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If you’re fresh out of fun Halloween party ideas, don’t worry. Kids’ parties for Halloween can be a blast and full of fun and cheer and they can be easily created. For fun Halloween parties at home or school, try a scarecrow theme party.

Use bales of hay or beautiful fall autumn leaves to bring your theme to life. Go ahead and go wild with the fall fun and leaves and scatter them all over the house or the yard! If you have hardwood floors, scatter them on the floors too. Use pumpkins to make your own pumpkin patch in the front yard or the backyard. Make funny signs that say things like “scarecrow crossing” and make or buy your own scarecrow to stand next to it.

Find some crates for your yard to place pumpkins on and cover them with burlap or rustic fabric. Remember to keep fall colors and the colors of the leaves and look in mind when you’re decorating.

For some great craft ideas, take unfinished Halloween-themed crafts from the craft store and buy paint for the kids. Paint mini pumpkins them and take home as their own unique souvenirs. Or, you can also put mini pumpkins on tables.

Twins are a result of multiple births, i.e. when more than one baby shares the womb of the same woman at the same time. It is estimated that one in every eighty pregnancies is a twin pregnancy. Incidence of twin births has become very common due to several factors including increased use of fertility treatments. Genetics and environmental conditions are also responsible for the birth of twins. Twins are can result from two fertilized eggs (fraternal or non-identical twins) or from a single fertilized egg (identical twins).

Raising twin babies is an arduous task and can be very challenging. Most twins are born premature at around thirty-six to thirty-eight weeks and thus need special attention. Though they can be delivered normally, caesarean section may be required because of the unusual placement of the babies inside the womb due to limited space.

Both the twins can be breastfed, as the mother’s body can generally produce enough milk for both the babies. The babies can have different demands for nursing, as well as different appetites. This can increase the stress levels for both the parents, not to mention the cost of bringing up two babies at the same time.

There is special equipment for twin babies like twin nursing pillows and beds for twins. Twins can also share a bed or a room, as this will increase their companionship. There are times when one twin is more demanding and may wake up more frequently during the night, which may cause the other baby to wake up. This problem can be corrected by following certain techniques like putting both the babies to sleep at the same time, putting them in the same crib, establishing a calming routine before bedtime, and discouraging nighttime waking. There are associations like the National Organization of Mothers of Twins that provide advice and support for mothers of twins.

Twins provides detailed information on Twins, Identical Twins, Twin Babies, Conjoined Twins and more. Twins is affiliated with Maternity Clothing Store.

When my daughter was born in 2001, the wave of “baby genius” products was in the midst of flooding the market. Baby Genius, Brainy Baby, Baby Einstein, IQ Baby — all of these products, which claimed to develop “great minds”, were flying off the shelves. Toy manufacturers had also begun placing heavy emphasis on the “brain benefits” of their products — language, spatial reasoning, problem-solving, eye-hand coordination. As a parent and child development expert, I couldn’t help but think there was a little too much emphasis on raising a “brainy baby.”

Toy store shelves today continue to be crammed with “smart toys.” And while developmental toys are important for a child’s learning, neuroscientists and child development experts agree that there’s a whole lot more to child development than knowing colours, shapes and numbers…

More than ABCs and 123s, children need connection. They need loving caregivers to spend quality time with them to help them develop a sense of confidence about who they are and an ability to understand and interact effectively with others. The social and emotional skills that develop from positive connection are just as critical in the early years as intellectual development. In fact, research during the last 10 years in the area of emotional intelligence has indicated that social and emotional skills may be more important for success later in life than formal, academic skills.

So, as parents, what can we do to create this positive connection and begin developing these social and emotional skills in our children? I’d like to offer you the approach that I find most useful. I call it the 3C’s — communicate, connect, and celebrate…

Communicate — One of our basic human needs is to feel seen, heard, understood, and appreciated. As parents, it’s important to use positive words with our children, listen to what they have to say, and let them know their thoughts and feelings matter. When we foster positive communication in this way, it builds their self-confidence and their ability to communicate effectively with others.

Connect — When it comes to optimizing development, nothing beats positive face-to-face interaction with a loved one. We make it a habit at our house to give each of our children at least 15-20 minutes of one-on-one alone time every night before they go to bed. During that time we read, talk about the day, and just snuggle together. Creating special one-on-one times like these develops the sense that “I am a person who matters” and lays the groundwork for positive interactions with other people.

Celebrate — Celebrating is an essential ingredient to parenting. When we take delight in and provide unconditional approval for our children for who they are and for their qualities and accomplishments, they internalize several important messages. They learn to see themselves as wonderful and capable, to focus on the positive side of situations, and to recognize the accomplishments of others. We are currently in the process of potty training our 2-year-old, and anytime he successfully uses the potty, he claps for himself and his 4-year-old sister pats him on the back and says, “Good job, buddy!” Now that’s celebrating!

Regardless of the approach you use, in the end, it’s the little things that will make the biggest difference. If we take the time to communicate, connect and celebrate, our children will have the developmental edge every time.

Ideas for Action

Here are three ways you can put the 3 C’s into action with your family:

1) When communicating with your child, practice the “stop, look and listen” technique. *Stop* what you’re doing and *look* your child in the eye to give him your full attention. *Listen* and really hear what your child is saying. You can acknowledge that you are listening by nodding, smiling or raising your eyebrows. This technique will encourage your child to express himself and help him feel that he is heard and understood.

2) Schedule special one-on-one time with your child. For babies, you can set aside special time for an infant massage or to listen and dance to some fun music. For older children, planning a special outing such as going on a picnic or reading books at the local bookstore is a great way to connect.

3) Practice finding opportunities to celebrate your child’s greatness. Catch her doing little things that make a difference and praise her actions, e.g., for sharing a toy or helping a sibling. Celebrate accomplishments such as first steps and attempting to zip a zipper without assistance. You can even delight in personal characteristics such as kindness, creativity, or curly hair. Most importantly, be consistent and genuine in your celebrations and have fun!

Copyright DreamKids 2006. All rights reserved.

Dr. Kelly Pryde is the President and Founder of DreamKids — a company dedicated to celebrating, inspiring and developing the potential of children from birth and up. A consultant, teacher and mother of two, Kelly holds a Ph.D. in Psychology with expertise in child development and learning. To learn more about celebrating and developing your child’s potential, visit: http://www.dreamkids.ca

Mom’s top 10 gift ideas - for Baby

Ever wonder what the best gift would be for that new baby? You’re not alone.

There is not one perfect solution for everyone, and you’ll definitely get different answers depending on who you ask. Look not further, because we went right to the expert for you - MOM!

1. Diapers and Baby Wipes - For some, this may seem to practical, but the baby (and Mom) will no doubt need them - and they are going to need a lot of them! Don’t be afraid to ask what brand the baby prefers.

2. Diaper Bags - Mom’s can never have enough diaper bags, especially today’s active moms. And guess what, baby bags have gotten very fashionable. You will find many to choose from, so be sure to look around. A few thoughts:

1)Choose a bag with compartments to store clothes, formula, bottles and baby food.

2) If you go the ‘fashion’ route - be sure you find one that Mom will like. This can get tricky, so you may want to ask first.

3. Onesies and sleepers - You can never have too many, just be sure to get the right size.

4. Blankets - Pick one that is soft and washable. Every baby needs a special blanket (or a few), one that makes them feel at home, even when they are out.

5. Carseat/Stroller Combination - Make it easy on Mom! Look for an infant that Mom can lift out of the car and quickly place direcgtly onto the stroller.

6. Baby Swing - If you want to give a gift that will make everyone happy - especially Mom and Dad - give them a baby swing (or vibrating chair - OR BOTH). The motion and/or humming sound are a baby favorite - which makes them a parent favorite as well.

7. Pack-and-play - Bring the crib with you, so Mom and Dad can enjoy themselves when it’s time for baby to take a nap - or a break.

8. Clothes - not only will most babies need several outfits a day, they will be growing out of them as quickly as you can buy them. Make sure you buy the right size, as many clothes may say ‘6 to 12 Months’, but every baby is different, so check with Mom first.

9. Gift Cards/Certificates - It may not be as personal as other gifts, but letting Mom choose the gift is going to be appreciated - remember, Mom told us so.

10. Burp cloths and Bibs - Mom can never have too many bibs and burp cloths - especially during the first year. It will also save a bundle on dry cleaning for Mom and Dad’s clothes.

Scott Zak is a publisher of http://www.babynamesusa.com and http://www.thetop100babynames.com

Do not let the culture hoodwink you into believing that you should participate in sexual relations before marriage. The whole idea of dating and everything that goes with it is so much of a heavy-laden burden, and as a young girl, you should not have to endure this crazy emotional roller coaster ride.

Do not let your social group fool you into believing the only way to be popular in school is to have sex with the boys. What a tale of deceit we web.

FACT:

Dating will NOT prepare you for marriage. In fact, it will damage your heart, mind and soul, and you will treat your husband according to how you were treated from boys in school.

If you have had several sexual relationships that ended in heartbreak as a teenager, when you get married you will be on guard with your husband. You will not be able to share with him all of your self, afraid that he, too, might hurt you.

You will not understand the beauty and enjoyment of the sexual union that a husband and wife share together because of what you experienced with some strange boy in school. Unpleasant dating games lead to negative feelings about sex later on down the road.

FACT:

The best thing you can do to avoid all this turmoil later in life is to remain sexually abstinent until you are married. Sound difficult? Well it’s not! Read on.

As a young girl or woman, you have choices. You only have to experience the pressures of dating and the rituals that go along with it, if you allow your self to fall into its trap. If you do fall into the teenage dating traps it will most likely obscure your whole way of thinking.

This certainly will NOT prepare you for marriage but will take away from the honor and commitment that is so vital for marriage.

FACT:

If a young girl has only one breakup in school from participating in the new cultural rituals of dating and having sex, she is more likely to get a divorce later on in her marriage. Most young girls have three or more heartaches during their teenage years. This is totally unnecessary.

Going through a breakup and then finding a new boy to have a relationship with will prepare a girl to do the same for her marriage. For instance, now that she is married, she begins having marital troubles and in her mind she remembers what happened in school, and she knows that she can just dump her husband, and remarry, right?

Wrong! Where is the commitment?

Unfortunately for many, the “dating and dump” syndrome is carried forward into marriage. Another reason there is so much divorce today. Couples are using the same culturally immoral foundations they grew up with in school for their marriage later in life.

FACT:

God wants all young women to stay pure before marriage. Trust me on this one. Let’s be all that we can be as young ladies. Nothing is more important to God than your happiness. God wants you to someday find love, get married and be all that you can be. Why rush into all this dating stuff, especially when you are not ready for it?

“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is honorable and holy, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God, and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. …For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man, but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

Now lets take a look at some of the myths.

MYTH:

If I don’t have sex, the boys will not like me

Bonk! This is so untrue! He might act like he doesn’t like you but in his heart he will RESPECT you for loving your self. The truth is, you can be best friends with this boy and not have sex with him and your relationship will be even better. He will treat you better and tell you things he normally wouldn’t if you were having sex with him. If he is a big jerk and does treat you bad, so what, let him be. It is more “spiritual power” to you for detaching from his immature antics.

MYTH:

If I don’t have sex, I won’t be popular or liked by my friends.

If your friends are having sex with boys, then I don’t think you want to be hanging out with that crowd in the first place. The boys that your friends are having sex with are talking about your friends behind their back. Their good reputation has been busted! You do not want to be associated with that kind of behavior, do you?

Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right. Proverbs 20:11

Find some new friends that know and love God and who like them selves. Friends who wouldn’t like you because you won’t have sex are only jealous because you are in control of your body. Do not let those girls who do not know God and who are not in control of their bodies trespass against your beautiful spiritual self and tell you things that will lead you into sin.

This is part 1 of 2 on Teenage Dating vs. Courtship
~~ Stay tuned.

Angie Lewis offers spiritual enlightenment tips for couples in marriage, and is the author of new release book JOURNEY ON THE ROADS LESS TRAVELED. This unique book is about love, life, marriage, addiction, temptation, and understanding the power of spiritual awareness for your marriage.

In her book, Angie reveals her own journey of overcoming addiction and battling with her negative emotions that she allowed to embrace her life and marriage.

To find out more about this new book click here, http://www.spiritual.journeybooks.4t.com/
ISBN 1413788904
Avaliable Amazon online!

Angie Lewis counsels couples and writes a monthly newsletter where she reveals her secrets on how YOU can stay happily married for life! Subscribe to get your FREE monthly newsletter so you can stay happily and forever married!
http://www.heavenministries.com/

Mandatory hurricane evacuations can be a living hell on families and the more kids and teens you have the more difficult it can become. Consider loading up all your kids into your SUV or minivan and spending 15 hours only to go 200 miles and then realizing that there are no hotel rooms within 1500 miles and the storm is 15 hours closer from when you started.

Imagine doing all this under the stress that you know that when you come back your home may be destroyed and you have lost everything. Additionally, you personally may be able to handle it and know that your family is OK and safe and therefore you have not a worry or care, nevertheless you know that it will be psychologically traumatic for your family and especially the teens and your children.

Many psychologists have done studies on the effect of hurricanes kids and teens after a large category hurricane and they have found that many of the kids and teens are quite a bit tougher than you might think. If you are a kid or teen then you know how tough you are and you may have to help your parents calm down if you are one of the tougher type kids.

Remember that your parents have built a life around their home and their family and whereas they still have their family left now they no longer have a home. This is where the kids and the teens can come in and help the family unit stay together by offering their love and support to their parents. Please consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/