Teaching Children Independence and Responsibility

Do you remember that phase in your child's life when all you heard was "I want to do it!"? You're in a hurry, and you want to help your child get dressed, but your two or three year old will have no part of that. You must wait for 15 minutes while she masters the socks and shoes. Your helpful child, at this age, wants to take out the trash, put away the silverware, bake cookies, and clean the bathroom. What on Earth happens to this independent child?

Not all children, but many, shift into a new phase. Picking up their toys is a dreadful task. Playing is so much more important than doing homework. Getting them to hang up their coat or make their bed is like pulling their two front teeth. In the teenage years, you get another glimpse of independence, but it's not exactly in the areas you might want. Teenagers insist they have all their academics, social relationships, and life in general, under control. You may think differently, but who are you? To a teenager, you're just an old fashioned and unintelligent parent.

Regardless of what children may want or think they need, parents have a job to teach responsibility and independence. It is a lifelong commitment that isn't always so easy, but here are some tips to keep you on track.

Encourage Independence by Refusing to Step In

When your child reaches an age to take on an age-appropriate activity, show your child how to do it, then let go and let your child struggle. It can be hard to watch children fight with their shoelaces, or stumble over their words in a new friendship, but it is in these moments that children are learning. The joy they feel when they gain a little more independence can be very rewarding, and a strong motivator to try new tasks in the future.

Believe in Your Child

Children need to know you believe in them. Encourage your children with positive words such as, "You are a smart girl. You can figure this out." Teach your children to think positively about themselves by modeling this behavior in yourself. The Little Blue Engine didn't give up and the reward was confidence. Confidence builds on itself, and your child will gain greater self esteem when you encourage independence and responsibility.

Build in Life Skills through Routines

Routines give your child practice and repetition. If, for instance, the after school routine includes putting away the lunch box and coat, having a snack, and doing homework, your child learns responsibility as a way of life. If you want your child to have good personal grooming skills, build brushing hair and teeth, and washing face into a morning and bedtime routine. When a child does the same thing over and over, he learns independence without even thinking about it.

Let Children Fall Down and Experience the Consequences

Resist the urge to be a helicopter parent and hover over your child. Life is full of opportunities to succeed and make mistakes. The lesson is reinforced and learning takes place when children are allowed to make mistakes. If your child makes a bad choice, let him experience the natural or imposed consequences. A "D" or an "F" on an exam sends a very clear message that the child needs to study harder. The effect is not the same when you are hounding your child to study so she doesn't fail. When your child makes the choice to extend his curfew by an hour, he loses the privilege of going out the next weekend. Guaranteed he will think twice before staying out late the next time.

Coach your Children towards Independence and Responsibility

When your child is faced with a future or past decision, ask a lot of open ended questions that encourage your child to think for himself. "What do you think you should say to your friend?" "What could you have done differently in this situation?" Giving advice teaches your children what you want and what you think is best. Coaching your children supports them in developing good decision making skills, and honoring what is best for them. It's okay if they don't make the best choice. Live and learn.

The goal in raising children is not to protect them from pain or undesirable circumstances, but to equip them with what they need to be responsible, independent and resilient adults.

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Card Tables

Do you play card games? Are you one of those people who is a master at poker? Do you need Card Tables and poker supplies? If the answer is yes then click the link above to look for your card and poker supplies.

Cardroom Supply offers you a wide range of Card Tables from poker, Texas holdem, Kestell, Webber until Folding poker tables. On the poker tables section you can find various tables to choose, from the cheapest - 2 in 1 solid wood folding table top - until the most expensive one - Weber table "top section" casino holdem table. All those tables which is more than $100 will be sent to you with free shipping cost. Most of the tables which are shown there are ready in stock and guaranteed to be shipped on the same or next business day. Cardroom Supply sends all orders out as fast and safe as possible. If you have any questions feel free to call their 800 number.

Cardroom Supply also provide poker chips and other gaming supplies. There are many chips available and in many sizes from 11.5 to 13 grams. There is also a special chip only for tournament called Chipco Tournament Poker Chips. Beside poker chips here you can also find poker chips sets, poker chips cases and poker chips racks. In the gaming supplies section you can browse their catalog of playing cards, poker buttons, tournament timers and drop boxes.

So, if you are in need of Card Tables and gaming supplies be sure to check out Cardroom Supply because this site will provide anything that you need.

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Babysitter Checklist - Don't Leave Home Without One

When you leave your kids with a babysitter do you genuinely enjoy your time away?

Maybe I should rephrase that question. When was the last time you actually took some time for your partner and yourself by utilizing the services of a paid babysitter whom you trusted and the kids loved?

Or...are you simply scared to leave your kids with a sitter? (That's okay. It IS scary the first time.)

You already know that regular, quality time away from the responsibilities of parenting can help you be a better parent. But honestly, you'll need peace of mind about your children's care if you are going to truly refresh yourself while you're away.

This is simpler than you think. You can use readily available tools to accomplish this with ease. The first tool you'll want to take advantage of is a babysitter checklist.

A babysitter checklist can ensure peace of mind by helping you keep track of what's most important. For example...

-- Do you worry that your children won't be properly cared for while you're out for the evening? Then use your babysitter checklist to detail what activities, what foods and what schedule you want for your children during that time period. A bonus of this approach is that both babysitter and children will be kept busy while you're away.

-- Do you worry about safety issues while you're gone for a few hours? Put those important numbers such as fire, emergency help, and poison control directly on your babysitter checklist. Always leave a phone number where you can personally be reached. If you have specific safety routines in your home, detail all such information on your checklist and go over it with your babysitter before leaving for the evening.

-- Keep any requests on your checklist specific to avoid misinterpretation. Don't say that movies are okay for the kids to watch...write down exactly which movies are acceptable to you. The same goes for TV programs and music choices, too.

You will still need to find a babysitter you can trust. I have always found that a personal recommendation is best when it comes to finding a new sitter. Once you've located a new sitter, have a 'test sit' so everyone can get acquainted. You might want to consider hiring your new babysitter to care for your children while you are in another area of your home. Again, use your babysitter checklist to give as detailed instructions as you like, so that your new babysitter knows EXACTLY what is expected of him or her.

One more thing...pay your babysitter well. You are asking someone to care for your most precious treasures and, let's face it, quality costs. If money is an issue for you then be creative with your time away and reduce your costs on that end as opposed to trying to cut your babysitter's salary.

Coordinating and organizing your time away from your children can make such events very valuable for both you and your family. Take the time to find the right sitter and use a simple babysitter checklist to make everyone feel comfortable and secure.

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Freebies

Do you like freebies? I think everybody likes something that is free. If you are one of those everybody then you can go to this site to collect your Freebies. Let me remind you that the site offers freebies without any obligation from you to refer five friends or sign up to get the freebies. There are a lot of categories that you can choose from automotive and insurance, baby, beauty & cosmetics, jewelry, computer until webmaster stuff for you who love web development.

For example, if you click on the Baby categories you will find many sites which offer you free stuffs. Currently Magnetstreet.com is giving away a free baby magnet sample to those who are interested. I have tried to get the sample but unfortunately it is only available for people who live in the US.

For computers and softwares lover there is a category specially created for you. When I clicked on the website there are a lot of free softwares such as virus scan, free wipes, free USB key and many more. Because I have a computer that is always connected to the internet so I chose free virus scan. I can guarantee you that the site that I visited really scanned my computer for viruses and it was 100% free. No charge, no subscriptions or signups, it was all there for you.

So if you really like to get your hands on freebies, just go to the site and browse for your free things.

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The Most Common Parenting Mistake Of All

Becoming a parent, especially for the first time, is an exciting but scary experience. You'll be entering a whole new world where different rules apply, and no matter how prepared you think you are, there's usually little you've experienced before which you can draw on when making the choices and snap decisions that will become a major part of your life once the little one arrives.

It's for this reason that there's an abundance of parenting advice available which you can use to inform your decisions. There are print magazines packed with useful advice, web sites with tons of articles to peruse, not to mention the well meaning but sometimes irritating advice and opinions of family and friends. Despite all this information being available, most parents are terrified that they're somehow not up to the job and will do it wrong, and herein lies the most common parenting mistake of all: not trusting in your own judgment and instincts.

However intimidating the prospect is of having ultimate responsibility for the nurture of a new and precious life, you should be in no doubt that you have exactly the skills and capabilities you'll need over the coming years.

Think about it. As human beings, we're all parenting specialists. In evolutionary and genetic terms, our whole existence is geared towards producing and nurturing offspring, and over the millions of years that the human species has been developing we've become generally incredibly good at it. You only need to watch a mother and child together to know that however difficult the process may seem, bringing up a child is the most natural thing in the world, and something for which each and every parent to be has the necessary skills to make a success of it if they make it their number one focus.

Of course, this doesn't mean that you should ignore all advice. After all, the experience handed down from generation to generation is absolutely vital and is how civilization developed in the first place. Not one of us has all the answers, we all need input from others in all kinds of situations.

But trust in your own capabilities as a parent above all else, and trust in your own ability to make the best of all the advice and support that's out there. That way you'll definitely be the best parent your child could ever have.

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Home Insurance Leads

Are you an insurance agents that work a whole day but couldn't fulfill your target? Need a place to find insurance leads? If you have looked before but couldn't find the site well now you can find the answer to your problem at Home Insurance Leads.

The site provides you with all quality leads that are looking for insurance. You just simply choose the type of leads you're looking for. You can choose from a wide range of categories from auto insurance, home insurance, renters insurance until business benefits. The list will be grouped by area and sorted by freshness in ascending order. It will then give you short description about the leads. Should you be interested in a lead you can preview a full lead reports which contains all the rating relevant information by clicking on the "view" link. After that you can decide to buy or continue seeking other leads. The leads can be sold on exclusive, if available, or semi-exclusive basis, with a maximum of two competitors.

Once you have purchased the leads you can then either choose to receive the leads information via email and put it in your online file using LeadsClearance.com or saved the full information into your PC. If you choose to store it online, the system
will record and remember which leads you have purchased and you can view it online anytime. All the leads that are shown there on the site promised to be a good leads. Should there be leads that turn out to have false information the site will credit the cost to your account.

For you who are an insurance agent, this site gives you the best opportunity to boost your income in achieving the target given. Quickly go to the site, sign in, and get all the information you want.

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Effective Parents Tell Stories

How do you feel when your boss lectures you about something that you did or suggested and ends his talk with, "I own this company, I've been in this business longer than you, and I sign your paycheck. I don't care how good of an idea you think you have just do what I say and keep your ideas to yourself!"? I'm sure you don't feel too good, you are not motivated from such talk and it doesn't build in you a sense of loyalty to the company.

If this is true for you, an adult who is supposed to have some control over your emotions, just imagine how ineffective such lectures are to transmit your values and to convince children of your views.

How then, you might ask, can you fulfill your parental obligation to pass on your values, life's lessons that you learnt the hard way, and prepare them for life without lecturing them? The answer is to tell stories and personal anecdotes that show the values that you feel are important for your children to learn. Story telling is the most pleasant, gentle, and effective way to get your message across.

Here a few tips on how I do this with my children:

*I wait for a time when a few of the older children are just sitting around listening to music,doing homework, or noshing (especially chocolate).

*I lean on a wall in the living room (to be as informal as possible) and say, "Do you want to hear what happened to me today?" (I don't wait for an answer) or "I heard the most unbelievable story today..."

* I never start by saying, "I heard this story about honesty today." I'm afraid if I would start like that they would shut off their ears thinking, "Oh no. Here comes another "goodie-goodie" lecture." I just give a general introduction and jump right into the story.

* Obviously, I also don't end off with a statement like, "and therefore I expect you ....". I just say, "I was so impressed with his courage or his honesty. I don't know how he did it but I wish I would be so strong"

Try it and you'll know that you are successful when, at a later time (sometimes even years later), your children live with those values and even quote you the stories that you told them.

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Pet Lovers

Hey pet lovers! Do you love your pet really much? Especially your little cute chihuahua or your big hairy saint bernard? Are you willing to spend to get them a really comfortable and nice designed dogshirt? Come to VincentStrangioStore where you can find
Dog shirts, sweatshirts, mousepads and other merchandise.

In VincentStrangioStore you can find shirts for almost all kinds of dog, from airedale terrier, Alaskan malamute, beagel, boxer, bulldog, labrador until terrier. All these have their own section where you can choose a lot of designs for dog shirt. The design is really unique because the owner of the site took the photo himself. Then using a state of the art printers he produces the design into a shirt.

I has an innocent look in it which makes it really unique. The photographer must have took a long time to find the right moment and angle to capture this innocent face. In the Chihuahua section beside dog shirt you can also find mouse pad and pillow. Hurry up find the shirt you want for your pet dog.

There are also sections for grouped items. All the items are grouped by their kind such as mouse pads, cards, pillows and custom works. In the card section you can find many card's design based on your favorite dogs.

Most orders will be shipped within 24 hours, for payment the site accepts Visa, Amex or Mastercard.

This is a paid review.

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Babies And Napping

Naptime is a blessing for you and your baby. Here are some tips on how to make this important time as beneficial as possible for you both.

Why Should Babies Nap?

Naps are not just important for their restorative value, although that is their most obvious benefit. Children’s sleep expert Elizabeth Pantley describes some of the other advantages to napping:

• Adequate sleep is important in brain development. Some research has shown that daytime napping may help move new information into a more permanent place in a child’s memory.

• Napping can affect nighttime sleep. A child who needs a nap but does not get one can become overtired and have trouble falling asleep at night.

• Studies have shown that children who nap have longer attention spans and are less fussy than those who do not nap.

• A child’s biology dictates that a nap is necessary after midday, when energy levels tend to drop. (Adults feel the same way, but sleep is not usually an option for them.)

• Sleep releases stress-fighting hormones.

• Napping can help a child catch up on sleep if their previous night’s sleep was disrupted.

When Should Babies Nap?

The answer to this question varies according to the age of the baby. Newborns, easily overwhelmed by their new surroundings, tend to nap frequently. They often have catnaps throughout the day, with a couple of longer naps in the morning and afternoon. Between three and six months, babies settle into a routine of morning and afternoon naps. This age presents the ideal opportunity for you to establish a nap routine that works with your baby’s biological signals for rest.

Young babies between the ages of three and six months generally have one morning nap of about an hour, and one afternoon nap of slightly longer duration, usually closer to two hours in length. Some babies are more comfortable with three shorter naps of about 45 minutes each. The number of naps is not as important as the total amount of sleep and the general disposition of your baby: if Baby is cranky, chances are she is not getting enough sleep.

Morning and afternoon naps continue throughout the first year. Between one and two years of age, most children can go without a morning nap, but still need an afternoon nap. The afternoon nap typically continues until about the age of four.

As for the exact time a baby should nap, that is mostly Baby’s decision. Some sleep experts advise that when trying to establish a nap schedule, you plan to put Baby down about two hours after she wakes in the morning and again after a midday meal. Babies who require a third nap usually take it in the early evening.

Most babies indicate they are ready for a nap through a variety of signals, discussed later in this article. If you try to put a baby down when he is not tired, chances are pretty slim that he’ll fall asleep. Heed Baby’s signs and try to work with his natural sleep cycles and you’ll find a good basis for a nap routine.

How Long Should Naps Be?

Sleep is a critical component of babies’ mental and physical development so it is important that they get enough of it. Babies will usually become tired on their own and will sleep when they need to, but some parents like to create a schedule. Do what works best for you – let Baby dictate sleep time or set a schedule. The key is to make sure that your baby gets the sleep she needs.

The amount of naptime required decreases as a baby gets older. At four months, a baby needs about 4 to 6 hours of naptime. At six months, babies tend to nap a little less, needing about 3 to 4 hours. By his first birthday, Baby needs about 2 to 3 hours of naptime and he may get it from one nap or two. Once she is into her toddler years, your little one will need only one nap of about 1 to 2 hours.

Sleep Signs – Knowing When Baby is Ready for a Nap

Learning your baby’s sleep signs is extremely important. If you do not recognize them or choose to ignore them, the “sleep window” will close and you’ll end up with a cranky, overtired baby who cannot fall asleep.

Signs to look for include:

• rubbing eyes
• yawning
• slowing down and quieting down
• fussiness
• thumb sucking or reaching for a pacifier or sleep toy
• wanting to nurse or have a bottle

In an ideal world, when Baby is ready to sleep, you would be able to put her down and let her fall asleep. For some parents, this does actually happen. For the unlucky ones it does not. Depending on the sleep habits of your baby, you may want to establish a nap routine that resembles, but is not exactly the same as, your nighttime routine. You might read a short book, play some soft music, or rock the baby to sleep. If your baby seems ready to drop as soon as his head hits the mattress, skip the routine and just put him down. You might be pleasantly surprised by his ability to drift off by himself.

When Baby Won’t Nap

There are a variety of reasons why a baby won’t nap. If a baby is rested and getting up earlier than you prefer, there is little you can do. If you feel that your baby is not getting the rest she needs, you may need to change your routine.

Often, resistance to naps comes when babies are overtired. Make sure to heed your baby’s sleep signs, as discussed above, and get her to bed when she is starting to act tired.

If your baby wakes early and is in need of more rest, try getting him to go back to sleep. Depending on your philosophy about babies and sleep, you can rock him or just gently pat him on the back and let him fall back to sleep on his own.

Make sure Baby’s sleep environment is conducive to sleep. A dark and slightly cool room is best.

Older babies may be waking early simply because they do not need as many naps as you are giving them. Try dropping a nap and see if that helps.

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Internet Poker

Do you like playing games online to help you get rid of your boring daily routines? Do you really love playing card games, especially poker? Visit Internet Poker Sites, a site where you can play your favorite poker games online! The site offers you lots of poker room. Each room has different bonus to give. But if you to that poker room through the link provided by this site the bonus can increase. Suppose you play in Poker.com, they will give you an offer of a 100% up to $200 bonus if you win, but if you go to there through the link provided at Internet Poker Sites and then on the site you enter bonus code IP600FRE, you will be able to get a 100% up to $600 bonus. They also give you reviews of all poker sites should you want to look for a new playing site. They based the review on facts, and they even give you very useful info such as how many players are playing on the site at peak times, the software they are using, customer support and the bonuses offered there.

Now, for those of you from US, you probably already knew that a new gambling bill have been passed on the 30th of September and as the result of this new rule, top poker online games like "Party Poker" now no longer accept players from the US to play real money. But not to worry, because Internet Poker Sites has done their homework, therefore they recommend the following sites for US players: Bodog, Absolute Poker. The reason why these sites are recommended is because they have lots of ways of depositing money such as nucharge, Instant Check/echecks, Credit Cards, ePassporte, Wire Trf, Western Union, Click2pay and eWalletXpress and other ways. For the complete reference please go to US Poker Sites.

Now which US Casinos still accept US Players, and what is the best way to deposit your money? To find the answer you can go to US Online Casino. There are several ways to deposit your money instantly. Here are the list of various ways for you to do it, choose what is best for your needs:

• NUcharge, allowed you to sign up and deposit within a matter of minutes using credit cards. This is the best part, some online casinos like Bodog Casino now accept NUcharge as a method of payment. As you all know NUcharge is an online phone card which you can refill using your credit card. The amount of your phone card will be deducted as you play online casino.
  
• eWalletXpress, this methode is the same as an ewallet just like neteller.
  
• click2pay, this is an ewallet similar like neteller, but currently not accepting any new USA Customers.
• epassporte, this is also another type of neteller, but the use of this payment method is limited for poker sites only.
• EcoCard, this is a pre-paid debit card that is known to be working very well.
• Wire Transfer, the most common way to do it is to go to your bank and wire the money directly to the casino where you want to play.
• Credit Card, the is probably the easiest way, but to do it you must have a credit card first.
  
• Western Union, you go to a Western Union office, pay there with cash and ask to transfer the money to the casino.

This was a paid review.

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