Hip Kids Blog

With their roles as flower kids, bridesmaids, and ring bearer, children have been playing some integral parts in weddings. Whether the children are a part of the wedding party itself, or are simply attending the event as guests, it certainly calls for everyone enjoying the special day to its maximum. Creativity to a wedding could add to its charm, as it is just not limited to floral decorations and cuisines, but is also important when it comes to assigning different responsibilities to the family members in the wedding. For children, this decision is of the utmost magnitude and enthusiasm. At times, in this 'adult' business of wedding, the kids feel ignored. Therefore, make sure to keep these precious young things too actively involved in the process.

Areas of Kids Involvement in a Wedding

Below mentioned are a number of ways by which children can take part in a wedding:

By standing besides the bride and groom, the children can participate, thereby depicting a complete family.

They can help in selecting the colors and the themes of wedding arrangements. Their opinion can add a lot of value to the proceedings.

They could be made to perform a role-play, wherein a young boy can play the groom's role and a girl can act as the bride.

Children can be a helping hand in attending the guests, though should be supervised if they are too young.

Teenagers can accompany the couple in the church too.

Children are very creative. Their involvement back stage can be definitely welcoming. Now in this context, creativity consists of the following:

To some extent, the decorations can be handed over to them.

Children can manage their counterparts very well in the wedding.

Things like table decoration and distributing gifts to all children can also be practiced.

Consult with the kids on specific details. Small contributions, like choosing a favorite flower or a particular color.

Children may display their, such as music, writing, subtle dancing, etc.

One of the marriages I attended lately had teenage girls handing out a single fresh flower to every woman, as they entered the church. This really impressed me and would have definitely made all those women feel special. These are just a few wedding ideas that include children. There can be many more, you just need to be innovative. Who says it has to be conventional? At times, it is nice to see things done a bit differently. This prevents the ceremony from get boring.

So, you have a problem with your home owner association (HOA) or its board members. The general rule which seems to apply to most people's feelings as it relates to HOAs are follow the rules or its time to move. What happens when you feel your HOA has outdated policies or you have been treated unfairly? The following at 10 things you can do for solutions with your HOA board.

You do have to keep in mind that you singed a contract as it states with your home owner association so these solutions don't work if you simply are made you can't have a gazebo in your backyard. Those issues and others like it are policies that you would need to have your board members approve. The solutions we are mentioning below are for when you feel that the HOA has acted capricious or in a vindictive manner.

5 Solutions to Problems with HOA Board

1. If you read newspaper columns for advice they will tell you to work it out with your HOA board members. You do have to keep in mind that these columns are typically written by lawyers who represent HOA boards so they are not the best source of info for the home owner themselves. It is still important to attempt to work any issues out directly before taking further course of action.

2. You need to know your bylaws. If you want a state official to help you solve your issue you need to know exactly what you are talking about. Many people don't get far with their cases against HOA boards as their information is filled with emotion more than facts on how HOA bylaws were broken.

3. If there are board members who are apathetic to your situation you can use them to hold special meetings and replace vindictive board of directors. It is important that all policies on these proceedings are followed for them to work.

4. You need to keep all documentation with correspondences between you and the HOA or the HOA's attorneys. You want to get to proof of your violations though you have to realize you will also need proof of your innocence. Just as you want the HOA to have all the documentation, so will you if you are to win your case. If you ever need your own lawyer, the lawyer will need proof to be able to defend your interest.

5. Most issues with home owner associations are consistent courses of action that are in violation or patterns of now working with home owners. You can recommend professional community services take over your HOA's management services which is usually better for both the HOA board members themselves and the individual home owners. Professional community management services are experts in how to handle home owner concerns so that both parties understand and win in the end.

What is organic food? The term is becoming more popular. In the United States for a product to claim that it is 100% organic is has to produced following legally regulated guidelines and be subject to strict testing. Typically to because of the detail involve to get the ultra healthy organic food it costs more than the fertilizer and pesticide rich alternatives.

The term organic means that the food was produced without the use of conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or sewage, and that no artificial additives to included in the process. When the term organic relates to animals like beef, the animals are free of antibiotics and growth hormones given typically to make the animals bigger.

In the beginning the only place to get organic food was from your local farmers market. Not any more. Now, family run farms are being over taken by commercial operations that produce still 100% organic food faster and meet the new demand for the products. The United States has grown by 17-20% in organic food sales in the last few years. You can now get organic products from online retailers to Wal-Mart.

In the United States, companies have to pass tough testing and regulations to call their products organic. The term certified organic means that the USDA has certified that the product in question is actually 100% organic. A farmer commercial or family run must apply for their certification. Not all organic food is certified. Food products can be organic and just not have gone through the approval process to be certified.

With the every increasing demand for organic products, more and more products are finding their way into becoming organic. Now, coffee, ice cream, and ketchup can all be found with organic labels and ingredients. There is now an overwhelming change from the overly processed foods that line our grocery stores to more all natural products.

The term all natural is not govern, so the only way to know a product is organic is to get it from a trusted source or grown it yourself. The ladder probably isn't going to happen for most of us. All natural products are not necessarily bad. They are just not going through the certification process to be considered 100% organic.

Looks for the organic label from your trusted places you buy your products. You will have to make the decision on the products that might be 70% or 35% organic. For some products that is as good as it gets for the time being. With the demand high more and more products will start becoming organic. They have to.

Present day health conscious people are attracted more towards natural living fundamental, which includes organic foods as well. But, why do people prefer organic foods instead of conventional foods? How does organic ingredients affect your body? Organic products actually are specially grown food products, rich in organic ingredients, inculcated deliberately. Diets rich in organic health items give natural and fresh dose to the body, as compared to the pesticide inflicted non-organic foods, generally available in the market. Sometimes, conventional foods contain genetically modified organisms (GMO).

Problems associated with non-organic foods The following problems are commonly associated with non-organic products:

Low energy Levels

Low libido

Low motivation levels

Low metabolism Benefits of organic foods for the body Organic items provide not only mental and emotional benefits, but also the physical ones. Therefore, organic foods are fulfilling mentally, physically, and psychologically. Organic products do not contain toxins such as pesticides, antibiotics, additives, and nitrates that are mostly present in non-organic foods. According to an article in the Journal of Applied Nutrition, organic foods are nearly the best ones in the terms of nutritional quality.

Nutrients content of organic foods

Haves: Some of the rich nutrients, largely available in organic health items are:

Chromium - A micro-nutrient, found less in conventional food. Its deficiency may cause diabetes and atherosclerosis in adults.

Selenium - An antioxidant micro-nutrient, which protects from cancer, heart disease, and environmental chemical

Calcium - A mineral required for strong bones and teethes

Boron - This trace element prevents osteoporosis

Lithium - Good for the treatment of certain level of depression

Magnesium - Decreases the death rate, caused due to heart attacks and eases the symptoms of PMS

Vitamins - They are necessary for the body in limited supply for its proper functions and its protection against toxins. Vitamins A, B, C (antioxidant), and beta carotene (immunity booster & prevents lung cancer) are found well in organic foods

Have Nots: According to the researchers, organic foods contain less level of minerals, especially the following heavy metals:

Aluminum - Is responsible for the development of Alzheimer's disease

Lead - Has mental implications and can adversely affect children's IQ

Mercury - It causes neurological damage

Therefore, consuming organic produce is certainly a good idea and promise for good health and long lives, provided you follow the right diet patterns coupled with regular exercising! Organic products have health benefits for you and for the environment that makes long term differences.

Small-group training personal trainer sessions under five people may be just what you need to keep you motivated and moving towards your goals at the health club. Training with friends, families, or your significant other along with your "other significant other": your personal trainer puts you in a fun and comfortable atmosphere where you can train hard and cheer each other on even harder.

When beginning a fitness program, it is so important that you have the support of friends and family, not only so that they won't tempt you with indulgences or keep you from making your appointments at the gym, but so that they will encourage you to stick with your goals and pump you up when you are feeling sluggish. Well, why not bring this support system into the health club with you? After all, don't you think your loved ones need a little pumping up, too?

As a personal trainer myself, I have trained small groups, and I have seen the benefits first-hand. I had a group of five women""all great friends and a mother-daughter duo decide they wanted to train together with me. They had been training together for over a year, but weren't seeing the results they wanted. Following the first session, I could see what the first problem was: they came to the health club with good intentions to train, however ended up choosing to have social hour instead. Now, it wasn't like I didn't allow them to talk, laugh, joke, and have fun; I just kept them focused when they began discussing their weekend plans. After all, I believe a fit and healthy lifestyle should be enjoyable, and I believe you should have fun while you workout. Well, with my help and motivation, it didn't take long to see these women transform together!

Small-group training has other benefits as well. Not only does training with a group of friends allow you to motivate each other both in and out of the health club (how would you like to get a phone call from a fellow trainee just as you were slicing into that piece of chocolate cake, but it can be cost-effective, too. While a personal training session may range anywhere from $35 to $75, depending on where you live (sometimes even more), a group rate may only cost $25 a person. Now that is something to get pumped about! Most health clubs offer small-group training packages, but if yours doesn't you may want to ask if they can put one together for you.

Go ahead, call up a group of close friends today and rather than inviting them to happy hour, invite them to an hour of fitness, fun and slimming waistlines! You'll be hooked in no time.

Organic is a new word used in the context of coffee, tea, cocoa and other food materials in recent times around local shops and super markets. Every year the word is being used by buying public more than the previous year and its use is growing year after year resulting in higher sale proportion of tea or coffee marked as 100% organically grown.

What is organically grown?

To simply put it, organic farming methods leave least or no harmful impact on the surrounding environment. Organic agricultural production systems are mostly traditional methods evolved through learning from nature. In the organic farming methods no synthetic chemical fertilizer or pesticide is used. So that organic production means natural, pure and healthy.

How coffee grows in nature

The coffee plant does not need much direct sun light and so it grows under the shade of large trees. The ground is never sprayed with any chemical insecticide or fertilizer and so the ground water remains pure and uncontaminated. From the canopy of trees leaves fall steadily and the ground is covered by fallen leaves layer on layer. The layers of fallen leaves work as a blanket and protect the moisture of the ground. The moisture in turn help the process of compost to turn the bottom layers of leaves into natural manure to nourish the land.

The thick foliage of shade trees over the coffee bushes house many varieties of birds and also attracts the migratory birds. The birds live on small insects and pests. So they work as natural pest controllers and keep the coffee plants healthy.

The coffee that grows in the shade of other local trees become original and pure in taste and flavor Organic Coffee.

The proposed plantation site is selected carefully. And if the site was being used to grow some other crop using chemical fertilizer or chemical insecticides, then a minimum period of three years are given as conversion years for the proposed site to get over the effects of the harmful chemicals.

After the conversion years coffee bushes are planted along with local shade trees. Care is given equally to the coffee bushes and shade trees and effort is put in to leave bird population to grow undisturbed.

The fallen leaves are left undisturbed to convert into manure to nourish the land and keep it fertile. The bird population effectively controls the pests and harmful insect and protects the coffee bushes. And finally for decaffeinating, approved processes are employed including the Swiss Water process. The coffee thus produced is organic coffee.

Organic vs. commercial production

Organic production methods along with producing coffee intend to protect environment. In this process of growing coffee, more and more trees are grown due to that local biodiversity is achieved. In this method, soil fertility and nutrients are sustained. No chemical pollution is created to harm the human health.

In contrast in commercial profit oriented method of growing coffee, the trees are felled and the cumulative effect is deforestation. Deforestation leads to soil erosion and severe depletion. The commercial grower cuts trees to allow direct sun light which increases production. As there are no birds to control pests and due to the absence of trees and its natural manure, farmers are forced to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides severely harming the environment.

Organic coffee - lifeline of future

Organic production process is eco friendly and helps to repair the environment spoilt by the greedy profit oriented approach of commercial growers of coffee through growing more and more shade trees.

Protecting environment locally helps to enhance the eco system. Rejuvenation and eco system alone can help the planet from disaster and help to sustain life on this planet.

Organic coffee is our responsibility, almost a human duty and life line to healthy future of mankind.

One of the first questions that a child asks his schoolmates when they return to school after the holidays is, "What did you get for Christmas?" With this year's economy forcing parents to cut back, experts believe it is a good time to teach children about one of life's challenges - learning how to live moderately.

Child therapists agree that it is more important to be together during the holidays than to simply buy gifts because the love children feel from the attention you give them will last longer than a gift. And when we teach our children the value of giving to others, it gives the holidays new meaning.

In the new year of 2009, many parents are also going to have to make some difficult decisions about the cost of childcare because they simply cannot afford it anymore. To qualify for childcare assistance through the Department of Social Services, a person must be working.

Over 10 million Americans are out of work and another 6.7 million are working part-time. More than 7 million are working part-time. As parents lose employment, as their hours are cutback, they are taking their children out of organized child care and making due with whatever affordable situation they can find. One problem: many families with no resources for childcare are turning to young family members to care of their younger siblings.

Parents rely on childcare when they are at work, but it is also a great social outlet for children who look forward to it every day. But today, more and more families are being forced to drop out of childcare, due to the economy. This trend signals difficult times for families.

According to the National Association of Child Care Resource & Parent Referral Agencies, day care costs nationwide can run from $3,380 to $10,787 a year for just one preschool-age child.

Some other interesting statistics on the current economy and its impact on children include:

-More than 11 million children under age 5 spend a portion of their day, every week, in the care of someone other than their mother.
-On average, a child of a working mom spends about 36 hours a week in childcare.

With the current economic crisis, quality child care is even more important to the healthy development of each child. For many low income families, child care is the only place that children receive a nutritious meal and snack, given that food is often one of the first places parents sacrifice.

One thing parents must understand when thinking about childcare costs is that each state has a star rating system and the more stars required, the higher educated childcare employees must be in order to meet the standards.

One suggestion to cut costs without sacrificing is for families to look to lower cost, in-home childcare. And remember that once a child hits school age the working parent would regain that income.

In the meantime, maybe the growing economic stress will demand that businesses find ways to be more family friendly and find ways to work parents who have young children.

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Kristin Gabriel is an author and social media marketing professional and works with Rocco Basile - http://www.roccobasile.org - of the the Basile Builders Group based in New York. Basile works with several charities including Children of the City and the Joe DiMaggio Committee for Xaverian High School.

Do your children come home from a weekend with your ex in an altered state? Do you wonder if they've experienced a close encounter of the third kind? Are their behaviors drastically different than during the time when they live with you?

It's important for your children that you discover the whys of this behavioral change. Is he not getting any discipline when he's away from you? Is he neglected and left to his own devices at your exs? Is he abandoned while your ex chases a new skirt? Or if he's staying with mommy, is she watching TV or absorbed in a novel while the kid runs rampant? Or is the child indulged to a point beyond spoiling and given everything he wants when he's visiting the ex?

Your child deserves continuity. This means that the rules should be the same at both dad and mom's house. Have a chat (out of earshot from your child) with your ex about continuity. Don't be blaming or making him/her feel guilty. Simply work toward what is best for your child and know that each of you wants that. Talk about each behavior you see that comes home to you in an altered state and communicate with your ex about how to prevent it for the sake of the child's continuity and emotional stability. You ex may not agree with you, but at least you will know that you did address the issue for the sake of your child.

Now of course, each household will reflect the persona of the mom or the dad and they cannot be precisely identical for the sake of the child's continuity. You might just have to allow your kid a few hours grace while he adjusts back into your way of doing things when he comes home from your ex's home. The kid's change in behavior is most likely to be expected, so cut them a little slack, and remember that they are still dealing with the idea that the two of you are divorced and they don't have themselves wrapped around that idea fully yet. These visits bring up that idea all over again, so be patient and understanding while they adjust to being back at your home again.

If your ex thinks that allowing your kids to eat junk food, party hearty while they are with him with no consideration for bedtimes, and if your conversations with him about this have been ineffective, then here's a comforting thought that I'd like to leave you with: Eventually (when they mature) your kids will recognize the difference and will applaud you for your value-driven decisions.

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In his book "Getting Over It: Wisdom for Divorced Parents," Len Stauffenger shares his simple wisdom gleaned from his divorce with his daughters and with you. Len is a Success Coach and an Attorney. You can purchase Len's book and it's accompanying workbook at http://www.wisdomfordivorcedparents.com

Kids and dogs meeting on the street can be adorable when all goes well. Here are some tips on making that experience as pleasant as possible.

Asking someone if their dog is friendly is a polite way of letting them know you’d like to pet their dog. It’s an especially good way to teach children that all dogs aren’t interested in being touched by a stranger… so be careful.

No matter the weather, we all want to venture outside for a walk in the neighborhood including our four legged friends. While most dogs are friendly, wonderful, and playful, every dog has the capacity to feel threatened and may react in an unexpected way.

Since you can’t judge a dog’s demeanor based on its cuteness, here are some tips so everyone gets along. Tips for a child to approach a dog and its owner:

1. Ask the owner if their dog is friendly and if they can pet their dog
2. Offer a back hand fist or hand out with fingers down
3. Let the dog approach the child to sniff
4. Pet a dog gently reaching from the side, not over its head
5. Ask to offer their dog a treat as dogs remember those who reward them

Since some dogs may not be familiar with children’s sounds and actions, it’s a good idea for children to refrain from screaming, squealing, and running. Even puppies who may seem harmless love to nip, chew, and chase small children which could be fun or frightening for both parties.

Some dogs perceive direct eye contact as threatening. That might present a problem when your child is standing face to face with them. You’ll want to be close enough to all of them to intervene if there’s a problem.

Americans love dogs – we own more than 65 million of them. Unfortunately, there are about 5 million dog bites a year according the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC says nearly 1 million of those bites required medical attention with half of those involving children.

The interaction between a child and a strange dog can be a sweet moment and an endearing one that hopefully inspires them to make a dog a part of their family someday. By taking simple precautions, it can be a pleasant experience that leaves everyone with a smile on their face.

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As the Dogsexpert, and Founder of http://www.LeashesandLovers.com , Sheryl Matthys talks with dog lovers on how their dogs impact their personal relationships. Leashes and Lovers offers online connections http://www.FetchaFriend.com where dog lovers can search and connect around the world for friendship, doggie playdates, same breed of dog, and possibly love! Sheryl has two children, two greyhounds and is a certified dog trainer.

Some homeowners become stuck in a rut when it comes to designing and run out of ideas for decorating before they can put the final touches on their homes. Others just don't know where to gain inspiration for their creativity and end up with the same design ideas over and over again. This is especially true of the kids' rooms, where space doesn't provide for lavish décor and ideas about what kids like and want can become a bit monotonous in the minds of an adult. However, if you start with the right children's bedroom furniture, you can make great things happen in a stylish and imaginative fashion, even with affordable kids' beds rather than designer furnishings.

Start with something simple, like the different options for kids' beds. You don't have to include a plain standard twin bed or even a full size bed in your child's room to make magic happen. Instead, get a little creative with your design. For example, whether you have a boy or a girl, daybeds can be an option you shouldn't discount. While this design aspect has been traditionally touted as a girl's bed, it can also work in a young man's room, decorated with deeper, masculine colors and a less feminine design and material (perhaps silver, wood, or wrought iron). This will work for him as it would for a female child, providing him with sleeping quarters at night and seating during the day.

Kids' bunk beds will always function for you in a room where two children must share the space. You have the opportunity to sleep two children in the space of a single twin bed, leaving more floor space for desks to complete school work and dressers where clothing can be stored. For the latest designs for boys and girls in this and other styles of bedding you can find excellent products online that are widely varied, high quality, and easy on the pocketbook.

Kids' storage beds can be a real blessing as well, eliminating the need for additional furniture like a dresser and/or a toy box or other storage device due to the inclusion of drawers in the headboard and footboard areas and sometimes a large storage bin beneath the mattress.

Even children not sharing a room can get creative and have the benefits of a bunk with loft beds, which are elevated beds that resemble the top half of a bunk bed. This provides living space beneath the fun, elevated bed so that a work desk or storage space (like a dresser or toy box) can be kept under the bed, therefore eliminating the need for extra floor space for these items. As a bonus, these beds are just as much fun for your child as a bunk bed would be, with the coveted "top bunk" being the automatic default for the inhabitant with no additional bunk or roommate over which to fight! These are also available through a number of quality manufacturers, including South Shore Furniture, with promises of sturdy construction and always the best materials possible in use.

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Benjamin Weissman writes articles about using Discount Bedroom Furniture, Kids Beds and Kids Bedroom Sets to decorate their bedrooms beautifully and inexpensively. Make your Bedroom a Personal Retreat. You can find more information at http://www.home-and-bedroom.com .

Simply we love it, we like to wear and feel good about it. Somehow it seems to enhance our appearance and appeal a great deal. Our eyes are so conditioned that the people in designer clothing seem to look smarter and more energetic than those in modern regular outfits.

It is a straight forward decision in case of parents and elders; they go in for custom outfits even if they are a bit more expensive. But it is essential expense in the context of social living. But when it comes to making decision with regard to buying custom clothes for children we are confused and the decision swings between yes and no indecisively. Parents do want their children well dressed and presentable. Their smart looks among the kids of friends is a pleasure to watch. When appreciated by high-end society friends it is almost an achievement leading to the ascending steps of social recognition. But the utter uselessness of buying designer clothes for children too cross the mind because soon the children will grow and leave behind the costly designer clothes smaller in size as unusable. So it becomes a hard decision to make.

Some reasons to buy designer clothes

If the values of social standards weigh more than the value of money in your life, you should go for designer clothes for children.

If the parents have friends in the circle who notice what their children wear and evaluate, then it is imperative that they buy specially made clothes for their children even though they might feel the pinch of the expense a bit.

Above all there is one reason which makes most of the parents go in for designer clothes for their children. That is the magic of love, they want to see their children in the best set of clothes and they wish to provide their children with the best.

Some reasons for not buying high end clothing

One major reason for not buying designer clothes for children is the cost of them. They are surely very expensive when compared to non-designer fashion wear. In recent times as the cost of living has risen to touch the sky, for many parents it is not an appealing idea to go in for designer clothes for their children.

And the second deterrent faction is simply a biological reason. The way children grow in fast pace these days buying expensive high end materials is a risky affair. You wont know for how long the clothe would remain fit in size. When children out grow the size of their dress they abandon it as though they are something that the cat has brought in.

The reason parents easily could attribute to decide against kids suits is that the children are not aware whether they wear custom patterns or other fashion wear. And the children actually do not care what brand of wear they adorn themselves with.

The basis for a decision

In the ultimate analysis the decision to buy or not to buy personally designed clothes for children depends on the parents. If you wish to see them in designer clothes, go for it but be sure that to your children those are just clothing and they are going to use them as they use the clothes they wear at home because it does not matter much whether they are in modern outfits or some other.

But it is also an irrefutable fact that the present world is highly fashion conscious and fashion, social standards and social prestige go hand in hand and all complement and enhance each other supportability. And what you or your kids wear is actually the life-style statement you make, a statement that expresses your attitude about life. To be in the lime light of fashion is imperative in the present world.

Designer clothes are affordable

All the discussion about buying or not buying personalized clothing for children is because of its exhaustive price. Walking into any designer showroom makes you a bit jittery even if you have a million dollars in your pocket when you see the price tag. But this is no more the case with on line shopping.

You can now buy online the best of designer wear at cost that you can afford. The online shopping turns out to be less expensive because there are no overhead expenditure, no showroom cost and so on and all these benefits are shared with the consumer and so online shopping is less expensive.

In my years working closely with kids and their struggles at school, I have found one big common denominator: Kids, especially teenagers, are always the victim of some kind of metaphysical injustice that gets them constantly in trouble... At least if you listen to them! Have you noticed that, whenever you ask what happened in a situation, it always starts with: "So-and-so did this and someone else did that and I..." I never even let the conversation get there. I want to know what YOU did. Circumstantial evidence is irrelevant at this point. If there was a sanction applied to YOU, it means that YOU did something. That's what I want to know and the rest will be discussed later.

Children, by nature, will do anything they can find to get away with stuff. In any situation, there will be at least two sides of the story and the truth will be somewhere in the middle. But it is important that kids realize their part of responsibility. Why is that important? If your kids don't understand what is wrong with their actions, how will they correct them? Teenagers like to be in denial, it is part of being a teenager. They excel at finding excuses! It doesn't matter if, in an extreme and fictitious example, half of the class was throwing objects at the teacher. They will tell you that it is justified by the number of kids doing it. If your kid was one of them, he/she needs to understand that following a crowd is not necessarily the right thing to do.

With any issue you encounter with your kids, after the storm has passed, take the time to sit quietly for a few minutes with them and go over the situation calmly. Lead them to understand that, if they are feeling bad, it's because they put themselves in this situation, but it's not too late to correct it. Taking responsibility is a very important step towards maturity. Recognizing their part in a situation will enable your kids to face situation in a mature way, on their own, little by little.

If they don't learn to take responsibility, they will always stay with a victim mentality and not be able to cope in challenging situations. Taking responsibility teaches you to focus on the solution, as opposed to the problem. It will start with accepting that a bad grade is not because the teacher gave a very hard test but because they could have studied more. It will move on to recognizing that some of their relationships are dragging them down and that they need to focus on the ones that help them rise above.

It will finally turn them into blooming young adults who can take charge of themselves.

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Florence Bernard, Parental Consultant - Educational liaison - +1-954-903-0655 -fbernard@betteratschool.com
Get Results Now! Download free resources on http://www.betteratschool.com
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United States of America (Press Release) October 14, 2008 -- The emotional approach associated while buying clothes for kids by mothers at most occasions overlook high cost factor. Buying clothes for kids is a matter which should be given its share of careful consideration. Is it worth spending more than necessary on kids wear? Our love for kids and our wish that they should have the finest outfits tend to overstep in the matter of expense. Is it possible to save money while buying clothes for kids?

Some conventional tips

Branded clothes are costlier than the non branded clothes. In most cases the banded and non branded are of the same quality and finish but the brand label stitched on to the clothes make the price difference. To save money non branded clothes should be the choice.

Anyway kids are not bothered whether it is branded or otherwise. Only youth have a psychological fixation about brands and kids have no conditional factor of that kind.

Plan your purchase well ahead like buy winter clothing in summer and summer clothing in winter.

Use the factory outlets, consignment stores or goodwill shops to make purchases of kids’ clothes. Get in touch with them and find out about their special sales session.

Second hand kid’s clothe shop is also a best place to buy good gently used clothes at prices staggeringly low. Well in time visit such places to make good bargain purchases.

Yard sale and garage sale which are popular in most of the posh sub urban community is also a good place to buy kid’s wear at reasonable cost.

And you can also make it a habit to sell your kid’s clothes at the end of every season.

At popular shops specializing in kids wear search out the discount racks and get discount on quality products

Shopping online for kids clothes

Online buying is the most suitable way to buy kids wear. There are many e-shops like the e-bay and they are better places to get best quality kids wear in less expense. It is essential to understand how e-shops offer the same wear for lesser price than the shop counter. The e-shops do not have the expenditure of overheads like the showroom and the maintenance of it including the power bill and pay to employees and so on. Such savings are passed on to the customer and so e-buying becomes less expensive.

Apart from that, buying online means you need not drive to the shop burning fuel and polluting the air. Actually online buying can be termed as ‘green buying’! And more importantly and interestingly there is no fixed time for shopping, you can buy anytime you prefer. It is most convenient to those who have heavy schedule.

Apart from specialized e-shops almost all the big stores have their web sites and you can buy though their sites online. Websites contain more information than you can get at the shop counter. At the site all the contents of the shop are listed and all the available styles are displayed for selection.

Some more tips for online purchase

Buying at online stores need some practice and training.
First of all be sure of the size of your kids wear to check with the size chart of the store and order correctly. This will avoid the hassles of returning it etc. While ordering be sure about color, style etc and check with the store site.

It is better to go to the section of instructions and conditions on return of goods and be clear about it. Most of the stores have their own methods of return of goods; some free of cost, some with deduction from you and so on. So it is essential to understand their policies.

If you have any doubt about any aspect of your purchase it is better you contact their customer care division and ask your questions before making the purchase.

If you are a planner then you will see the price of essential items like jeans, t-shirts, sweaters etc and wait for the end of the season clearance sale of such items to make a good bargain purchase.

One another important thing you have to do is to register yourself with all your favorite sites so that you can get mails about special offers, clearance sale etc. This will save a lot of money.

And finally be sure that the site you are shopping at is a secure and reliable one before you give the details of your credit card number etc.

So buying online is a sure way to save money on purchases of your children’s clothes and it is also environmental protection process as millions who buy online are avoiding burning car fuel.

Since it is so crucial that kids grow up believing in themselves, I have more tips for you.

1) Do not criticize. Criticism can greatly diminish confidence. It is easy for parents to say "See, I told you not to do that and now you are dirty all over." We need to remind ourselves constantly that everytime we diminish their self-esteem, it will take us a lot more effort to restore it. Or even worse, we leave it as it is and the child will hesitate to do new things in future. If you have nothing good to say, it is better not to say anything. Talk to children about their mistake in a positive way.

2) What is your first reaction when you see your child in your room full of lipstick on his lips and all your lipsticks are spoilt? Will you start screaming at him? Most of us would. Then you would have fallen into their trap. What should you do then? Make them clean up the mess, even if it takes half the day. The child have to pay for the lipsticks by either not having a new toy or no Macdonalds for the next two months. Screaming at them does not really help as they already feel frightened when they know you have found out the truth. Let them learn that they have to be responsible for what they do. If they can come up with their own punishment (which you are agreeable to), that would be better.

3) One of the easiest way is to hang up their pictures on the wall so that visitors can take a look at them too. Encourage them to take about the story or idea behind the picture. If your kids are older, you could embark on a project to write a storybook. The child could write on a short chapter a week. They can also hang up short articles or jokes on the wall.

4) Communicate with your child as much as possible. You will need to know what they are feeling and thinking before you can decide on the next course of action. Most parents spend time and money attending courses to find out about how to deal with their children when the most important thing they need to do is to spend more time with them.

5) Help children to find their own interest and build on it. Try not to emphasize on perfection and competition. Instead focus on doing their best and enjoying the process. The process is just as important ,if not more important than the result. Children will realize that there are so many things to learn on the way which are so valuable to them.

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Cheng Cheng is a parenting expert with two boys age 5 and 6. She has learnt a lot from books and other mothers. She hopes to share her experiences and knowledge which will definitely be useful to you. For more articles, please go to http://www.raisingconfidentkids.com

Copyright © 2008 Karin Vibe Rheymer Stewart

When my husband was in college, a number of his fellow students were bringing their dirty laundry home, and Mom was coming once a month to clean their room. This wasn't because they were lazy, but they simply didn't know how to do the laundry or house cleaning!

Don't let your children become like those students... Apart from the fact that teaching your children house and other chores prepare them for life on their own, they're also chores that you don't need to do! I know, I know, it takes time to teach them how to do it, and there will be quite a few times when you will need to finish the job behind them, but once they know, you will never need to do it again until they leave... And, at least until they reach eight or so, they will be proud to be entrusted with "big people" tasks.

So, what tasks can be safely delegated to your children? It depends on their age, but there are things they can do as early as 2 years old. Below is a list of tasks by age group:

Toddlers: Can dust with an electromagnetic cloth or baby wipe; Spray and scrub the sink and bathtub with water and a sponge; pick up toys or other floor clutter and put them in baskets or bins - if the baskets are labeled with pictures, they can even put the right toys in the right container! At this point, anything you give them to do except putting the toys away will be more to give them something to do while you are cleaning, but they will try to do their best if you take the time to teach them, and it will seem natural to them when they graduate to more complex tasks.

Preschoolers: Sweep with kid-size broom; spray and squeegee windows using lemon- or vinegar-water (inside windows only, please!); use a handheld vacuum; wipe sinks using baby wipes; empty a small trash basket into a bigger bag; scrub corners of kitchen chairs or other small spaces using a clean toothbrush or nail brush and a cup of water; make beds (preferably with a comforter, it's easier for them); fold towels; put clothes in drawers; hang clothes on hooks; put dirty clothes in hamper; help feed animals; wipe off baseboards, windowsills with small cloth or wearing old socks on their hands; help wipe up spills; dry unbreakable dishes; pick up litter in the yard.

Kindergartners: sweep small areas with a dustpan and broom; clean bathroom sinks; hang up the towel after a bath; store bath toys; help in the kitchen (stirring, tearing lettuce, etc. - no knife yet!); set the napkins and silverware on the table; clear dishes from the table (depends on your child, you know if they risk breaking them or not); help load the dishwasher; straighten plastic dishes in a cabinet; help straighten pots and pans; sort family members' clean laundry; dust furniture; strip linens from beds; straighten books on a bookshelf; put game and puzzle pieces in correct storage containers; use a lint remover to pick up pet hair on furniture; tidy up their room.

Younger Elementary School Kids: Make beds (any of them); take out garbage; sweep stairs and walks; clean the car and help wash it; vacuum their own room; sort and straighten toys; fold and put away laundry; empty the dishwasher; feed and care for pets; set and clean the table (but only with unbreakable dishes and cups at this point); sort clothes for washing.

Older Elementary School Kids: Clean bathroom mirrors; vacuum; clean toilets; clean countertops and the kitchen sink; mop small-area floors; use the washer and dryer; wash, dry and put away dishes; clean pet areas; clean cobwebs and dust in high places with a pole; sweep the garage; set and clean the table (by the end of elementary school, they usually are able to do it with regular dishes and glasses).

Teenagers: Can do everything you do, except for the most intensive jobs, or the ones using noxious products, such as deep-cleaning of the oven, or removing mold from the bathroom tiles.

So, when will you sit down and create a chore chart for your children? What chores will you assign to each, depending on their ages? What will you do with the time you are saving this way?

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Karin Vibe-Rheymer-Stewart, Ph.D., helps busy women reclaim time and achieve work/life balance through whole-life time management, in other words everything that affects your use of time. She works through one-on-one coaching, group coaching, seminars and talks. For free resources and to contact her, go to http://www.superwomanrelief.com .