|
|
|
A Dash of Cinnamon, A Pinch of the Past, A Smidgen of the Future
Close your eyes and remember December, the smell of cinnamon in your mother's or grandmother's kitchen and the warm scent of dough baking in the oven. Imagine opening the oven door and, with assistance, taking out the heated cookie sheet. Devour...
Don't Let Rising Cost of Tuition Put Your Family in a Bind
(ARA) - The rising cost of tuition has put many families in a bind. A survey conducted by the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges found that tuition at public institutions increased in 37 of the states that...
Easter Bunny—New Member of Our Family!
My husband and I decided to give our children a real treat this Easter...A real live Easter Bunny! We made a trip to our local Agway store and, as we suspected, they had several baby bunnies for sale, along with fresh-hatched chicks and ducks....
How to Plan a Great Family Reunion
If your family doesn't have an annual family reunion, this could be the year to start. Here are some tips.
My years in public relations taught me a lot about setting up successful events -- and that's what your family reunion can be. Here are...
keep the family life insurance up to date
Have you been looking for the latest and accurate opinion relating to life insurance.
When you are after better advice about life insurance, you will find it hard sorting out the best information from misguided life insurance proposals and...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Family Vacations and Expectations
It’s that time of year again: Time for the family vacation. It’s a good time to rethink some things like perfectionism, expectations, and the meaning of the word “vacation.”
First of all, we call it a “vacation,” but if you’re the parent, it isn’t going to be one for you. In fact you’re likely to work harder than you would at home, so why not call it “The Children’s Vacation.” Children don’t need a vacation for rest and relaxation; in fact they’re likely to rev up for vacations. If you’re looking for rest and relaxation, plan your own vacation for another time.
Here are some things to keep in mind as you plan and take the family vacation that can keep you from unrealistic expectations which will erode your experience:
1.Because kids accelerate with new experiences and fun times, plan to GO rested; don’t plan on COMING HOME rested.
2.Consider options for help with the kids. Many resorts and cruise lines offer supervised programs for children where they can meet new friends. Or take along a mother’s helper, older niece or nephew, or grandmother. It’s more fun for all.
3.Plan ahead for the unpredictable. Use your Emotional Intelligence to relax, being flexible and creative, rather than tightening up and getting rigid. Testing the limits in each new circumstance is normal. You can handle it as long as you aren’t surprised by it.
4.Prepare for the predictable – high spirits, boredom, and fights with siblings. Deal with them the same way you do at home. Don’t blame each other for the misbehavior of the kids. Just cope with it.
5.If you intend to have a great time together, don’t let anything get in your way. There’s no reason why a visit
to the ER should “ruin your vacation,” any more than a few tantrums, some embarrassing table behavior, a flat tire, or missed plane connections should. Your experience of your vacation is in your own hands.
6.Allow times and places for children to work off their energy. Plan breaks during long car trips. Take them for a run on the beach before you go to the art museum, or turn them loose in the courtyard after the hotel dinner with Great Aunt Betty.
7.Keep to a strict schedule regarding naps, bedtimes and meals to improve their behavior. No matter how much fun they’re having, children don’t do well when too tired or too hungry.
8.Discuss expectations beforehand. Explain what you can, and what sort of behavior you expect in different circumstances. You can’t cover everything, but you can cover a lot.
9.Be alert to their safety. Provide safety equipment – harness, car seat, life jacket. Bring along a first-aid kit. Because a vacation provides new situations, accidents are more likely to occur.
Last but not least, process after each vacation. Talk about what worked and what didn’t. And don’t forget the most important thing: Find out what everyone enjoyed the most. Be sure and go over the good times with the family, and make plans for more in the future, taking into consideration what you’ve learned.
About the Author
©Susan Dunn, MA, Emotional Intelligence Coach & Consultant, http://www.susandunn.cc and author of “How to Develop Your Child’s EQ”. Coaching, business programs, Internet courses, teleclasses and ebooks around emotional intelligence. Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for FREE ezine. I train and certify EQ coaches. Email me for info.
|
|
|
|
|
| Family.org |
| Offers practical help for marriage and child-rearing. Recent magazine articles, letters from Dr. James Dobson, news, and RealAudio broadcasts. |
| www.family.org |
|
| FamilyFun: Fun stuff for Kids, Parents - and More Family Fun |
| Family Fun is your online source for arts and crafts, recipes, and parties for every holiday, plus hundreds of ideas for kid crafts, birthday cakes, ... |
| familyfun.go.com |
|
| Family.ca |
| Take polls, rant and rave on Canada's family broadcaster site. Full of shockwave games, animation and information about the shows they carry. |
| www.family.ca |
|
| Family.com - closed beta |
| Features a to do list, calendar, and recommended sites for health, shopping, and recipes. |
| family.go.com |
|
| FamilySearch.org - Family History and Genealogy Records |
| Search for family ancestors. Billions of free family tree, family history, ancestry, genealogy and census records. |
| www.familysearch.org |
|
| Family - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| A family consists of a domestic group of people (or a number of domestic groups), ... Members of the nuclear family use descriptive kinship terms: ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Family (biology) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| The concept of rank at that time was still in statu nascendi, and in the preface to the Prodromus Magnol spoke of uniting his families into larger genera, ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Family Guy |
| The official Family Guy website with everything you ever wanted to know about the show and more. |
| www.familyguy.com |
|
| Parenting advice, child development and family reference at ... |
| FamilyEducation.com provides parents with educational printables, games, activities, parenting ideas, tips, family advice, and information on learning ... |
| www.familyeducation.com |
|
| Family Life Today |
| FamilyLife, a division of Campus Crusade for Christ, provides practical, biblical tools to strengthen marriage and family relationships, including the ... |
| www.familylife.com |
|
| WorldVillage - A Family Friendly Portal for Families, Kids, Adults ... |
| WorldVillage is for families, kids, adults, parents and teachers. Features include coupon codes, online games, downloads, internet monitoring and internet ... |
| www.worldvillage.com |
|
| Open Directory - Home: Family |
| Family Check-up - Provides assessment activities and access to educational materials related to family health with respect to family life, finances, ... |
| dmoz.org |
|
| Free Family Ecards, Family Greeting Cards, Family Greetings, Cards ... |
| Express your appreciation to your family/ loved ones for all that they have ... Reach out to your friend/ family/ loved one and let them know how much you ... |
| cards.123greetings.com |
|
| kids and family news articles - arizona education - arizona family ... |
| Family News Articles - azcentral.com provides articles and reports on Arizona education and Arizona family events. |
| www.azcentral.com |
|
| Google Directory - Home > Family |
| Many articles dealing with a wide range of topics from single parenting, family life, child development and stress management. ... |
| www.google.com |
|
| Family Research Council: Wednesday, December 6, 2006 |
| Christian organization promoting the traditional family unit and the Judeo-Christian value system upon which it is built. Provides links, commentary, news, ... |
| www.frc.org |
|
| Sesame Workshop - Home Page |
| The non-profit educational organization behind the show and related educational outreach. |
| www.sesameworkshop.org |
|
| National Sex Offender Registry |
| Free national US search for registered sex offenders. Map registered sex offenders to see who lives in your area. |
| www.familywatchdog.us |
|
| FHI Family Health International |
| Provides the highest quality research, education and services in family planning, STDs/HIV and family health to improve the health and well-being of ... |
| www.fhi.org |
|
| National Family Caregivers Association |
| Caregiving advocacy organization with tips and statistics on caregiving in America. |
| www.nfcacares.org |
|
|