|
|
|
Creating A Family Tradition-Jigsaw Puzzles
Do you find it difficult to spend time together as a family?
There are so many pressures and activities that can take away from the sense of family that was commonly experienced 50 years ago. Parents often both work, and their commute can be...
Decorate for Christmas
It’s your home/your apartment and you want to make it a special sanctuary this Christmas. How can you create a special place for your family and you? Well, we already have our centerpiece…see November’s issue (...
Fun & Fast Family Portraits
Publishing Guidelines: Feel free to publish the following article in its entirety in your ezine, website, or print newsletter. The resource box must be included with an active link. Please send a courtesy copy of the publication in which the...
Girl Talk - Boy Talk
Chas and Dave wrote a song about it and how right they were. Women just love to rabbit! Whether you calling it chatting, nattering, gassing or just plain talking, we're way ahead of the opposition in the vocal stakes. Not that I'm saying it's a...
Holiday Gifts Under $20 for Busy Families
HOLIDAY GIFTS UNDER $20: LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT GIFT FOR A BUSY FAMILY? THINKBIN HAS THE ANSWER
Do you know a family whose kitchen counters are cluttered with appointment reminders, school notices and sports schedules?
If so, the...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
How to Ensure a Successful Family Trip
(ARA) – Creating a memorable and enjoyable family vacation is, for many, a challenge. The desire to spend family time not only seeing the sights and sampling the local culture, but also having fun in the process can easily become a stressful experience if you’re not prepared.
“Whether you are visiting a city, a popular tourist attraction, a grandparents’ hometown or a theme park, with some advance research and planning, realistic expectations and a good sense of humor, you can build family memories wherever you may venture,” says Diane Chernoff-Rosen, author of “The Grownup’s Guide” book series.
The Grownup’s Guide suggests the following tips for family traveling:
* Check It Out First. Do research in advance of your visit. See whether there are any special kid-friendly exhibits, events or guided tours geared to families. If you are in doubt, call ahead to venues to find out whether it is appropriate to bring children.
* Encourage Teamwork. Engage the family in the planning process by having each person make a list of what he or she wants to do during the vacation. Review the lists as a group and let everyone select a top choice or two. This exercise in negotiation will not only ensure that everyone gets to do what is most valued, but it also provides a hands-on experience in cooperation, collaboration and respecting the wishes of others.
* Keep It Simple. Consider the need to match the children with age-appropriate activities, the logistics of moving the group around, the children’s energy level as well as your own, how much stimulation the kids can handle before melting down and how often the group needs to eat and rest. The more realistic the plans, the better the experience for the whole family.
* Keep It Short. Children generally do not have the ability to spend hours in a museum and parents generally do not have the ability to spend hours at a children’s attraction. A good rule of thumb is to allocate one
to two hours to a particular place, leaving room to stay longer if it’s going well. Avoid succumbing to the pressure to do it all.
* Bring Distractions. Pack a small bag with a variety of distractions in the form of food, toys, books, electronic games, drawing materials or anything else your child will enjoy, provided that the distraction is not prohibited in the facility and will not disturb other patrons. An instant form of entertainment is to give each child a disposable camera with which to document the excursion.
* Move It Along. If you get to a place and it is a complete bust for your group, move on -- even if it is a famous place and you may not get a chance to return.
* Simple Variety. The best way to keep the group happy is to keep the day varied. For example, organizing your day for a visit to an attraction and including a stop in a playground for some physical activity (and the ability to make a lot of noise) or some shopping will take the pressure off a day of “museum manners.”
* Take Breaks. Sightseeing can be exhausting, both physically and mentally. Everyone is taking in a lot of information and is not on a regular schedule. When the troops get pooped, stop and rest. Everyone will welcome a chance to stop for a snack, sit in the park or even go back to the hotel to relax.
* Bribery. A modest bribe can sometimes be a good thing. If your kids are whining about seeing another painting, perhaps the offer of a fast food meal or an hour of television may create a little more cooperation.
* Have fun. Always remember, this is your leisure time during the holidays -- enjoy it!
For more information on The Grownup’s Guide book series and their latest travel book, “Visiting New York City with Kids,” log on to www.grownupsguide.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
About the author:
Courtesy of ARA Content
|
|
|
|
|
| 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 |
|
|