Most parents cram about one thousand pictures into their child’s first few days on earth. They are snapping pictures here and there, and everywhere, for the first week or two after your little one arrives. Slowly but surely the panicky picture taking slows to a screeching halt and the cycle of professional pictures twice a year comes together. But who remembers those times when you were begging for a camera and you missed all of those candid moments for a lack of one?
Even though we live in the age of picture phones, no one wants to cherish treasured memories from a blurry, dark photo taken on their phone. There are ways to preserve memories without carrying around a full-sized camera around all day, every day. With each passing day new inventions are being presented with innovative designs in camera technology. From mini-camera’s, to credit card sized camcorders, and even camera’s that you hang from your key chain. I’ve seen digital cameras the size of a walnut and have wished to see it in my stocking for Christmas.
The point here is the availability of compact options for controlling your photo taking. For only twenty-five dollars you can own a mini-digi that can go with you anywhere, and is water-proof for those trips to the lake. Digital cameras are the, hands-down, best way to preserve your favorite moments without all of the expense involved with film. You go home and upload the images to your PC and send them to everyone you know, print them on photo paper, and hang it on the fridge for year-long viewing.
Even if you don’t have the money on-hand to purchase a miniature camera you can drop by the local drug store and purchase one-time-use digital camera for about the price of one development of regular film. You can even get the option of receiving a picture CD with all of your pictures stored easily and ready to pop into your disc-drive. There are too many options available to you for any memory to go un-snapped. You are equipped in the age of technology for every movement and breathe of your child’s life. The refrigerator is not just for school work anymore. Printing your own pictures is the easy way to “upload” family photos to your fridge. You have the family, the children, and the power to treasure every minute of their young lives. We get one life, one childhood, and it should never go un-kept. When our parents were young, the options weren’t as readily available to them, and the quality was nowhere near the quality we have today. Harness that, and create projects, photos, and videos that your child will want to look at again and again when they grow up. They will thank you.
There comes a time in your child’s life when topics of life-altering importance come bubbling up to the surface of their curiosity. Even though, as parents, you may not feel that the topics are age-appropriate, or that it’s not quite the right time for your child, you cannot stop the fact that asking these questions are a way of showing you that they are ready to learn.
Before you blow your child’s in-depth questions out the window, or tell them that a stork delivered their baby sister to the doorstep, you may want to stop for ten seconds and resume with an answer such as “Honey, I am glad that you came to me to ask about this. Why don’t you go finish your homework and when you are done we will sit down and have a chat about it, ok?”
Before you unconsciously tell them that the topic is inappropriate, or generally bad, they need to know that you are secure in your open-and-honest relationship with them as their parent. Sometimes parents may feel as though their child is a bit too young for a specific topic, when in fact, the average child may need to know three years prior. Certain issues can be touchy, but the big topics such as sex and inappropriate behavior, should not be held back from fear or general silence. Children as young as four and five need to know what abuse and sexual misconduct are. They need to know topics such as how to handle meeting strangers and other general topics.
It may be somewhat hard to discuss certain issues as your child ages, but the general consensus is that you are better off answering your child in a respectful and adult-like way rather than have them come to you two years too late to inform you that they’ve made the mistake that could’ve been prevented with honesty. Don’t be ashamed, be a good parent. Be an active listener and be an open forum for any questions your child may have. You can have the ears of a friend and still have grounded advice and knowledge of a parent.
You can easily find help on topics that are a little harsh for you to discuss. There are books to be found on any subject. And be aware that the internet is a great place to find informative blogs, school counselors can offer advice for free, and you can even visit your community church for spiritual advice. This is your child and they deserve the best you can give them; communication is free.
When the kids are getting bored and you finally think you’ve run out of ideas to do you may want to re-think and try these easy, kid-friendly activities.
When it comes to the planting season why not let the kids join in? They may not be able to till the yard but they sure can put a hand in to help grow their own vegetables and fruit. Buying seeds of plants that are drought resistant or tolerant are great ways to let them watch the fruits of their labor grow throughout the season.
First, you should make a short list of plants that are appropriate for you soil, setting, and area. You can also purchase seeds for use in pots. Not only can they enjoy a small section of the family garden, but they can watch potted plants flourish on the porch, stairs, or in the window sill and this will give them the opportunity to go hands-on and water, and care for, their own little plants.
Plants such as Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan), and Iris (Bearded Iris) are long-blooming flower perennials that will shine bright almost all year and will be a delight for the little ones who planted them. Some great annuals to work with are Daffodils, Violets, and Sunflowers. They are beautiful and safe for children to work with. Don’t forget to take pictures as they grow; they may even grow taller than the child that planted it (in the right container)!
For gardening, children will enjoy planting watermelons, strawberries (perennial), pumpkins, and herbs such as catnip (if you have a cat), or chamomile for its beautiful purple color. Strawberries are a great container plant as well and can you can reap the benefits of their growth rather quickly and keep them in the ground for their return the next year. Pumpkins and watermelon are running-vines and are so much fun to watch as they grow. The kids will have to tend to them as they begin to climb outward, but not too much. The catnip can be dried and used to create projects for a pet cat or for friends and family who have pet cats. The best part is spending time with your kids as they get a hands-on experience with the power of nature. Be sure to use proper drainage in your containers, such as rocks, so the enthusiasm for watering doesn’t impact the plants as much. Your home will look beautiful with the added flower coverage and the kids will have beautiful blooms to show off to friends and family.
If you have children that are old enough to read on their own, then you can use this to actively promote their skills through family involvement, while making fun game-like activities out of reading time. You would be amazed at the average reading level of most children ages 6-10. A large portion of children under the age of ten cannot read at their grade level. It is being noted that they are not getting enough practice in general. By adapting some simple games into your family life you can easily help your child get the practice he/she needs while helping them to excel above their grade level with minimal effort.
A wonderful way to incorporate reading into the family routine is to inquire with your child’s reading teacher about the list of books required by the school for that class. Using this information set up a family book club. This is a neat way to plan the family reading around the studies of your child, but also allowing the child to pick books that interest them outside of school curriculum.
You can use this book club idea to create a reading-chart that effectively gives rewards for a certain number of pages or books that are read within a period of time, including books read as a part of school work. Spend a day with your child creating the chart; ask their opinion in what types of smaller prizes they would enjoy (pizza night, movie rental, stationary, favorite doll, ect) as a simple reward system. Use glue, sequence, stickers, and markers and have them help you in designing the family reading chart. This will be used to mark who has read, how much, and it will be used as your basis for tracking your child’s reading ‘record’.
You can even give your child’s teacher progress-reports from this home reading club, to let them know the progression and the influence that it is having on their school-work and vice-versa. Each month give your child one of the acceptable prizes and gather a family meeting after dinner to discuss the progress with everyone. This is an amazing way to show your child how proud you are, and also bring the whole family closer together by creating a common bond, and an award system that shows your child how hard work, and diligence, pays off with time.