Many Kids

www.scmp.com Christmas is a magical time for children, and food plays a big part. Be it mince pies or trifle, turkey or chocolates wrapped in coloured foil, there are numerous treats that will keep children of all ages excited. For the executive chef at the Hyatt Regency in Sha Tin, Cheung Hong-man, who has two young daughters, Christmas is a special time for family indulgence. Parents can make the festive season a bonding time by bringing the children into the kitchen and getting them to help make tasty treats, such as cookies, says chef Cheung. When cooking for children, he says opt for small portions, multicoloured items and things in eye-catching, festive shapes.

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I need a fun, easy recipe for pre-school kids to prepare. It can’t have any sugar (or stuff with sugar in it) and should include only a minimal amount of starch. We’ve done fruit kabobs a lot – so if you know of something other than that – especially something that might require baking or cooking – that would be great.
I don’t have anything against sugar. BUT – when you work in a pre-school environment – you are forever trying to keep the sugar down to a minimum. Everything in moderation. And just for the record – sugar has .10 of 1% of any kind of nutrition in it for you. It’s empty calories. If it didn’t have that very little tiny bit of nutrition – it would have to be listed with the FDA as a drug. So while I don’t think sugar is really harmful to kids – if they are eating it – the kids are not taking in other healthy calories. So please – in trying to please parents and keep sugar to a minimum – I’m asking for non sugar recipes. I have PLENTY of recipes with sugar in them. Thank you.

Crockett Elementary in McAllen celebrates 60th anniversary
McALLEN – Some of Crockett Elementary’s teachers are alumni of the campus, and many of the school’s students have parents — even grandparents — who attended Crockett when they were children. So it was fitting Friday that the school celebrated…

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Do you actually have any idea? I am a student in highschool, and at lunch time, I was almost surprised of how many people smoked from grade 9-12. There is about 35-40% of kids who smoke, and I am not joking.

Parents of highschoolers, did you know this?

Modern kids are busy kids.

Regardless of age, their days are filled with activities.

Under fives do a range of adult-initiated learning activities designed to give them the best start to their learning lives.

School-aged kids have a huge range of leisure and after-school activities to choose from.  It is not uncommon for kids to have four and five extra-curricular activities a week.

Nothing wrong with kids being busy as long as they have plenty of chances to relax and unwind.

Relaxation is a key to good mental health and well-being. It is an important life skill for kids to learn.

Balance busyness with boredom

One way to ensure busy kids unwind is to make sure kids get bored every so often.

There is a temptation to fill kids’ days with activities so that no time is wasted.

“I’m bored!” is the last thing most parents want to hear their kids say. Many parents feel compelled to do something to alleviate a child’s boredom.

There is nothing wrong with a little boredom now and then. Boredom can be good for kids’ mental health and well-being, giving them the chance to muck around and take it easy for a time.

Here are 5 ideas to help you unwind your kids:

1. Let your kids regularly stare into the ‘fire’: Ever sat around a camp-fire and stared at the flames? If so, you will know how calming it is. No exertion! No need to think! No need to talk to anyone! Just a chance to chill-out and relax. The TV is the modern version of the camp-fire. Yep, TV used in this way is good for kids’ mental health.

2. Let kids exercise without rules: Kids are the kings and queens of play. Always have been. Until lately that is, when their lives have become highly organised and scheduled.  Free, child-initiated play is the ultimate in relaxation. Fun games, games with few rules and games that kids control help them to unwind

3. Let kids experience flow: Flow is a state we get into when we are so engrossed in an activity that time disappears. It is the ultimate unwind. We get flow when we pursue our passions so encourage teens to find activities that they truly love and get lost in.  Free play generally takes young children to flow very quickly so opportunities for unstructured play are essential.

4. Help kids calm down around bedtime: Have a bedtime routine that calms kids down rather than winds them up. You can become part of this routine by reading books, telling nursery rhymes, providing soothing back rubs and other ways.

5. Unwind with your kids: When I was young the best times I had with my dad were spent in the backyard playing cricket. Sounds like a cliché I know. It was fun because it was never a chore for him. He loved it as it was a chance for him to unwind after work. Find ways you can unwind and rejuvenate with your kids.

We want our kids to be busy and involved rather inactive and apathetic. However activity needs to be balanced with unscheduled time so that perspective as well as everyone’s sanity is maintained.

Developing a sense of ‘we’ not ‘me’ in your family

Have you a process to teach kids to solve issues without fists, fights and put-downs?

Have you a system to give kids a voice in your family so your kids cooperate more?

Have you an easy way to teach kids skills such as giving compliments, encouraging others and thinking positively?

If you answered no to any of these questions then consider adding the Family Roundtable to your set of parenting strategies. It will change the way you parent and how your kids behave.

The Family Roundtable is a proven way to create a strong sense of ‘we’ in families, promote greater cooperation and teach kids lifelong conflict resolution skills.

Criticizing kids’ clothes never out of style
I say, “It’s no big deal.” Fads and fashions will all come to pass. We’ve all been there, done that and survived. Even though our own parents thought the world was coming to an end. Think back to the clothes you loved to wear as a teenager.

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Whenever the school season is just around the corner, there’s only one thing that parents are thinking about – the impending costs. Education is a primary right and a pertinent need of every child but it can become very costly. Availing of scholarships and education grants for your children is the best way to get them through schooling. But of course, only a small percentage of children can be given these privileges.

There are simple and effective measures that parents can employ in cutting the costs of their children’s schooling, especially during the back-to-school season. Most often, these measures are often taken for granted, but don’t miss out!

Organize and Save

Keep an inventory of your children’s school supplies and keep it organized. If you are not organized, you will be spending more money on replenishing your supplies. Small things like pencils and crayons may not cost too much, but if you replenish your supplies unnecessarily, you are losing valuable money.

You should also try involving the kids when making the inventory. This will give them a sense of ownership for their things and would know where to take and put their things.

Tax Holidays

Tax holidays are often offered by many states during the back-to-school season. Price ceilings will be put on different school gears. You might want to do a little research and ask about the schedule and the details of the tax holidays in your area.

Bulk Buying

It’s a basic economic principle – “the more you buy, the more you save”. Well, this is applicable if you are buying a specific item which you will really need in the near future. In buying pencils, for example, you might want to buy a box rather than buying one for each of your kids. Face it, you will be needing to replenish these after some time, so might as well avail of the lower price by buying in bulk.

Transportation

You might want to consider buying your child a bicycle for him to bring to school. This, of course, is not always feasible. Finding a cheap and safe way to bring your children to school daily is an important thing. Car pools and school transportation services are options that you can look at.

Snacks

Whenever you have the time and energy to prepare food for your children, do so. You will not only be saving on the pocket money that you will give to them but you are also secured that your children are eating healthy and safe meals.

Getting your children through school is a hard task and a costly one. Saving money through practical and simple means can assist you in this endeavor. The benefits will eventually add up to bring a brighter future to your children.

Example of authoritative parenting style used by parents.

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