11/6/06 MEMORIES, TRADITIONS, TEENS, KIDS' MUSIC, LINKS, RECIPES, VOTE
Posted by: jhbreneman <jhbreneman@...>
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman
DISCIPLINE IS DEVELOPMENTAL
COMMUNICATION TIPS FOR BUILDING RESPONSIBLE TEENAGERS
MUSIC FOR CHILDREN - BRAND NEW CHRISTMAS CD! - VERY MARY CHRISTMAS
HELPFUL LINKS FOR YOU FROM FOCUS ON THE FAMILY - http://www.family.org/
HELP IN CHOOSING THE BEST CAREER
INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL WRITING
STILL LEARNING THE LANGUAGE - A MISSIONARY'S STORY
ROASTED CARROTS
APPLESAUCE MUFFINS
When it's raining, snowing, or just plain too cold to play outside, your household can fall victim to the "I'm Bored Blues." With a little creativity and imagination, you can turn the tables and find fun things to do without running to the store or turning on the television. Keep this list of ideas handy, or write each idea on a slip of paper and put them in a hat. The next time the kids are bored, let them draw a slip of paper from a hat to decide which activity to do first!
1) Plate of Bubbles - All you need for this fun activity is a small plate, a plastic drinking straw, dish washing liquid and tap water. Place two drops (that's all you need!) of dish washing liquid in the center of a plate. Carefully run tap water onto plate, pointing water over the dish soap to create some foam or bubbles. Carefully place the plate on a flat, sturdy surface, such as the kitchen table, and have your child point his straw into the water. To create bubbles, blow gently and slowly into the sudsy water. Not too fast, it won't work! Slow and steady will create huge bubbles!
2) Animal Jumble - This works best with 3 or more children, but can certainly be adapted for 2 kids. Assign each child a 'secret" animal part, the child choosing the animal. Have them draw their part on white or construction paper. The idea is that each child does not know what the others are drawing. For example, have Bobby draw the head (maybe he chose a dog), Cindy draws the legs (she chose an elephant), and so on. When they are all finished drawing, have them cut out their parts and tape the animal together. Have fun choosing a name for their animal. You may be the first to discover the "Dog-aphant-monk-iraffe"!
3) Cartoon Strip - Many parents will remember this from their own childhood! You will need a pad of paper and something to draw with. At the bottom of the pad, starting from the left, draw a stick figure, a box car, cartoon dog, anything you want to put into motion. On the next page, draw the figure again with a slightly different pose and a positioned a little bit to the right of the page before. Repeat this process on each page until you reach the right side of the pad. Now fan the pages with your thumb to watch your character move across the page!
4) Coffee Can Stilts - Turn 2 coffee cans upside down so that the plastic lids are on the bottom. Poke a hole on both sides of each can using a screwdriver (parental supervision is recommended). Use rope, bailing twine, or several strands of yarn braided together for strength, and thread through one hole. Thread the other end of the rope through the hole on the other side and tie off inside the can. Be sure that the rope is long enough so that when your child stands on the cans, the rope is high enough for them to hold in their hands comfortably without hunching over.
5) Cookie Cutter Glitters - Pull out the construction paper, glue, glitter, stickers and cookie cutters. Kids can trace around the cookie cutter shapes, spread glue over the shape and decorate with glitter and stickers. This can be a messy craft, so be prepared with a disposable table cloth and garbage can for scraps. Using a vacuum with a hose attachment is a much easier method of cleaning up glitter than a broom.
6) Feely Box - Use any box that closes or has a lid. A shoebox is ideal. Cut a hole in the side of the box large enough for a child's hand to fit inside. Place an object inside the box and see if they can guess what it is. If they can't guess right away, let them ask questions or provide them with clues until they figure it out.
7) Hide the Object - Using any ordinary object (stuffed animal, vitamin bottle, drinking cup, etc), play this fun hide and seek game with your children. Simply have your child hide their eyes, then place the object somewhere in plain view (on the fireplace mantel, on top of the TV, near the front door, etc) and then have them look for it. Another idea is to use objects relating to a particular theme each day. For example, if your Kindergartener is focusing on the letter "A" that week, use objects that begin with "A" (apple, alligator [stuffed of course!], etc) You can adjust this game for older kids by hiding the object a little deeper. You might place the vitamin bottle halfway behind the picture of Grandma, or maybe tucked halfway down the side of the couch.
8) Writing Box - If your house has kids, you need one of these. You can find shoe box sized plastic containers with lids from your local dollar store. Stock the box with crayons, markers, colored pencils, small plain paper pads, stickers, stencils, a pencil sharpener and an eraser. This box should be kept stocked so that when needed, everything will be at your fingertips. Explain to children that this is a "special" writing box and that everything that comes out, must go back in for the next time they want to get creative.
9) Picnic Indoors - Pack a basket with paper plates, utensils and cups. Make sandwiches, pack fresh fruit, pretzels, a thermos of juice, and yogurt for dessert. Spread a blanket on the living room floor and serve a picnic lunch indoors! Add to the fun by dressing in summer clothes or beach attire. Be sure to wear your sunglasses and your sunscreen!
10) Paper Bag Puppets - The easiest form of this requires only a paper lunch bag and crayons or markers. Simply draw on a face and you have a puppet! To make the characters more elaborate, decorate with yarn for hair, buttons for eyes, and glitter for cheeks. Ribbon can be added to the hair or made into a bow tie for the "neck." Draw on eyelashes and lips with colorful markers.
11) Collages - Save old magazines and catalogs and store them in a cabinet just for this purpose. Have the kids cut out pictures and paste them onto a piece of cardboard or construction paper. You can let them cut out whatever they want, or assign each child a letter of the alphabet or a theme to go by for a more challenging project. Keep a trash can close by for the scraps and be sure to keep a stock of glue sticks on hand!
12) Coloring Pasta - Place a handful of dry, uncooked pasta, such as ziti, rotini or farfelle, into a plastic zipper baggie. Add a tablespoon of white vinegar and 2-3 drops of food coloring. Close the baggie and have the kids shake the bag until the pasta is completely colored. Spread out onto a paper plate or paper towel and allow to dry. Use several baggies to create different colors. Once the pasta is dry, kids can use yarn to string together pieces to make necklaces and bracelets, or glue them to paper plates or construction paper to create a work of art.
13) Shadowboxes - Paint the inside of a shoebox with black or dark blue poster or acrylic paint. If you don't have any paint handy, you can glue black construction paper inside the box. Using white crayons or stickers, create a nighttime scene with stars and the moon on the black background. You can use small plastic toys to create a scene inside your shadowbox, or make your own with construction paper and glue. Cut out small pictures from coloring books and color and adhere to your scene. Hang a spaceship or shooting star with a piece of string and glue.
14) Indoor Hopscotch - If you have a cement basement floor, use chalk to draw out a hopscotch board. When you are finished playing, the chalk will wash off with a mop and warm water.
15) Family Memory Game - Play a family memory game with your kids by asking questions like "What is Grandpa's first name?" and "Who is married to Aunt Tammy?" Look through old photo albums and see if kids can guess who is who in each picture.
16) Hot Beanie - This variation of the old favorite "Hot Potato" uses a beanie type toy. Have everyone sit in a circle and toss the beanie from one person to another, never knowing where it's going to end up.
17) Name That Tune - Hum tunes from popular songs and see who can guess it first. Whoever guesses correctly becomes the next "hummer."
18) Create a Story - You can do this out loud or have kids write their entries on paper. Someone starts the story with "Once upon a time there lived a...", that person chooses the character and setting (princess in a far away land). The next child tells the next part of the story, and so on around the room, the story changing with each new addition.
19) Never Ending Adjectives - Ask your child to point out an object, then takes turns coming up with adjectives for that object. For example, you may say "a ball," your child would say "a big ball." The game might continue with "a big round ball," "a big round bouncing ball," "a big round bouncing white ball" and end with "a big round bouncing white beach ball."
20) Sardines (Reverse Hide-n-Seek) - One child is the hider, everyone else is a seeker. The hider hides while the seekers seek. However, when a seeker finds the hider, instead of pointing him out, he joins him in the hiding place. Soon, the children will all be stuffed in one place, like a box of sardines! The first child to find the hider gets to hide next.
About the Author:
Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children. She is also the owner of FamilyCorner.com Magazine. Sign up for her free kid's craft newsletter, Busy Little Hands, by filling out the form on left side of this article.
DISCIPLINE IS DEVELOPMENTAL
©Copyright 2006, Brenda Nixon. Used by permission. This tip comes from Brenda's "Daily Discipline" e-tip sent each Wednesday. For this service, helpful articles, books and resources: http://www.brendanixon.com
Skillful parents - and anyone who works with kids - know that discipline takes into account a child's developmental abilities. The best discipline is adapted to each child's age, needs, and abilities. For example,
Infants fuss and cry when their needs are unmet, want attention, and cannot share.
Toddlers are curiosity-driven, self-absorbed, and struggle for independence and power.
Preschoolers are fickle in friendships, have wild imaginations, want power, and try out new words.
Schoolagers are peer conscious, compare themselves to others, and competitive.
Teens are toddlers in bigger bodies.
To be successful in your daily discipline, I encourage you to consider the normal, albeit challenging, developmental behaviors of kids. Then adapt your expectations accordingly.
Note from Lois: Remember how toddlers love to say, "Me do it!" And how they want to do everything their own way? I heard on Focus on the Family that Teens are simply "Recycled Toddlers!"
COMMUNICATION TIPS FOR BUILDING RESPONSIBLE TEENAGERS
No one likes to be nagged. Yet, many parents resort to nagging as a primary though negative way to communicate their feelings and desires with their children. In the short-run, negative communication may produce some results, but at the cost of damaging relationships with their kids. Parents with an eye to effective parenting over the long-haul will wisely choose positive communication techniques. Positive communication is vital for building responsible teenagers. Good communication does take work, but if you employ some of the following tips, youll be on the road to helping your kids become responsible teenagers.
Actively listen. Listening is the language of love. Listening communicates value, significance and worth. Good listening skills include
giving a person your undivided attention
looking past the content of the words, taking notice of tone and body language
maintaining an accepting and open attitude
reflective and respectful questioning to help clarify your understanding
appropriate verbal responses to what is being communicated (i.e. not giving a blank stare, but replying even if it is something like Im not sure what I think about that.)
Provide clear verbal recognition of behavior both acceptable and unacceptable. Both genuine praise for good behaviors and responsible actions and fair criticisms of poor behavior and irresponsible actions help to reinforce the importance you place on your kids maturing into responsible adult
Be aware of your tone and body language when you speak. Do your best to make sure the message you send is the message you intend
Avoid the silent treatment. Silence can wreak havoc on communication and relationships. The use of silence to stifle a conversation or as a weapon to frustrate or hurt your kids is never helpful. Sometimes, however, silence is appropriate to provide time to gather your thoughts. Yet, always communicate the purpose of your silence. For example, a parent might say, I need some time to consider how to respond. Lets talk about this at dinner.
Be aware when emotions are running high. Sometimes a cooling-off period is required in order for good communication to occur.
Express how you feel. Sharing your feelings is important in effective communication.
Use I statements instead of You statements. Its better to say, I feel hurt when you dont follow through on your commitments, than You hurt me when you dont do what you said youd do. I statements allow you to share your feelings with your kids without blaming them.
Avoid discussion killers:
Put-downs
Identifying comments or questions as dumb
Yelling, interrupting or talking-over another person
Forced talk
Downplay your role as parental authority whenever possible. When it comes to learning responsibility, helping your kids think through issues and learn from their own mistakes is important. Rather than lecturing as the parental authority, try to be a facilitator, helping your kids discover and learn lessons on their own whenever possible. In differences of opinion, help kids think through what they believe and why the believe it. Defend your position without becoming authoritarian or over-emotional, if possible.
In communicating, provide affirmation whenever possible. Everyone needs affirmation!Regular use of statements like, Great idea, Thats so clever, I would have never figured that out, Way to go, Good job, etc. will cause your kids to grow and thrive.
MUSIC FOR CHILDREN - BRAND NEW CHRISTMAS CD! - VERY MARY CHRISTMAS
Here is the link to listen to the Christmas songs on Mary's website. You can click on each song and listen to a short sound byte. http://www.maryricehopkins.com/songs/songs.htm#marychristmas
Ladies, I highly recommend this wonderful musical CD for your children and grandchildren! Adults will love it too! Mary Rice Hopkins in California and Linda J. Stevenson in Virginia wrote the words to these songs and Mary, who has a Music Ministry with children in California put the words to music and Mary and her friends sing them in this album! Your little ones will be singing these catchy little songs with a biblical Christmas message in no time at all! Release date: October, 2006 http://www.maryricehopkins.com - The 15 New Songson this CD are:
Christmas Joy / Joy to the World * Candy Cane * Angel Band * Camels Are Coming * Go Tell It * Favored One / What Child Is This? * Unwrap the Gift * Here in a Child * Sheep Party * Best Story of All * Peace on Earth Begins at Home * Imagine a Christmas * Just One * Manger of My Heart * Christmas Blessing
"J is for Jesus and I do believe * Red is for His blood He gave for me
I'll follow as He leads" -- Chorus from the "Candy Cane" song
"Born in Bethlehem * A miracle so small * Who would have thought this baby boy *
Would come to save us all" from Here in a Child
HELPFUL LINKS FOR YOU FROM FOCUS ON THE FAMILY - http://www.family.org/
http://www.StrongFamilies.com - John Trent offers you more tools to help strengthen your family.
http://www.WorkingMom.com - Free help for busy moms.
http://www.pluggedinonline.com - Reviews of today's popular movies, TV shows and music, all from a Christian perspective.
http://www.breakawaymag.com - Teen Magazine for Boys - Breakaway
http://www.briomag.com - Teen Magazine for/Girls - Brio
A ten-week e-mail course with focus on various styles:
► Nonfiction/magazines, newsletters, newspapers ► Fiction/short stories, novels ► Poetry
► Drama/plays, screenwriting ► Childrens literature/stories, books
Ample opportunity will be given for application and critique with exposure to publishing companies.
Instructor: Eileen Rife is the author of three books and member of the internationally acclaimed Christian Writers Guild, Eileen has also written a column and over ten church dramas. Her byline has appeared in Discipleship Journal, Christian Home & School, Women Alive!, ParentLife, and Psychology for Living, as well as other magazines and online sites. She has completed a B.A. in Christian Education, a minor in English, and graduate hours in Biblical Counseling. E-mail [email protected] for more information.
Thanks to Tracy Coupe for this, serving on the mission field in Ecuador with her husband and three daughters!
I wanted to tell you of a funny "Oops" I made a few weeks ago. We have a college intern staying with us for 3 months, and when she first arrived I took her to the grocery store with me. I have been on the mission field for one year and am still learning new words in Spanish almost every day. On an endcap there were rolls of Ritz crackers taped together with a sweet dip and a bright pink sticker said "Yapa." Our intern asked what Yapa was, and having never heard that word I replied, "I don't know. Maybe it's a new flavor." So when I got home I told a friend (an Ecuadorian) about the sticker and what I thought it meant. She laughed so hard she couldn't answer me for several minutes! "Yapa" is the word they use for an item they give you for free. In the market when you buy fruits it is customary to receive a "yapa" as a thank you for your purchase. But my friend now loves to tease me and ask me if I'd like the "yapa-flavored" crackers!
(Note from Lois: I made this recipe the other evening and it was delicious. Leftovers were even very tasty eaten cold for lunch the next day!)
Place carrots on a baking sheet and drizzle with enough olive oil over top to coat carrots. Sprinkle with Montreal Chicken Seasoning to taste. Mix it all together so the olive oil and seasoning coat the carrots. Roast, uncovered, in a 375º F oven for about 30 minutes. Check to see if the carrots are caramelized (browned) and tender. The caramelization is what makes these so good. Bake until the carrots are bright orange, but keep an eye on them being careful not to burn them.
1/4 cup oil 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup applesauce *(or pumpkin) 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup honey 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1-3/4 cup whole grain pastry flour 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1/2 tsp. soda 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
ALMOST WASN'T BORN
Says McCarry, "My mother became pregnant with me at the age of 39. She had nearly died while giving birth to my only sibling. Her doctor, who believed the second pregnancy was a serious threat to her life, advised an abortion. The advice made sense but my mother refused to accept it. Just before she died at age 97, I asked her why. She replied, "I wanted to see who you were going to turn out to be."
The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to encourage women and build biblical values into daily living through practical creative ideas for the Christian family regarding marriage, children, homemaking, and much more. You may receive this free bimonthly newsletter by sending your name, city, state, e-mail address, and name of your referral person to Lois at [email protected]. New subscribers will receive a "Start-Up Kit."
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