Internet Monitoring - Securing Your Home and Children Against Intrusion

Internet Monitoring - Securing Your Home and Children Against Intrusion
By Crystal Watson

Everyone takes care to lock their homes against intruders, but how many take the time to block access to their homes through the internet? Given the statistics of how many predators, hackers, and identity thefts occur through the internet every day it should be common sense to block access to our homes and children through the internet. It is a sad fact, however, that most people do not give thought to this doorway to their home until it is too late.

Here are some of the most recent statistics on internet crime:

• Only 1 in 3 households with internet access have any kind of filtering or monitoring software.
• 3 out of 4 children are willing to share personal and family information in exchange for goods and services.
• Only 1 in 4 children who encountered a sexual approach were willing to tell their parents.
• 1 in 4 teenagers who access the internet say they have had sexual approaches made.
• 1 in 30 youths have an aggressive approach made. This means asked a young person to meet somewhere, sent money through the mail, and/or talked on the phone with them.

These are just a few of the alarming statistics. Everyone has read or heard the frightening stories of children hurt by predators they have met online. Everyday stings find and take many of these off the streets, but there seems to be an endless supply of predators still visiting chatrooms and finding ways to gain access to your children. Many parents respond to this information by telling themselves they monitor their children well enough that this cannot happen to them, but child predators can be very creative in getting what they want.

The most immediate solution is to have a way of knowing what is going on on the computer at all times. Most people are not aware that for a very affordable price (anywhere from $29 to $99 for more advanced software) they can download a simple to use software to monitor all activity on the computer. Over the past few years this software has acquired many new features and is relatively simple to use and easy to install. First of all, this type of software usually comes in two categories: filtering software, which blocks unwanted sites, chat, etc, and monitoring software, which secretly logs everything that goes on on the computer. Decide which type best suits your needs.

When looking for the right software here are some of the features to look for.

1. Stealth. Most monitoring software has this feature, which allows the program to monitor and record undetected. This way, others who use the computer are not aware that their activities are being recorded.
2. Keylogger. This feature also is standard for monitoring software. It records everything typed on the computer. All logs are placed and accessed in a secret file which can only be accessed by the user who has the password.
3. Internet messaging (IM). This feature records both sides of the conversation.
4. Chat rooms. Records everything said in the chat room and usually identifies the name of the chat room.
5. email. Makes a record of incoming and outgoing emails.
6. Remote Monitoring. A special feature available on many, but not all, monitoring software. This allows the user to access logs from another computer. This is useful if the child has his or her own computer and internet access. Many versions of software only allow this with a seperate monthly fee.
7. Blocking/filtering. Most monitoring software is just tailored for monitoring. If you have blocking and filtering needs this is usually best done with software designed for that purpose.

Many people now have security software which blocks spyware. If this is the case be sure to change the settings to allow access to your software after downloading it. Be aware that there is much software to choose from so research and find one that best fits your needs.

Crystal Watson lives in Arlington,TX. Among her websites is http://www.relationship-free-help.com a resource for those seeking tools for a better marriage or relationship.

A review of different monitoring software can be found at
http://www.relationship-free-help.com/compmon.html

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Educational Wooden Toys

Educational Wooden Toys
By Kristy Annely

Educational wooden toys add fun to learning. Unlike battery-operated toys that move on their own, educational wooden toys encourage a child to think and come up with creative ideas for play. Puzzles are extremely useful for children of all age groups. Toddlers can be given puzzles with a small number of pieces. Observing them, it is amazing to see how, with every use, they do something different until they master the puzzle. At first, their actions are random, but after a few uses they rotate pieces and try to fit them in correctly. Eventually they master the puzzle and are ready for the next one. Solving a puzzle is a constructive learning experience for children. Parents should make sure that puzzles are appropriate for the child s age. While large recognizable pieces are needed for young children, smaller piece puzzles are more challenging as they grow older.

Wooden educational toys come in many types ranging from musical to mathematical toys. Some of them help children learn the names of different colors while others help them learn the names of animals and birds. There are also toys to help preschoolers learn the basic alphabet and numbers.

They help a child develop creativity and enhance certain inherent abilities. This can prove to be extremely beneficial in later life. Musical toys such as basic wooden drums or a small wooden string instrument can even help children develop musical abilities. They not only encourage a sense of rhythm and chords in a child but also expose him to a varied range of sounds. Development of auditory skills happens automatically when a child plays with musical toys.

Puzzles and construction sets ensure the growth of a child s logical thinking and problem solving ability. Their natural curiosity is channeled positively. This way of learning is non-tiring and actually enjoyable for the child. Memory skills and mathematical skills are nurtured in a fun way by using these types of toys.

Because these toys are made out of wood, this gives them the durability to last through the rigors of a rough and tumble childhood. These educational wooden toys can also be used in schools and pre-schools. These toys stimulate a child s mental capabilities, widen their imagination and enhance their sense of creativity.

Wooden Toys provides detailed information on Wooden Toys, Children s Wooden Toys, Educational Wooden Toys, Simple Wooden Toys and more. Wooden Toys is affiliated with Child Development Educations.

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My Kid is Smart- So Why is He Getting Bad Grades?

My Kid is Smart- So Why is He Getting Bad Grades?
By Sadiq Ansari

In my years as a private tutor, I ve heard this phrase again and again. Parents who seek my services are usually their wits end trying to figure out why their "smart" kids are doing poorly in school. The critical mind may first ask one of these parents, "Why do you think your child is so smart?"

First, let s take a step back and look at that word: "smart." This word is so overused and broad in definition, that I think it s just useless. Am I smart because I can instantly multiply 23 and 8? Was your high school class valedictorian the smartest person you knew back then? Was Einstein smart because he discovered the theory of relativity? What about savants, who can memorize tens of thousands of years worth of dates but can t tie their own shoes? Almost everyone in the world can be classified as "smart" in their own respect, so let s just keep that in mind as we further explore the question posed in the title of the article.

I think the real definition of "smartness" has nothing to do with IQ or the ability to do mental gymnastics such as quick math or fact memorization. We are ALL born with our own limitations. We can work to expand those limitations, but, in some regard, they are always there. It is simply ignorant and incorrect not to acknowledge this. That being said, everyone can succeed despite their own limitations. However, in order to do this, one must understand his own limitations and figure out how to best use his own natural instrumentalities. For example, I ve seen a lot of students watch me do quick math in my head, and then they try to emulate me. Some succeed, while some just end up taking longer than if they had written it down or used a calculator. I encourage everyone to try new techniques to see what works for them - that is the heart of really being smart. There are often many ways to do something - each student should do what works for THAT student. Sometimes that means working extra hard to understand a principle or memorize a fact, sometimes it means looking at something several different ways, and sometimes it means just taking one look at something and understanding it immediately.

OK, so we ve had a brief discussion of what makes someone "smart" - now how can we help your smart kids get better grades?

First, the easy stuff: homework. Most kids I see who are doing poorly are either not doing or turning in their homework! If this is a problem, get on your kids back to JUST DO IT. Some techniques I ve seen help are: threaten grounding, check teachers daily homework websites, or request your childrens teachers to sign off on the daily homework assignment. I would NOT recommend positive reinforcement here because homework is the absolute bare minimum of what a student is expected to do. By this, I mean reinforcement like, for example, "If you turn in all your homework this semester, I will buy you a Playstation 3." NO NO NO NO NO. "If you turn in all your homework this week, then I won t ground you this weekend" is far more appropriate. Homework just isn t a bonus, I can t stress that enough.

Next on the list is attitude. This can be a substantially more difficult hurdle to overcome if your child has apathy or animosity towards school. A mild case of bad attitude could be cured by a simple, realistic explanation of why school is important. You need credibility, so don t say something like "Trust me, I m your mother." If you want your child to get good grades, explain why. Be honest, and speak from the heart. If you got bad grades when you were that age, think about how your life would be different if you had gotten good grades, if it would be different at all. You can use yourself as either a positive or negative example. A child with more severe attitude problems is tougher to deal with - you may want to consider a tutor. In most cases, I would shy away from sending your kid to a psychotherapist because I ve rarely seen them actually connect with kids (that being said, I do think they can work if there are other things wrong - just don t send your kid to a shrink for bad grades, that s what tutors are for).

Effort is the number one key to good grades. Students need to spend the time and seek the help they need to understand EVERYTHING they are expected to know. Teachers tell the students what will be on tests and quizzes, and there is usually no excuse for being surprised by a test question. Teachers want their students to succeed. Effort on the part of the PARENTS is important too - get involved! See what your children are studying, see if they need help. If they do, try to help them yourself, it s great bonding! Otherwise, take them into school early or pick them up late to get help from the teacher, or hire a tutor.

Which brings me to the last point - I ve found that good teaching is the "X-factor" in academic performance. I ve never tutored someone who thought their teacher was good at teaching. I personally think this is a little unfair, because teachers have the VERY difficult task of teaching 20-40 pupils, each of whom might have a different learning style. But I do believe that when a student tells me they have a "bad" teacher, they just have a teacher who is not reaching them for one reason or another. Like I said before, certain concepts can be explained numerous different ways, and it is simply impossible for one teacher to explain every concept every possible way. This is where outside help can come in very handy. A good tutor can quickly figure out what a student s learning style is, and cater to that particular student in a one-on-one situation. I call this the "x-factor" because 10 minutes with a tutor can be more valuable than 2 hours in the classroom. Tutors can help save time by explaining concepts in ways that students just "get."

So as you can see, "smart" kids can get bad grades for a reason. Hopefully you can identify what the problem is, and help your kid start getting As asap.

Sadiq Ansari holds a B.S. in Computer Science from The George Washington University in Washington, DC, and expects to earn a J.D. (May 2007) from Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, CA. He has been a tutor for over 6 years, and runs Peerless Tutors. Their website -> Malibu Tutor http://www.malibututor.com

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Teenagers - What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?

Teenagers - What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?
By Max Wiseman

Teenagers have a very different view on life to adults. Adults seem to want to stop you having fun. They are very quick to tell you that you can t do this or you can t do that and that you can t be what you dream to be when you grow up and leave school.

Adults are partly right. They know that there is a cost to living. They know that you have to find money to pay for food, clothing and accommodation. And they think they know that the chances of you becoming famous, for example, are slim.

What do you want to do when you are older? Many teenagers tell me that they want to be an actress, a doctor, a lawyer, a motocross champion, a professional football player, a pop star, a computer programmer, a pilot, a soldier, a racing driver or an astronomer. Someone even told me they wanted to become a magician.

Not many people tell me that they want to work in a hotel, work in an office, pick fruit or vegetables, cook food, repair cars, maintain roads or perform one of the hundreds of jobs that the majority of people do each and every day to keep a roof over their heads.

So what happened to all of those everyday people, did they have the same dreams as you?

Yes, most people dream of great things when they are a teenager but very few go on to achieve them. What can you learn from them that will stop the same thing happening to you?

The first thing that you need to appreciate is that success does NOT just happen to you. There is a lot of hard work and effort that goes in to every success story. You will not just stumble across success, or become a pop star, simply because you want to be one.

Speak to any successful person and they will all tell you the same thing - you need to have goals. You need to know exactly what you want, not just some vague notion about the lifestyle that accompanies this dream. You need a main goal and also lots of smaller goals - things that you have to achieve on the way to achieving the big one.

You need to discover what skills or knowledge that you need to be able to do the thing that you want to do. You need to find out if there is a qualification that you need to have to gain you entry into that profession.

If you want to be a singer it takes more than the ability to sing. You are competing against thousands of other singers, many of which have been singing from an early age and take lessons with professional voice coaches several times per week. They practice seven nights per week and already perform in front of small audiences and enter talent contests as often as they can. Are you doing this?

If you want to be a motocross champion it takes more than the ability to ride a bike. You are competing against thousands of other amateurs like yourself who have been riding motocross bikes from the age of four and have been competing almost every weekend for years. They really know how to ride a bike. They have put in the time to develop and hone their skills and their parents are fully behind them buying them the best equipment and travelling to new meetings to put them up against faster riders. These people are very fast. Have you put the same time in at the same level?

I am not trying to put you off. I want you to wake up to the fact that if you are not already practicing and competing at the peak level of your dream activity then you need to start damn quick or accept that someone else is going to live your dream and not you.

What you need to do to become the person in your dream is to work out the difference between your life now and what it is you need to be the person in your dreams.

You need to work out what skills you need and how you are going to achieve them. You need to work out what knowledge you need and where you are going to get it. You need to work out where you are going to find the time to do this and how it is going to be paid for. You need to ask yourself if you are prepared to put in the hard work and long hours that are required to get you to where you want to be.

Many of the best actors and actresses in the country went to a highly competitive stage school to learn their craft. Students of these schools have to work long hours and extremely hard just to survive, never mind stand out as a future star. But stage school doesn t even begin there. Entry to the best academies is competitive and you need to prove to them that you have what it takes just to get in. You need to have been performing in plays and stage shows prior to applying. You need to show that you have a track record of excellence in acting. Can you prove this?

On your way to your dream position you need to LEARN all of the things that will be necessary when you are in that position.

You need to work backwards from your dream and calculate all the steps required to get to where you want to be. A lawyer, for example, needs a law degree. Depending where you intend to study places can be very competitive so you need to have good school or college grades prior to getting in to university. Don t think that you can just turn on your school work in the last couple of years prior to university - you need to work hard at school in all your subjects, in all your year groups, to achieve the required grades.

So, if you still want to live your dream and you are prepared to put in all the hard work and effort to get you to where you want to be then I wish you good luck.

But consider one thing, if you are not going to put in all of this hard work or you mistakenly still think that it is still just going to happen to you, what are you going to end up doing to provide you with the money you need to live? Probably the same thing as most people in their routine jobs.

Start to enjoy learning. Learn the things that you are interested in. Find out how to improve your learning to make it more useful to you. Become an expert in whatever field you want to excel in. Set yourself some goals and start today.

Oh yes, and the person that told me that they wanted to become a magician has now been making a good living that way for over 10 years. He has performed on more than one occasion to Prince Charles, the future King of England. He has also performed for a host of other celebrities and even topped the bill on New Year s Eve at the 6 star BURJ AL ARAB hotel in Dubai.

Live the dream.

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© 2005 Max Wiseman
http://www.maxwiseman.com

Max is a learning expert and believes that learning is the key to success in life. Visit his website for more inspirational and thought provoking learning articles.

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Choosing the Right Typing Tutor for Your Kids

Choosing the Right Typing Tutor for Your Kids
By Shu Jun

There is no one important skill than the typing skill in today s computer oriented world. From the server in a supermarket to a CEO in a corporation, from a clerk in a company to a president in an enterprise, typing skill is necessary. As well as a home worker, the typing skill is important, however. So the earlier you master the typing skill, the more advantage you take.

For your kids, typing skill is just as important as writing. Writing can help your kids communicate with others free, also typing skill is the same effect, even more convenient, however. Nowadays, kids live in the computer world, and they communicate with others by internet, such as Email, MSN instead of the tradition communication mode: letter. Then teach your kids typing skills when they are young, and typing skill will become second nature to them.

Kids learn things easier than adults. But for kids starting learning typing skills, they just "play" with the keyboard. This is a waster of time for them and, worse, kids get into the bad habit of typing with two fingers. However, if kids can learn correct typing techniques with proper finger placement and movement and without looking at the keyboard, no more hunt and peck and two finger typing. It will help them with school work: do research, surf the web, write papers, and save time with school work!

Apparently, choosing the right typing tutor for your kids is so important. The typing tutor is to help your kids develop a good typing habit in their earlier age. Once kids develop a good typing habit, their typing speed and accuracy can develop.

Here, list a few advantage when choosing a right typing tutor.

First, the typing tutor must be easy to use. For kids, they have no more computer skill, and then the typing tutor may give kids easy instruction how to use it and how to take practice as well.

Second, the typing tutor must be fun. For kids nature, they like funny things and are willing to learn what they are interesting in. As parents known whether children want to learn a thing or not largely depends on whether they are attracted by it. Based on this, the typing tutor must be appealing to children. Once children love and develop interest in it, they will learn to type on their own initiative.

Third, the tying tutor must have rich features. For kids, they are always fond of the colorful interface things and like to do the thing when playing. So the typing tutor should offer rich features for them. When kids learn to type, they can enjoy the playing pleasure, as well as the study pleasure.

Fourth, the typing tutor may include a complete course for learning to type. After all, parents want kids to learn typing, and master the typing skills. So the typing tutor not only offers the course from the basic keys to the sentences, but also offers the course from typing practice to typing test. Kids can start learning typing with individual letters, then move smoothly on to words and complete sentences. Children can advance at their own pace, without pressure.

Finally, the typing tutor should offer typing games. Generally, kids naturally like to play games, because when playing games, they are always attracted by the colorful interface and pretty music in the games, and above all, they re able to learn something quickly under no pressure.

Finding an effective typing tutor for your kids is necessary. When your kids develop their interesting in learning typing and, they master the typing skills quickly. To find a right typing tutor for your kids, visit GS Typing Tutor http://www.typingstar.com/

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Child Pirate Activity Making a Pirate Costume

Child Pirate Activity Making a Pirate Costume
By Nancy Johnson

Pirates are popular this year due to the release of Disney s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man s Chest. Boys and girls alike can participate in this child pirate activity making a pirate costume. A pirate costume does not need to be expensive or difficult to make. For ideas look up sketches of pirates or photos from pirate movies to see how they dressed. You will find a variety of styles.

Pirates did not have a uniform style of dress. They wore a mismatch of loose-fitting clothing, usually whatever they could find. Find your own pirate clothing by scouring second-hand stores for used clothing. Black, brown, dark green, and burnt orange are popular colors for pirate pants. Use white, ivory, purple, red or blue for shirt colors. Pick up pants and shirts that are at least one to two sizes too large.

Shorten the pants by cutting them off below the knee. Leave the pants unhemmed or cut jagged strips up to the knee for a tattered look. Take a piece of rope to tie around the waist for a belt. Roll up the shirt sleeves the elbow. A scarf, wide leather belt, or 12" x 45" piece of fabric will work to tie around the shirt.

Accessorize with black or brown shoes or boots (sometimes pirates went barefoot), a bandana tied on the head, clip on gold hoop earrings, and a toy sword stuck into their belt. If they want to wear an eye-patch, make one from a square of black felt with black elastic secured to the corners. A small stuffed parrot can be pinned onto the shoulder.

To complete the costume, practice walking with a swagger and talk like a pirate! Aaaarrgh! Ye Mates! Off with ye to hunt for treasure!

As a mother, grandmother, and child development professional, Nancy Johnson, shares over 20 years experience working with children and planning activities on her website, Creative-Child-Activity-Notebook.com. Check it out for more school age child activity ideas including summer, holiday, learning, nature, and child party activity ideas.

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Coping with a Teenager and Other Impossibilities

Coping with a Teenager and Other Impossibilities
By Jeffrey Hauser

I m a survivor. No, I don t have a yellow ribbon on my lapel or a group that meets every Thursday night. Instead, I have a twenty-one year old daughter. And in order for her to have achieved that number, she and I had to go through her teenage years. It s what I affectionately call, the "Seven Years of Hell." Not that all of it was bad, mind you, because it wasn t. But, like a malignant fungus, it began slowly and kind of crept up on my wife and myself. I tell you how it affected me during that period. Two words: Oh, My God!

You see, now I can t even count anymore.

It began innocently enough. The day my daughter turned thirteen, I hid in the closet waiting to see what I had created. After a few hours of waiting, I realized that things appeared normal. So I went back to my routine and monitored her progress. It took months before I noticed any signs of the "transformation" as I like to call it. It happened one Sunday when she was doing her homework. She was working a math problem for beginning algebra and said, "What s an invisible number?"

I looked at her quizzically and replied, "I m not sure."

She gave me the strangest look and then hung her head. "You mean you don t know everything?" she asked in amazement.

I shook my head and admitted to the failure. From that day forward, the spiral of agony began. No longer did she consult me regarding every aspect of her life. I wasn t the all-knowing guru she clung to before. Rather, she began to ask her friends for advice. Now that s a scary thought in itself. But they were more than happy to tell her all they knew about every subject. Eventually, I would discover the wealth of totally absurd facts they exposed whenever approached.

"Lincoln was the first president, or was it Franklin? The capital of Europe is Paris. You can get a fake ID over the Internet." Good stuff like that.

As she and I aged together, the rift grew wider. Not only was I getting dumber by the hour regarding schoolwork, I couldn t be relied on for any of the right answers. She would ask to stay out later, or skip a class. When I gave a negative response, I was (a) unfeeling, (b) out of touch with what was going on, (c) not being fair, or (d) all of the above. What was I thinking?

I tried to think back to my teenage years but it was an unfair comparison. We didn t have (a) cell phones with text messaging, (b) cable tv, (c) computers or the Internet, (d) microwaves, (e) fax machines, or (f) credit cards and practically no money whatsoever. This generation was techno-charged and I was a dinosaur from the black and white television age. Geez.

Once she got her first car, I rarely saw her unless she needed money, food, or something was broken. We got her the requisite cell phone and credit card. They were for "emergencies," we explained. She decided that "emergency" meant any time she had to call anyone on earth or had to buy anything at anytime for any reason. The battle lines had been drawn. We spent the next few years fighting over her curfew, spending habits, friends with various addictions, and our "behavior."

There were always issues about our behavior, not hers. We were the unyielding parents that didn t understand her. The problem was, we did, and were constantly expressing ourselves. What were we thinking? The nerve of us actually questioning her judgment? Surely, we could recognize the vast unlimited experience and knowledge of someone who had been on this earth a whopping seventeen years! She was now the expert on practically everything and we had undergone totally lobotomies. Our minds were virtual mush and unable to perceive her brilliance. It was quite obvious we were now to be on the losing end of every discussion.

Toward the end of the teenage reign of terror, the wars were conducted with less frequency and we somehow regained partial use of our brains. She decided that we still knew a few basic things and didn t always question our decisions. Harmony crept back into our relationship as the birds sung and the crickets chirped once again. Now life is good and we got along perfectly. Did I mention that she moved out on her own at eighteen to go to college? Now I wonder if that had anything to do with it.

Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master s Degree from Monmouth University. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He has authored 6 books and a novel, "Pursuit of the Phoenix," available at amazon.com. His latest book is, "Inside the Yellow Pages." Currently, he is the Marketing Director for http://www.thenurseschoice.com/,a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.

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Girls Birthday Party Ideas (Ages 8-12)

Girls Birthday Party Ideas (Ages 8-12)
By William Smith

Throwing a unique and memorable birthday party for girls aged 8-12 can be challenging. They are old enough to have outgrown the playground, but not quite ready for teenage activities yet. Here are several ideas to make sure your daughter s birthday will be a happy and successful event.

1. Roller or Ice Rink Skating Party - Your local roller or ice skating rink will likely have numerous birthday party packages to choose from. Typically, they have a party room that you can reserve with a host/hostess to run the party. The group of kids will normally get skate admission and rental, food, beverages, cake and ice cream, game tokens and more. Just check with your local rink for details.

2. Pottery Making Party - Pottery painting parties at a local pottery place are all the rage. Many pottery places allow you to rent a private room for the birthday party where the kids get to make and take their own personalized plate or bowl. They normally ask that you bring your own food and decorations, but again it depends on the local place so call them directly for details. When they are done, each child can have their creation fired in the kiln for a permanent souvenir from the party.

3. Formal Tea Party - This is a great idea especially for the younger aged girls. The idea is that the girls dress up in their "Sunday best" (dresses, hats, boas, white gloves, etc.) and are served a real tea time. You can either transform your own home into a cafe or see if there is a local tea place that offers tea parties for girls. If you decide to do it in your own home, just set up some kids size tables with white fabrics and doilies, some fresh flowers and of course formal tea party ware. Serve the "tea" (juice) in a teapot along with finger sandwiches such as heart-shaped bologna and/or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. For a great finish to the party, make a teapot-shaped cake. Before or after tea time, you could have a little fashion show so that each girl can show off her beautiful outfit. Be sure to take lots of pictures.

4. Swimming Party - Some local pools will allow groups to reserve the entire swimming pool area for a short period of time. Normally, they provide a lifeguard and staff who keep an eye on the kids and run games such as water ring tosses. Normally, they ll have a party room that is adjacent to the changing areas/restrooms where you can set-up decorations, snacks and cake.

5. Gymnastics Party - Try the local Gymnastics Academy to see what they offer. Often you can get some time for the kids with an instructor and then some time after for food and gifts.

6. Dance Party - Throw your own diva dance party at home or find a local dance studio that offers birthday parties for kids. The kids are transformed into dance divas and rock stars by doing their hair with brightly colored hair pieces, glitter and braids and then adding some cool make-up like sparkly glitter eyes, blush and lip gloss. Depending on the party music theme, you can have the party girls singing and dancing to your birthday girls favorite music or dances like the electric slide, freeze dance, etc. If you are having it at a studio, normally they will have karaoke microphones, lots of music to choose from and props for the kids. Be sure to videotape their performances!

Need a Kids Birthday Gift Basket to bring to the birthday party? Check out the great online selection of birthday gift baskets , cookies , candy and more at All About Gifts & Baskets. Make their birthday memorable with a unique and fun birthday gift!

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Yu-Gi-Oh and Friends Trading Cards: Making New From Old

Yu-Gi-Oh and Friends Trading Cards: Making New From Old
By Gail Leino

Exploring the Japanese Anime Yu-Gi-Oh offers a great bit of detailed artwork to explore, filled with imaginary creatures of good and bad nature. As a parent, we may be tempted to shy our child away from these types of animations and trading card games when in fact we might be doing them a favor by allowing them participate. Far too often we expect our children to grow up and think sensibly when at most times, what the world need is some new innovative thinkers. Here are some ideas on how you can encourage your child to embrace the fantasy world of Yu-Gi-Oh and his friends, expand their imaginations, and become actively creative.

What is this game all about?

Basically, what Yu-Gi-Oh and his friends have created is an atmosphere for themselves and other kids to make believe. By using cards that display Characters of both good and evil, they act out and creatively tailor a story plot to their own desires. There are some essential rules and regulations that apply to everyone and even others that apply to specific individual characters when playing the games. This creative mind path creates many positive ways of thinking as does a similar game we know as chess.

How can this further their own thinking skills when everything is already laid out in the rules?

Encourage them to make their own rendition of the game. They can use the same characters or new ones new rules and new fun to be had by all. If they are partial to the ever popular game card idea, set them to work with some old materials that they can revamp.

Worn color books and story books of all different types are often thrown out as the seams begin to tear. Instead of tossing the overused Yu-Go-Oh text out to the trashcan, now would be a great time to help your child expand his imagination. With these pages, allow them to cut out the figures of their favorite characters and make their own cards, making up new rules and regulations as they see fit. They can even create their own characters. Once they have done this, have them engage some friends in the same activities and they will undoubtedly be popular kids on the block.

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Activity + Poor Food Choices = Non Healthy Lifestyle

Activity + Poor Food Choices = Non Healthy Lifestyle
By Sue DeFiore

One of the biggest misconceptions people have today is what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. Just because you exercise does not mean you are healthy. I hear much too often, oh, I can eat this because then I will work 30 or 40 minutes on the treadmill, jogging, walking, (fill in the blank with the exercise of choice). NO, NO, NO! Once in a while transgressions are one things, however, if you want to be healthy you need to eat healthy and exercise, the two go hand in hand.

Now, think about this, if you think this way as an adult, what are you teaching your children. Yep, that is it OK to eat junk food as long as you are active. Not only that, so many parents, say well my kids eat all this stuff but don t gain any weight, so it is OK. NO IT IS NOT! While on the surface, you think it is, it is doing major damage to both yours and your child s body. Think high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Remember folks the old adage "you are what you eat" applies here. We all carry over what we learn in our childhood into our lives as adults. You are setting the foundation here for a lifetime of bad eating for your child. Do you really want to do that? No, I don t think so. So you need to set an example and start eating healthier and continue to be active. Right now the majority of children that are active are doing so through after school or organized sports activities that interest them. However, what happens when they get older, when these activities are no longer a part of his/her life. You got it, sedentary behavior because you didn t provide the role model they needed for a healthy lifestyle. You need to provide them with other choices besides just sporting activities: walking, jogging, riding, jumping rope, aerobics to name a few.

It is one of your responsibilities as a parent to teach your children about healthy eating and the importance of activity not only as a child but as they grow into adulthood. So you need to be a good role model. We have discussed in other articles, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and walking from the far end of the parking lot. Joining a gym or having exercise equipment (bikes, trampolines, DVDs) in your home. One of the cutest things is for a young child to watch their mom or dad watching a video or working out on a piece of exercise equipment and trying to emulate them. What a perfect opportunity for you to show them how to dance, jog, jump rope so they can do something right along with you.

Next be sure you let them be active in the planning and preparation of meals. Let them give their input. Take the time to talk to them about the foods you are making and they are eating. And please don t tell me you don t have the time, make the time or in all honesty why did you have children!

Yes, we want our children to be active and involved. However, one big caveat here is to limit the number of activities your children get involved with. Too many children today join everything to please their parents and they are exhausted! So be realistic with their time just as you would be with yours. Be sure to emphasize to your child that they don t have to be involved in everything. Emphasis that if they do too much they are going to make compromises in one or more activities and that isn t fair to that particular group. Talk to them about down time. Be sure they know it is OK to relax. We need balance in our life and the only way to be sure we do is to do everything in moderation and get that down time for ourselves. Relaxing restores our balance which is so very important for healthy living.

So let s start today to show our children that Healthy Eating + Activity = Healthy Lifestyle!

Copyright 2005, DeFiore Enterprises

Introducing Keep Kids Fit: A How To Guide For Setting Up And Running Your Own Business In One Year Or Less! Solutions for parents who want healthy children in body and mind! Our motto, "Eat Healthy, Live Healthy, Help Keep Kids Fit" Keep Kids Fit asks the question: Do You Want To Help Foster A Healthy Lifestyle For Your Child! If you answered yes, then visit our web blog at: http://hbsblogs.typepad.com/keepkidsfit/ and visit our website today at: http://www.keepkidsfit.com

Birthday Party Fun: Goodie Bag Alternatives

Birthday Party Fun: Goodie Bag Alternatives
By Deborah Shelton

If you re looking for alternatives to pricey goodie bags, here are a few ideas that will make your guests--and wallet--happy.

Any Fun Party:

Take Polaroid photos of each guest with the birthday child, and decorate cardboard picture frames, or make frames with popsicle sticks.

Hawaiian Party:

Decorate inexpensive plastic sunglasses with artificial flowers. String together more artificial flowers for one-of- a-kind leis.

Royal Party:

Decorate paper crowns and make scepters from wooden dowels and plastic jewels.

Sleepover Party:

Decorate plastic light switch covers with stickers. Allow your young guests to embellish white pillowcases with fabric paints for a take-home sleepy surprise.

Spring or Garden Party:

Paint flower pots and include a pack of flower seeds for children to grow at home.

Survivor Party:

Send the children on a scavenger hunt equipped with compasses and trail mixes that they can make before the hunt. The compass will become a new favorite gadget, and the trail mix is a lot healthier that candy treats.

Tea Party:

Let the girls decorate straw hats with artificial flowers, which they can wear for the party, and later take home. Complete the party with candy necklaces.

Have fun!

About The Author

Deborah Shelton the author of "The Five Minute Parent: Fun & Fast Activities for You and Your Little Ones." Visit Deborah s website for more family-friendly ideas: http://www.fiveminuteparent.com Subscribe to The Five Minute Parent email newsletter Five_Minute_Parent-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

deborah@fiveminuteparent.com