Family Time

Family traditions are important. (Yes, I know. You've heard that one before...) Well, what's stopping you? A great way to include the kids in family decision making is setting up your very own family rituals. The funner the better. You can do the usual board game night - we like that one at my house. My guess is it wouldn't take too much to think of a truely unique togetherness experience.

Read a Book

My kids have been going through The Book of Three with their father. What an improvement a little practice makes in a skill like reading! It has also improved my youngest son's speech. Interestlgy, I find that the kids have a better understanding - therefore a better enjoyment - of the story with a little adult guidance. So why not start your own family book club?

This is a hard one because the public school system loads our kids up with so much "homework" that children feel like if they read one more book, they'll pop. I suggest it is worth a try, especially if the children are given control over the material. With the improved reading skills and intelletual growth, their homework will become easier over time.

Saturday Night Movie

Too obvious? We are currently in the home stratech of a John Wayne marathon. We have seen all his westerns and are making our way through the war movies. There are a lot of lessons in old movies - both positive and negative. Forget the dishes and sit down once a week with a bowl of popcorn and watch a family movie. Don't cheat and get a new realease. Look a little harder and you may find:

• The Mouse That Roared
• Darby o'Gill and the Little People
• Old Yeller and Savage Sam
• Never Ending Story
• The (Original) Parent Trap
• Sourdough (hard to find but worth it)
• Where the Red Fern Grows
• Sounder
• Yankee Doodle Dandy
• Anything with Shirley Temple

Exercise

A little sweat never hurt anyone and I know I'm not the only one here that want to take a few pounds off. Go out and take a walk. Ride a bike. Lift some weights. Make a game out of it. That's the advantage kids have - to them it's still fun. I was amused by my boys teaching their baby sister how to do sit-ups and push-ups this evening. I should have been down there with them. Oh well - I cheered them on anyway.

The Wonderful World of Coloring Books

When I was growing up, my mother had to work very hard to support us. We got up before dawn and were bundled in blankets to go to the babysitter's. Even so, she still took the time to sit down with a good ol' coloring book now and again. On holidays, we made simple decorations out of construction paper. I was very surprised one day to find out that my dad was the worlds best coloring book colorer. I can see his version of Forghorn Leghorn clearly to this day. The colors in the tail... What a masterpiece that was! When all is said and done, it's simple things like this that kids remember forever.

Music of All Kids

The family that listens to music together... no wait - that was something else.  Listening to music and just being at peace is a wonderful family tradition. It gives parents a chance to hear what their children are listening to, but kids have to listen to their parents favorites, too! Try something different every now and then. Consider it a challenge. Anyway, if you like music, you've come to the right place. Check out our music catalog for something new.

Wax Intellectual

You'd be surprised what kids like learning about. My son studies the Bible incessantly. Nobody told him to - he just thinks it's awesome. Maybe your family likes animals and would get a kick out of going through animal books one at a time, cover to cover. There are many topics that have a "one a day" approach to learning. Now that I mention that, I'd better crack The American Civil War in 365 Days book I have here. When I was a kid, I loved medical encyclopedias. Hey, you never know.