Knowing your child’s friends will strengthen your relationship

Know their friends
You should know all your child’s good friends. Have them to dinner ask question and get to know their value system. Get numbers and addresses if needed. Let them know they call contact you too. Changes happen quickly ask specific question, be informed.



Ask for their help
Tell friends what you expect from your child and enlist their help to achieve results. I love to hear my son’s best friend say, “Clean your room or we’ll never get outta here.” His friends push him to keep up with home work too. They know the rules: bad grades and incomplete chores means he has no fun.

Give your child the benefit of the doubt
Choosing good friends is a skill you can nurture in your child. However, give your child the benefit of doubt about who he chooses but be involved with. If you have doubt, without proof, ask your child to tell you if the friend is ok. Explain that as friends values change he/she may need to discontinue or limit friendships. Give you child the opportunity to make good choices.

Good friends will ask for your guidance
If you’ve laid the ground work his friends may tell you when there is trouble. Recently I had a friend of my son’s tell me to “watch out for another child”. This child does not have much support so I give extra when he’s in the picture. It maybe hard but you can give advice without being judgmental. Leave the door open for question and support.

In Conclusion
Keep communication open. Be prepared to ask for and give help. Your child is the best judge of his friends. Talk and ask question and listen with an open mind. Your child will be glad you did. 

Three steps to Healthy Kids

This question was posted at Circle of Moms:

8 Year Old Over Weight, Help!
My son is 8 years old and he is getting fat and I don´t know what the best to do. Sport, change the food, no candys...What can I do?
Thanks.
Make every choice a healthy one. Foods should be healthy. I give my kids the parameters to pick their own cereal. Less than 10 grams of sugar high protien and low calories; they make the choice with the guidelines. Bowls of fruit and raw veggies are between meal snacks. Be active. Take your child on hikes, bike rides swimming, and tennis. Video and TV are rewards we only have on the weekends. You may need to start with one change and add. But if you eat better and move more your child will benefit.

http://dbadart.blogspot.com/

I have a dream...

Years ago sitting in a field with my best friends in Alief, Texas we looked into the future and said we wanted our children to be raise there. It's not the same place anymore; the Norman Rockwell picture of my youth has disappeared. But last night I realized though I am not in Alief I have capture the idealized feeling of Austin, Texas. Last night we went to our regular haunts, pun intended, and had a really fun Halloween. My oldest (13) went out with a few friends, some of his last trick-o-treat fun, maybe. My youngest arranged to meet a friend. The crowd was familiar and the streets safe as the homes welcomed the children and adults alike. My husband I escorted from a safe distance and made sure the kids were polite. They got a respectably haul of treats with no tricks. And I am happy to say though miles away I have lived up to that childhood dream after all.

Golden Compass

I just wanted to address the religious hype on the movie. I'm a Christian, raised Baptist my children are Christian with a strong faith. They are also intelligent young men who I want to think and use their heads. After seeing the movie I told them what some religious people were saying about the movie and about the books. We spoke about the story being against religion and we spoke about Atheism. My eldest (10) said he thought the movie was exciting and the threat was about government. Both boys said a movie would not change their belief and that any parent who believed it would did not teach their kids correctly about God. My point is that we should utilize Movies and adverse opinions for gate ways to discussion. I will never assume my children are not smart enough to make the best choice. After all, I hope I’m preparing them to make these life affirming decisions on their own.

Finish Line

A journey starts with one step and relating a healthy life style begins at birth. I have never been competitive though I am athletic. So, when I haul my boys, 8 and 10, out for hikes, rowing, swimming, tennis and the play ground I am passing on my life long habits. All the things I enjoy are free and can be done for a life time. I leave the organized sports to my competitive husband.

Any pregnant woman pictures their child at every stage of life. I pictured my sons walking, biking and generally active. I have walked to keep in shape and would tear up when I saw a family on a walk or a mother running with a daughter. Oh, boy. My kids had been in runs with me but never with their feet on the ground. I dreamed of enjoying a 5K on an equal footing.

Thanksgiving Day we walked the Turkey Trot, a five miler around Austin Texas. We joked and laughed and decided we could not have another Thanksgiving with out this experience. The boys loved the pre race excitement, music, food and just wild atmosphere. We've already planned our next race the Jingle Bell Run. And I see many more races in our future. Darn where are those Kleenex.

http://badartworld.com