It’s a common complaint of many families these days. Everyone is involved in so many children activities that it’s hard to come together and enjoy time as a family. Consider some of these ideas on how to enjoy a fun family night in instead of everyone going their separate ways.

Scientifically it has been proven that families who eat meals together are more emotionally connected and more stable. And since everyone has to eat, why not start your fun family night in by cooking a meal together?

Family meals don’t have to be elaborate or tedious to prepare. They can be as simple as cooking hamburgers, having chips, and drinks. Of course, you may want to prepare something that will get everyone involved in the cooking process. Someone can cut up vegetables, someone else be in charge of cooking the dessert, and another person in charge of the main meal. Have everyone pitch in and the work will be completed quicker. You can also use the time to reconnect and talk about what’s happened in each person’s life since your last family fun night.

Once the meal is complete, take time to set a nice table and eat there rather than in front of the television. You can make clean-up a breeze by using disposable plates and napkins if you like, but you can also make the dinner seem more special by using nice place settings which are normally reserved for holidays.

After you’ve eaten dinner and cleaned up the dishes, continue your family night by playing board games. Have everyone choose one of their favorite games and then decide together which one you’ll play first. Games are meant to be fun and relaxing, so try to avoid becoming too competitive if that’s your personality. Depending upon the game you’ve chosen, you may be able to play more than one game; and don’t forget to play games even the little children of the family can enjoy.

If games aren’t your favorite things, you can also plan a movie night. Find a movie everyone will like, or at least tolerate, and pop some popcorn. Comedies are usually a good choice even though people have different senses of humor. Unless the humor is extremely dry, everyone in the family should at least get a chuckle out of the movie.

Pull out the family albums and take a stroll down memory lane. Remember the way the children were when they were young. Everyone loves to look at pictures of or hear stories about themselves even if they can be slightly embarrassing. Talk about some of the things your children did as babies or toddlers that you found so endearing.

No matter how busy your family may get, it’s vital to take time to reconnect as a family. You can use some of these ideas on how to enjoy a fun family night in or you can come up with some of your own. The important thing is to do something everyone, no matter what their age, will be able to enjoy and look forward to.

With winter just beginning, there is no better time to make simple home improvements that will conserve energy and save money on bills.

While old houses have the greatest room for improvement, there are many simple fixes that can be made to new houses to improve their efficiency for a better atmosphere for child development.
The author suggests not waiting around for the proposed Cash for Caulkers stimulus program, but to get started now. The article offers free suggestions for improving home efficiency such as…
Whenever you leave the house or go to sleep, lower your thermostat down a bit. It has been said, “If you consistently set your thermostat back at night 10 degrees Fahrenheit, you may reduce your heating bill by 10-20 percent.”
You can take this to the next level, by always keeping the thermostat lower and wearing warmer clothes around the house. I know one guy who keeps his house at 55 degrees during the winter. I can’t say I’d be into that, but I am sure his heating bill is a lot lower than mine!
Lower the temperature on the water heater to 120 degrees. If you have smaller children this could be a safety measure as well. 160 degree water coming out of your faucet can be a bit dangerous. Also, turn off the hot water heater when on vacation.
The article also looks at many inexpensive options for reducing home heating bills…
Open windows during the day - especially if they are south-facing. But close them up at night to keep the heat in.
Install Foam Gaskets behind electric-outlet and switch-plate covers.

SOURCE ChristianPF.com

Gamers who want to get fit but found Wii Fit lacking in enjoyment or exertion for exercise or children activities can take advantage of this offer to experience exergaming with Gamercize. Trading in your Wii Fit discs will entitle you to a mail-in rebate worth up to $150/70GBP. To help with New Year Resolutions to lose weight and improve fitness, Gamercize is also offering a full 3 month virtual gym membership of their GZ Personal Trainer programme free.

Patented Gamercize interaction is non-intrusive by allowing normal game play while working out on a range of fitness machines, pausing the player from the game if they stop. The minimal interaction allows players to have their mind in the game while their body is in the workout. Gamercize works with every sedentary game, ensuring it never gets boring. In tests Gamercize equipment has been proven six times more engaging than exercise alternatives and four times more energetic than Wii.

“I can attest first hand to the positive impact that this product has on children, teens and adults after seeing so many of our locations having huge success with it. Recently our Exergame Fitness advisory board member Dr. Stephen Yang of SUNY Cortland demonstrated the full potential of Gamercize. Stephen had an entire gym class consisting of future P.E. teachers that were playing Gamercize tournaments using the NBA Basketball Xbox game. It was great to see the social aspect of the product and hear the praise from students,” adds Tommy Seilheimer, CEO of Exergame Fitness USA.
The GZ Personal Trainer software included in this offer is accessed via the internet or 3G mobile phone. The membership software provides a link to real fitness professionals who help motivate while tracking your calorie burn and progress against key health indicators towards your goals.

From January 1st the full Gamercize range of active gaming products, including the GZ Power Stepper, GZ Endurance Cycle, GZ Family Fit 3 in 1 recumbent cycle and rower and the GZ PC-Sport under desk stepper, will carry a 10% mail-in rebate plus 3 months GZ Personal Trainer membership in exchange for unwanted Wii Fit discs.

SOURCE Gamercize

“It was so obvious, I can’t believe I never thought of it before,” said Don Hoffman.

“It was definitely a chocolate and peanut butter moment,” added Mike Connolly.

Hoffman and Connolly are two entrepreneurs each owning what seem to be unrelated businesses, however both share a common passion, bringing health and well being into the home in a fun and motivating way. Now, together they are trying to change the way families approach health, fitness and child development.

Hoffman is the owner of Creative Playthings, one of the nation’s oldest and largest children’s backyard play-set manufacturers and retailers. Connolly is the owner of Creative Fitness Solutions, one of the largest quality fitness equipment retailers.

In summer of 2009, Hoffman walked into one of Connolly’s stores looking for a treadmill for his home. When the two met, lengthy discussion regarding the importance of fitness at every age ensued.
Hoffman noted to Connolly that they were essentially in the same business, only Creative Playthings was for kids and The Fitness Store was for adults. In fact, they were sharing many of the same customers who were ultimately buying products for different members of the family for the same goal.
Their shared passion for the importance of health and wellness was evident and the synergy between their two businesses became clear.

In late 2009, Hoffman and Connolly entered a joint venture to bring their two businesses together to form the nation’s first and only family focused exercise and fitness store aimed at giving the whole family fun and motivational exercise options that suit each member of the family’s age and lifestyle.

SOURCE Creative Fitness Solutions

Children grow up so fast, and there are changes each step of the way. If you’ve recently found out you’re pregnant, you may be wondering how to prepare your child or children for a new arrival. Use these child education ideas and you may find your child actually looking forward to their new brother or sister.

It’s common for older children to feel jealous when they’re told about a new sibling. However, that doesn’t have to be the case. There is much you can do to help them feel less jealous and more eager to be the older sibling. Here are some suggestions:

1. Involve your older child in as much of the pregnancy as you can. Tell them as soon as you and your partner feel comfortable and make it a joyous occasion for them. Have a special “I’m going to be a big brother or sister” dinner for them.

2. Look through the family’s baby pictures. Start with yours and your partner’s, and then look through each child’s baby pictures. Ask them who they think they looked like. Then ask them who they think the new baby will look like the most.

3. Buy them a t-shirt that says “I’m a big brother” or “I’m a big sister.” Explain to them you’ll need their help when the new baby comes. Tell them you know they’ll be a great sibling.

4. Ask them for their ideas for baby names. Be prepared, however, because they may want to name the baby after their favorite toy, pet, or television character!

5. Take time as a family to read books about becoming an older brother or sister. Give them an opportunity to tell you how they feel about a new brother or sister. Are they afraid you won’t love them anymore? Are they afraid you won’t have time for them? Be sure to let them know you’ll never stop loving them.

6. Take them to the doctor with you. Ask the nurse to allow your child to be in the room while they listen to the baby’s heartbeat or during a non-vaginal ultrasound.

7. Try to find a class for siblings. Some hospitals offer these classes to teach new brothers and sisters how to properly hold and care for a baby. Classes will also give them a non-threatening avenue to discuss their feelings about their new sibling.

8. Expose your child to other babies. If you have friends with babies, be sure to visit so your child can see how to hold a baby, talk to them, and how careful they’ll need to be around them.

9. When you bring the baby home, be sure to ask for help from your child. This will give them a sense of being important to the baby and to you. Ask them to get diapers, wipes, or clean clothes for the baby while you bathe or change it. If you’re bottle feeding, show them how to hold the bottle so they can help feed the baby.

10. If you’re breastfeeding, your older child obviously can’t help with feeding. However, you can have special toys for them to play with while they’re in the room with you and the baby during feeding time. This will allow you to spend time with them and take care of the baby’s needs.

You may find that using some of these ideas on how to prepare your child for a new arrival makes the transition easier. While these ideas won’t guarantee your child won’t have feelings of jealousy, they might help you help them accept the baby quicker.

Children are bound to fight with one another; it’s part of being siblings. Sibling rivalry is normal, too, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try to do something about it for child development. Try using one or more of these ten ways to ease sibling rivalry to bring peace to your home.

1. Ask your older children to help with the younger ones. This will encourage your children to feel proud of being an older brother or sister and will help them build a better relationship.

2. Do your best not to compare your children, especially while they’re in the same room. It’s obvious that your children are different, but you don’t want them feeling as if there’s something wrong because they’re not the same. It may also cause your children to believe you love one of them more than the other.

3. Let them handle their own disagreements. It may not be easy to do, but it’s important to let them resolve some of their own conflicts. You also want to avoid taking sides because it might give the impression you favor one child over the other.

4. Explain to your children that however angry they might get, violence is unacceptable. Let them know you won’t stand for hitting or kicking. When your children resolve their problems peacefully, be sure to praise them for doing so.

5. Take your child out of the room if you must punish or scold them. It’s important not to do this in front of the other children because it may cause the child not being scolded to tease the one who was.

6. If possible, allow each child to have their own room. You’ll also want to stress how important it is for them to avoid taking or using each other’s items without permission.

7. Have a special date each month for you to spend with each child. Spending individual time with each child doing things they enjoy will let them know how special they are to you. It will also help your children have your undivided attention, if only for a little while.

8. Set limits as far as what is acceptable behavior and what is not. Hitting, name-calling, and putting one another down are not acceptable and you’ll want to step in if your children begin using any of those tactics. You may not want to act like the police, but it may be necessary at times.

9. Family meetings can be helpful for letting children voice differences or complaints. They’re also an opportunity for parents to restate family rules about how to treat one another, or add new rules.

10. Choose your battles wisely. You know your children aren’t always going to agree, so you might spend all of your time coming between them if you don’t let them handle things on their own. Squabbling about who had a toy first isn’t that important, but pestering until they feel they have no recourse but to strike out definitely needs your attention.

Having children can be a joy; however, it can also be stressful for parents when the children argue and fight. Using one of these ten ways to ease sibling rivalry may work for your family. It can’t hurt to give them a try. Here is an interesting commercial featuring sibling rivalry:

Dealing with child safety issues entails your endless child care responsibility as a parent.

With much consideration to your child’s safety, here is one of the possible concerns. Suffocation hazards may cause your child’s safety at risk.

You may be sleeping with your child in your home. It may feel easier sometimes but it may be dangerous at the same time. Considering the pillows and blankets that could possibly cause accidents, be sure not to put those things within your child’s reach. Or you may just put your child in his own crib near your bed. Those things may cause suffocation or shortness of breathing if those things will accidentally cover your child’s mouth. He may be too small and too weak to move them out of the way (especially if your the one weighing it down).

If you decide to put your child on the crib, ensure that it is empty. No toys or big pillows should be present on the crib. If your child has chills at night, put her in a sleeping sack instead of blankets. He may get tangled up and not be strong enough to untangle himself. It is also strongly encouraged that you put your child to sleep on her back.

Have your child put into safety at all times. Be sure to know and to monitor such kinds of possible suffocation hazards as those things put a great risk for your child’s safety.

Many preschoolers are active from the time they get up until the time their head hits the pillow at night. Perhaps you don’t have trouble motivating preschoolers to be active, but are they moving at an appropriate child development level? Will their movement help build their body or are they merely whirling dervishes?

By motivating preschoolers to be active when they’re young, you may be able to encourage a love of fitness that can last a lifetime. How do you go about doing so? Here are some ideas which may lead them to love being active.

Activity at Home

In the same way you may go to work, play is a child’s work. Allow your preschooler plenty of free time to play and use their imagination. Actually, you probably won’t have to do much motivating to get your preschooler to be active, but are they active for a minimum of an hour each day?

Find things your preschooler will have fun doing that will keep them active. Instead of taking them on a stroll around the local track, why not take them on a hike through the woods. Help them notice the different animals in the woods, toss rocks into a stream, or collect different leaves. This will make the walk much more enjoyable than trudging around a track.

Take into consideration your child’s skill level when trying to find activities for them. You wouldn’t ask a toddler who’s barely walking to run up and down a basketball court. Teach them to throw and catch large balls before encouraging them to catch a baseball.

Activity at School

Does your child have access to a playground if they attend preschool or daycare? Maybe all they have is a large yard. That’s really all they need if there is room to run, roll, and dance around. It’s not necessary to have several pieces of athletic equipment - a couple of large balls, hoola hoops, and plenty of space is enough.

The Need for Activity

One of the main reasons preschoolers need to be active is that being active helps their body on many levels. It helps build strong bones and muscles. Activity also improves large and fine motor skills as well as encouraging preschoolers to be healthy.

Consider games you played as a child. Many of them had you running, jumping, and skipping. Think about the fun your preschooler could have playing Hide and Seek, Simon Says, Follow the Leader, and Freeze Tag. There are so many great active games; you are sure to find one your preschooler will enjoy.

You may not really have to do much when it comes to motivating preschoolers to be active. The problem may actually be in getting them to stop. Help them have fun while they’re active and they’re very likely to develop a love of physical activity that will translate into a love of being fit as an adult.

Mathematics should never be absent from child education. It teaches critical skills and relationships among numbers which are useful in real life. Children can become more confident of their math skills when parents are involved in teaching them at home.

Because the primary fear about mathematics is its abstract concepts, it should be the task of parents to situate math situations in the context of everyday activities. Encourage your child to always count whenever there is an opportunity.

Sports is also an interesting way to integrate math because it involves scoring, timing, counting and measuring. The same goes for songs, rhymes and measurements during cooking.

What is important is to send a message to your child that you are there for him/her to support and to guide. That’s always an encouraging sign for child development.

Study habits are important in the progress of child education and the system in place at home determines how your child disciplines themselves. Set the tone early by instilling guidelines for study habits at home.

It is important to note that children have low attention spans thus it is important for obvious sources of distraction be removed. Foremost on the list are watching television and non-academic Internet web surfing.

Where your child is studying plays a key role in determining the focus levels of your toddler. It is best to designate a specific area because nothing beats consistency. Parts of the home without much distraction can be the dining room table or the living room.

A bulletin board in your child’s room or study area will be of great help in organizing his/her priorities for the day. He/she should have an alternative small pad for taking down notes. Also make sure that school supplies will be handy.

More importantly, always be around for possible questions from your child and also be there to guide his/her development. Be sure to know if the work being done by your child is appropriate to his/her knowledge level.