Back To School; Time To Recharge
|
The back-to-school shopping is done. Brand new pencils, colored markers, and notebooks fill my daughter's back pack. I've cleaned off the refrigerator in preparation for the new onslaught of pictures and class notices. School's started. She is excited to be back amongst her friends. I find myself in the everyday routine of waking up in the dark, fixing breakfast and packing lunches. Even though my daughter is old enough to drive herself to school this year, I still rush out the door behind her dressed in sweat pants and no makeup. After a quick work out and a shower, my work day finally begins. It's good to be back in the routine.
But, back-to-school is also time to recharge the parenting batteries. The kids are gone until at least 3:00. The house is quiet. I actually get some work done for the first time in 3 months. I've signed up for an art class at the local university. I have time for lunch with my girlfriends.
This month, why not celebrate back-to-school by taking a few minutes for yourself? Put on your favorite CD and take a long leisurely, uninterrupted bath. Why not go for coffee with the girls or host a brunch for your neighborhood friends? Try something decadent, just for mom.
Foaming Chocolate Milk Bath Sachets
Enjoy a relaxing, aromatic moment to yourself.
Ingredients:
1 cup baking soda
1 cup instant nonfat dry milk
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Vintage handkerchiefs or
Pretty 10-inch square scraps of fabric
Ribbon
Directions:
1. Mix all of the ingredients together.
2. Place about 3 tablespoons on the center of a pretty cloth handkerchief.
3. Tie the bundle with a piece of ribbon.
4. Hang the sachet over the bathtub faucet and let warm water run through it.
5. Store the extra milk bath in an attractive airtight jar. It will keep up to 6 months.
_________________
You have permission to reprint this article electronically or in print, free of charge, provided that each article is:
1. Printed in its full form with no changes
2. Includes an active link
3. A courtesy copy of your publication is sent to the above contact
4. And the following byline appears at the bottom of each article:
About the Authors: Rondi Hillstrom Davis and Janell Sewall Oakes are the co-authors of the award-winning book Together: Creating Family Traditions. To check out their website that's jam packed with family ideas, visit http://www.togetherparenting.com
To subscribe to their online newsletter, go to http://www.togetherparenting.com/feedback.asp
Copyright NineTwentyPress
|
|
|
One Definition Of Success
As parents, we want our children and teens to grow up and "be successful." But what "being successful" means depends on our definition of "success" in the first place. Obviously "success" means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Our definition of success has become "The Progressive Realization of Moral, Virtuous, or Godly Goals."
<...(related: Parenting)Grandparents! Help Your Grandkids Do Math!
This may come as a surprise.But despite all the advances in education, many kids stillstruggle in the math class.Math is an important subject, yet many kids just don't "getit".Teachers can only devote a limited amount of personalattention to each student.And parents are so busy with their own work nowadays, theydon't have time to help their children with school work.That's where YOU, the grandparent, come ...(related: Parenting)
15 Ways To Help Kids Like Themselves
1. Tell me something you like about yourself? Help your child to focus on her many strengths.2. Reinforce the positives. Give praise, recognition, a special privilege or increasedresponsibility for a job well done.3. Define limits and rules clearly. A family council is an excellent place to discuss, explainand get a sense of ownership to the rules. Discuss what consequences will follow if therules are not followed. Don't have a lot of rules, maybe four or five, but be consistent atfollowing them.4. Give your children responsibility to make the house a home. Everyone in the familyshould be responsible for some household chores daily. Responsibility makes them feelvalued and part of the team.5. Don't re-do their jobs. If you expec...(related: Parenting)
Monitoring Your Teens For Drug Use Without Appearing To Be Spying
Even if your teenagers do not use drugs, you still need to keep an eye on them. It is much better to realize that things could change, and anticipate that your teen COULD become a user. Essentially, it is not wise to make assumptions about topics such as drug use. Also, having been a high school teacher afforded me the opportunity to witness peer pressure, and how even good kids could be convinced to try drugs - just to fit in. It is important that you play a proactive role in ensuring that your teenagers and the rest of your family remains drug free.About drug useInitially, I learned...(related: Parenting)
Bedtime And Sleep Habits
Bedtime and children's sleep habits can cause nightmares - for parents, that is! Often at the end of a long day all you want is a little peace and time for yourself. After all, you have probably devoted the entire to the service of children in some form.Whether it is putting bread on the table or being gainfully employed in an unpaid position as housekeeper and cook, you deserve a break.Come on, kids, be reasonable!But children do not always see bed-time from a parent's perspective. They often dispute calls for bed and complain loudly that it is too early.None of the other kids at school go to bed at 8 o'clock, Mum. "It's not fair." is the sort o...(related: Parenting)
From Childrens Stories To Study Skills: Help Your Children Succeed In School
IntroductionAs a parent who wants the best for your children, there are undoubtedly many things that you already do every day to help your children succeed in school. The purpose of this article is to provide some practical ideas for you to try. Some of these suggestions may be new to you, many will be familiar, and some are just plain common sense but, hopefully, they will all serve as reminders of the many simple steps you can take that are too often taken for granted or forgotten about, due to the hectic pace of everyday living.Read to your kids, whatever their agesFirst of all, read to your children. We all know that this is important, but I'd like to point out that reading aloud should begin in infancy. It can contribute to your baby's developing attention span and receptive language s...(related: Parenting)
Children?s Birthday Party Planning: When And When Not To Have A Big Party
Age 1: Invite only family members and close friends only because this birthday is more for the parents than for the child. At age 1, a child doesn't understand the concept of "Birthday Party." He or she is getting a lot of attention---which is all a 1-year-old wants or understands anyway. You should not go overboard on presents because too much could scare or confuse a child. You should consider getting specialty items such as a plate that says "First Birthday," a 1-year-old candle, and possible a table cover that everyone could sign with fabric paint to have as keepsakes that can someday be shown (or given to) to your grown child.Age 2: 2-years-olds should have one or two playmates over for a small Birthday Play Day. Again I suggest you keep a birthday plate and other keepsakes for your 2-yea...(related: Parenting)
Summer Marks The Time To Remember Active Supervision Around Family Swimming Pools
LOS ANGELES (May 19, 2005) - With Memorial Day weekend, and summer fast approaching, EMS, first responders, and water safety advocates, are bracing for the unthinkable ? the unfortunate drowning accidents in backyard swimming pools that annually cl...(related: Parenting)
7 Ways To Know Your Child
How well do you really know your child?There is so much information at our fingertips to learn more about a child's personality, 'behaviorisms' and intelligence. Of course, we want to be the best parent we can, and so we read all the information. And some of it is great! Take the four different temperaments . . . I can see my child in one, but then I turn the page and I see him in ano...(related: Parenting)
Your Checking Account
Checking accounts are an absolute necessity these days. You can either have a checking account or run to the bank or other outlet for money orders. Many people pay for almost everything with a check including groceries, gas, clothes and a long list of other things. When you add an ATM card to this picture, your chances for a potential problem is greatly enhanced.Don't get me wrong. There are many people that can keep their check book up to date, even deducting all of the ATM advances and automatic withdrawals as they make them. However, too many people that write checks for everything wind up not entering a check when it is written or an ATM advance when it is made. The result is a bounced check fee ...(related: Parenting)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved. | Parenting