Are YOU ready for the eBook authoring adventure? Do you have what it takes to author an eBook? Is there an eBook author inside of you? Are you not sure whether or not you have what it takes to write that book that’s been living inside of you for years? Are you reluctant to start writing your eBook, fearing that you won’t complete it?Let’s examine your attitudes, skills and knowledge that you bring to the eBook authoring process. Let’s look at some key questions you can ask yourself to see if your “readiness” for embarking on this authoring adventure is obvious.

Educational : Free eBooks

This Site Covers a Variety of Educational topics Including Self-Help & Business

Teach your child the importance of setting goals and developing a plan to meet that goal and complete that task. Small projects are the best to start off with in the beginning. Ensure that it’s an appropriate task for your child, and not too complex. Don’t only give praise at the end of the project, but praise their accomplishments during the project as well.

Celebrate your Child’s Uniqueness

Just like a snowflake or a fingerprint, every child is unique in their own special way. Every child has a unique way of feeling, thinking, and interacting with others. Some children are shy, while others are outgoing; some are active, while others are cal

download free pdf ebooks, Natural Help for ADHD in Children

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Free Parenting & Family PDF Ebooks Online

Free Parenting & Family Ebooks Online.   Free Parenting & Family Ebooks Hot Picks! Let’…

36+ Free Amazing Parenting eBooks: Tips And Advice On How To Be A Better Parent ? ParentWonder.com

    General Parenting Tips 1. Speaking So Kids Will Listen ? 25 simple ways to get your me…

Independence Day Cooking

Independence Day Cooking.   Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federa…

Charter School Lotteries Leave Many Kids Behind

Charter School Lotteries Leave Many Kids Behind. A free alternative to failing public schools,

You will need Adobe Reader (the latest version is recommended) installed on your computer in order to open and read the ebooks. You can get Adobe Reader here (a new window will open so you can download it without leaving this page).

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Download FREE PDF Ebooks

Natural Help for Child Anxiety
Find out what is Child Anxiety, what are some of the tell-tale signs and symptoms of child anxiety, what causes it, help and treatment and TIPS for parents.

Natural Help for Increasing Appetite
What is lack of appetite and what causes it? Find out some of the nutritional tips fo help you feed your picky eaters.

Natural Help for ADD in Children
What is Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)? What is the difference between ADD and ADHD? Discover the steps in making the ADD Diagnosis and recognizing the symptoms. What is the cause and help for children with ADD. Find out about other symptoms and behaviors that can manifest as ADD. What are the controversial treatments for children with ADD?

Natural Help for ADHD in Children
What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? What is the difference between ADD and ADHD? How does ADHD manifest in children? The steps in making the ADHD diagnosis and the symptoms of ADHD. What causes this and what are the myths surrounding the causes of ADHD? What are the help available for children with ADHD and how to manage them. Find out also about the controversial treatments for children with ADHD.

Free Parenting & Family Ebooks

Hot Picks!

More for Moms

10 Tips for Abandoning the Chaos of the Internet Based Mom (pdf)

The 5 Deadly Myths of Saving (And How To Save *Anyway*) (pdf)

Balance on a Budget The “I Hate House Cleaning” eBook for Busy Moms (site) The “I Hate House Cleaning” eBook for Busy Moms (pdf)

Self Care Cards - Cards with VERY USEFUL & REALISTIC stuff to do when you know you need to take care of yourself – and don’t know where to start. (Who has time for a bubble bath in the middle of the day anyway?). Simply cut out the squares, place them in a jar, and when you feel overwhelmed or just want to practice self-care, just pick a card and DO IT! (Or find the first card you are willing to do

General Parenting Tips

1. Speaking So Kids Will Listen – 25 simple ways to get your message across to kids – By Michael Grose. Ever said this to your kid: “I have told you a million times can you just turn that TV down!” If so, this ebook will show you a better to get cooperation from kids without saying this. Plus other great tips like building confidence and self-esteem in children, talking about sex, drug and violence, and more. PDF file. 18 pages.

2. Raising Children Network: Make a Book – You can select and make your own books. Select from various stages of development and individual chapters, then the book appears as you requested.  Very cool! However, only Baby & Child Books available now:

• Newborns (0-3 months) – Essential information on caring for a newborn baby
• Babies (3-12 months) – What to expect during the sitting and crawling phase
• Toddlers (1-3 years) – A guide to parenting when your child discovers her own two feet
• Preschoolers (3-5 years) – The basics on helping your child thrive during the preschool years
• School age (5-8 years) – Essential information to help your child make the most of the early school years

3. Backpack Buddies Fact Sheet Index – By Ohio State University Extension. PDF files. Topics include:

Kindergarten:

• Get Off To a Good Start
• Nurturing Your Child’s Self-Esteem
• Helping Your Child Succeed In School
• Holiday Stress Busters for Big and Little People
• Discipline and Your Child
• Nutrition and Fitness
• Reading Skills and Journal-Keeping
• Caution–Is Your Home Safe?
• Summer Activities for Fun and Learning

First Grade:

• Dealing With Morning Madness
• Understanding Sibling Rivarly
• Good Study Habits and Homework
• Holidays–What A Great Time!
• Keeping Our Children Safe
• Setting Limits with Your Children
• Nutritious Food For Cool Kids
• Children’s Friendships
• Fun Summer Time Activities and Games

4. Monitoring your child’s growth and development – A quick run down of what to monitor from birth to 4 years old. PDF file. 3 pages.

5. The Bully – Make Sure Your Child Knows How to Handle Bullies – An interactive book with nice pictures on what to do for bully victims and parents. A bully quiz for children as well as for parents and educators. EXE file. 46 pages.

6. Tantrums – By Parenting SA. What parents can do when tantrums happen? Big and small. PDF file. 4 pages.

7. Understanding Children: Disciplining your preschooler – By Iowa State University. This books discusses topics like what a toddler wants, communicating with a toddler, time-out and spanking. PDF file. 4 pages.

8. Understanding Children: Sibling Rivalry – By Iowa State University. 9 awesome tips on handling conflict between siblings. One of the tips is to leave your kids alone and let them work it out for themselves. PDF file. 4 pages.

9. Discipline: Help your children develop feelings of self-esteem – By New Mexico State University. “Children develop feelings of self-esteem, competence, independence, cooperation and responsibility when they grow up with guidelines. Two effective ways to discipline children and create sensible guidelines are through rewards and punishment.” The ebook includes ten rules of discipline and how to handle parenting differences. PDF file. 4 pages.

10. How to Get Your Baby to Sleep Through the Night
- By Permanente Medical Group. 4 strategies on getting your baby to sleep uninterrupted and its pros and cons respectively. PDF file. 4 pages.

11. Balance Your Life: The Complete Guide to Managing Work and Family – By Golden Goose Ventures. From the page: How would you like to get control of your life? Stop working those 80 hour weeks. Get to know your family again. Get some FUN and FREE TIME into your life. Excellent advice. PDF file. 51 pages.

12. The Kids Are Driving Me Crazy – By Lisa Barker. An ebook excerpt from Just Because Your Kids Drive You Insane…Doesn’t Mean You Are A Bad Parent! Not quite a how-to book but a funny tale of how kids can really mess things up and challenges a mother faces. Lisa has a great sense of humor. PDF file. 60 pages.

Teen Parenting

13. The Parent-Teen Relationship: How Parents Can Make the Most of It – By The National Clearinghouse on Family Violence. This ebook touches on family relationship, handling anger and the ‘dos‘ and ‘don’t‘s of parent-teen communication. PDF file. 9 pages.

14. The Parent-Teen Relationship: Life through a Teenager’s Eyes – By The National Clearinghouse on Family Violence. Find out myths and realities about teenagers, challenges teenagers need to cope and what teenagers need from parents. PDF file. 9 pages.

15. How to Be a Better Parent To Your Teen in One Hour or Less – By Peter J. Favaro, Ph.D. Peter says that raising a teen is a “race against time.” This ebook is written to help parents get an edge in “the race:” how to apply discipline by natural consequence, problems that are too big for parents to handle alone (eg: criminal behavior, drug abuse, gang/cult involvement), should parents use “tough love” parenting when all else fails? PDF file. 51 pages.

Breastfeeding

16. Breastfeeding Questions Answered: A Guide for Providers – Get answers to questions frequently asked by women on breastfeeding. Questions include “How often should a woman breastfeed her baby?” and “What if a woman does not produce enough milk for her baby?” PDF file. 8 pages.

Family Finance

17. How to Feed a Family of 4 for Less than $200 a Month – By Liss Burnell. Liss shares her own real story about how she cut down her bills. From grocery bill to Once a Month Cooking and 30-day dinner menu. And other excellent tried and tested tips and tricks. Even though the book was written a few years ago, the principles outlined in the book are still valid until today. PDF file. 37 pages.

18. Money Management Basics – By Foundation for Credit Education, Inc. From the Introduction: “Controlling your financial situation requires careful planning, realistic budgeting and use of money management techniques that anyone can learn.  Knowing how to handle money properly—and developing the discipline you need to do it well—can benefit you and your family tremendously.” Remember to checkout a topic on creating a workable household budget. PDF file. 14 pages with budget worksheets.

Child Education

19. Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life – Presented to you by Simply Charlotte Mason. Charlotte Mason’s Three-Pronged Approach to Education. The foundation to raising well balanced kids: atmosphere, discipline and life. Also used as homeschooling guideline. PDF file. 45 pages.

20. Nebraska Early Learning Guidelines – By Nebraska Health and Human Services System and Nebraska Department of Education. For ages birth to 3. It covers social and emotional development, health and physical development, language and literacy development, science, and creative arts. Very comprehensive. PDF file. 102 pages.

Single Parents

21. Single Parenting: Common Questions Parents Ask – By University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. Get answers to 9 common questions about single parenting. PDF file. 4 pages.

22. Emotional Rescue: Coping with emotions as a single parent – By Care for the Family. Tips on dealing with single parents’ emotions: anger, rejection, loneliness. Also includes the dos and don’ts of how you can help single parents. PDF file. 4 pages.

Food and Nutrition

23. Feeding Toddlers – By Parenting SA. How to encourage toddlers to eat and what food to have. PDF file. 4 pages.

24. How to Get Kids to Eat Right – By Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Tips on how to make eating fruits and vegetables fun, quick, and easy. PDF file. 6 pages.

25. Fun Kids Recipes – 125 interesting recipes to whet your kid’s appetite. PDF file. 48 pages.

26. Encourage Kids to Eat More Fruits & Veggies – 10 ways to help kids eat more fruits & veggies and important elements of  smell, texture, and color. Also included kid friendly recipes. PDF file. 4 pages.

27. Winning Over Your ‘Picky Eater’ – By Cleveland Clinic and Heinen’s. It’s about child nutrition. Sage advice on introducing children to new and nutritious foods: 10 nutritious tips to help you foster healthy eating habits in your children. PDF file. 8 pages.

28. Children’s snacks: Food for Thought – By MayoClinic.com. Food nutrition by age and what to feed. PDF file. 5 pages.

29. Infant-Child Nutrition – By NDSU Wellness Center. Feeding and child nutrition questions answered by age and stage. And a section on preventing childhood obesity. PDF file. 4 pages.

Being a Dad

30. Dads Playbook: Coaching Kids to Read – By The National Institute for Literacy. A collection of real stories of how 20 dads teach their kids to read. PDF file. 8 pages.

31. Being a Dad – By Parenting SA. It’s all about dads. What it means to be a dad, things all dads can do. Also tips on being dads in nuclear families, stepfamilies, and single dads. PDF file. 4 pages.

32. The New Baby Owner’s Manual for Dads – By Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) Public Health. A handbook with suggestions for Dads on how to support their breastfeeding partner and care for their new baby. The book likens baby care to car care. An interesting way of looking at fatherhood. PDF file. 9 pages.

Kids’ Activities and Games

33. The Creative Homemaking Guide to Games and Activities for Kids – By Rachel Paxton. Full of great homemade kid’s games and activities on the cheap. PDF file. 16 pages.

34. Parents, Kids & Videogames – What’s The Score? A Parent’s Guide To Videogames – By Anthony Hetrih. The book offers a starting point from which parents can gain a better understanding of videogames and their content. It discusses the reasons why kids enjoy videogames, addresses parental concerns surrounding videogames and offers some common sense tips. PDF file. 23 pages.

Child Safety

35. Protecting Children from Internet Abuse – By Asian School of Cyber Laws. You’ll learn online risks children face, what signs parents should watch out for, guidelines for parents on what you should do and rules for online safety for children. An easy read. PDF file. 12 pages.

36. Are you using it right? – By National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Are your children correctly buckled? Find out the right ways (and wrong) of installing and using carseats. Also read the last page about general child seat use. Fully illustrated. PDF file. 24 pages.

36+ Free Amazing Parenting eBooks: Tips And Advice On How To Be A Better Parent – ParentWonder.com.

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States.

We have selected a few mouthwatering recipes to inspire you as you plan your Independence Day Celebration.

A free alternative to failing public schools, where students truly learn, grow and achieve — that is what many claim we have found in charter schools.   Do these schools sound too good to be true?  It turns out that for some, they just might be.

Charter schools are popping up all over the country, especially in cities like New York and Washington D.C. — those infamous for their failing public school systems.  Charter schools currently teach more than 1.5 million students in the United States, double the number six years ago.

While not all charter schools outperform their local public schools, many do turn out stellar test scores and impressive data.  Most mandate students to wear uniforms and project an image of success, giving students pride in their school and in themselves.  Nevertheless, because there are not enough charter schools to accommodate all of our nation’s children, thousands of students remain in failing public schools.

Are Charter School Admissions Fair?

Charter school admissions are done through a “blind” lottery.  Parents submit an application for individual school’s lotteries.

While that sounds fair, it turns out that this lottery system is hardly random.  Logically, this system automatically excludes children who might not find their way to apply.  These children likely come from the least stable families.  Perhaps they are homeless, have a parent with a severe medical condition or are children of addicts.   Perhaps they are neglected or abused children whose parents are not concerned with their education.  Or maybe, they are children whose parents simply are not aware of the opportunities around them.  Like any other service, Charter schools choose where, how and to whom they spread awareness about their existence.  In this way, their entrants are self-selected.

Racial Imbalance?

There is also some evidence that while charter schools have open admissions, they do not cater to all demographic groups equally.  An article in the New York Times this week exposed that Hispanics are marginalized in New York’s Charter Schools. African Americans make up 30 percent of the enrollment in the New York City school system at large, but 60 percent of the enrollment of charter schools.  On the other hand, Hispanics account for 40 percent of the enrollment of public schools and only about 30 percent of the enrollment in charter schools.  For example, at Icahn Charter School 4 in the South Bronx, slightly more than a third of the students are Hispanic, while a traditional public elementary school — two blocks away — is three quarters Hispanic. St. Joseph School, the Catholic Elementary School that I work for, is in the same neighborhood and is 65 percent Hispanic.

Similarly, charter schools have proportionally fewer English language learners, regardless of their ethnicity, than nearby public schools. Only 5 percent of charter students are classified as English Language Learners, compared with 15 percent of public school students.  This issue is just beginning to attract attention of state legislators and others who are asking why.  Is it that Hispanic parents do not feel comfortable applying to the schools or with the services the charter schools offer? Or, is it that they are just unaware these schools even exist?

I think it is a mixture of both.  There was never a translated directory of charter schools in New York City until this year.  For the first time, this directory has been translated it into eight languages. According to the Times, of more than a dozen Hispanic parents interviewed at a public library in the South Bronx, only one had heard of the Icahn 4 Charter School, which is just two blocks away.  Further, the New York Times interviewed parents and said that many were “skittish about sending their children to a school where they would be among only a few Latino students.”

Survival of the Fittest?

So what happens to the lucky students who get chosen from the lottery? Once you are in, that does not mean your spot is secure.  A study of the KIPP Charter School chain shows “selective attrition” in which academic strugglers and disruptive students leave the schools in greater numbers than other students.

A teacher at Harlem Success Academy, a chain of four charter schools said, “I’m not a big believer in special ed.”  He went on to claim that many children who arrive with individualized education programs, or IEPs, really only have maturity issues, which the teachers work to reverse.  However when remediation falls short at Harlem Success, families are counseled out.  The Harlem success teacher continued, “Eva (Moskowitz, the CEO of Harlem Success Academy) told us that the school is not a social-service agency.”

According to an article in NY Magazine, when students are deemed “a bad fit,” the administration of Harlem Success creates a nightmare for their families — repeatedly suspending children and making constant phone calls until parents take their children elsewhere. At one Harlem Success school alone, a teacher said at least six lower-grade children who were eligible for IEPs were withdrawn this school year.

As writer Jonathan Kozol asserted, a huge problem with school choice is that the “ultimate choices” tend to get made “by those who own or operate a school.”

Not “There” Yet

Some charter school advocates may claim the most important aspect of any school is that it educates the students inside its walls.  However, it is much easier for these schools to educate their children and turn out impressive test scores when their populations are purposely skewed toward more motivated students. These issues need to be further addressed before we can claim charter schools represent a successful “come one come all” community.  School administrations and political leaders need to devise policies so this system does not continue to marginalize already marginalized groups of children.  What use are these ideal learning environments to our country — and to our children — if every student does not have the opportunity to attend them?

Read more: education, lottery, Failing, public schools, special ed, test scores, charter schools, english language learner

Summer is a great time of year for entertaining.  You’ve got sunshine, great weather, the outdoors to enjoy, great garden fresh food, BBQ’s, water fun and so much more!  Here are some great ideas for hosting a summertime fun party:

Themes:

• Luau – decorate with grass tableskirting, baskets of fresh fruit and coconuts, fish netting and bowls of seashells… serve tropical smoothies and teriyaki chicken kabobs…hand out leis to friends as they arrive… play calypso music and do the limbo…practice hula dancing!
• Patriotic Party – celebrate Memorial Day or 4th of July in style!  Decorate with flag buntings on deck or front of house…fill flower pots with red, white, and blue fresh flowers- stick little flags in the pots as well…serve firecracker popsicles to the kids…have the kids decorate their wagons in patriotic style and have their own parade…serve All American grub- hamburgers on the grill, corn on the cob, baked beans, and rootbeer floats…for the fireworks in the evening, hand out glow-in-the-dark sticks.
• Camping Party – Set up tents in the backyard…ask guests to bring their sleeping bags…hand out goody bags with a mini flashlight, a compass, and a bag of trailmix…serve snakes on a stick (hotdogs) and s’mores…sing campfire songs around a campfire…take turns telling spooky stories…
• Pool or Beach Party – make your invitations by blowing up a beach ball, writing party info on with a Sharpie, and hand deliver to friends…use beach towels for tablecovers…fill a large basket with extra sunglasses, water goggles, pool toys, sunscreen, and beach towels…set up a pool with pool games, or a Slip and Slide…have a water balloon fight…hand out plastic sand pails filled with water guns, sunglasses, bubbles, and temporary tattoos…serve hot dogs on the grill, and sno cones for cooling off…

For more great summertime party ideas, check out It’s A Party-ful Life! summertime parties.

Author: Cynthia Roesner(ArticlesBase SC #871510) Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Summertime Fun Party Ideas

Children’s Party Games – Getting People of the World to Have Fun Together

Chinese whispers ~ Sit everyone in a circle. Whisper a long phrase to one person. They, in turn, whisper what they heard to the next person, and so on. The last person announces what they heard.

Pass the Parcel ~ Wrap a bar of chocolate (or some other gift), in a layer of paper. Now wrap it in another layer and repeat until you have about 10 layers. Finally wrap it in gift paper (so it looks nice). Sit everyone in a circle and play a short snippet of music. When the music stops, the person holding the parcel removes ONE layer of wrapping. Repeat until the last layer of wrapping has been removed. The winner keeps the present.

Pass the Parcel with forfeits ~ As above but every layer contains a forfeit (E.g Sing a song, Eat a teaspoon of Mustard, have your belly button filled with water).

The Chocolate (or Jelly) Game ~ Sit everyone in a circle and place a tray in the middle with a hat, scarf, gloves, knife and fork, die and a wrapper bar of chocolate. In turn, players throw the die. If they throw a SIX, they must put on the Hat, Scarfe and Gloves before they start to unwrap the chocolate with the knife and fork, ad then start to eat it. To speed up the game add a second die and require a Double SIX. The Jelly Variation is to turn out a set jelly onto a plate and eat it with the knife and fork.

Musical Chairs ~ The old favourite. With one fewer chairs than people, a short snippet of music is played while the people move around the room. When the music stops everyone tries to sit on a vacant chair. (Only ONE person per chair) The person who doesn’t find a chair is out. One chair is taken away and the game continues until only one person (The Winner) is left.

Memory Game ~ On a tray, place about 10 to 15 small items (e.g. pencil, watch, comb, shoe lace, spoon, toy car, etc.) and cover with a cloth. Sit everyone in a circle. Place the tray in the middle of the circle and remove the cloth for 60 seconds. Everyone has to remember the objects. When the time is up, replace the cloth. In turn, each person has to name an object on the tray. The first person to fail to name an object, repeat an object or name something not on the tray is out. The tray is then removed and some or all of the objects replaced, and the game re-started with the person following the one who is out. If the game is too easy for the group, add more objects or reduce the time.

Musical Statues ~ This is like Musical Chairs, but when the music stops, the players have to keep still. Anyone who moves, quivers, shakes etc is out. The winner is the last one still playing.

Listen and Move ~ Place party shapes on the floor in a circle. For example if your theme is Knights the shapes could be shields, swords, and castles. Children walk around circle while listening to music. If the music is loud the children move fast. If the music is quiet the children move slow. If the music stops, the children stop on the closest shape. Young children like to play it this way.
To make it more challenging for older children have 1 less shape than the number of children. Continue remove shapes as the children are ‘out’.

Postman’s Knock ~ All the boys gather in a group and each takes a card with a sequential number (One, Two, Three etc). The girls do the same. The boys then form a line (shoulder to shoulder) facing the girls who are in a similar line. (Players should NOT stand in order. First a girl calls out a number and the boy with that number goes across to kiss her. The a boy calls out a number and the girl with that number goes and kisses him.

Port and Starboard ~ On the command (from the list below) the children have to do the appropriate action. After a while, start removing the last player to comply, untill only one remains.

• Port (Run to one side tof the area)

• Starboard (run to the other side)

• Captains Comming Aboard (Stand to attention and Salute)

• Submarines (Lie on the floor)

• Hoist the Mainsail (run on the spot – like climing the rigging)

• Mess Deck (Sit cross legged on the floor – ready for lunch)

• Davey Jones (Climb a tree, stanbd on a chair – anything so that you are not on the floor)

• Up Periscope (Stand up straight and old hands to eyes as though looking through binoculars)

British Bulldog ~ Caution: This game can get rough. All the players (except one) line up at one side of the playing area. The remaining player (The Bulldog) stands in the middle. When he is ready, he shouts “Go” and all the other players have to get to the other side without being caught. Any player the The Bulldog can lift off the ground while he shouts “British Bulldog”, joins him in the middle as a Bulldog. On subsequent runs, the Bulldogs may work together. The winner is the last one to be caught.

Read more on Kids, teens, adults and outdoor parties here

Party Games for Large Groups (more than 8 People)

Outdoor Pool/Water Parties ~ These parties are great as they are held outdoors on a beautiful summer’s day. (Remember High SPF SUNBLOCK).  If you don’t have a swimming pool, hire or purchase a small pump-action pool, there are so many varieties nowadays.  This is particularly fun for large groups of younger children.

A few soft beach balls, plastic cricket bats/tennis racquets and water toys make this a great hit.  ADULT SUPERVISION REQUIRED.  For older children a swimming party in a regular swimming pool is also a great way to entertain, again Adult Supervision is necessary.

There is no greater place than the family pool. However, as water holds endless fascination for toddlers, you must take every precaution to prevent your child from entering the pool without you. Small children lack the cognitive ability to discern danger. It is the adult’s responsibility to protect these curious and impulsive explorers from entering any body of water unsupervised. Fortunately, many proactive strategies do exist providing multiple layers of protection to help minimize the risk of a child “accidentally” falling into the family pool or any body of water. Supervision, combined with barriers (including double door locks, door alarms, pool alarms and perimeter yard fencing), pool safety fencing, gentle swimming lessons and CPR/water safety awareness can help keep our children safe.

Food and drinks can be kept under beach umbrellas or a tree in the garden.  Makes for a colourful and exciting time and will keep kids and teens occupied for hours.  Take lots of photos.  Children LOVE to have their photos taken   BBQ is GOOD idea

Dramatized Chinese Whispers ~ Specially suitable for teenagers
Several people are taken out of the room. One is returned and while the others are entertained by an assistant is told to mime one of the following (or one of your own ideas)

1. ~Changing the nappies of twins
2. ~Bathing an elephant

Before they start, a second person is brought into the room and told to watch. When the first demonstration has been completed, the first person is allowed to retake their place and the second is told that they have to do what they have just seen. Again, before they start, the third person is brought in to see the demonstration. The games ends when the last person has done the mime, and is asked what they have just done.

Who Am I? ~ A Good game to get people talking together at the start of the party As they arrive each person has a piece of paper pinned to their back. The paper contains the name of a famous person. By asking questions which can only be answered with “Yes” or “No” such as “Am I still alive?”, “Am I fictional?”, etc. the person has to guess their name. Successful guessers may have another go.

Mummies ~ Split the patry goers into teams of three and give each team a toilet roll. Two persons then wrap the third in the toilet roll so that they look like an Egyptian Mummy. The winning team is the one who in a set time (say 2 minutes) have the neatest and most covered Mummy.

Fashion Designer ~ This is like “Mummies” but instead of having toilet paper and having to wrap the ‘victim’ to look like a mummy, you give each team part of a (not ready pasted) wall-paper roll, and 12 safety pins and they have to make an ‘outfit’, in say 5 minutes. If you wish, you may specify “A dress”, “Jacket and trousers”, etc. (The paper may be pinned on the person’s normal clothes, rather than having to make the ‘outfit’ and then they have to put it on.)

Soldiers ~ Take all the girls out of the room and tell them that the room has a line of soldiers who are willing to demonstrate their skills of quick and slow firing. Tell the boys to form a line (shoulder to shoulder) away from the door. (Optionally turn the lights down or out.) In turn, each girl is asked if she would like the demonstration of quick or slow firing. Having answered, the door is opened and she is pushed into the room, and her answer is shouted to the boys. If she opted for quick firing, the boys give her a quick kiss before pushing her onto the next in line, as quicklty as possible. Slow firing allows the boys a longer kiss.

Pins ~ Game Instructions, this is a game for a large crowd of people to get them talking. Give each guest a pin and have them pin it on their shoulder. Instruct everyone they cannot use the words, yes or yea, etc. When they do, the person they said this to gets their pin(s). the person then adds the pin(s) to their other pin(s), the person with ALL the pins at the end of the evening wins (an elastoplast).

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Children’s Tylenol and Other Drugs Recalled

The McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit of Johnson & Johnson has voluntarily begun a recall of certain children’s over-the-counter liquid medicines because of manufacturing deficiencies, the Food and Drug Administration said Saturday.

The deficiencies may affect the potency, purity or quality of the products, the agency said in a statement.

Consumers should stop using certain lots of infants’ and children’s Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl products because some of them may contain too much of the active ingredient, McNeil said in a statement late Friday.

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I’m aware that I’ve been promoting offers rather a lot lately without giving freely as much as I should. So I’ve produced a report as a little ‘thank you’ for being a patient and loyal subscriber to our service. It’s called ‘Needs-Focused Interventions’ and includes various responses to use with seven of the most common behaviour problems teachers face in the classroom.

Some of the strategies are common sense, some won’t be useful at all but I’m sure there will be the odd tip in there somewhere for you. The message behind all the strategies is that there is always a reason for misbehaviour and once we know the reasons, we have more chance of responding in a manner that will give a positive outcome.

You can access the report by visiting our blog – there will be a link to download it for free from there.

Here’s the link to the blog to get your free report…

www.behaviourneeds.com/blog

Please take the time to read some of the (suggested) reasons for each behaviour. I firmly believe consideration of these to be fundamental in changing attitudes towards challenging young people.

Please also leave comments on the blog if you want me to add any other behaviours to the seven currently in the report. I’d like this report to grow but I rely on your feedback to make it happen so that the right information is included.

Cheers,

Rob

West Eachwick Hall, Eachwick, Northumberland, UNITED KINGDOM