ParentLife Blog

Fun Friday Photo -- November 6, 2009

Reed was a "purple opopus" for Halloween. His Enna and Poppy made the costume for him.

Thanks to Jeff and Abbey L. for this great photo!

Photos wanted! Send us your funny, cute, or just plain fun pictures for our Fun Friday Photos. Each Friday we will post a new "Fun Friday Photo." E-mail your photo and a suggested caption describing the photo to parentlife@lifeway.com. Visit the blog each Friday to see if your photo was chosen!

Orphan Sunday

In celebration of November as National Adoption Awareness Month, Show Hope and Steven Curtis Chapman, along with Focus on the Family and FamilyLife, are helping to lead the charge this Sunday, November 8th -- also known as Orphan Sunday --  for a live event in Nashville, Tennessee, with one goal: raising awareness of the more than 140 million orphans worldwide. The free event, beginning at 4:00 p.m. CST, will be simulcast through satellite and Moody Radio Network and through a webcast at www.OrphanSunday.org. It will also be streamed online at www.GospelMusicChannel.com in the days following the event.
 

The Orphan Sunday event (held by Cry of the Orphan) will feature a special acoustic performance from Chapman with other musical guests Geoff Moore and the Children of the World Choir. Guest speakers include:

• Focus on the Family President Jim Daly, a former orphan himself
• Dr. Sharen Ford, Manager for Permanency Services for the Colorado Department of Human Services in the Division of Child Welfare Services
• Jedd Medefind of the Christian Alliance for Orphans
• Dennis Rainey, an adoptive father and President of FamilyLife

If you live in the Nashville area, this free event will be held at Christ Community Church (1215 Hillsboro Road, Franklin, just south of Nashville) and will not be ticketed. Seats will be available on a first come, first serve basis. So be sure to get there early! Doors will open 30 minutes before show time.

If you don't live near Nashville, be sure to check out the available simulcast and webcast. For more information, visit www.OrphanSunday.org or Cry of the Orphan's Web site. 

If you attend this event or participate via simulcast or webcast, we'd love to hear about your experience and what it meant to you. Tell us all about it. 

What If I Blow It?

In the November 2009 issue of ParentLife, Bob Bunn, editor of Living With Teenagers, sets out to help you establish boundaries to help your preteen flourish by talking about healthy discipline. Every parent has messed up in the area of discipline before. So what do you do if you make a discipline mistake? Here is what Bob has to say!

What If I Blow It?

You are going to mess up discipline at some point. You will get angry when you should be operating with a calm spirit or the consequences you deal out will be more extreme than the action deserves. So what happens when you blow it? Here are three ideas drawn from research and personal experience.

• Apologize. If you stepped out of line with an adult, you probably would not have much trouble admitting it and asking forgiveness. Adopt that same attitude with your preteen. You are not perfect, and she does not expect you to be. So do the right thing and apologize. In addition to rebuilding the relationship, showing a humble spirit in this way provides a great lesson for your child in her future relationships.
• Determine what you will do differently next time. If your original attempt falls flat, think through your missteps and determine a better way to approach the situation. You probably have heard it said that people do not plan to fail, they just fail to plan. When it comes to mistakes in discipline, make sure you plan for a better future.
• Do it! It is one thing to create a strategy, but if you never put it into practice, it does not do any good. Be intentional and stick with your plan.

Have you ever had to aplogize to your preteen for a mistake you made? What discipline struggles do you face as the parent of a preteen?

Thanksgiving -- Just Around the Corner

It is hard to believe that it is already November and that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Thanksgiving is a holiday to do exactly what the name implies — to give thanks! But why do we need a holiday to remind us to give thanks?

We often get so busy that we forget how much we have to be thankful for. I know I am guilty of taking my many blessings for granted (even just in the past few weeks). So it is nice to have this special time during the year to slow down, take some deep breaths, and focus on giving thanks.

I personally have so much to be thankful for. My husband, Jason, has always been a fabulous husband, but over the past 16 months, he also has become an amazing father. Our son, Jack, brings joy to our lives each and every day. We have fantastic extended family on both sides ... and most of them live close enough to be involved in our daily lives. Jack definitely has the best grandparents in the world! We have a beautiful home in a lovely town and a circle of fun, supportive friends. Jason and I both have jobs we love for companies that make a difference in people’s lives. We have truly been blessed well beyond what we deserve!

So this year, I want to make even more of an effort to thank God for these blessings. Not only that, but I want to make sure that the people in my life know how thankful I am for them. And I want to be sure to carry that spirit of thankfulness into 2010 and give thanks every day ... not just on Thanksgiving Day.

The November 2009 issue of ParentLife is packed full of great ways your family can celebrate Thanksgiving together. Be sure not to miss it!

What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving traditions?

November Giveaway!

Well ... November is here ... officially starting the holiday season. This month, we are excited to give away a $25 gift card to Staples to give you a head start on your holiday shopping.

Staples offers fabulous gifts for the holiday season  from Staples exclusives to hot brand-name technology products -- all at great prices. Staples also makes the holiday season easy, as a one-stop store that includes convenient locations, ship-to-store options, and printing services including holiday cards and family calendars. Check out our outstanding deals on Black Friday, Cyber Monday and weekly specials in the Staples circular. Happy Holidays from Staples!

Everyone* who posts a comment on our blog during the month of November will be entered to win!

*LifeWay employees are not eligible for this giveaway. Multiple comments do not increase chances of winning.

October Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to Tracy, Rebecca, Kevin, and Wendy ... the winners of our October giveaway!

October's prizes were two of LIfeWay's newest parenting resources for Bible study: The Parent Adventure and The Family God Uses.

The Parent Adventure: Preparing Your Children for a Lifetime With God by Rodney and Selma Wilson is a 6-week study focused on key topics in parenting at any life stage.

The Family God Uses: Becoming a Home of Influence by Tom and Kim Blackaby is a 6-week study designed as a field manual for families looking to pray, grow, and serve together.

Be sure to check back later today when we will announce our November giveaway!

Fun Friday Photo -- October 30, 2009

Rachel thinks it's lots of fun to sit up!

Thanks to Adam and Tonya M. for this great photo!

Photos wanted! Send us your funny, cute, or just plain fun pictures for our Fun Friday Photos. Each Friday we will post a new "Fun Friday Photo." E-mail your photo and a suggested caption describing the photo to parentlife@lifeway.com. Visit the blog each Friday to see if your photo was chosen!

Celebrating Fall Fun

I love fall and all that it brings -- cooler weather, changing leaves, pumpkins, apple cider, and so much more. While your family may or may not officially be celebrating Halloween, there are lots of fun ways you can celebrate fall!

Yesterday evening, we took Jack (almost 16 months old) to a fall festival at our church. He got to wear his Halloween costume (a lion) and play in a big bouncy play yard with lots of plastic balls. He had a great time! We are not going trick-or-treating with Jack this year, simply because it would be so much work and he can't eat (and doesn't need) the candy! (And neither do we for that matter!) We hope to go to a pumpkin farm on Saturday morning with a group of friends from church and then spend the evening handing out candy, watching movies, and enjoying some good fall food!

How does your family celebarate fall? Tell us about your favorite fall activities!

Lunch Note Promise

At 16, Shawn Johnson won gold. Less than a year later, she was crowned a national dance sensation.  From the gym to the ballroom, Johnson credits her success to encouragement she received from her parents and mentors. This fall, Johnson is partnering with the Lunch Note Promise Campaign brought to you by the new Lunchables to inspire parents to give kids that same type of support, in big and small ways.

Making the Promise
The Lunchables team is asking parents and caregivers nationwide to promise to drop a note of encouragement into their child’s lunch. For every parent that logs onto www.lunchnotepromise.com and makes that promise, the Lunchables team will donate a meal to children and families in need through Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief charity, which serves an estimated nine million children each year. The goal is to turn 100,000 promises into up to 100,000 meals.

Lunchnotepromise.com also provides free downloadable stationery that includes more than six vibrant, customizable patterns that parents can use to create fun and cheerful notes that will delight their kids.

Wholesome New Lunchables
Moms can also feed their kids’ success with a Lunchables Lunch Combination. This fall, the brand rolled out six new varieties that feature enhancements like bread made with whole grain, turkey made with 100 percent turkey breast, spring water, and applesauce.

Lunchables Lunch Combinations are available in the refrigerated section of grocery stores and retail for $3.49. To learn more about the new Lunchables or the Lunchables Lunch Notes Promise Campaign visit www.lunchnotepromise.com.

How do you show your child support and encouragement? Share your fun, creative tips with other ParentLife readers!

Halloween Safety Tips

Halloween is an exciting time of year for kids, and to help ensure they have a safe holiday, here are some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

All Dressed Up

• Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement, or contact with flame.
• Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and Trick-or-Treat bags for greater visibility.
• Because masks can limit or block eyesight, consider non-toxic makeup and decorative hats as safer alternatives. Hats should fit properly to prevent them from sliding over eyes.
• When shopping for costumes, wigs, and accessories look for and purchase those with a label clearly indicating they are flame resistant.
• If a sword, cane, or stick is a part of your child's costume, make sure it is not sharp or too long. A child may be easily hurt by these accessories if he stumbles or trips.
• Obtain flashlights with fresh batteries for all children and their escorts.
• Teach children how to call 9-1-1 (or their local emergency number) if they have an emergency or become lost.

Carve a Niche

• Small children should never carve pumpkins. Children can draw a face with markers.  Then parents can do the cutting.
• Votive candles are safest for candle-lit pumpkins.
• Candle-lit pumpkins should be placed on a sturdy table, away from curtains and other flammable objects, and should never be left unattended.

Home Safe Home

• To keep homes safe for visiting trick-or-treaters, remove from the porch and front yard anything a child could trip over such as garden hoses, toys, bikes, and lawn decorations.
• Parents should check outdoor lights and replace burned-out bulbs.
• Wet leaves should be swept from sidewalks and steps.
• Restrain pets so they do not inadvertently jump on or bite a trick-or-treater.

On the Trick-or-Treat Trail

• A parent or responsible adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds.
• If your older children are going alone, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time when they should return home.
• Only go to homes with a porch light on and never enter a home or car for a treat.
• Because pedestrian injuries are the most common injuries to children on Halloween, remind Trick-or Treaters:
  1. Stay in a group and communicate where they will be going.
  2. Carry a cell phone for quick communication.
  3. Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk.
  4. If no sidewalk is available, walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic.
  5. Never cut across yards or use alleys.
  6. Only cross the street as a group in established crosswalks (as recognized by local custom). Never cross between parked cars or out driveways.
  7. Don't assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing Trick-or-Treaters. Just because one car stops, doesn't mean others will!
• Law enforcement authorities should be notified immediately of any suspicious or unlawful activity.

Healthy Halloween

• A good meal prior to parties and trick-or-treating will discourage youngsters from filling up on Halloween treats.
• Consider purchasing non-food treats for those who visit your home, such as coloring books or pens and pencils.
• Wait until children are home to sort and check treats. Though tampering is rare, a responsible adult should closely examine all treats and throw away any spoiled, unwrapped, or suspicious items.
• Try to ration treats for the days following Halloween.

© 10/09 American Academy of Pediatrics

For even more safety tips, to send these tips to a friend, or to download them in Spanish, visit http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/octhalloween.cfm.