|
|
7 Secrets to Having a Financially Healthy Family
How many times have you replied "We don't have the money for that" when your child asks you to buy him something? His innocent reply is "Get some from the machine or the bank". You think to yourself, "If only it were that easy". Managing money is a...
I Just Love It!
You know the scenario. You're sitting at the family Christmas gathering and your ten-year-old opens one of Aunt Martha's itchy homemade sweaters. Or Uncle Bobby, who's been swearing to lose twenty pounds for years, opens an exercise cycle. Of...
Military Records: The Key to Your Family Tree?
Were your ancestors war heroes? Believe it or not, vital clues to your family's history just might be hiding away in military archives - and finding them can be easier than you think. Even if you're not sure whether or not any of your ancestors ever...
Protect Your Home as Well as Your Family
How secure is your home? How accessible is your home?
How Often
do you ask yourself these questions. Your home is where you and your family want to be safe from the daily stresses of life and most definitely from crime. A burglary happens...
Secondary School Learning
Not only does the internet provide research for everyday school work, students can also find useful material to help prepare them for college.
Some sites allow you to look up information for homework and provide help to complete special...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jump off the Stress Express--Bring Back the Holiday Spirit with Family Christmas Traditions
'Twas the week before Christmas and all though the house everything was in shambles. Too much to do and not enough time. More shopping to be done, presents to wrap, cookies to bake and decorating await. Oh the hustle and bustle, the extra work and the stress. Is it any wonder you feel like the Kranks?
If your holiday season rings in more stress than joy, you're not alone. Consider these facts:
oIn a recent survey, 96% of 8-12 year olds included a big screen TV in their wish list. This despite 73% of parents wanting to limit their children's TV time.
o It takes an average of 4 months for a credit card user to pay off what they buy during the holidays
o Americans plan to spend $1,564 per household during the holidays. $1,042 for gifts.
o A national survey suggests that 70% of Americans would like less emphasis put on spending and giving gifts.
Helpless to resist the pressures of a “spend it” society, many people feel obligated to get on the frenzied commercialized Christmas train - and they don't know how to get off.
If your holiday season tends to exhaust rather than uplift, maybe it's time to wrestle the holidays from the clutches of commercialism. Pump joy and love back into your holiday, filling it with the true spirit of Christmas.
What do kids really want?
The crowds, the cash, the Christmas Crunch. The wrapping, the toys, the noise. It's burning you out-right? So why do we do it? For most, the typical answer is not surprising, “We do it for the kids.” For many people Christmas is about children and bringing them as much joy as possible. But think for a moment about your own childhood. What made the holiday season special for you?
Not sure your answer best represents the feelings of most kids? Think again. We asked the kids. A recent survey of 7th graders reveals their fondest memories related to the holiday season and Christmas in particular. You may be surprised to see what they had to say.
“The thing I like the most is being able to see all of my relatives. We get together at my grandparents' houses and have big meals, which leads to another good part. The food. We usually have big hams and mashed potatoes and other good stuff. Then I feel like I won't be able to eat for another week." Ryan, age 12
"I always have a good time at Christmas. On Christmas Eve we stay up late and play video games. Then in the morning I get my stocking. Then I wake up my family and we open up our presents and eat pixie sticks and then we eat a big breakfast. After that we go outside. We also play board games. I love Christmas." Meg, age 12
"All of my Christmas's have been jolly. I think my best memory has been spending time with my family." Devin, age 12
"The first thing I think about when somebody mentions Christmas is picking out and putting up a tree and decorating it.” Jessica, age 12
Now, I know what you're thinking, “Sure, he took four quotes from a stack that suited his purpose.” Not true. Of the 75 students surveyed only 12 even mentioned unwrapping presents as a significant memory for them. Family gatherings and family activities created the fondest memories for 84% of the group.
If you are racking up credit card debt to create the perfect memory for your kids, you are wasting time and your money.
Creating a Joyful Season
Bill McKibben, author of Hundred Dollar Holiday, gives this piece of advice: “I guess the most important thing would be to think about whether or not the things you're doing are actually making the season joyful for you or not. Keep real careful track and try to figure out if that's what you really want from the Holidays. You can't change your life or your celebrating patterns overnight, but there's plenty of time to observe yourself and find what makes you feel happy and joyful.”
Still at a loss? Not sure less will actually translate into more? Start slowly. Changing life patterns and resisting social
pressures takes time. It may be too late to significantly change this year's celebration activities. But you still have time to lay the groundwork for next year-and years to come. Here are some activities guaranteed to bring you closer to the ones you love.
Start Your Family Christmas Traditions Now
Find new ways to kindle the spirit of fun and togetherness.
o Christmas morning, after opening stockings take birdseed and bread out to the woods or your nearest park and spread it for the birds. St. Francis began the tradition, saying that animals too deserve to celebrate Christmas. What better celebration for the birds on a cold winter day than easy access to food? It's a great way to remind yourself about the true spirit of Christmas.
o Before Christmas, ask your children what they most want to do as a family. Offer, suggestions: snowball fights, fort building, movie night, game night, crafts, a hike in the woods or baking.
o Let your kids research and choose a charity and an amount of money to donate. Take your kids to your local charity drop off stations like Toys for Tots, which accepts new, packaged toys. Or donate to local churches accepting canned goods for those less fortunate at Christmas.
o Participate in the Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/getinvolved.html
o Have a cookie decorating party. Make batches of cut-out Christmas cookies ahead of time. Provide a variety of colored icings, shakers of colored sprinkles, little stars and silver balls and let the children decorate the cookies. Then serve the decorated confections accompanied by hot chocolate with peppermint sticks and cider with cinnamon sticks.
o Play Christmas charades or test your knowledge of Christmas trivia with family quiz contest at: Family Games.com: http://www.familygames.com/features/quizzes/xmasquiz.html. You'll find Novice, Regular and Expert level quizzes. Present small wrapped gifts to the winners.
For more ideas visit Santa's Favorite Links http://www.freebird-zine.com/sunshinewords/fav.html
Give Non-commercial Gifts (ideas from www.newdream.org)
o Frame a picture of the family home and send it to friends and relatives who can't make it home.
o Share holiday wishes with a photo cards and family newsletters. Let children help make your own cards. Hewlett Packard makes it easy with Home Fun for the Holidays. http://h30027.www3.hp.com/homefun/us/holidays.html
o Reconnect. Call an old friend or write to someone you haven't seen in awhile.
o Give away the last great book you bought.
o Give your child a box of items that can be assembled into a homemade playhouse or tree house: Scrap wood cardboard, small hammer, non-toxic paint and a pulley.
o Consider gifts that bring out child's creativity: a kid's cookbook, a craft kit, durable tools for building, sheet music, magnifying glass for studying bugs, plants, rocks or sea shells.
o Write a story with your children as the main characters.
o Decorate and personalize Christmas stockings.
With a little effort, you can get off the commercialized Christmas train. Get back into the spirit of Christmas. Start family traditions. Change your buying and gift-giving habits. Discover new ways to share the joy of the Christmas season with your kids, your family and your friends. Take small steps today and tomorrow your holiday memories will be filled with laughter, joy, and Christmas magic. Put a little holiday spirit back into your “week before Christmas".
About the Author
When Chris Wondra is not teaching Middle school Language Arts in St. Croix Falls, WI, he’s busy combining story telling and magic to create a unique brand of children’s literature. For a special Christmas reading experience, find out how you can delight your child with a Letter From Santa. Visit: www.freebird-zine.com/sunshinewords Email: sunshineword@freebird-zine.com
|
|
|
|
|
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 |
  |
|