eUpdate
November 2004
www.naturalfamilyonline.com
Life is only natural, so why not live it more naturally? Let Natural Family Online magazine show you how. NFO is your toolbox for natural family living and natural parenting. No matter what your personal or parenting style, we offer tips, tools and information every family can use. 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 ...
natural parenting tools every family can use.
Visit our Featured Sponsor:
Are you an Attachment Parenting graduate? Think again! Attachment parenting continues past toddlerhood. Natural Family Online is sponsoring a new group for all parents who practice AP or wish to learn more about it, no matter what age your children are (but especially those in the 2-13 age group). We are not a rigid group and do not press you to follow a predetermined list of AP ideas. You know best for your child; we just try to support!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Attachment-Parenting-Ext
If your children are below 2 years old, visit the general Attachment Parenting Group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Attachment_Parenting
NFO eUpdate Newsletter Exclusive: Housekeeping With Kids at Home -- Taming the Toddler Tornado!
Look for an all-new article farther down in this issue of NFO eUpdate -- an original feature available only to newsletter subscribers!
Highlights from November's Natural Family Online Worried about flu vaccine shortages?
The media is whipping Americans into high anxiety — but does your family really need to be vaccinated? Before you go into high-anxiety mode, consider the facts about the flu and the flu vaccination. Get The Facts on Flu at http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/YFH/20048-flu-vaccine.htm.
Then read our new flu update, Worried About Flu Vaccine Shortages? 3 Big Reasons Not to Panic:
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/2-h&w/411-flu-shortage.htm
Review the basics, then consult multiple sources and discuss your questions with your health care professionals. Make an informed decision — minus the media pressure. What's right for one family may not be the best answer for another.
Gobble, gobble
You don't have to be a turkey about holiday feasts!
Dig into these strategies for health-conscious Thanksgiving feasts:
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/3-c&r/411-healthy-thanksgiving.htm
Enjoy vegetarian turkey alternatives:
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/3-veg/411-vegetarian-turkey.htm
Try these taste-tempting recipes:
Sweet Potato Cornbread
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/3-c&r/411-corn-bread.htm
Heart-Healthy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/3-c&r/411-mashed-potatos.htm
School schedule scramble
Help your kids take charge of madcap school schedules and demands with organizational tools and strategies they can handle themselves.
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/4-edu/411-organize-kids.htm
Super-size me?
Is there a healthy way to eat the occasional fast-food lunch or dinner?
Order up!
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/3-nut/411-fast-food.htm
Home, sweet home
Is your home really that sweet of a place for a busy family to wind down?
Try these ideas for making your home a peaceful sanctuary for your family.
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/5-ap/411-home.htm
And much, much more! Herbal pest control … Homemade lipstain — sexy and natural! … Thanksgiving: remembering family … Homemade holiday gifts:
Natural toiletries … Seizures in pets … Natural tactics for UTIs … Homeopathy for tummy aches … New parents: Keep the romance burning … Diets don't work! … 10 reasons to go organic … November Supplement: Zinc … Health-conscious holiday eating … Organizing schooltime demands … Creating a peaceful home … Emotional tools for kids … Kids artwork as natural expression … Dads supporting breastfeeding … Preparing to feed a preemie ...
Visit http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com for tons of practical tools and tips on these topics and more!
You've got questions? We've got answers!
"I keep hearing about Montessori and Waldorf schools. How are these
different from traditional schools?" -- Lara Ashmore replies:
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/Q&A/411edu-alternative-schools.htm
"My doctor says my nursing toddler needs iron supplements." -- Dr.
Linda
Folden Palmer replies:
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/Q&A/411ch-baby-iron.htm
"How do we know if we're ready to have another baby?" -- Elizabeth
Pantley
replies: http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/Q&A/411-pb-another-
baby.htm
Send us your best healthy recipes
NFO is looking for your favorite healthy recipes featuring whole
foods,organic foods, vegetarian or vegan foods. What's cooking in your
kitchen? Your recipe could be chosen to appear in NFO's Cooking & Recipes
channel! Send your recipe in the body of your e-mail (no attachments, please)
to editor at naturalfamilyonline dot com.
DISCUSS! at Natural Family Online
"My family is not a member of any traditional religion. We do have
an active spiritual life and believe in honoring diety. … If there are other
mommies out there that follow a non-mainstream path, lets chat."
Add your comment at NFO's community discussion board:
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=40
NFO eUpdate Feature: Exclusive content for eUpdate subscribers only!
Taming the Tornado: Housecleaning Tips With Toddlers Around
By Alicia Bayer
I have a confession to make. My house frequently looks like footage
From houses after natural disasters hit small towns.I have never been a
good housekeeper. I have a number of talents, but cleaning is not one of
them. My home will never look like anything you see in Better Homes and
Gardens -- or even as neat as your average sitcom living room. To be blunt, I
suck at housekeeping!
However, nobody else ever steps up to do it and when you have two
small
children and a messy husband you have to learn how to at least put a
dent in
it so nobody calls the news crew. Here are some ways I get things
less
zoo-like.
* Get a large box or laundry basket and sweep everything off
tables
and other surfaces into the box. Enlist your toddler for this part.
You have
an instantly better-looking home, and you can carry your box from
room to
room putting things away from there.
* Okay, this one sounds terrible, but it works for me. Use a
broom or
a rake. Yes, I'm serious! A rake will effortlessly sweep all of the
toys,
paper, books and junk into one pile. Put the pile in a box and
proceed as
above, or just put things away from the pile. You will immediately
feel like
your house is cleaner because you have a small pile of stuff instead
of a
floor littered with junk. I cringed the first few times I raked the
living
room, but then I decided that since it was so quick and easy, I'd
rather
feel silly and rake the house and have a nicer-looking house than
care what
anybody peeking in my windows would think.
* Do the five-minute trick: Have your toddler hold a stopwatch
or
timer and set it for five minutes (or even two). Stay in one room
and clean
it as much as you can till the alarm sounds. Pick up anything that
goes to
the next room, and do that one for five minutes. When you've done
every
room, take a break for a half an hour and do something fun with your
kids.
Then do it again. It goes quickly and you make a big difference. You
can
even just do the five-minute trick in one room several times a day,
and it
will make way more difference than you'd believe.
* Do cleaning games. These have been around forever and it's
because
they work. Have your little ones put away everything that's red, or
round or
bigger than their hand. Have competitions to see which child can put
all the
things of their color away first. Have babies put things into boxes
or bins
as you go. No, they don't really help much but they like it and they
get
used to the idea that they should help clean. These games are also a
great
way to introduce concepts like colors, shapes and sizes.
* Assign a task to your toddler. If kids grow up with chores
and the
idea that they have a responsibility to help keep their surroundings
clean,
it doesn't just help you but also them. I was never expected to help
clean
the house and as an adult I floundered forever at it. If it comes as
naturally as brushing their teeth or taking vitamins, children will
grow up
with the skills to take care of their own homes more easily. Make
sure you
praise them for it and let them know you appreciate it, just the way
you
would anybody else.
* Get rid of stuff! This is our biggest challenge. I grew up
very poor
and didn't even have furniture for most of my childhood. When I grew
up I
became the biggest packrat, and it took years to realize all of that
stuff
was robbing me of time and energy. If you don't love it and use it,
get rid
of it. Donate clothes, toys and books to your local women's shelter
and feel
good while making your house easier to manage. Also, some people
pack away
three-fourths of their children's toys every season or so and
recycle them
so they always seem new. I would rather have fewer toys, but it's
another
approach. Remember too that if your child has too many toys, she's
more
likely to be overwhelmed and find nothing to do.
* I don't know who said it, but there's a lot of truth to the
saying
that "Cleaning with kids around is like shoveling the driveway while
it's
still snowing." Pick a few times per day that are designated
cleaning times.
For me, it's while the kids eat breakfast, after craft time and
before we do
activities. My two-year-old, Victoria, recites: "We have to clean up
one
mess before we make another," and she knows that as soon as we get
things
liveable she gets to do something else fun.
Remember that as much as you cringe at the idea of anybody seeing
your
chaotic house some days, your kids aren't going to look back on their
childhoods and ever say "Man, I wish my mom had kept the house
cleaner."
Some things just aren't priorities right now. Sometimes the best
thing to do
is shove it all in a closet and go play horsie. And if you ever come
to our
house, please don't open the closets!
© Alicia Bayer
Alicia Bayer is the publisher of A Magical Childhood
http://www.magicalchildhood.com/ , a web site celebrating the joy
and
simple pleasures of childhood. Read more about Alicia at
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/Contrib/a-bayer.htm.
*~*~*~*~*
Parenting From the Heart telephone counseling
Need sensitive, family-centered advice and perspective on your life's
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specializes in
attachment parenting and alternative education, but she is available
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personal counseling as well.
Learn more: E-mail jan.hunt@n... or call (866) 593-1547.
*~*~*~*~*
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Fall into family living with NFO ... naturally! Have a great
November.
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