Does your daughter grumble when it’s time to go for her piano lessons? Does your son abhor the sight of his skates now? What happened? After all, they were both very enthusiastic about the programs when they started off. Is it time to give these activities the boot? We’re often confused by the disturbing and incongruous signals we receive from our children. One day the kids are excited about the new theatre class, and in just a few short weeks they wail and moan when it's time to go.
Does your daughter grumble when it’s time to go for her piano lessons? Does your son abhor the sight of his skates now? What happened? After all, they were both very enthusiastic about the programs when they started off. Is it time to give these activities the boot? We’re often confused by the disturbing and incongruous signals we receive from our children. One day the kids are excited about the new theatre class, and in just a few short weeks they wail and moan when it's time to go.
Teenagers today are bombarded with images of impossible beauty. Everything from the filtered photos on Instagram to glossy air-brushed magazine covers at the grocery store to daily doses of peer pressure can lead to unrealistic expectations of a teen’s female form. Sparkling and svelte movie stars on the big screen are promoted as role models, but represent images that are simply unattainable for most women. As the same-sex parent, you are a constant teacher and role model for your daughter.
Hopefully, by the time your daughter is a teen, you have already spent years doing things like dispelling the myth of the fairy tale princess being rescued by the handsome prince. And you have provided a family atmosphere that allows her to feel safe and loved. Building on this bond will help you to continue moving your daughter’s self-image in the right direction.
We know a secret. Pssst… come closer. There’s a knock-your-socks-off tropical retreat just a short drive from The Woodlands. There’s no need to miss Vacation Bible School, and summer camp plans can stay intact. Don’t believe us? At only an hour and fifteen minutes away, Galveston’s luxurious Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa and Convention Center delivers BIG family fun this summer and all year-round. You’ll get your fill of exhilarating activities and non-stop fun, yet still be home in time to wash the kids’ suits for Monday’s swim lesson.
Hey moms - shouldn't summertime living be easier? Nature gives us everything we need to create simple, luscious, healthy meals -- it's up to us to slow down long enough to enjoy the bounty. With extended daylight hours and no need to nag the kids about homework, dinnertime at your house can take on a whole new tone. Shake things up a bit this summer and have fun with these simple meal ideas. You'll win over even the pickiest eaters!Picasso in the Kitchen
Allow the vivid colors of summer fruits to become your palette. Grab a large white plate or pretty tray and arrange slices of watermelon, kiwi, peaches, mango, grapes, and strawberries. This beautiful arrangement can become your tables centerpiece. Add a few bowls of various yogurts around the table and your hungry brood can dip to their delight. Warm a loaf of crispy French bread, wrap it in a festive cloth and add it to the table. Arrange some sliced cheeses and smoked or roasted turkey slices (pick these up at the deli counter) and you've got an easy-does-it display that's good enough to eat.
JANUARY: Make over your teen’s bedroom. One of the fundamental benefits of this little project is that it requires starting with a CLEAN room. Get your teen interested in a new color scheme for her walls or new comforter for the bed. Your assistance might be needed in the painting phase, but the project can’t even start until she cleans the dust bunnies out from under her bed. The final result doesn’t have to be a costly remodel. Since most teens highly value their personal spaces, a bit of freshening up can go a long way.
FEBRUARY: Celebrate Valentine’s Day with your teen. Get festive by making and decorating heart-shaped sugar cookies. Add a neighborly twist by preparing a double or triple batch of dough, refrigerating several small batches in parchment paper. The smaller batches can then be shared with neighbors—providing them with an easy cookie day without all the hassle of mixing up the dough themselves. They can then focus on the fun part: frosting and decorating!
MARCH: “Date” your teen. Obviously, we’re not talking about romantic dating, so here’s what we're getting at. Research shows that teens are highly influenced by their opposite gender parent. Make some quality one-on-one time with your son or daughter this month. Mom, train to run a 5K with your son this spring. Dad, now is your chance to take your daughter out to a nice restaurant and set an example of proper male manners. This outing could also be as simple as a trip to the local coffee shop for an hour of caffeine and conversation. The possibilities are endless.
If you're like most moms, you'd love to have a nice dinner where you can relax, enjoy good food and good conversation. When it comes to our kids, however, their idea of a good dinner would most likely be eating a slice of pizza before diving into a pool of multi-colored, plastic balls, and playing the video games at the local kid’s restaurant. While we're not going to suggest that you get a large, inflatable, bouncing area moved into your dining room, we do have a few small tips that may help your kids and you enjoy dinnertime at home, together.
All your day-to-day planning is done on your iPhone these days, right? Not ours! We still prefer to put a pen to paper and write things down every now nad again. If you're like us, you might enjoy these checklists and planning documents with you to use as often as necessary. Simply print and enjoy!
