eUpdate
June 2005
Natural Family Online is your toolbox for natural family living and natural parenting, bringing you whole living for the whole family. Visit us online every month for a new issue packed with information on natural homes, natural beauty, pregnancy and birth, breastfeeding, health and wellness, education and learning and much, much more. Natural Family Online ... Whole living for the whole family.
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New this month at NFO
ANOTHER Exclusive Excerpt!
The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers NFO brings you another exclusive excerpt from sleep guru Elizabeth Pantley's new book.
"Mommy, stay!" Does Your Child Need Help to Fall Asleep?
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/5-bc/56-help-child-sleep.htm
Father's Day Parenting Special
NFO brings you a special feature for dads who truly care about fathering.
What do you do when your kid is "acting up"?
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/5-bc/56-kids-acting-up.htm
"I'm walking in the door stressed, every day ."
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/2-ns/56-parent-stress.htm
Look at it from a kid's-eye view
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/5-bc/56-kids-eye-view.htm
Of fathers, sons and masculinity
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/5-bc/56-fathers-sons-masculinity.htm
Top 10 ways to be a better father
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/5-ap/56-better-father.htm
What is La Leche League, anyway? Ever wondered what this oft- mentioned group is all about? This article tells who La Leche League is - and why you should
care: http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/5-bf/56-la-leche-league.htm
Eaten alive Bugs getting to you this summer? Take the sting out of bug bites, naturally:
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/2-h&w/56-bug-bite-herbal-prevention.htm
Keep your cool Summertime's hard on hot, pregnant mamas. Click here for great ways to cope with the summer heat:
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/5-p&b/56-keep-cool-in-pregnancy.htm
More new articles: Learn life skills through music . Find a breastfeeding class . Losing baby teeth . Be a better parent than your parents .
Buy a
fuel-efficient car . Great reasons to juice . What's CoQ10? . Cope with picky eaters . and more!
Visit http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/ to see all our new articles for June.
DISCUSS! at Natural Family Online
"I have 18-month-old twins who both struggle to stay awake playing all day.
They would never take naps if left to their own schedule. However they get soooooo tired by dinner that they are tripping over themselves and crabby crying miserable. I think they need sleep. Suggestions, please?"
Add your comment at NFO's community discussion board at http://naturalfamilyonline.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=43.
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Questions & Answers
Question: My 8-year-old son has been lying. Help!
Mark Brandenburg replies:
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/5-bc/56q-kids-lying.htm
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Exclusive new article for eUpdate subscribers!
Travel Tips for Parents
By Colleen Langenfeld
Another summer is fast approaching and families are once again looking at travel opportunities. Whether it is visiting grandparents, playing the tourist or even taking your family along on business, traveling with the family is not the same experience as traveling alone. Here are some simple tips to keep everyone smiling during your summer excursions.
Pack light, pack complete. This means don't take it along unless you actually need it. But if you do need it, don't pretend you can do without it. You will just be miserable or end up purchasing the item on the road.
Buy it there. The first tip (above) brings up a useful thought. Are there some items that are easily purchased once you reach your destination? It may be simpler to buy some things rather than pack and unpack them. Only you can decide if the convenience outweighs the cost.
Consider attention spans. Everyone has one and they can be vastly different within the same family, especially if you are traveling with small children.
Little legs and minds cannot possibly keep up with adult ones.
Instead of
fighting it, plan according to the youngest family member. That's why it is called a "family"vacation!
Plan it out. Decide ahead of time what you hope to accomplish during your travels. Is it six cities in seven days? Unhurried, unscheduled leisure time? Family time by the bucketload? Make your plans with your focus in mind for a more satisfying, less frustrating trip.
Be practical. Pack clothes (and shoes) that are comfortable and can last the duration. Remember that wet wipes are your best friend! Aim for making memories, not making a fashion statement. I like to include one personal item per traveler under this heading as well. Whether it's a "lovey"
for a
toddler, a paperback for mom or a small electronic gizmo for the teen, everyone gets tired and needs a little down time. A small personal item from home can do wonders for a grumpy attitude.
Be flexible. You can almost guarantee that your trip will not go exactly as planned. That's ok. That would be one definition of the word "adventure."
But your responses to the changes and challenges that will arise while traveling as a family are the real key to how everyone will remember this special time together. It will also be the determining factor in whether anyone in your family wants to do this again.
Look for a different perspective. A family trip is a great chance to get to know each other a little bit better. What does your teen think about the world situation today? Who knew Dad loved trains? What other aspects of your family members could you learn about while outside of your normal routine?
In truth, travel time with the family is really about stepping back, looking ahead, gaining new insights. These are the people you are traveling through life with. Enjoy the ride!
C Colleen Langenfeld
Colleen Langenfeld energizes busy working mothers with career, organizing, meal-planning, parenting ideas and more using the free Working Mothers Great Idea Kit at http://www.paintedgold.com/moms .
And more on summer travel ...
Family Road Trip Fun: How Best To Travel With Kids By Sherrie Le Masurier
Family fravel is meant to be fun and relaxing, and with a little road trip planning, you can organize your car travel to make thisyear's road trip your best family vacation ever.
When it comes to road trip planning, it's important to expect the unexpected and be prepared. Turn to creative solutions like pre-planned snacks and car games to counter "I'm hungry" screams and "Are we there yet?"
questions.
Every time you travel with kids, you can count on the need for both creative solutions and a ton of car games to keep the kids busy.
Following are some of my favourite ways to make a family vacation car trip not only bearable but fun.
Activity boxes A plastic tote with a flat lid works best as it holds both your child's activity supplies (paper, markers, cards, etc.) and doubles as a play surface.
Bottled water Bring a whole case for drinking and quick wash-ups.
Paper towels These are indispensable when eating and make short work of cleaning up.
Blankets or coats The warmth of a blanket or coat comes in handy for nap time.
Pillows To a tired and cranky child, a pillow can be a real lifesaver.
Plastic bags Various sized plastic zipper-type, grocery and garbage bags are handy for everything from storing crayons and leftover crackers to separating wet bathing suits and collecting trash.
Drinks Place a small cooler filled with beverages in a central location that everyone can reach.
Snacks Consider individual boxes of cereal, packages of crackers, cups of fruit,applesauce and yogurt. Don't forget the spoons.
Ok, so now your kids are well nourished and have their activity box before them. But with a day or two of traveling still ahead, your kids'
short
attention span may yet get the better of them. Ward off sibling battles and screams like "She's looking at me again!" with the following car travel solutions.
As a child, one of my favourite family travel games was to create a story together. Dad would start the first sentence, then Mom, me and my brother would add to it. Each of us would take a turn adding a sentence as the story unfolded.
Another favourite road trip car game was "I'm going on a trip and I'm bringing..." Here someone starts the game off by naming an item that starts with the letter "A". After "A" , the next player will say the same thing but with the letter "B", and so on.
If you're looking for creative verbal games that will help build your kids'
vocabulary, check out 101 Word Games at http://familysanitysavers.com/cargames.
Finally, count down the distance to go with a bunch of Cheerios or Fruit Loops pre-thread on shoestring licorice. Your kids can enjoy one with every passing kilometer.
C Sherry Le Masurier
Want more family sanity-saving ideas? Visit http://www.familysanitysavers.com today. Sherrie Le Masurier is a lifestyle columnist, professional organizer and co-owner of Family Sanity Savers.com.
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