GROUP ACTIVITY

When you have children of various ages and have to find something that everyone would enjoy to keep them happy, consider these activities that are enjoyed my many.


1. Go outside for a walk. Collect leaves, grasses, rocks and other "treasures". At home, glue them into a large piece of paper making a collage. Enjoy the sandbox outside or in winter play in the snow.


2. Puzzles are fun. Have a variety of puzzles on hand of various difficulties.


3. Have a story time. All children love to hear a story.


4. Music time! Put on your favourite music and let the children dance. Even babies love to move to the music.


5. Creative art time. Cutting and pasting, fingerpainting, and painting are loved by children of all ages. You may have to simplify activities for yournger children, for example, precut the shapes for pasting

6. Bake or cook something. A great multi age activity. There is something every age child can do, like stirring or measuring. Give very young children a bowl and spoon to keep them occupied between their "jobs".


7. Nuturing is a "job" activity that can involve everyone. Water, feed or walk the dog (cat or fish). Water the houseplants. Sing to the baby.


8. Consider helping around the house an activity!
Setting the table, tidying, sort or fold laundry (I have been known to take dishtowels out of the drawer for a 3 year old to fold while I finish making a meal), and sweeping is very popular.


Even babies that cannot take part in these activities will enjoy watching, especially if you talk to them about what is going on.

RECYCLE PARTY FOIL BALLOONS

After you have deflated party balloons, don´t throw them out. Instead, make gift bags by cutting off the small neck at bottom and taping it shut. Cut the top and put tissue paper and the gift inside. Tie shut with a colorful ribbon, or turn them inside out for a shiny foil look.

PREPARE DINNER

Let your child help plan dinner one night a week or month. Let them decide what to make and what they need to shop for. Then let them prepare their special meal (you will want to stay nearby and supervise and guide). At first you may get microwave hot dogs but as your child builds knowledge and confidence their menu will grow, and so will their skills and pride! The sight of the finished meal on the table will reward their planning and efforts. Serve extra helpings of praise!

PRIVATE TIME

Children truly need to know their place in this world, and feel secure with their parent´s unconditional love. Something you can do for all of your children is to give them some private one on one time on a regular basis. This could be as simple as spending 5 minutes with each one privately as you tuck them into bed every night. Asking them about their favorite time of the day or just whispering "I love you" and giving them an extra special cuddle. You can get a bit more elaborate once a month by spending a special afternoon with each one individually. Have to go shopping? Get a babysitter for the other two children and take one with you. Make sure you rotate which child goes with you each week so they all get a chance for your company. For a very special occasion (like a birthday, a very good report card or just staying dry all week for your two year old) you could plan two hours of a favorite activity, either one on one or with the siblings, the one celebrating the occasion choosing the agenda.

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD DEAL WITH THE LOSS OF A PET

If your child is very young begin by telling him that his pet is very ill. Find a story about pet loss that is age appropriate.
Answer his questions briefly, but to the point, giving him only information that is not too technical. Have a small ritual for saying good bye to your pet. This will help him grieve.
Emphasize that your pet had a lot of love and care when he was alive and explain that your pet does not hurt when they are dead. This should comfort him.
It´s possible that he will not completely comprehend what you are telling him, but your conversation will comfort him because he trusts you.
If you want to put up a picture of your pet for a while after it dies, your child will be able to see the picture and interact with it, this is a psychological step between having the pet there and its disappearance from his life.
By breaking up the transition into smaller steps your child will absorb more and easier for him. Pretty soon the memories will replace some of the sadness drawing pictures of his pet or writing stories about the good times you had with it…. , I went and made a collage for her, which I look at when I´m missing her. I´ve also had a few dreams about her and this lets me know she´s still in my heart, even though she´s no longer with us ´A young boy went with his parents to be with the family dog when the dog was put to sleep. Everyone was saying how sad it is that animals don´t live longer. The young boy said he knew why, ´We are all put here on earth to learn how to love and get along with others. Animals already know how to love, so they don´t have to spend as long here as we do. So they go to heaven sooner.´ From: Chicken Soup for the Soul.

DO CHORES TOGETHER

Get the whole family to help around the house and do chores together. It´s their home too!
Explain "how" and "why" for each chore. Encourage your child to suggest other ways of doing the household jobs, and try their way!

A SPECIAL DAY EVERY MONTH

Give your children a special gift. On the first day of each month have your children all huddle around the family calendar. One by one the children close their eyes and select a day to be ´King´ or ´Queen´ for the day, by randomly pointing to the calendar squares. On that day they choose what we will have for dinner and get special attention like an extra story of their choice. If it´s not a school day, they can invite a friend to spend the night or rent a movie. It´s a big thrill to the kids, and little effort for you. A great way to be sure each of your children get that little extra attention we know they all deserve!

MORNING MADNESS

Are you find getting out the door in the morning is mass confusion? Kids going to daycare or school, lunches to pack, kids to dress, things to remember....you´re probably wondering what you can do to make it easier. There just isn´t one set answer for you, but there are dozens of little things you can do to make it easier. Here are a few things that work. Pack the night before. You can even make it part of the bedtime routine and get the kids involved. Pack their lunches after supper and put in the refrigerator until the morning. Get help from your partner. Share the load, even the kids can help. One does the dishes and one packs lunch. One bathes the children and one lays out the clothes and tells the bedtime story. Trim the edges. It doesn´t matter if the socks don´t match. As long as they are dressed properly for the weather they will get through the day. Pick your battles carefully. Prioritize. There are some days, and we´ve all had them, that you just have to get through.
The best tip I can give you is that the children take their cue from you, If you are frazzled so are they.

FAMILY MEETING

Tell the kids (& spouse, if need be) "Thanks, but I´m not really Super Mom/Dad. I/we need your help. You need to learn the survival skills. Here´s the list of chores. Would you like to choose which ones you´ll do, or shall I choose for you?" Plus, if they have to help keep the house clean, they´ll be less inclined to mess it up.

Reprinted with permission from Maria Gracia´s FREE Get Organized Now! Newsletter. Get your FREE Get Organized Now! Idea-Pak and Newsletter, filled with tips and ideas to help you get better organized, at the Get Organized Now! Web site. http://www.getorganizednow.com

FAMILY CALENDAR

Make a family calendar and post it where it is handy to all. Add children´s appointments, lessons, team practices, deadlines for homework or tests, events, and family outings. Use a calendar with large squares. Post the children´s chores and responsibilities on another calendar posted in the same area. If you can combine the two, great! Have your older children add updates on their own.

RECYCLE OLD TOWELS

Recycle your old towels into soft-sculptured animal projects such as frogs, ducks, bears, etc. The advantages, besides recycling, are inexpensive, readily available, fabric that is soft, pre-shrunk, and totally washable. If you are making these animals for young children, consider embroidering the details so there are no small parts that can be accidentally swallowed.

BE FIRM AND CONSISTENT

Like any household with children your home may have a number of "rules" for the kids to follow. These are in place for either their safety or to teach them how to behave and act. Once these rules are made, and you should be clear about what is expected (See Setting Limits in this section), you must enforce it. Inconsistencies confuse a child. If you tell them that there will be no candy bars when you go through the checkout today and you cave in to the pleading and whining, how will they know that mean what you say? Next time you try to enforce a rule (and it may be more important than the "no candy bar") they will naturally try to get you to change your mind, after all you did before. They basically learn that rules can be broken. Following through on your limits and rules is important because you are teaching your children to be able to predict and understand the consequences of their actions.

SIBLING RIVALRY

Parent´s actions and decisions can greatly affect sibling´s relationships. I have found that organizing their play area so that you don´t have a lot of small pieces floating around limits the squabbles. I try to have a lot of cooperative toys that they can use together, and to have enough that they can share without a lot of problems. Yet on the other hand, it is a good idea to separate some personal items so a child can gain a sense of belonging. When siblings do argue, it is good to teach children to use their words instead of grabbing or yelling. Teaching them to work things out in a co-operative way.

TEACH RESPONSIBILITY

TEACH RESPONSIBILITY
Give even young children their own jobs to do. Make taking out the garbage, feeding the family pet or setting the dinner table an ongoing responsibility. Toddlers can match socks, fold washcloths and dishtowels, dust or dry the plastic cups and bowls, with supervision. Let their responsibilities grow as they do. Teaching new skills as they mature. Your home is their home and their compensation is a nice place to live and parents that aren´t too tired to go to the game with them.

POSITIVE INTERVENTION

Praise, praise, praise. Sure you can correct their inappropriate behavior, sometimes over and over, becoming the "nag" they tune out. Many parents (and experts) have found that if you actively reinforce their good behavior they attract the desired behavior from their children without the negative connotation. Kids seek approval more than anything else at any age. Hug them, compliment them on their efforts. A few kind words and actions go a very long way.

SHOW HOW PROUD YOU ARE

Display your child´s artwork, schoolwork or school triumphs on the refrigerator or on the hallway wall. Make a treasure chest together to store the special projects all children do in school. Show that you value your children and what they do. Occasionally go over their work and show them their progress, better penmanship or bigger math equations.

COMPROMISING

Compromising is a very important skill in the grown up world, learning to compromise, as a child is imperative to building real life skills. Making sure each sibling has time to himself or herself, and time with their parents in a one on one relationship is important. When conflicts arise, it is a good idea to consider the following questions when dealing with the issue at hand.
Is someone stressed about something?
Does he need more focused attention?
Are there self-esteem issues?
All children need to be provided with a variety of things he or she CAN have control over and enjoys doing. Giving her the opportunity to lead other children in activities.

SIBLING SQUABBLING

I have used this positive approach for years, and it fosters the ability for a couple of kids to compromise and negotiate a fair result to their "battle". When a squabble occurs, sit both children down next to each other, together on the couch or in two chairs facing each other. I explain that they cannot get up until they have arrived at an agreeable solution to their problem. You may need to arbitrate initially. Then back off and let them problem-solve their problem. If they can not come up with a solution, suggest some possible ideas for them. Their negotiation skills will improve with time, and you have the added bonus of not having quite so much tattling.