HEALTHY PACKED LUNCH

Are you stuck for packed lunch idea? Aware that certain fats are bad but not sure how to avoid them? Well, read on because you will find lots of tips and ideas for healthy packed lunches.

As a parent, you might have gone through the anxiety of wanting to give your child health packed lunches, but also providing something that they will actually eat. After all, a child that won’t eat their packed lunch is probably just as unhealthy as one that eats a packed lunch made up of junk. It’s a huge pressure – I know all too well - but there are certain things you can do to help ease the stress of it all.

The key is in the word “balance” – making sure that your child has all the essential nutrients to help them be healthy and grow, but a little bit of naughtiness so that they don’t get hung up about food and see it as being a bad thing.

Lunchbox ideas:

Sandwiches – ideally, these should contain protein (cheese, meat or egg) plus either a vegetable or fruit - if your child won’t eat veg, adding fruit to sandwiches gives a bit of sweetness and adds to their five a day. Using relish or salad cream/mayonnaise will also make it more flavoursome. For example: cream cheese and banana, cheddar and tomato relish, chicken and thinly sliced tomato, ham and tomato, egg mayo with sultanas, chicken and grapes (try it!).

Bread – well we all know that white bread is no good. To try and wean children off white bread if they won’t eat anything else, try making sandwiches out of one slice brown and one slice white – you could even make this into a bit of fun, let them know that it’s a special sandwich for a super special child!

Fruit – children are much more likely to eat fruit if it is already chopped and in its own container or Tupperware, rather than if you give them a whole piece of fruit which can be a bit daunting. Try a mixture of grapes, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries for children that “don’t like fruit” or the more traditional mix of orange, grape and apple (squirt a little lemon over it to help stop it turning brown) for those that do.

Snacks – hummus with carrot sticks, cheese slices and tomato, nuts with dried fruit, homemade cake made with honey (instead of sugar) and banana, root vegetable crisps instead of potato ones (look in larger supermarkets).


If you involve your children in making snacks at the weekend, they may be more likely to eat them in their packed lunch. For example, making healthy muffins with blueberries, wholemeal flour and half honey/half sugar to sweeten. Or slice potatoes really finely, dowse in healthy olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and bake in a hot oven until golden brown, for perfect homemade crisps.

If you’re really at a loss and are not sure where to start, a good place to begin is by first establishing if your child prefers sweet taste or savoury taste. If children prefer sweet taste, try and encourage fruit eating, and for savoury eaters, try and encourage them to eat veggies sticks chopped matchstick thin and eaten with something tasty such as cheese.

They key is to take small steps and to not give up. You will get there, even if you are not sure how! One small step at a time.

EDUCATION SUPPLIES

While August is the popular month for saving money on education supplies, there are other places you can look to find discount school supplies and clothes. With a little creativity and planning, you will find all the education supplies your children need whether you are a parent or a teacher.

1. Let’s get sales on education supplies out of the way. If it is already August the smart thing to do is to check out the supplies for school at local drug, discount and school supply stores. National chains offer tremendous savings on school supplies this time of year. Get to the sales early and you will find what you need and save a bundle in the process. Teachers can find many classroom supplies on sale at this time as well. If you are a teacher, be sure to take advantage of tax free discounts!

2. Close out stores like Big Lots have school supplies year-round. Notebooks, pencils, rulers, lined paper and folders usually line at least one shelf. While your kids may not appreciate the choice they have in clothing, education supplies can be bought anywhere.

3. Yard sales are a great place to find some of your children’s clothing. If you go to the right neighborhoods, you can find fashionable clothes for a few bucks. It may take some looking, but it is possible to find cute jeans and tops. If your kids balk at the idea of yard sale clothes, just take their measurements and go to them yourself. If you have a bit of fashion savvy, you can get great deals without letting your children know where you got them.

4. For supplies for school, dollar stores are a great place to look. You can buy packages of pens, pencils, erasers and folders for $1 each. Be careful, though. Sometimes you can find even better deals on paper and notebooks on sale at other stores. Why pay a dollar for a notebook when you can pay fifty cents at Target?

5. Warehouse outlets carry name brand clothing at discount prices. Most children -- even teenagers don’t care about the “discount” clothes when the store sign and clothing tags have brand names written on them. Many of these places offer savings of up to 50% on clothes and shoes.

6. If you have you have children of the same gender that are a year or so apart in age, the chances are that you can get away with passing down some clothes. This only works if you make sure to get your younger children something extra which the older child won’t get -- like a brand new lunch box, backpack or purse. You can pretend they are missing out anyway. It’s deceptive, but believe me, the plan does work sometimes.

7. Search online for discount school supplies. Teachers can find fantastic prices on classroom supplies if they get a head start on shopping. Parents can find some of the education supplies their children need by going to places like Amazon and eBay. If your children need specific books for literature classes, online bookstores such as Amazon offer used books as well as new. Scientific calculators can break your budget. They are not cheap, but you can find them cheaper if you look on eBay and other auction sites. There are online school supply stores which carry all such items all year long. Often they will have sales on school supplies at the same time as the brick and mortar stores. If you can be sure the items will get to you on time, this is a great way to shop without having to brave the traffic. With the price of gas these days, the shipping costs may be worth it in terms of time and money.

Whether you are a parent or a teacher trying to find classroom supplies, you can find bargains any time of year. Give these pieces of advice some consideration and you will find everything you need in education supplies and school clothes without breaking the bank to do it.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

It is time to buy school supplies. The stores will be stocked up on the basics and sending out circulars with coupons and ads. Some places will have better deals than others, so it is a good idea to start comparison shopping right now. If you are overwhelmed, you should know that is common. If you have more than one child, there will likely be a difference in the school supplies you will need.

Exactly what you will need in school supplies depends on the ages of your children and the school they are attending. Many teachers are now sending out lists of needed items ahead of time so the students can be prepared on the first day instead of having to wait for a week or two before they have all they need. Waiting to shop for school supplies can cause a disruption in the students’ ability to do their assignments correctly.

If you have not received such a list, you can still do the bulk of your school supply shopping. It is easier to get everything you need if you take along a list.

Basic Back to School Supplies:

• . Pencils - These are one of the things of which you should buy more than you think your children will need. Pencils get lost, stolen, broken and worn down. Buy twice as many as you think each of your children will need. Older children will need pens as well.

• . Lined Paper - Depending on the age of your children, you may need the larger “learn to write” lined paper and/or notebook paper. If the price is lower than you can expect to find it later, purchase two for each child and put the extras away for later.

• . Printer Paper - Make sure you have plenty of this in stock at home as well as in your children’s backpacks.

• . Construction Paper - If you have very young children, construction paper is a good thing to keep on hand. Buy two pads of these for each child. Your child will likelyhave projects to do at home and this saves having to run out and buy it the night before a project is due.

• . Crayons, colored pencils and waterproof markers - which of these you buy will depend on the age of your children.

• . Notebooks - Buy several one subject notebooks per child (except for the 5 to 7 year olds) and at least one five subject notebook for each of your children who are in middle or high school.

• . Erasers - Pencil toppers and big erasers.

• . Binders - Each child will be able to use at least one binder. Many junior high and senior high schools require more than one binder. Here is where a pre-school list from teachers can come in handy! If you don’t have such a list yet, buy at least one binder for each of your children.

• . Calculators - Basic calculators for children who are in upper elementary classes and a scientific calculator for older children. If your child is taking algebra, geometry, calculus or trigonometry, they will likely need the more expensive brands. Here is another place where starting early can be helpful. Find the best deal possible!

Another School Supply Consideration:

Make sure your family or your child’s computer is running efficiently and has the necessary memory for holding the mountains of homework your children are likely to be doing. Nearly all written essays and reports are not only researched via the internet but are written on the computer as well. Many schools are now recommending that all children have laptop computers. Be sure to ask your child’s school about how a laptop might fit into your school supply list.

School supply lists can be very complicated, but finding great deals on the basic school supplies doesn’t have to be complicated at all. If you can find a good online store that that has these items at discount prices, you may be able to buy in bulk and have everything delivered to your door! Don’t wait until school starts before getting as many school supplies as possible.

JOKES FOR PARENT

A mother was scolding her teenage daughter for her careless hairdo. "You modern girls don't care how you look. Your hair looks worse than a mop." To which the daughter inquired innocently, "What's a mop?"

The father of four cleared the room of toys and chuckled to the minister who was visiting, "Since I've been a married, Ive learned what Paul meant by saying, "When I became a man, I put away childish things,' "

A critical neighbor was speaking of the spoiled palyboy who lived next door. "He went to college and received a B.A., but his M.A. and his P.A. still support him."

A love struck 17-year-old was begging his father to sign for his marriage license. "Don't worry about me making a living, Dad. Two can live as cheaply as one!" "I'm sure two can. Your mother and I have lived as cheaply as you for some time now."

The motto of a single mother: Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, and work like a dog.

A single mother was giving her daughter piano lessons every day of the week. One day a man knocked on the door. "Who are you?" the single mom asked. "Jones, the piano tuner." "But I didn't send for you," she protested. "No, but the couple in the apartment upstairs did."

Sammy was practicing his violin lesson while the next door neighbor's hound dog howled pitifully. The neighbor took all he could and finally came over to talk to Sammy's parents. "Please, can't the boy play something the dog doesn't know?"

Two scientists were debating the possibility of life on Jupiter. "I'm sure there's no life ther," said one. "It's never been listed on my daughter's cell phone bills."

A young mother pushed her baby in a stroller while the baby wailed loudly. A child psychologist met her while walking his dog and heard her saying, "Be calm, Margie. Take it easy Margie!" "Young lady," he said, "I congratulate you on knowing how to calm babies." The he leaned over the stroller and said, "Hi Margie. You're a cute little cry baby." "No! No! the mother shrieked, "Im Margie. She's Beverly."

The brown's little baby was quiet and never spoke. The child remained that way until it was six. The one day at the table, the child said distinctly, "Pass the potatoes." Mr. Brown and his wife were flabbergasted. He said, "You've never spoken before. Why did you do it now?" "Didn't need anything until now," the kid said.

Q. What do you call an aborted fetus in Czechoslovakia? A. A canceled Czech

10 WAYS TO MAKE CHILDREN SMARTER

Scientific research shows that intelligence is both genetic and environmental. Intelligence is also not fixed but can be increased because the brain develops new neurons and interconnections with stimulation.

A supportive environment fosters numerous aspects of intelligence. The following 10 easy ways to stimulate intelligence in children will provide an "enriched environment" for brain growth.

1. Love and Self-Esteem Improve Academic Performance

In a long series of experiments, Prescott Lecky, an American educational researcher, found a high correlation between low self-esteem and learning problems in children.

He correctly theorized that by raising a child's self-esteem, learning performance would also improve.

His success stories include a poor speller who averaged 55% in spelling improved to 91% in six months, a Latin student who went from 30% to 84% after three encouraging conversations with a teacher, and a student considered to have no aptitude for English who improved over a semester to win the school's literary prize.

2. Breast Fed Babies Are Smarter

Danish researchers found that mother's milk contained essential micronutrients for brain development. In fact, the longer the child was breast fed, the more the brain was nourished. For example, infants breast fed for 9 months were smarter than infants only breast-fed for two months.

3. Proper Nutrition Improve Health And Nerve Conduction

Diets high in sugar, Trans fatty acids, and salt decreased health in children. Junk food failed to provide sufficient iron for healthy brain development, resulting in poor nerve impulses. Children with nutritional deficiency also missed school more often because of illness and fell behind their peers.

4. Proper Breakfast Improves Attention At School

Thirty years of research has shown a strong correlation between breakfast and mental alertness. Children who had nutritious breakfasts had better memory. They also concentrated better and absorbed more information during class. Those who had no breakfast or poor breakfast were more irritable and distracted during class.

5. Exercise Benefits Intelligence And Personality

Research conducted by the University of Illinois showed that fitter children performed better academically. Besides the obvious physiological benefits of improved oxygen intake, blood flow, immune stimulation, and neural transmission, there was also a psychological and sociological component, too. Psychologically, fitter children showed higher self-esteem. Sociologically, those who participated in organized sports displayed more confidence, more cooperation, and spontaneous leadership.

6. Musical Training Improves IQ Into Adulthood

Long-term research by the University of Toronto showed that organized music lessons benefited children all the way into adulthood. The longer the child studied music, the higher their IQs as adults. Music students also displayed better grades throughout their schooling.

7. Some Video Games Enhance Mental Acuity

Research by the University of Rochester found that certain video games improved sensory perception, strategic thinking, and planning ahead of time. The video games that created positive mental improvements had an educational element that improved motor skills and enhanced memory.

8. Mind Games Do More Than Entertain

Board games like chess, checkers, creative games like Lego and jigsaw puzzles, and brainteaser games like crosswords, cryptograms, riddles, and Sudoku improved intelligence. Specifically, they stimulated better decision-making, smarter analytical thinking, and more accurate problem solving.

9. Reading Improves Both Creativity And Logic

Whether a child was read to at bedtime, or actively read their own books, silently or aloud, they displayed increased left and right brain intellectual growth. Both fiction and non-fiction books improved creative imagination and logical, sequential thinking.

10. Nurturing Curiosity Creates An Open, Absorbent Mind

Curiosity, the urge to seek knowledge, is essential to improving intelligence in children. Conducting educational outings, teaching new skills, and supporting hobbies encouraged the development of curiosity.

These 10 ways of raising intelligence in children are easy to apply, practical, and within the reach of parents and teachers. Research has shown that they are highly effective in creating the environmental support children need to develop their intelligence.

HOME SCHOOLING

In these present times, getting the best education for your children is of the utmost importance. The topic of student education is a controversial one as there are more than a few options available for the parent to plan the educational development of their children. It does not help that the public educational setting is often full of issue and debate over allocation of school funding, curricula choices and external influences. These things and others end up affecting a student's education, personal development and belief system.

As time has past, it has been taken for granted that getting a good education and nurturing the academic and interest path of many children is successfully accomplished by the institutionalized school systems of our states and cities.

For many, the public school systems have not met the needs of many parents and their children with respect to the academic educational standards expected by the proactive parent. This has resulted in a growing movement of parents taking the education of their children into their own hands. Home schooling continues to grow and to expand as more and more parents realize the many benefits and advantages of teaching at home.

Home schooling offers many benefits and advantages over traditional educational methods and systems offered through our public schools.

Home schooling allows the parent to select the exact lesson plan or curriculum the students will learn from based on what the parent thinks is best for the student, not the public school system. It is often found that many public schools teach students subjects that are academically irrelevant, not challenging, or that are really best left to the parent to teach.

Home schooling offers a control mechanism over this and allows for a way to tailor the student's education to specific interests and desires while continuing to provide a challenge level that will keep the student growing in terms of his or her learning abilities.

Home schooling offers flexibility of the educational process. Some students excel at some things but not at others. Home schooling a student of this nature would allow that student to excel where his or her strengths are while at the same time allowing that student to spend a little more in the development of the weaker areas.

Some students are gifted and do well with all subject matter they are being taught. For them, home schooling allows for the education process to be more challenging since a more academically challenging curriculum can be adopted. Gifted home schooled students are able to pursue their interests and development path without the time constraints or curriculum limitations that are present in the traditional learning environment.

There are many ways that home schooling can be accomplished today. Some parents opt for a structured curriculum while others use available textbooks. Some parents combine these things with their own teaching while others teach each lesson completely of their own resources. Knowing this, it is evident that this education process is completely flexible, can be specifically tailored to the student's needs and can be changed on the fly as student educational needs change.

Home schooling offers other indirect advantages as well. One of these might be more available time. Home schooling can be an efficient way to teach. The time you have during the day can be used efficiently, thereby reducing the overall time that the student actually spends at school. This efficient use of time results in more time to be spent on additional activities either related or unrelated to the student's education.

Home schooling allows for the parent to become the main mentor and source of guidance for a child. Since a home schooled child relates to the parent a lot more, the child and parent can form a tighter bond than they might otherwise form. This bond could be the foundation of a higher degree of trust between the child and parent where the child is more apt to come to the parent for help and guidance instead of turning elsewhere.

Home schooling can be an outlet for a special case where a child may have been a victim of excessive bullying at a regular public school. School bullying is a serious problem at some schools and is a hard issue to resolve. The home schooling of a child victimized in this way offers the child a way to re-focus on learning while at the same time being able to receive the close parental guidance needed to overcome how the child handles situations of this nature.

It is now known for a fact that home schooled students do well when it comes to college preparation. In general, home schooled students have performed equal to or better than public schooled students on SAT assessments. In addition, it is a fact that home schooled students have an equal success factor for doing well in college as their public schooled peers.

Home schooling is not for everyone. Each parent should carefully evaluate whether home schooling will benefit their particular situation or not. There are many considerations to be made when choosing to home school, but for many, home schooling has been a choice that has proven to be very beneficial to the student's exceptional education.

SCHOOSING CHILD CARE : a tips

Finding good childcare requires patience, persistence and a few detective skills. Here's what to look for in a qualified day-care center.

For most of us, returning to work and finding alternative care for our child is a fact of life. For many, licensed day-care centers offer the answer. The question is, what makes a good day-care center?

Every day-care center provides, as the name implies, all day care including snacks, lunch and naptime. Generally the caregivers at licensed day-care centers must be fully trained in Early Childhood Education, or its equivalent. Beyond that, the signs of a good day-care center is how adult caregivers interact with children, says Nadia Hall of Mothercraft. "Look at the way care-giving routines are handled such as eating. Is it a time to socialize, to have a warm conversation so as to develop language skills and to allow the child to feel special? Look to see that children's self esteem is being built and that each child is known intimately well by the care-giver."

Hall believes one of the benefits of good day-care is socialization, even for babies as young as ten months. "Children form peer groups at nine and ten months and they know when someone is away. By the time they are toddlers they have formed a very solid peer group and that's the time care-givers are teaching them social skills such as sharing, empathy and learning how to do things as a group."

Finally, Hall says that as good as a day-care center may be, it may still not be the answer for your own child. "If the child is shy, slow to warm up to large groups of children or bothered by the noise level then perhaps a better option is family day care at private homes where there are smaller numbers with one nurturing mother figure."

While leaving young children behind in care is inevitable for many working parents, it's still a difficult adjustment. But by finding the most appropriate childcare arrangement from the onset, this back-to-work transition can be eased for both child and parent.