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6 Fun Fall Activities for Families

Danica Hoppe — Tue, 25 Oct 2016 16:52:01 +0000

By Jamell Andrews Summer may be coming to an end, but that doesn’t have to mean making life all about school and work. The season of falling leaves and all things pumpkin-spice offers a whole slew of fun, family-friendly activities to enjoy. Here are 6 fun things to do as a family this fall. 1. Playing in—and Raking—the Leaves Raking leaves may seem like a chore, but it actually provides you an opportunity to spend some quality time as a family. Get your kids in on the action by letting them help with raking and bagging. Kid-sized rakes are a fun way to keep younger children entertained while you tackle your fall cleanup. Make it an event by having some hot apple cider and of course, jumping in the piles of leaves before you bag them. You can also have the kids collect leaves, pinecones, and acorns to make fall crafts with. 2. Visit a Pumpkin Patch A visit to the pumpkin patch is about so much more than picking out a pumpkin these days! Many farms offer a true fall experience with everything from hayrides to petting zoos. Enjoy walking through the pumpkin patch on a sunny fall afternoon as family and choosing a pumpkin together to carve, decorate with, or even to make pumpkin pie and roasted pumpkin seeds together. 3. Go Apple Picking This quintessential fall activity is fun for the whole family, as well as healthy. Pick apples together and enjoy the cool crisp air and fall sun as you stroll through a local orchard together. The fun continues at home when you let the kids help you in the kitchen as you prep apples and bake fall favorites, like homemade apple pie or apple crumble. You get exercise and healthy, delicious treats all in one fun day as a family! 4. Go on a Family Hike Fall is the most scenic time of the year thanks to crisp, clear skies and vibrant leaves. A family hike along a trail offers up a great way to spend time together while also getting exercise and enjoying all of the beauty that this season has to offer. 5. Visit Spooky Sights With fall also comes Halloween, which brings with it all kinds of family fun with a spooky slant! Amusement parks, community centers, and farms offer child-friendly spooky events, such as “haunted” houses and rides, corn mazes, and other spooky-themed activities. Take the fun to a whole other level by dressing up in costumes. 6. Visit a Fall Fair Fall fairs and festivals are a great way to spend a fall day or evening. Fall fairs offer something for the whole family, from games and rides to tractor pulls and petting zoos. Check your local community guide for fall fairs in your area or find one in another town and make it a family road trip. Live in a bustling city? Then head to a fall festival which offers up just as much family-friendly fun as a fair. There’s nothing like the smell of candy apples in the air and the sights and sounds of a fall fair or festival to help you kick off the season together! There’s no need to be sad that summer’s over with so many fun things to do as a family in the fall.

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Many U.S. Kids Still Getting Too Much Daily Screen Time, Says CDC

Danica Hoppe — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 22:16:33 +0000

For years, doctors have been advising parents to limit the time their children spend daily watching television or on a computer — the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children get no more than two hours a day of non-school-related ‘screen time.’ But the message isn’t getting through to all families. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted two national surveys among children between 12 and 15 years of age. Close to three quarters of all the youths reported spending at least two hours in front of the TV and using a computer. Fifteen percent of those surveyed said they spent four or more hours watching TV every day; while 12 percent used a computer for four or more hours a day. The survey did not ask about use of smartphones. The AAP’s official recommendation is that children spend no more than one or two hours a day in front of a screen; this advice takes into consideration that more screen time is linked to obesity, higher blood pressure, attention problems, sleep deficits and poorer performance at school. The AAP has further recommended that parents establish “screen-free” zones in the home by making sure that there are no televisions, computers or video games in children’s rooms. This is a way to control how much screen time your children get. With respect to sleep, it is important for parents to keep in mind that children, including teens, need more sleep than adults; so, it’s essential to make sure that your teen has no electronic media in his or her room that will tempt them to stay up late. Keeping their rooms free from these devices is also important for monitoring what your children are viewing or doing when they’re in front of the TV or on a computer. The AAP also recommends that televisions be turned off during dinner, to give family members a better opportunity to interact. Children under two years of age should get no screen time at all, says the AAP, because the brains of babies and toddlers are developing very rapidly, and young children learn best by interacting with others, and not with screens. Doctors recommend creating an environment where kids have other choices, besides TV or computers. For instance: books, board games, free play, hobbies, after-school sports and other activities, such as volunteer work or helping around the house. Results of the above study were published in the July issue of the NCHS Data Brief, a publication of the CDC. Eirian Hallinan

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Parents: The Best Way to Decrease Children’s TV Viewing — Is to Decrease Your Own!

Danica Hoppe — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 20:26:19 +0000

It’s no secret to any parent that children, especially younger ones, strive to be like their parents and do the same things that parents do. So, it may come as little surprise that a study published recently in the journal Pediatrics found that the best predictor of how much time a child spends watching television … is how much time the parents do. Researchers at the Annenberg Public Policy Center (U of PA) interviewed 1,500 parents with children 17 and younger about the parents’ screen time habits (viewing DVDs, movies on the Internet, and so forth). They were also asked specifically about their television-viewing habits, as well as their kids’. When possible, adolescent children were also interviewed about their own TV habits. The interviews revealed that parental TV time was a better predictor of how much time the kids watched TV than whether parents removed a television set from the children’s bedroom, restricted the kids’ TV viewing, or how much TV parents and kids watched together. Parents spent an average of 4 hours in front of a screen, and the more screen time they had, the more their children were in front of a screen, as well. For every hour that parents watched television, children had an additional close to 30 minutes of screen time. Parental restrictions on TV-viewing had some effect on 6- to 11-year-olds. Adolescents, on the other hand, reported viewing almost an hour more of TV a day than their parents suspected. The American Academy of Pediatrics has been advocating for years that children not be allowed more than 1 to 2 hours of non-educational screen time a day. (And it recommends that children under 2 not have any screen time.) Too much TV-watching has been linked in past studies to the following: Obesity – The more television a child watches, the greater the risk of the child becoming overweight. Letting kids have a TV inside their room increases this risk. Difficulty Sleeping – The more TV children watch, the more apt they are to have difficulty falling asleep; their sleep schedules are also more likely to be irregular, leading to sleep deprivation. Poor School Performance – Sleep deprivation may be one of the main reasons why children who have TV’s in their bedrooms tend to do worse on tests than children with no bedroom TV’s. Behavior Problems – Elementary-age students who have more than two hours a day of screen time have a greater risk of emotional, social and attention problems. Playing video games in specific is associated with a higher risk of attention problems in kids. Exposure to Media Violence, Especially on TV – This can desensitize children, who are impressionable, to violence, which may cause them to view violent outbursts as a normal way to deal with frustration Child experts offer these tips to parents: No TV’s or computers in children’s bedrooms; keep those in common areas where you can monitor content viewed by your children When not watching a program, turn off TV Help your kids make healthier use of their time by suggesting other things to do, like reading, playing sports, board games, helping around the house, volunteering in the community Set a good example for your kids — you will be much more effective if you walk the walk, and not just talk the talk! By Eirian Hallinan

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Does Entertainment Play a Role in the Increasing Gun Violence Among Youth?

Alex — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 20:22:44 +0000

The recent series of horrifying, unspeakably senseless mass shootings perpetrated by teenagers and young adults in different American states has all of us in this country searching for answers. What can be causing these increasingly common, genocidal outbursts of gun violence? And what can we as a society do to change things? Most of us understand that it would be simplistic to try to pin the growing number of mass shootings by young Americans on any one or two factors, in what has become a very complex society. A reasonable mind has to conclude that the causes behind these horrific events must be manifold. But it would be intellectually irresponsible, perhaps even morally negligent, to say that the entertainment media — television, movies, music, and nowadays, video games — play no role in this worsening state of events. Literally hundreds of studies have been done in the last few decades, which alternately find that television, video games, and other forms of entertainment that young people are exposed to, play no role in aggression and future propensity toward violence, while other times, studies find that children who are exposed to violence on television and other media are indeed more likely to display future aggression and violence, and show a decrease in “pro-social” or cooperative behavior. Before video games gained explosive popularity in this country, the focus was on TV and movie violence. A 15-year study by the University of Michigan, published in the journal Developmental Psychology in 2003, tracked the lives of hundreds of children in Chicago, to measure the effects of childhood exposure to TV violence on aggression as young adults. The study found that the more a child watched violent TV shows, the more likely he or she was to engage in later aggression, such as pushing, grabbing or shoving their spouse or another adult. They were also more likely to be convicted of a crime later on. The study also found that when violence was rewarded on TV, such as when a “hero” character received glory for killing a bad guy, the influence on the young viewer was worse than a bloodier act by a bad guy who was ultimately brought to justice. In the case of the hero character who was rewarded, violence was more likely to be seen as acceptable. The popularity that video games have gained in the past decade-plus gives parents yet one more reason to be concerned about the psychological influences to which their growing children are being exposed. As in the case of Hollywood regarding TV violence, many studies have been done that alternately show that children who play violent video games have an increased tendency toward aggression in the short term or long term — while other studies show no such link. States wanting to restrict younger kids from being able to purchase more violent, “mature” video games have been successfully challenged in courts by the very lucrative gaming industry. Current estimates indicate that around 90 percent of American kids ages 8 to 16 play video games, an average of 13 hours a week (with boys playing more than girls). And even when video games are not violent, it cannot be disputed that the more a person, of any age, spends time playing games that not only remove them from the world around them, but could tend to warp their sense of reality, the more out of touch they might become over time. It is believed that this is partly what happened in the case of James Holmes, the 25-year-old former PhD college student who walked into a packed Aurora, CO movie theater heavily armed, and killed 12 moviegoers at random. Friends who knew Holmes say that he became obsessed with video games, and he sometimes believed that he was one of the characters in them. With respect to the gratuitous violence in video games, critics point out that game publishers are, to a certain extent, training children on the use of lethal weapons — as well as desensitizing them to murder, by allowing them to role-play the killings of hundreds or even thousands of pretend enemies in a single video game. In July 2000, four respected national health organizations came together to tell the American public that violence in television, music, video games and movies does, indeed, increase aggression in children. The American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, said in a joint statement that “prolonged viewing of media violence can lead to emotional desensitization toward violence in real life.” The groups stated that the effects of media violence exposure are “measurable and long-lasting.” The doctors were quick to point out that other major factors contributing to increased gun violence among youth are family breakdown and the availability of weapons. With respect to this last point — the proliferation and, yes, glorification, of firearms in this country — this is a state of affairs that has now left an emotional scar in the nation’s collective psyche forever. We now know that Nancy Lanza, the mother of Adam Lanza, the 20-year-old former college student who shot to death first his mother, then 20 children and six employees at an elementary school in Newtown, CT, had at least a dozen firearms inside her home. We now know that Nancy was an avid gun enthusiast, and that she often took her two sons to the local firing range to practice target shooting. Adam was mildly autistic, and his mother knew that he had emotional problems (so much so, that she was in the process of having him involuntarily committed). Two obvious questions that arise are, what were all those guns doing in the house? And why would a mother have wanted her boys to practice shooting guns; specifically, semi-automatic ones? Some things that parents in the U.S. can do, to stem the growing tide of gun violence in our youth, while we all wait for politicians to do

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How to Raise a Musical Child

Danica Hoppe — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:13:40 +0000

When it comes to educating children, a lot of focus is placed on practical skills like reading and math, which are undoubtedly important. But we should raise our children to be well-rounded individuals, and this involves teaching them forms of creative self-expression. While different kids have different talents-some are good at drawing, some can dance well, and some are most talented in non-artistic areas-music should be integral to every child’s life. And even if your child does not develop into a musical prodigy, it is a good idea to have cultivate familiarity with the art form. In addition to enriching a child’s life, familiarity with a musical child and learning to play an instrument help develop crucial areas of a child’s brain. In fact, studies have shown that musical proficiency helps children in math, language, learning, and creativity. In general, a child who can play a musical instrument has an intellectual edge on one who cannot. Starting early You may have heard that playing music for babies, even as early as when they are in the womb, can help boost intelligence. In fact, the studies behind this are mixed and nothing conclusive is known, but there is no denying that having plenty of music in the household prepares a child to learn music when she is old enough. During the early months of your child’s life, play music whenever your baby is wide awake. And in fact, she may even sleep well if you play some soft music in the background during sleep times. Play every kind of music that you have in the house. All will help your child develop familiarity with the diverse melodies, harmonies, and tones that go into music. Meanwhile, even if you are not particularly musical yourself, it is a good idea to hum and sing to your child often. She will enjoy it, and it will make your household a little more fun and musical. Introducing instruments A good way to prepare your child for a musical life is to have musical toys in the house. But you do not have to bring into the household any of those noisy, flashy musical toys that you see at the toy store. Even to the most tolerant parent, some of these noisy toys can be quite annoying. In any case, a child who is interested in music will enjoy even the most tasteful musical toy. Small glockenspiels and keyboards, for example, are great for a start. While musical toys are fun for children who are still young enough to be called babies, there is nothing wrong with introducing real instruments as early as it seems feasible. Many of the great musicians started playing real instruments at the age of three or four and practiced regularly even at so young an age. Of course, you do not need to make your child play or practice if he or she does not like to, but do keep in mind the importance of practice. If your child seems musically inclined, you may have to give a little extra encouragement to make sure he or she gets truly develops. And as soon as your child is old enough to play a real instrument, you might want to invest in some lessons. Be careful with this, however, because if your child does not truly enjoy playing, lessons can quickly become a chore. Also, it is important to have a good teacher who makes practice fun. If you do all this and your child does not seem to develop into a talented musician, do not let this bother you. Remember that a large portion of musical talent is inborn, and some kids simply are not born with it. You can still have a musical household-and who knows? If you continue to make music a central part of your family’s life, your child may develop into a late-blooming musical talent. By Jamell Andrews

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The Negative Effects of the Media on Teens

Danica Hoppe — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:13:54 +0000

By Lisa Pecos Today’s kids plug into media at an earlier age than their predecessors, and the amount of media they consume is staggering compared to the habits of past generations. According to a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average child between the age of eight and 18 consumes media for seven hours and 38 minutes every day-and the real rate for teens is much higher. As parents, there is good reason to be disturbed by these figures. Granted, certain types of media have benefits, but the negative effects of media overconsumption are considerable. The good news is there are things responsible parents can do to moderate these effects. Television’s Effects on KidsAmong the many forms of media today’s kids commonly consume, television has the longest history, so its effects are best documented. First, there is the obvious effect: Time spent in a sedentary state in front of the television is lost time that could be spent playing, exercising, or studying. Hence, watching too much television can contribute to poor physical health and difficulties at school. Meanwhile, media on teens and many programs on television show characters modeling behaviors that we do not want to encourage in our teens, and some shows reinforce stereotypes that should have been laid to rest long ago. Prime-time television shows commonly show violent acts, adult-oriented sexual situations, and destructive behaviors such as smoking and drinking. We like to think our teens are smart enough to handle such imagery, but media can have effects on a subconscious level. Your child may know certain behaviors are wrong, but after seeing them over and over on television, he or she may come to think of them as not so bad. Other mediaThe effects of video games, the internet, and electronic devices are harder to pinpoint simply because these media are newer than television, but it goes without saying that too much can be harmful to teens. The internet is particularly troublesome because in many ways it is a more extreme version of television. Unsupervised, a teen is capable of finding practically any type of content online, and the web is filled with violent, sexual, and hate-filled content, always just a few clicks away. Meanwhile, the rise of social media has raised a new set of issues, including the potential for oversharing, harassment, and cyberbullying. Although video games have often been demonized as contributing to what is perceived as a violent youth culture, they are actually relatively safe in moderation. Whereas the internet is varied and limitless, video games are self-contained worlds that guide participants through packaged, relatively straightforward stories and scenarios. If overused, they can be harmful in much the same way that television is, but the occasional enjoyment of video games is not a problem. Cellphones are useful in that they help parents keep track of their teens, but they also raise some significant issues. For one thing, cellphones are difficult for parents to monitor. Text messages and call records can be deleted, and apps can be protected with passwords. Your phone company may give you some resources for monitoring your child’s activity, but it is nearly impossible to know what your child does on his or her phone’s apps. That is why it is important to be aware of how your child is using his or her phone. Familiarize yourself with how the phone works, and check in frequently to see what your teen is doing with it. Minimizing media’s negative effectsIn today’s world, it is virtually impossible to completely shield your child from all of the negative effects of media. The best we can do is emphasize the positive effects while minimizing the negative ones. To help make sure your teen stays healthy in body and mind and develops a positive outlook toward media, here are some things you can do. The two-hour rule: Studies have shown that kids who consume over two hours of media per day do more poorly in many aspects of life than those who consume less. Place a limit of two hours for television, video games, and internet combined, and enforce it rigidly. Of course, there can be exceptions, such as when some internet research is part of a school assignment, but set this limit and encourage your child to fill the rest of the time with studying, family time, and physical activity. Monitor internet activities: There is no reason why your child should be given a free pass to do whatever he or she wants online. Install parental controls or tracking software on your teen’s computer to make sure they know you can monitor all their activities. Approve television programs: Under the two-hour rule, your teen will not have time to watch a great many television shows, which means he or she will have to be selective. Make yourself involved in the selection process, and assume that whatever your child watches has your implicit approval. If you are unsure what your child is watching, something is wrong with the picture. Make cellphone use transparent: For now, it might be a good idea to rethink whether to get your teen that fancy smartphone that can do practically everything a computer can do. Such tools in the hands of teens can be dangerous due to their limitless utility. Instead, give your child a more old-fashioned, simpler phone that does little more than send and receive calls and texts. And if possible, monitor your phone records to find out whom your child is communicating with. Make it a family affair: To best regulate your child’s media activities, practice what you preach. Impose a two-hour limit on the entire household, and emphasize alternatives to media consumption such as exercise, family activities, reading, and studying.

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Spread Your Wings and Fly…

Danica Hoppe — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:42:36 +0000

In the early evening I would sit outside under the tree near our house and watch the birds. One day I saw a Blue Jay come and chase the other birds away if they got to close. I noticed that every time she did that, 2 little Blue Jays would fly up and eat the seeds in the feeder that was hanging in the tree. Then I noticed that she would hop from branch to branch and the little birds would follow her. This went on for a few weeks. She would look down from the branch where she was perched to check on them. Then one day, only the 2 little birds would come. They would eat the seeds and hop around the branches. Everyday they would fly further and further from our tree but always come back until one day they stopped coming. Shortly after that, to my surprise, the mama bird came back. She did not look down from the branches, yet stood there perched. She looked different somehow, proudly standing on her branch and on occasion I could feel her look up into the sky. It occurred to me and I understood that we are all like that mama bird, protecting and feeding her babies when they were little, teaching them the ropes as they hopped from branch to branch. Leaving them to fend for themselves and finally allowing them to spread their wings and fly away. We will be here perched, as this is the time in your life to fly away. Our tree will always be your tree where your roots are planted, where we protected you, taught you the ropes, but now it’s time to spread your wings. Written By Susan J. Englisis

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How to Encourage Kids to Love Reading

Danica Hoppe — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 20:39:17 +0000

With the rise of television, video games, and now the internet and digital devices, many are worried that the old habit of sitting down and reading a good book is on its way out with the coming generation. But while the act of reading is certainly undergoing change, reading is still a fundamental component of education, and it is as fun as it ever was. For 21st-century parents, fostering the reading habit comes with some unique challenges, but there are a few things you can do to ensure that your kids grow up loving to read books. Start earlyMany childcare experts recommend reading to children every day as early as when he or she is in the womb. While reading to a child in uterus or a newborn is certainly a valuable bonding experience, there is no real evidence that the child actively participates in the process until around the second half of her first year. At this time, she starts to listen, and even begins to understand some of the words. Now it becomes crucial to read to your child at least 20 minutes a day. Meanwhile, it is also a good idea to have a full collection of age-appropriate children’s books for your child to read as part of his own activities. Reading to kids is fun for everyone involved, but they need to get into the habit of picking up books on their own. Make sure your child has plenty of appealing books that are easily accessible (i.e., stored in low places reachable to a child). Changing mediaMany people who grew up prior to this century have a strong emotional attachment to old-fashioned, paper-based books-and of course, many of us still have large book collections that we will not be getting rid of any time soon. So it can be difficult to accept all the changes to the mediums through which we read books. To older people, reading electronic books through tablet devices may seem like it is just not the same as reading an old-fashioned book with real pages that you can turn. But ultimately, the trajectory of history is not in favor of traditional books, and it is simply inevitable that most people will be reading books electronically in the future. So part of encouraging kids to read is to do so according to the times. Today’s kids love electronic devices, and to them it does not seem odd to read a book on a device screen. Granted, old-fashioned books still have a role-they work well as textbooks, and of course, they do not run out of power-but an all-out rejection of new forms of media does not serve children who will live their full lives in the age of digital media. Reading as a way of lifeOne of the best ways to teach children to read as a hobby is for the parents to demonstrate this practice themselves. Have lots of books and other reading materials around, and use them. You cannot convince your kids that reading is fun if you do not demonstrate that you enjoy it yourself. If reading is simply what members of your family do, then your child will not think twice about doing it himself. To get into the habit, you can even have special family reading times in the evenings or on weekends. Create a reading atmosphereWhether you are you are reading to your child or encouraging her to read on her own, it is important to create an atmosphere that is perfect for quiet activity and learning. Give your child a quiet area in which to focus. During reading time, the area should be free of distractions such as TV, computers, and toys. A good time for reading is soon before bed when it is time for the child to calm down and begin easing into sleep. Make it a family activity. By Jamell Andrews

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That, I understand! Parenting

Danica Hoppe — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:20:35 +0000

By Ambyr Hunt So, their are times when I am up late enough to watch the old episodes of Seinfeld. I just love Seinfeld and the raw truth that is “uncovered” during each show. The presentation of each life lesson is so hysterical that their are times when I have to pause the t.v. and catch my breath! Seriously, I don’t know if I think it’s funny because I have lived out some of the drama presented or if it’s just that I am up late and slap happy! Either way, I just can’t make it through a show without wiping tears of laughter off my face! More often than not, I am laughing alone in bed with a very annoyed sleeping husband. To me, it’s worth every frustrated grunt that comes from his side of the bed! I watched a hilarious episode a few nights ago that I don’t ever remember watching before. Every now and then I come across a “forgotten or missed” episode and I have a whole new remorse for Seinfeld not running anymore. So, This particular show Elaine was dating a new guy. She went and borrowed his car and was horrified at the realization that all of his radio stations were pre-programmed to christian radio. Her facial expression was priceless and inevitably she ends up sitting down with Jerry and George to discuss this new found dilemma in her life. Jerry comes up with “well, it’s probably just a new car and he hasn’t gotten around to reprogramming the stations” Elaine says, elated “Right! because he’s lazy!!” George gives his two cents worth of “Or…he might not know how to program them” Again, Elaine is thrilled at the fact that this could be true and says “Yes! because he’s dumb!” Jerry then proceeds to say to Elaine ” You’d rather be dating someone who is lazy and stupid than someone who is religious?” Of course Elaine gives her best “DUH” expression and says “Well, yes, I understand lazy and stupid! I don’t get religion”. That’s when the audience roars with laughter and that’s where my wheels started turning…… It was a good point don’t you think? Since everything I do revolves around parenting that’s where my mind went first. With parenting, there are times when I understand what my kids do….I just don’t get it! The funny thing is, that I think my kids are confused at how I can go from an intelligent human being and then all of a sudden my brain freezes and they are left with a mom that has no common sense at all. Really, I will ask questions like “what are you doing?” as they are drawing pictures on the mirror because it’s fogged up. They look at me a little puzzled and proceed to answer me by saying “drawing on the mirror because it’s all fogged up” or how about when I ask “Did you just draw on that?” pointing to the leather van seat with their name in their hand writing written on it. They almost pause a little as if they think “hmmmm….she’s asking…….. this must mean that she doesn’t know it was me”. No…..you see the point is, I understand what they have done, I just don’t get it! Same is true with my kids. When the roles are reversed their are things that my kids understand about me, but they just really don’t get! This was very clear when Josh received a “mom quiz” on facebook a while back. The quiz was set up to see how much you really knew about your mom. (I guess facebook now creates surveys for our parents so that when we fail miserably and forget to call our moms on their birthdays they have one more thing to throw at us “…..and….you don’t even appreciate me, you failed the ‘how much do you know your mother’ quiz on facebook!”….that’s my theory at least). Of course we had some fun with it and asked Kaidon some of the questions just to see how he’d answer. It went something like this: Josh: what does your mom do most?Kaidon: clean!Josh: What does your mom do in her free time?Kaidon: clean!Josh: What does your mom do for a living?Kaidon: clean!Josh: What is the first thing your mom does when she gets up in the morning?Kaidon: clean!Josh: When your mom gets angry, what does she do?Kaidon: clean!Josh: What makes your mom frustrated?Kaidon: When things aren’t clean!Josh: What does your mom LIKE doing?Kaidon: cleaning! UH, what? can you repeat that? You see, he clearly understands what I do, he just does not get it! No, he doesn’t get that I’d like nothing more than to curl up with a good book in a quiet house that I didn’t have to clean. Although….come to think of it, he would understand I was reading but he might just not get why I am reading without being told by my teacher to do so…..what a vicious cycle! Authors Bio: Ambyr Hunt is a stay at home mom to six growing kids. Although she enjoys her days spent with her kids, the best part is being able to recount all their quirkiness into fun-loving stories to be remembered for many years. You can also follow her on : huntsixpack.blogspot.com

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What Luck, A Duck!

Danica Hoppe — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:10:22 +0000

By Ambyr Hunt I used to read the kids this book called “What Luck, A Duck!” when they were younger. Basically, It’s a book about this boy who is painting in his garage and he’s really just not very good. Luckily for him this duck comes along and steps in his paint and low and behold, he now holds in his hands a masterpiece. It’s not really a very good book but I liked it just because it rhymed and I’m a sucker for rhyming books. Tonight however we had a not so lucky encounter with a duck, but it is so freakin’ hysterical that if I didn’t share it, I’d be letting all of you down. First of all Josh is out of town. I am beginning to think it would be in the best interest of our children if he would quit leaving me alone with them without his supervision, but I will discuss that with him later. Emma stayed home with the kids tonight while I attended Kindergarten back to school night. When I got home she had all the girls showered and waiting for me to do their hair (yes, I do their hair each evening to make my mornings run smoother). Because it was getting a little dark outside I hollered to my mom, who stayed with me last night to be some relief as I single parent this week, and asked her to be sure the dogs were in the house. Remember we live on land where we do have coyotes howling on our doorstep each night and I do not want a vet bill …ur I mean, I love the dogs so much I am extremely anal about getting them in before the coyotes come out. I hear my mom hollering for P.D. and then I hear the kids start hollering for him. Kaidon starts yelling at him to come in and then Emma gets involved and starts trying to get him. Keep in mind, I am in the little girls bathroom doing hair while listening to the whole ordeal. Next thing I know I hear them talking about a duck. I know exactly what they are talking about because for the last couple of weeks we have had ducks visiting our ponds and I had seen them swimming several times while thinking to myself “it’s good that P.D. is afraid to get in the water or he’d have those ducks dead by now” . Kaidon starts hollering and laughing saying “ahhh the duck! No, P.D.! come here! Get in the house! MOOOOMMMM! “I continue to do hair knowing that the kids I’ve raised are so intelligent that they will just naturally know to stay away from the wildlife and my mom is out there hollering for P.D. to get in the house too so I know they have adult supervision. I had a lot of faith….. until….Emma comes barelling through the house holding the collar of a muddy, wet, swamp smelling P.D.! What happens next will both frighten you and leave you shaking your head in disbelief, I promise! I start telling Emma….ok, so I was screaming like a patient in a psycho ward but that is a minor detail in this story, a minor detail that really doesn’t change the ending at all so just go with it! So, I was telling Emma to take the dog and put him in my shower quickly and DO NOT LET HIM GET ON MY BED!!!! Once he got in the shower (after getting him down off the bed twice and me finally taking over) I realize I need to be in there with him in order to get him clean. I jump in the shower (fully clothed….don’t go there with me) and tell Kayela to hold the shower door closed so P.D. cannot escape while I hold the shower sprayer with one hand, his collar with another hand, the shampoo with another hand, help Kayela hold the door shut with my other hand, scrub every inch of P.D. with another hand, rinse him with my other hand, keep soap out of his eyes with my other hand and keep the water away from his ears with my other hand….you’re getting the point right? It was chaos! What does Emma do? She takes pictures with her Iphone. (I would share the pictures she took but I didn’t have a free hand to hold up my pants and therefore you’d be looking at things I am just not willing to share with blog readers at this time). What does Kayela do? She opens the shower door and lets the dog out! Once I got the soaking wet dog off my bed again I start to wonder why I haven’t seen Kaidon or my mom yet since the whole purpose was to bring the dog in and he was clearly in the building. That’s when I hear it! I swear I hear my mom say “Kaidon, put the duck down” and I know right then and there that this is trouble with a capital “T”! Being the calm person that I am around wild creatures I quickly run to rescue my mom from whatever my son is doing with a duck. I follow their voices to the garage and come upon the scene: my mom holding a hockey stick, Kaidon in his tighty-whities and crocs, dog food (bait) all over the floor and they are both looking for something behind the refrigerator and freezer. My mom says “I told him to put the duck down, and he did, in the garage and now it’s behind here” She jabs the hockey stick in the small opening and Kaidon is standing about 10 feet away looking at me shrugging his shoulders as if to say “oops!” I walk out closer to Kaidon and just about that time the duck peeks it’s head out and I start uncontrollably screaming like I am being chased by a mass murderer!

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Bus Missed – Transportation to School

Danica Hoppe — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:55:11 +0000

By Ambyr Hunt First of all let me tell you, I am so grateful or my seven children and their sometimes idiotic behaviour. Yes, their behaviour coupled with mine makes this blog possible on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis. Our morning adventure starts at 6 a.m. with all five of the little kids getting up, ready for school, breakfast eaten and chores complete by the 7:24 bus arrival. It is our first year experiencing the bus and so far so good. The kids love the social time with their newly made friends and although last week we had two near misses with them and the bus, nothing happened quite like it did this morning. You see, after they are picked up Emma has a whole 24 min. before her bus arrives to get her to school. Her school seems to be eons away from our house in the middle of nowhere and therefore I am absolutely sure that she is ready and waiting on time. A task not too daunting considering she has an extra 24 min. (almost a half of an hour for those of you not clear on this) to catch her bus. Typically this is the time I sit down and do one of the many “made for t.v.” hairdo’s she’s got waiting for me up her sleeve. Today, however, I was midway through loading the dishwasher when the little kids walked out the door and while finishing up, Emma and I chatted. Near the end of my loading and her chatting I noticed her hair wasn’t brushed out after her shower. I let her know that she needed to do that before I started at work on her hair. Off she went to brush out her hair when Tait started to get fussy. I tried to occupy his starving self with his exersaucer and toys while Emma brushed and watched. Finally, giving that idea up I told her to hold him while I did her hair. Glancing at the time, I noticed we only had 10 min. and proceeded to ask her what the style was going to be today. She told me three french braids on the top of her head back into a messy pony tail. I start to work parting and braiding. and get about halfway through one braid when in comes Liz and baby Paisley (great name huh?) who I am watching. I have a brief conversation with Liz before she’s out the door and look at the clock. OK, I have 2 french braids to go and only 5 min. I think to myself “fast fingers, Hunt!” I mean c’mon that’s doable right? I’m all warmed up from doing 3 other girls hair already this morning, it should be NO PROBLEM! RIGHT? ….WRONG! I finish up right when I hear the bus pull away. OOPS! But oh well, their is only about a dozen other stops in our neighborhood, we’ll just catch up to the bus I think to myself and tell Emma to grab a baby and her backpack and jump in my pimped out van! We load in about 3.4 seconds flat and barrel out of the driveway. I mean, we were so fast that P.D. had snuck in with us and I didn’t realize it until we were on our way up the street. So far, I’m sure you’re thinking it sounds like this is my personal retardation getting us into this mess and yes, maybe I have a big part in all this fiasco up until now but hold on, hold on keep reading I promise you this turns out to be one of those “kid things” that you just have to shake your head and wonder! I have never ridden Emma’s bus, I have not personally called the transportation center and asked for a route map and therefore, I have NO IDEA where the bus stops before it reaches it’s destination at her school. So, I say to Emma “OK, tell me exactly (note the emphasis on the word exactly here) where your bus stops so I can drop you at one of the next stops”. She says “OK, go up, up, up the hill here” as I drive she says “OK, there’s a stop……here’s another stop…..uuuhhh….that right there is another one….OK, turn here…..” I’m thinking “good, god this bus driver drove fast to get that far ahead of us!” and I keep driving when I turned she said “oh, is that my bus? in the church parking lot?” I assume, with her wondering if that was her bus that for some reason it stops at the catholic church before heading out onto the main street, so I pull in just as she says “hmmm… wonder why it would stop here today!” SERIOUSLY?? I just pulled in here because you saw a bus, not because yours actually stops here on a daily basis? When I calmly say “Emma, c’mon tell me where your bus goes from here” she says “the saddle rock apartments” OK, those are quite a ways away and what I didn’t mention before was that I am in no position to be driving all over town! Let me explain further….number one: I am out of gas. After running errands for hours yesterday and Tait almost ready for a bottle I chose to go straight home with the thought in mind that the next outing I had I needed to leave 20 min. early to get gas. Obviously not knowing my next “outing” would be to chase down a school bus. Plus, in my hurry…I didn’t bring my wallet!!!number two: I wore Josh’s pajama pants to bed last night… Uhh…think about that for a minute I am 4’11”, he is 6’3″ the pants are like two feet longer than I am and I have to cinch them up to get them to hang very loosely on my hips. It’s not a fashion statement by any stretch, but they are very cozy!number three:I have

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Last-Minute Fun & Easy Party Games & Activities to Make Your Kids Birthday a Hit!

Danica Hoppe — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:19:49 +0000

By: K.D. Grant Last minute kids party planning made easy! Find a full day’s worth of fun, ready-to-play, and often free, interactive games and activities to make your child’s next birthday party truly memorable. You set the date and sent out the invitations with the greatest of intentions of planning the perfect birthday party for your child. Then somehow time got away from you, the date is fast approaching, and you’ve done little more than buy the gifts and order the cake. If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. Parents everywhere are struggling to keep up with all the daily household and career responsibilities while taking care of the seemingly endless to-do list that comes along with parenting. In a bad economy, this becomes even more of a challenge. However, all is not lost. You can still throw a great party with plenty of fun activities that will earn your child bragging rights and have his or her friends talking about the fantastic time they had long after the party’s over. Today’s generation of parents have a secret weapon on their side that gives them an edge that their parents didn’t have — the Internet. We’ll tell you how to save time and surf the web to quickly locate a full day’s worth of fun, and often free, interactive activities to make your child’s party truly unique and memorable without leaving the comfort of your home. Below are just a few of the game ideas that are sure to be a hit, are ready to play, and just a click away: Embark on a Treasure Hunt – Kids of all ages love to solve puzzles, follow a trail of clues, and race to track down hidden loot, and a classic printable treasure hunt with fun and clever pre-made clues is the perfect solution when you need an exciting party game quickly that children will love. An online treasure hunt can be simply downloaded, printed, and played instantly at minimal cost, and comes complete with a hiding guide to help you coordinate and pull off the perfect hunt that will bring your party to life! And don’t limit yourself to birthdays – these can be used to entertain your young children, teens, and their friends during sleepovers, on holidays, at picnics and while outdoors, on vacation, in the classroom, or for family fun night, plus there are many other themes to choose from. To learn more about how these hunts work and order online, visit www.treasure-adventure.com Play the Pantomime Game – This hilarious game will have children up on their feet and in all sorts of crazy positions as they attempt to mimic poses picked from a deck of printable cards. It’s a great way to break the ice and get kids interacting while having fun and improving their coordination and creative thinking skills. All you need is a printer and flexible children ready to play. http://www.printgames.net/english/pdf_e/panto.pdf Solve Puzzles & Word Games – You can create your own personalized word searches, crossword games, or jigsaw puzzles based on your party theme. For example, for your child’s birthday you might want to create a word search or puzzle containing your child’s favorite things, for a music themed party use names or pictures of instruments, or for a pirate party have the kids search for pirate jargon or treasure items, etc., and award small prizes to the one who uncovers all the words first or completes the puzzle first. Several web sites exist that let you generate your own unique puzzles and word games. You can even add your own graphics and personalize with your child’s name. To make your own word search puzzle you might try the web site www.billybear4kids.com, create your own jigsaw photo puzzle using a generator like www.flash-gear.com, or build a fun and challenging crossword puzzle at http://edhelper.com/crossword_free.htm Compete in the Paper Airplane Olympics — Have each child create a paper airplane, and then let them decorate their aircraft with their own personal style. You can divide the pilots into fighter teams or play as individuals. The planes then are raced through the air towards a target and judged in 3 different categories: best appearance, greatest distance in flight, and most accurate. The kids will love showing off their artwork and sending their airplanes soaring. The best part is all you need is some paper and crayons! www.wonderhowto.com “Capture the Spoons” – This is a fast-paced exciting and very popular card game that is perfect for large groups. All you need is one or two decks of cards depending on the size of your party, and kitchen spoons for all but one of your players. The kids form a circle and rapidly pick and pass along discarded cards trying to get 4 of a kind while keeping an eye on the spoons and other players in the event someone else gets 4 first. The first person to get 4 of a kind then tries to sneak away one of the spoons that have been placed in the center. Once one spoon is taken, the rest of the children must all dive into the center to get a spoon before they’re gone, and the one left without a spoon is either out of the game (shorter version) or given a letter each time, starting with “S,” until “SPOONS” is spelled and they’re out of the game (longer version). Don’t forget to include this easy classic party game that is a sure-fire winner that kids will love! http://boardgames.about.com/od/cardgames/a/spoons.htm Do-it-yourself party planning becomes a breeze when you take advantage of all the free and inexpensive kids games and activities that can be found on the world wide web that are perfect for livening up any children’s party without the stress of last-minute shopping in crowded stores with limited time and paying high prices for party games or party planners. ABOUT THE AUTHOR K.D. Grant is the president of www.Treasure-Adventure.com a children’s party game company that offers kids print ‘n’ play

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Easy Kids Craft Ideas: A Refreshing Alternative to Extravagant Parties

Danica Hoppe — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:10:00 +0000

By Rachel Messina As shows such as MTV’s “My Super Sweet 16” showcase the growing trend of over-the-top and extravagant parties for children and teens, it becomes increasingly difficult to remember the days of simple gatherings where Pin the Tail on the Donkey and Musical Chairs were considered prime entertainment. Kids and parents alike seem to be expecting more and more when it comes to celebrations these days, but sometimes the simple and classic approach dazzles guests just as much as expensive favors and amusement. Planning a children’s party should be a fun collaboration that focuses on celebrating between friends rather than showing off to neighbors with fancy venues and excessive decorations. While brainstorming kids birthday party ideas, for example, there are many factors to consider regarding the number of guests, themes, refreshments and favors, so keeping things simple is essential for the busy parents not to mention less of a strain on the wallet. When considering uncomplicated and inexpensive party favors, it is easy to get tempted by cheap and useless trinkets that hold no sentimental value and will most likely get thrown out the moment festivities end. Filling goodie bags with candy or junk food can also be risky since some parents may disapprove of these treats. Easy kids craft ideas for children to take home are an excellent alternative to traditional favors, and they also double as an entertaining activity for the party. Do-it-yourself crafting often becomes messy and chaotic with gatherings hosting young children and large numbers, but there are ways around the mess and difficulty that is typically associated with crafting. One company called Colortime Crafts & Markers offers inexpensive custom tee shirts, pillowcases, tote bags, backpacks and bandanas with different designs for kids to color how they like. Graphics on each of these products include fun images and slogans such as “Girls Rock,” “Circle of Friends,” and “Allstar.” Designs are also catered towards holiday celebrations and even Girl Scout activities. The permanent, non-toxic and chlorine resistant fabric markers come in a variety of sixteen colors and can be used for up to five to six full tee shirts each. All products can be purchased online, and discounts and customization options are given for wholesale orders. Although simple, easy craft ideas like this provide just enough personalization for children and teens of all ages to treasure and keep as a souvenir of the party. Preparation requires virtually no setup, and these projects are much less daunting for parents than the conventional art activities involving wet paint and sticky glue. This simple craft idea can be recycled for many different occasions such as slumber party planning. When thinking of fun things to do at sleepovers, children usually get sucked into the television or video games. Crafts are a great way to get those creative juices flowing again, and are a perfect and refreshing reminder of just how easy it is to have fun without having to turn to the latest high-tech or overly expensive entertainment options. Author Bio: Rachel Messina, a writer and Internet Marketing specialist with Mountain Media, writes about unique ecommerce businesses, Internet consumer trends, and useful web sites, such as Colortime.com, an online source for birthday parties and slumber parties.

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Wrestle Mania – How Times Have Changed

Danica Hoppe — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:11:53 +0000

By Sylvia Wells Wrestle Mania Back in the day I used to get a kick out of watching wresting on TV with my older brothers. We cheered for the good guys to come to their feet as the bad guys would somehow manage to pull a metal chair out from under the ring without the referee’s awareness. The chair was typically used to slam across the good guys back with a big foot stomp onto the canvas of the ring to heighten the effect. The wrestlers had sidekicks and funny-looking managers who always seemed to worm their way in front of the cameras for some trash talk. A cartoon was quickly fashioned after the wrestlers which my brothers and I watched religiously on Saturday mornings. All of our favourite muscle-heads would team up working together to thwart their dim-witted opponents. There was Macho Man Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan (of course), Hacksaw Jim Dugan, and Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura. Who years later went on to become the Governor of Minnesota. Wrestling was full of violence, definitely, but it was good wholesome violence, since Hulk Hogan did remind kids to take their vitamins. Fast forward to Motherhood. One rainy Sunday my eight year old son and I were flicking through the channels and I was excited, despite my grown-up self, to come across a wrestling program. I even recognized one of the Wrestlers from my childhood! The Undertaker. He had aged, but the dark make-up he now donned somewhat concealed that fact. Needless to say that my son was thrilled to find that I was interested in watching the program, and more so, that I was going to allow him to watch something violent on TV. Sadly for both of us, it wasn’t long lived. Within a few minutes I realized with a sunken heart that wrestling has changed since I was his age. The language for one was enough to make me swiftly earmuff my poor son’s ears. Apparently the steel chairs of my day had been replaced with large ladders which wrestlers use to pummel each other mercilessly with before climbing to the top for a swan dive onto their unconscious opponents. What’s wrong with climbing as far as the top rope for a Flying Body Slam? This new Extreme Wrestling was quickly banned from my household. The kicker was when my son tried to maul me to death when we decided to play fight a few days later. It’s fun to share re-runs with your kids, like the Smurfs or The Muppets. But I suggest that you proceed with caution when watching anything that has been de-evolving for the last twenty years. The type of entertainment that used to be boisterous and fun has become down right brutal and violent. So I say a fond farewell to Andre the Giant, The Million Dollar Man, The Ultimate Warrior and all my other childhood friends of the wrestling ring and hello to Extreme Parental Guidance.

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TV in the Car: Beyond Obsession

Danica Hoppe — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:50:57 +0000

Let me start by saying I am not anti-TV. I grew up on TV and I can still give you the plot summary for any Gilligan’s Island or Brady Bunch episode within 30 seconds of turning the show on. Heck, as I...

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