I wrote this a few years ago for my children.  I love it and  I want to share it with you.

Some days are so busy my love doesn’t show.
That’s why tonight I’m telling you so.

I love your eyes.  I love your style.
Your bubbly laugh always makes me smile.

I love your ears.  I love your cheeks.
Wouldn’t it be funny if we both had beaks?

I love you all over; I want you to know.
From the top of your head, to the tip of your toe.

I’ll hold you close for a great big hug
Now climb under the covers, all cozy and snug.

It’s getting late and it’s time to sleep
Here’s a big kiss for you to keep

You are so precious and for you I do care
Now close your eyes and snore like a bear.

Good night…I love you.

One of my favorite posts is How to say “I love you” in sign language.

I hope you enjoyed this and if you did, please share it with others!

Affirmations and belief in ourselves creates happiness within. I want to share a post called The Power of Positive Thinking written by Lorelei, a friend of mine who has a wonderful blog for parents.

Within the post she shares a You Tube video called Jessica’s Daily Affirmation, which is so adorable, you don’t want to miss it.

Here is the direct link to the article and video:   http://raisingcreativechildren.com/day-smile/

Share this video with others and pass along the joy!

I want to share the 90/10 principle with you because discovering the 90/10 principle will change how you react to situations and it will positively change your life. The example provided is perfect for parenting.

This principle is written by Stephen Covey.

What is this principle?

10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react. What does this mean?

We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%.

How? By your reaction. You cannot control a red light. However, you can control your reaction; you can control how you react.

Let us use an example: You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just happened. What happens next will be determined by how you react. You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over.

She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work.

You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit zone. After a 15-minute delay and throwing away $60 on a traffic fine, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye.

After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terribly. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home. When you arrive home, you find a small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter.
Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning. Why did you have a bad day?

A. Did the coffee cause it?
B. Did your daughter cause it?
C. Did the policeman cause it?
D. Did you cause it?

The answer is “D”.

You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. Here is what could have and should have happened.

Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, “Its ok honey, you just need to be more careful next time.” Grabbing a towel, you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early to work and cheerfully greet the staff.

Notice the difference? Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended differently.

Why? Because of how you REACTED. You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% is determined by your reaction.

90/10 Principle by Steven Covey

Understanding and applying the 90/10 principle WILL change your life!

If you like this article, please share it with someone you love.

What if your child could write a positive poem about him/herself easily?  Using the format below, they can! 

My sixth grade daughter shared a poem with me that she had written.  I couldn’t believe how great the poem was!  I asked what gave her the inspiration to write the poem and she told me it was a project in school and there was an outline she followed.  She shared the outline with me and I have posted it below, along with two completed poem examples.

After your child is done, the poem is like a big, positive affirmation that they (or you) can hang somewhere visible. 

           I Am Myself    (Name of poem)  

*I am (use 2 or 3 adjectives)

I wonder__imaginary____________

I hear ________________________

I see__________________________

I want_________________________

*I am (same as first line)

I pretend______________________

I feel__________________________

I worry________________________

I cry__________________________

*I am(same as first line)

I understand____________________

I say___________________________

I dream________________________

I hope_________________________

*I am (same as first line)

             I AM MYSELF   (an example from a younger child)

I am smart, funny, and kind

I wonder what I will look like when I grow up

I hear music in my head

I see friends playing on the playground

I want to be a great person

I am smart, funny and kind

I pretend to know what is going on

I feel loved when somebody says thank you

I worry before tests at school

I cry when I get hurt

I am smart, funny, and kind

I understand when people are sad

I say to always be happy

I dream I will become a writer

I hope my family will live for a long time

I am smart, funny, and kind

               I am Myself  (Example from an 11 year old)

I am friendly, forgiving, and trustworthy

I wonder what everybody thinks at this moment

I hear music in my head

I see everyone having fun in their own way

I want to save up for college so I can become a veterinarian

I am friendly, forgiving, and trustworthy

I pretend I am in a basket full of flowers

I feel loved when I am surrounded by my friends

I worry there will be no peace between continents

I cry when I hear that an animal died

I am friendly, forgiving, and trustworthy

I understand when my friends feel blue

I say that your attitude makes a big difference on your life

I dream someday I will be a veterinarian

I hope my family will live for a long time

I am friendly, forgiving, and trustworthy

I hope you enjoy sharing this activity with your children.  I felt so much joy when I read the poem my daughter created using this format.  Please feel free to share the poems you create with us!

Isn’t it amazing how our perspective of life can differ so greatly from our children’s perspective?  I was fortunate enough to have this piece sent to me and I want to share it.

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.

They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family..

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son , “How was the trip?”

“It was great , Dad.”

“Did you see how poor people live?” the father asked.

“Oh yeah, ” said the son.

“So, tell me , what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.

The son answered:

“I saw that we have one dog and they had four.

We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.

We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.

Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.

We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.

We buy our food, but they grow theirs.

We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.”

The boy’s father was speechless.

Then his son added, “Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.”

I am not sure who wrote this so I can’t give anyone the credit but I think it shows the we should be more thankful for the things we do have in life and if we don’t like what we have, maybe we should ask for a child’s perspective!  That would open a whole new world for us.

Does your child need a boost in being positive?  Here are 10 examples of very simple affirmations your child can read and then repeat daily.  If getting your child to read affirmations isn’t realistic, here are some other ideas you can implement. 

1. Print affirmations out individually and tape them to a mirror that your child uses every morning.  Make them look fun, pretty, or tough; whatever will interest your child.
2. Tape the printed affirmations to a piece of paper and put them in a waterproof, ziplock baggie and hang them in the shower at shoulder level. 
3. You can say them in a different tense to your child such as “It is so much fun to get good grades” or “You are such a good friend to____” or “You are so much fun to be around.”   

Examples of simple affirmations for children:

• I enjoy school.
• I am fun to be around.
• I am a great friend.
• I have fun and work hard during school time.
• I do my best on my homework.
• I like doing extra credit.
• I strive to good grades.
• It is fun to get good grades.
• I am kind.
• I help others whenever I can.

Create your own that is specific to your child’s area of need.  The power of affirmations is incredible.  Find a way to put them in your child’s life.

Keep up the great parenting!  It is so much fun to see your children grow!

Links on positive articles in this site:  20 POSITIVE WORDS FOR KIDS AND POSITIVE WORDS FOR SCHOOL

Since Halloween is coming soon, I thought I would post some basic safety tips. 

Costume Safety

• Choose a costume that is a safe length so tripping will not occur.
  

  Scary Halloween Costumes

   

• Be sure to have an adequate size of eye opening if your child is wearing a mask.  Non-toxic and hypoallergenic make up is a better choice than a mask.
• If you child’s custom has a hat, be sure it fits properly and does not fall over the eyes.
• Be sure your child is does not carry any sharp or dangerous objects that may be a part of their costume for their own safety and the safety of others.
• Most pumpkins are lit up with a live flame so be sure your child’s costume is flame retardant and just in case there is an emergency, refresh or teach your child the stop, drop, and roll technique.

 

Santa Costumes

 

Trick or Treating Safety

• Always have an adult accompany younger children.
• Have a flashlight for each child so they can watch their footing. 
• Only trick or treat in neighborhoods you know well.
• Remind your children to always look before they cross a street.
• Talk about stranger danger if your child will not be with you and be sure they are with a group.

• Know the route your children are taking before they leave.

• Remind your children not to eat anything until you have checked the treats.

 

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Looking for some positive words to use on your children when looking over tests and school assignments for the upcoming year?  I put together a list because I think it’s fun to use different expressions when complementing children on a job done well.   Here they are:

1. A+ student                    
2. Brainy
3. Bravo
4. Bright
5. Capable
6. Clever
7. Creative
8. Efficient
9. Glowing with knowledge
10. Honorable
11. Imaginative
12. Intellectual
13. Intelligent
14. Knowledgeable
15. Noteworthy
16. On the ball
17. On your toes
18. Picture Perfect
19. Quick
20. Resourceful
21. Right On
22. Shining Star
23. Study Bug
24. Top tester
25. Witty

For more positive words go to my older post 20 Positive Words for Kids.

Have you ever taken your children rock hounding?  Most children are fascinated with rocks.

Rock hounding is a great way to spend the day with your family.  What makes it even better is that it is free and entertaining.  If you don’t know where to go in your area, you will probably have some luck just searching the web for rock hounding plus your state name or rock collecting plus your state name. 

Generally, you will be able to find websites with information such as the name of the rock and where it can be found, along with pictures which you can print out and take with you.  Be sure you respect private property by not trespassing and collecting without permission.  Also, most national and state parks do not allow you to remove rocks.  Read the information and be sure you know the rules before you go.

My children loved looking for rocks so much that we purchased some rock hounding and gem books for our state.  We have a window sill full of rocks and we have a rock garden outside.  It has been fun, quality time and we have wonderful memories of our day trips.  Certain rocks have stories and we love to tell the stories when guests inquire about our display.

Rock hounding spurred such and interest that we now go to the rock and gem shows that come annually to our area.  We buy a rock here and there that has been cut because they are so beautiful.   We take in all the knowledge we can from people that cross our paths regarding rocks.  We have even been given some rocks that we have added to our collection.

If we are at the beach we take the opportunity to search for shells which become a part of our collection.  We don’t pass up any opportunity for memories.

If you haven’t spent the day collecting nature’s gifts, I give high recommendations to do it.

Related Posts:

• 25 Positive Words For The School Year
• Free Kids Summer Activities
• Stranger Danger
• Positive Affirmations for Children
• Free CD on Goal Setting

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Want a fun learning idea?  Choose table topics that are fun and interesting. 

Here’s a great idea to keep your children learning throughout the year and it’s a fantastic way to keep the knowledge fresh your children’s minds during the summer break.

Pick a meal of the day that you are most likely to sit with your children around the table.  Then pick topics that interest your children.  Make it a fun activity so your children are excited to be involved.

Here is an example of what you can do:

• Mondays:        Geography.  Use maps and world globes and ask your children to find a specific capital, state, country, ocean, river, etc
• Tuesdays:        English or whatever language is native to you.  Pick some fun words from a dictionary and have your children try to figure out the meaning by breaking them down and/or you can use them in sentences for your children.
• Wednesdays:   History.  Talk about a person who did something inspiring or brave.  You can pick people who were part of events your children enjoy.
• Thursdays:       National events.  Talk about what is going on in your nation that you feel your children should know about.  This could be things like the Olympics, sports events, elections, unusual weather, etc.  
• Fridays:            Gratitude night.  Have your children tell you about an experience from the week that they are thankful for, or maybe talk about a lesson they learned.

Other topics:   Foreign language, history, social studies, local events, world events, politics, sports or music.

For another great way to stay connected with your children, visit www.conversationjar.com

Related Posts:

• Conversation Jar Family Game
• Good Night…I Love You – Poem for Kids
• Promise Yourself – The Optimist Creed
• The Power Of Positive Thinking
• Kids Summer Planner

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