example you are staying in a rental property) then it is understood that the time capsule is best not buried in the garden! Ask everyone in the family to contribute a few items – clippings, photographs, drawings, hand prints, letters, arts and crafts, toys or just about anything else that fits into the capsule. Mark everything clearly so you or others will know where each item came from and who included it.Finally, fill the capsule, seal it, and then make sure you put it out of sight and out of mind.

PAINT!

From an arts and craft supplier purchase a large canvas and a set of acrylic paints. Divide the canvas into 4, 5 or more areas depending on the number of people in your family. Use masking tape to ‘fence off’ each area and mark each square or rectangle lightly in pencil with the name of the artist for that area, for example Mum, Dad, etc.

So that you don’t crowd each other, it’s best that just two family members paint at a time. If only four complementing colors are used, the effect is striking. Also, if each person fills their area completely with paint, using stripes, zigzags, dots or whatever pattern they like best. When the painting is complete, and this may take more than one week-end, ensure it is dry before removing the masking tape – then marvel at your modern art and hang!

FOSTER A PUPPY OR KITTEN

Our family has done this many times and we all have fond and happy memories of each little guest. Animal Welfare Charities the world over are always in need of foster homes and are happy when puppies and kittens go to families with children because to say that an animal has lived in a family environment is a great ‘selling’ point when a permanent home is sought.

TRACE YOUR FAMILY TREE

If you have little knowledge about your ancestors, a few old photographs and a consuming curiosity, make tracing your family tree a family project.

Enter your ancestor information at www.familytreesearcher.com and it will search family trees at eight online databases. This free service will create the best family tree searches based on your ancestry – the site also includes hints for researching your family tree further.

SLOW FOOD

Instead of heading for your favorite fast-food restaurant this week-end, stay home and prepare some slow-food together. If you really want to make it into a project you could even shop for the groceries together.

Even the youngest family member can help prepare a meal – a toddler can shake a salad mix together, wash potatoes and other vegetables and even help to set the table.

GAMES NIGHT

Take the phone off the hook, turn off the television, bring out a board game and what do you have? An evening of fun, learning and laughter that brings the whole family closer together. Family game nights are a great way to spend some quality time together and create a family tradition that you and your kids will remember and cherish for years to come.To make it extra special, add snacks, invite other guests such as family friends or relatives, hold tournaments and always display the winner’s name on the fridge! 

Here are some favorite games to consider:

Ages 6-8: Sorry!, Monopoly Jr., Clue Jr., Scrabble Jr. and brilliant, easy and fun card games such as UNO.

Ages 8-10: All the above plus the Game of Life, Monopoly, Jenga and Frustration.

Ages 10-12: All the above plus Scrabble, Yahtzee, Cluedo and Pictionary.

Ages 13 and up: All the above plus Boggle, Atmosfear (teenagers love this DVD board game), Risk, Trivial Pursuit and card games such as Rummy.

School, work, phones, homework, playstations, internet, television, friends – let’s be honest – every family gets pulled in a million directions. Set aside some family time and pull yourselves together! Talk with each other and keep your precious family connected!