Keep your children happy in the car with music

Going on a road trip this summer with your children? Don't forget to take your favorite music with you. Before you starti hearing "Are we there yet?" just put in your cd or i-pod and play some broadway tunes, your Musikgarten CD, or whatever music you and your family enjoy together. If you are singing along with the CD, you will soon discover that your children will sing along too. Find a song that you ALL like, then turn off the CD and see if everyone can sing the song without the CD help. Have a contest to see who can sing all the words from memory! With music, you'll arrive at your destination happy, with a lot fewer sibling arguments.

Want a Better Marriage?

Does it feel like your marriage is on the rocks? Check out this website - Chris Siggins has it together - http://www.rockmyfamily.com/

Can Loud Music Hurt Your Ears?

Find out if loud music can hurt your ears
http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/rock_music.html

Flying overseas this summer?

If you go to Europe this summer, be aware that vendors will now add on a 3% charge to your bill when you use your credit cards like VISA www.fodors.com

Also, if you plan to wear a mask on the plane, make sure it is at least N95 particulate to be effective. Check with the cdc website before you pack...

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/

A great game to play with children on a plane is Monopoly (or so many others) on your laptop -

http://www.boardgamecentral.com/games/monopoly.html

Portable Behavior Kit for Parents

Time out is a good method to modify and shape your toddler's behavior. Once a child can walk and stand, having a time out as a consequence for willful disobedience is an effective way to help your child learn self control, and to recognize you as their God-given authority. A child psychologist suggested to me that I use a kitchen towel for this. At age 18 months, my son had to stand on the towel for 1.5 minutes during the time out. At age 2, 2 min. Age 3, 3 min., and so on. The last time he stood on a towel as a consequence was when he was 6 years old.

I kept a towel with me at all times. It worked in the grocery store, the parking lot at church, even at Epcot center. He was a strong-willed child, and by age 3, my husband and I had pretty much won the battle of the wills, thanks to this technique and to the towel! We did not discipline in anger, only in love, firmly, and often with tears in our eyes. Today, at age 23, my son is one of the happiest, most organized and motivated guys I've ever known. Self disciplined, generous, and joyful. Hey, we made lots of mistakes as parents, and I mean a lot. But with God's help, we did some things right.