What are we teaching our children?

I stood back listening to a few neighbors talking to one another by the playground a few days ago and I was amazed. These mothers had their children close by listening to them bad mouth just about everyone in their lives.

What made me even more amazed than that was the shock and surprise these women showed when one of the children called another child a foul name (and, no, I am not referring to the word chicken). How did the child hear such a thing? I wanted to shout back at the "ladies" and let them know that what was coming "out of the mouths of babes" was none other than what just came out of their own mouths!

Instead I wrote an article on teaching children hate. You can find it here.

Dangers of smoking

I haven't had time to sit down and type up what happened yet. On the 29th of August I was sitting at my desk working on a set of articles for a client when a neighbor opened my back door. This in itself was odd since I didn't know this neighbor but her words would not only shake up my day, they saved my family's lives!

She said to me, "There is a fire in the apartment next door and you should get out."

She didn't seem concerned and since the girl next door is quite young I invisioned a grease fire on the stove and a young girl panicking. Within seconds I had told my 11 year old to wake the kids upstairs (of course we were babysitting and not only had my other 3 children upstairs but the neighbor's 2 were up there as well) and all of the sudden this calm neighbor started yelling at me to get out of my house right away.

Still, I didn't smell the smoke and had no idea what danger we were in. I got out of my chair and went upstairs to get the cleeping children. Immediately I knew something was wrong. My smoke detectors weren't going off but the smoke was fililng the upstairs of my apartment and breathing was painful causing a burning feeling in my nose and throat.

I hate to cut a story short, but I'll revisit this story again in a couple days when I have time to put it to words. Let it suffice to say at this point that we made it out and only have holes in our walls from the firemen's axe used to get to the burning insulation in our walls. The neighbor's house only had a couple pit bulls in it along with a smouldering cigarette in the sofa. The people hadn't been home in over 2 hours. She lost everything! The dogs made it out with minor injuries.

Now my 3 year old is terrified of fire and even terrified of policemen and firemen because he soedn't want to have another fire.

I'll write more about the reprecussions of a fire in blogs to come.

Healthy After School Snack Ideas

My kids get home from school and go straight to the kitchen for a snack. Some days I wonder why they serve lunch so early. After school snacks should compliment your child's diet. Healthy after school snacks can be quick, easy to make and tasty. Some of my kids' favorite after school snacks are listed below. READ MORE....

Parenting Tips: Road Trips with Children

Taking long road trips with children can be difficult. During the past three years I have moved from Utah to Texas, from Texas to Oregon, from Oregon to Arkansas, and from Arkansas to Oregon. Each trip took us several days to get to our destination. Then there are the shorter trips we have made where we were only going 50 miles. When you travel with children you need to be prepared. READ MORE....

Attachment Disorders Start During Childhood

Children with attachment disorders have difficulty trusting anyone. Attachment disorders lead to other psychological problems including antisocial behavior, mistrust, poor empathy skills, poor peer skills, and behavior problems. People with attachment disorders have difficulty 'fitting in' in society.

Forming a secure attachment is a complex process READ MORE....

Parenting Tips: The Terrible Twos

Your toddler has started having frequent temper tantrums. His mood swings are as predictable as yours were when you were pregnant with him. The most frequent thing uttered by his sweet lips is 'NO'. Welcome to the Terrible Twos.

The terrible twos can start anytime after your child's first birthday. READ MORE....

Fostering a Strong Work Ethic in Children

When you found out you were going to have a baby you started to dream about how your child was going to turn out. Dreams of your child's future probably included your child being successful and having a strong work ethic. Raising children with a strong work ethic doesn't happen by chance. Parents need to teach their children work ethics by example.

The first thing you need to do to foster a strong work ethic in your children is READ MORE....

Discipline vs Child Abuse

Disciplining your children is not the same as child abuse. Parents should not fear being arrested for disciplining a child in public. It is a parent's job to discipline their child, in public and at home. The difference between child abuse and discipline is not only intent. Intending to teach your child to behave doesn't give you the right to cause bodily harm.

Child abuse is harming a child physically or emotionally. READ MORE....

How To Stop Your Toddler's Temper Tantrums

Spinning out of control like a Tasmanian Devil on caffeine, your bouncing baby boy can tear up your house in the time you takes to answer the telephone. As the latest toy your toddler had to have bounces off of the back of your head you might wonder why you decided to become a parent. The temper tantrums your toddler throws are enough to make you want to call out, "Calgon, take me away!" Unfortunately for stressed parents around the world, shouting for Calgon only works in commercials.

Toddlers want attention and will settle for negative attention if it is readily available. READ MORE....

Twenty Ways to Make Your Child Feel Loved

Recently I was asked for ways parents can make their children feel loved. I came up with this list of twenty ways to make children feel loved. READ MORE....