1. Budgeting – Money woes seem to plague most families these days. Having a budget and sticking to it can be difficult, especially with prices always fluctuating. Sitting down and discussing the budget, and making a commitment to follow it, will go far in keeping this issue from becoming a monumental problem. Keep in mind that you both must allow for an unpredictable economy.
2. Discipline – Some dads can be too strict while others can be too lenient. In many households, the father is still the disciplinarian. This means he may have the final say in matters of punishment, but parents need to have a united front. Again, having a conversation about the matter is the best way to keep issues from escalating.
3. Housekeeping – Some men grew up in a home where Mom did all the housework. With both parents often working outside the home, that expectation can be a difficult one for a mom to deal with. Usually, it is just a matter of dividing up the duties to achieve a more equitable balance.
4. Shopping – Many moms end up sneaking half the things they buy into the home. Dads sometimes have a difficult time understanding why certain purchases are necessary, like that pink pair of sandals that matches the new pink blouse. Of course, sometimes it’s Dad who is conveniently leaving the fishing rod he just bought out in the garage. He just doesn’t want to hear about how it’s the fourth pole he bought…this year!
5. Seat up, seat down – The perennial war goes on concerning the toilet seat. Mothers all over the country are in agreement about the midnight trek to the bathroom that ends up in a rude, cold, and sometimes wet, awakening! Seat down guys.
6. Putting gas in the car – Mothers prefer their own cars so they can make sure there is always gas in the tank. Way too often, when it’s Mom’s turn to use the car, the gas gauge indicates the tank is empty or near empty. One of the most annoying things in life is to need to get somewhere and find out that you must first stop and get gas.
7. Chauffeuring – Moms seem to end up with chauffeuring duties most often. Sometimes Dad is available, but he just assumes Mom will do it. Even though she may not get terribly vocal about it, there are times when she could use a hand with hauling the kids around. Mom’s often would appreciate an offer from Dad to help out in this area.
8. Church/worship service – Any given Sunday you can walk into the average house of worship and you will find that moms outnumber the dads. Many moms struggle with their husbands about attendance because they want to go as a family and not just part of a family. Fathers may not realize what a positive impact their presence and participation will have on their children.
9. The in-laws – There are horror stories about the run-ins between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. Many moms often feel that their husbands’ mothers are standing in judgment of everything they do; from cooking dinner to raising the children to decorating the home. Sometimes these problems can get out of hand and truly have an adverse effect on the entire family.
10. Getting a job – In this day and age where downsizing, outsourcing, and businesses shutting their doors altogether create a daily impact on workers, families take the biggest hit. When Mom isn’t used to being the breadwinner of the family, it can lead to a lot of stress, especially when Dad has been out of work for a while. Working through this type of reversal of roles can be difficult for both Mom and Dad to adjust to.

Some struggles moms have with dads are avoidable through conversations and just checking in with each other. Voicing your needs and not waiting for Dad to figure them out himself will help alleviate some of the issues that come up. Other struggles may actually require professional help or support groups. The crucial thing is to remember to keep the channels of communication open.

1. Ukelele – Little ones that want to play guitar but are too small to manage one might get temporary satisfaction from a ukelele. Though there are fewer strings and the method of playing differs, they’ll be learning to form chords and to read music, which will prove to be valuable knowledge when they’re big enough to tackle the guitar.
2. Piano – Learning to coordinate their eyes, feet and hands while eventually reading sheet music improves many of the skills that kids will need to play a variety of instruments, which makes the piano a popular choice for their first instrument. Learning to play simple melodies happens relatively quickly, giving kids a sense of accomplishment early on.
3. Drums –Even babies and toddlers get a kick out of percussion; school-aged kids can channel that love into the drums. This noisy instrument develops kids’ sense of rhythm and independent coordination, which will help them master other instruments later if they so choose.
4. Xylophone – Blending the percussive elements of drums and the melodic nature of other instruments, the xylophone is a kid favorite. As an added bonus, most have a letter etched on each bar to indicate notes, making it easier for kids to find the note they’re looking for.
5. Keyboards – Similar to the piano, but smaller in scale and infinitely more portable, the keyboard can be a great option for kids. The ability to move it to their bedroom or even outside means that parents can get some peace while Kiddo practices to their heart’s content.
6. Recorder – Most of us remember those plastic, clarinet-esque recorders from elementary school music classes. The reason they’re introduced at such an early age is that they’re light enough for kids to handle easily and don’t require the complicated breathing techniques of many woodwind or brass instruments.
7. Violin – There are many instructional programs tailored to small children for the violin, which can be manufactured in a smaller scale and still maintain decent quality. As children get older, they can transition to cello, bass and other stringed orchestral instruments as well as use their acquired knowledge to master a new instrument altogether.
8. Tambourine – For very small kids, a tambourine can help them develop the coordination and rhythm skills that they’ll need to move onto other instruments as they get older. Most kids can master this simple instrument very quickly, leaving them with a sense of fulfillment and a desire to learn more about music.
9. Flute – In elementary school, your child is likely to be capable of handling a flute, which is one of the reasons why it’s so wildly popular in junior orchestras. Kids can produce notes within a few sessions, which can reduce the frustration some kids feel when they discover that learning to play an instrument is more difficult than they bargained for.
10. Clarinet – Another perennially popular instrument is the clarinet; with E Flat “Kinder” models that are small enough for the average six-year-old to handle, they’re easy to transport and light enough for kids to carry without assistance.

Whichever instrument you and your child decide on, it’s important that they know the importance of being patient and the value of not giving up. The earliest days are likely to be fraught with excitement, then those that immediately follow can be full of discouragement. Encouraging your child to press on and keep working will result in them learning not only the method for playing an instrument, but a valuable lesson in perseverance as well.

1. 1-2-3 Magic, Effective Discipline for Children 2-12:  This great book is by Thomas Phelan and teaches parents how to discipline using humor.  He recommends no spanking, no yelling and no arguing with your children.  This book lays out easy to follow steps to allow you to build up your child while teaching them how to behave.  An award winning and up to date book that even tackles the challenges of kids and their electronics.  A great one to check out.
2. Toe-to-Toe with Your Teen: Christian based philosophies and suggestions on how to “successfully parent a defiant teenager without giving up or giving in”.  This book by Jimmy Myers who is a professional counselor gives sound advice for struggling parents.  Don’t give up on your teens, there’s always hope.
3. Redirecting Children’s Behavior: Kath Kvols has created a guide to help parents create a harmonious family life.  She wants to give her readers the tools that they need to raise their families in a loving environment.  Tips and tricks are given throughout the book on how to deal with real life situations.  This book has been around for a long time, but its lessons still hold true in today’s world.
4. The Happiest Toddler on the Block: An updated version of his groundbreaking book that looks at children in a whole new light.  He considers toddlers to be “uncivilized little cavemen”.  The humor in this book just adds to the enjoyment of reading all of his great insight.  His red light, yellow light and green light behavior scale is an easy one to understand and helpful when trying to handle the many moods of our children.
5. How to talk so your kids will listen: This book stems from a series of workshops developed by the authors, Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish.  A humorously written book that will take you step by step through what it takes to talk so your kids will listen and listen so your kids will talk.  Many times parents want to do all the talking or yelling.  How is that working for you?  Do you believe when you yell the kids will hear you better and then do what you say?  Hardly.  Try a new method by reading this book and taking their advice.
6. Raising Your Spirited Child: A newly revisited version of a previously published book this author looks at why some children a considered high strung or sensitive.  She looks at the labels that have been placed on kids and examines what is happening there.  There is a four-step program that will help you and your child with school, mealtimes, bedtimes, sibling rivalries and more.
7. Last Child in the Woods: For those parents who have children that are struggling with ADHD, ADD and other maladies, Richard Louv has written this book addressing the lack of nature in our children’s lives.  He feels that this disconnection is part of the problem with the behavior problems that some parents are dealing with.  His love of nature comes through as he makes suggestions on how to help kids reconnect with nature and the benefits that they can experience.
8. Positive Discipline: A best seller the first time around this book has now been updated and expanded to deal with today’s concerns.  Jane Nelson, a well-respected psychologist, explains how positive discipline is more of a mutual respect between parent and child.  She explains how to bridge communication gaps, diffuse power struggles and much more in this comprehensive book.
9. Boundaries with Kids: All children need boundaries as many studies have discovered over the years.  You would think that kids would be happy to do whatever they want, but in all honesty they are not.  They get a sense that no one cares when they are left to their own devices.  Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend talk about setting appropriate boundaries and how to avoid living in a “child centered” home.  If the children are in charge there is chaos.
10. Creative Correction Book: A fun and entertaining look at how you deal with every day issues.  Specific examples of poor choices made by children are given and exactly what the parent can do to correct that behavior.

1. The oral thermometer reads 114°. You go into the bathroom for 2 minutes while your son takes his temperature. For a mere 2 minutes he’s left alone with the thermometer. You come back and, what the … Say, what’s that smoke coming from the table lamp light bulb, Junior?
2. It’s Monday morning. What is it about 7 AM Monday mornings that make them so susceptible to all manner of germs and viruses anyway? The Monday morning blahs are not something that needs to be diagnosed by the family physician, in case you were wondering.
3. They’ve faked it umpteen times before, in which case you can hardly be faulted for your skepticism toward the situation. Tell your son the fable of the boy who cried wolf – while he’s dressing himself for school.
4. The sudden ailment coincides perfectly with final exams or an assignment that is due, which your child has failed to study for or complete on time. It’s amazing the things you can learn just by taking a child’s temperature.
5. They’ve got an appointment with the dentist scheduled for today. Another remarkable coincidence that your child could fall ill the same day she is due to have dental work done.
6. You’ve seen your son will his way through the bubonic plague all the way up to Prestige Mode, in Call of Duty. Surely a measly flu bug isn’t going to send our little Commander to sick bay. Perish the thought. Damn the torpedoes and all that.
7. It happens every spring. Those nice warm days filled with brisk air and sunshine just seems to make the kids so ill. At least on five out of seven days of the week, none of which start with the letter “S”. Oddly enough, they seem to build up an immunity right around Friday afternoon at 3.
8. They went nearly three full months (June, July, and August) germ-free and in tip-top shape as the immaculate picture of health. Now they seem to be sick every week. Something tells us it’s got nothing to do with allergies or their immune systems.
9. When we were kids, we never got sick. We walked 5 miles to school, uphill both ways, in our bare feet. And when we got home, we churned butter on our bicycles while painting the barn …
10. Your daughter swears she’s sick, pointing out her gaunt and pale appearance – which you could have sworn she just spent an hour and a half cultivating in the upstairs bathroom, while coordinating her Hot Topic emo ensemble.

1. Don’t pick the baby up every time she cries. – The philosophy behind this old theory holds that it will spoil the baby if she catches onto the fact that crying will garner your attention. Babies, in fact, do need your attention for one reason or another when they cry, and they need to know that you’ll be there for them when they do.
2. Alcohol rubdowns reduce fevers. – They do not lower the baby’s temperature. To compound the error of this myth, the risk of absorption of alcohol into the baby’s skin poses an even greater danger than the fever itself.
3. Immunizations weaken your baby’s immune system. – Your baby’s immune system will naturally develop antibodies against minor illnesses as he grows. However, immunizations against serious diseases protect the baby from experiencing their effects as opposed to enduring them (if they aren’t in fact fatal) just to develop a resistance to them.
4. A strict feeding schedule is essential for your baby’s health. – Wrong. Doctors now agree that it’s best to allow the baby’s own hunger cues to dictate when they eat, rather than to feed her just because ‘it’s time’. Feeding on a schedule rather than on the baby’s cues can actually be unhealthy for her.
5. An infant should be put to sleep on its stomach.  – The logic here was that the child would be less susceptible to choking on spit-up. However, evidence now indicates this sleeping position leads to higher incidents of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
6. Too much sugar will make your kid hyper. – There is actually no evidence to support this theory. The truth is that some sugary foods lack the fiber that allows the sugar to be released gradually into the bloodstream. That, and not the sugar content itself, is the cause for your child’s energy burst.
7. It’s wrong to answer: “Because I said so.” – Truth is, there are times when this is a valid answer to settle a debate that has otherwise been answered in detail. Once you’ve provided ample explanation as to why something is the way it is, ending your child’s protests by reminding him who’s the boss is perfectly OK.
8. A child’s brain is fully developed by the age of 3. – There are some basic skills that a child will fully develop by that time, but her brain will continue to develop in some areas for years to come. Such things as personal interests, skills, and abstract thought appear later in life as a result of this continued development.
9. “My baby deserves the best.” – Not so fast. There is a natural tendency for parents to want to provide everything they can for their children; however overindulgence and leniency can be far worse for them than letting them do without a few things from time to time. If you’re going to lavish them with anything, make it love.
10. Parenting comes naturally. – It doesn’t take more than a brief glance at headlines to see the lie in this myth. In fact, you probably wouldn’t be reading this article if it came naturally to you either. The truth is we all need to learn what does and doesn’t work in raising healthy children. There is no shame is seeking advice and assistance from qualified people.

1. Lack of social interaction – As children grow older it becomes important for them to interact with other children. This socialization prepares them for school. Without it, they may have a more difficult time adjusting.
2. Bored kids – Since the kids are home all the time there is more of a chance they will become bored with the same routines. Unless your nanny is unusually creative and resourceful it may be difficult for her to keep the kids adequately entertained day after day.
3. Wear and tear on the home – There will be constant activity in a home with a nanny and the children there all day. This will add more to the housekeeping chores than if the children were being cared for elsewhere.
4. Additional costs – Hiring a nanny will generally cost more than putting your child in a day care center. Along with her salary, you will need to pay nanny taxes, possibly transportation costs and extra insurance costs for workers comp and added liability coverage.
5. Additional meals – Having a nanny means you will need to have additional groceries on hand for meals, both for the nanny and the children. This means extra meal planning and grocery costs.
6. Less privacy – Privacy issues can arise with a nanny. Constantly having another person in the house can get to be stressful if it impacts your privacy. Personal documents and information you might normal feel free to leave in the open might need to be handled with more care.
7. Less cooperative kids – Kids can become unruly just because they feel so comfortable on their own turf. When they are in the comfort of their own home sometimes they feel as if they can challenge the authority of outsiders. This can cause discipline problems for the nanny.
8. Preschool education – Your toddler will miss out on many preschool activities and the education a preschool provides by staying home all the time with a nanny. This might also affect your child’s ability to easily socialize with other children when it comes time to enter school. Group activities with other preschoolers teach little ones how to cooperate and share with one another.
9. Jealousy – The green eyed monster can come most unexpectedly to mothers when they realize their little one seems to be more attached to the nanny than Mom. Even though it may not be the case, it can certainly seem that way since the child is spending hours with the nanny instead of Mom.
10. Manipulation – Kids might feel like they can manipulate situations to their advantage by playing Mom against the nanny. Kids are pretty smart when it comes to knowing how to control things in order to get what they want.

Knowing the disadvantages of having a nanny in the home before you take that plunge can help you decide whether you want to brave those waters or not. Having a nanny is a great convenience, but it does come with some costs in other areas.

1. Food dyes:  There’s been a recent study in the UK where food dyes in drinks and snacks have been linked to a higher likelihood of hyperactivity.  Specific dyes mentions were FD&C Blue 1 and 2, FD&C Green 3, Orange B, FD&C Red 3, FD&C Red 40, FD&C Yellow 5 and 6.  Avoiding artificial colors in your child’s foods may decrease the occurrences of hyperactivity.
2. Preservatives:  Food preservatives were looked at in combination with the artificial colors so studies say it’s hard to determine if preservatives alone cause hyperactivity in children, but recommendations have been made to reduce or try to eliminate preservatives from your child’s diet if they are always hyper.
3. Sugar: While studies cannot confirm a solid link between the consumption of sugar and hyperactivity the average teacher can.  If kids are given sugary snacks in the morning to celebrate a birthday they are louder and less focused for the rest of the day. The body turns sugars into carbs which fuel the body and give us energy.  Certain kids are more sensitive to the effects of sugar than others.
4. Overstimulation: In babies we know that overstimulation may cause them to cry inconsolably.  In older children overstimulation comes out in tantrums, aggressive behavior toward others and hyperactivity.  Hyperactive children tend to get into more fights with their peers and have trouble coping with situations on the playground.
5. Excessive television watching: It seems like television watching gets blamed for everything.  Teens go on killing rampages because they watched too much violence on TV; we have a generation of overweight kids now because of too much television, etc.  Now hyperactivity is also being linked.  Watching TV is a sedentary activity and children that are prone to hyperactivity should have an active lifestyle in order to help get rid of their extra energy.  Watching TV is not active and therefore should be limited to an hour a day according to experts for those children that are prone to hyperactivity.
6. High thyroid levels:  The thyroid controls your metabolism by producing hormones.  If you have hyperthyroidism that means your thyroid is producing too many of these hormones and your metabolism is going faster than it should.  People with this condition often have trouble with being too thin.  I’m sure many of us wish we had this problem, but it can be quite serious in children.  One side effect of hyperthyroidism is hyperactivity.
7. Lead poisoning: The effects of lead on the brain have been studied for years.  Lead poisoning is the leading environmental hazard threatening children today.  Low levels of lead poisoning can cause hyperactivity, low IQ, learning disabilities and aggressive behavior.
8. Caffeine: Caffeine is a stimulant and can have the effect of making a child hyper or the opposite effect of making them sleepy.  In kids with ADD caffeine has actually been shown to help calm the kids and make them more focused.  However, if your child has not been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD the stimulants will likely result in a more energetic and squirmy child.  It is important to note that caffeine does not affect some children at all.
9. Food allergies: Not all children respond to food allergies with hyperactivity, but some have been recorded.  Food allergies that have been noted to cause hyperactivity are eggs, milk, wheat, soy and fish.  To truly know, your child must be diagnosed by a professional, but hyperactivity may be a symptom of something as easy to solve as diet.
10.  Stress:  High stress situations for kids can cause them to freak out and want to move around.  It’s a common response for kids.  It’s kind of the fight or flight response to a stressful situation.  They don’t know what to do to ease the stress and they just want to get away from it.  They will get up and move around and fidget in their seats.  These actions are indicative of a hyper child, but they are really triggered by stress.  If you can determine what is stressing that student out and help them through it the hyper behavior should take care of itself without further treatment.

1. Crabbily – When a preschooler or toddler is decidedly not a morning person, the resulting antics can be the source of lots of grown-up laughter. Though rewarding their surliness with laughter isn’t advised by experts, it can be almost impossible not to give in to a chuckle or two.
2. In the Middle of the Night – Many children are simply not heavy sleepers. They wake up two or three times in the night with claims of being thirsty, needing to use the restroom and swearing that there’s a mythical creature in the closet. This behavior can become frustrating if it’s a regular occurrence, but is usually endearing and funny when it’s relatively rare.
3. Completely Disoriented – Kids often wake up and are completely unaware of their surroundings; while this can make for treacherous navigation, it’s also pretty funny for anyone who happens to be observing.
4. Bright-Eyed and Bushy-Tailed – When kids spring out of bed every morning ready to face the day with enthusiasm, it’s hard for an adult not to be somewhat charmed and amused by their excitement. Even when parents aren’t quite morning people themselves, keeping a straight face is no small task.
5. Pretending to Be Sick – At a certain age, kids begin to understand the concept of faking illness for a bit more sleep. Though it can become a problem if parents cater to their whims and feigned sickness, it’s also the source of a few concealed chuckles for the grown ups.
6. Grudgingly – Even the most well-behaved child can have mutinous tendencies when faced with an early-morning wake-up call. Watching a good-natured child struggle against their distaste for getting out of bed can be irresistibly funny for parents.
7. Only Halfway – Many parents have witnessed the hilarity of a child that’s still not completely awake, even at the breakfast table. Seeming to sleepwalk through the house, these little ones can get into all sorts of sticky situations that cause parents to laugh.
8. Bargaining – When kids start negotiating for extra sleep before they even open their eyes, keeping the laughter in check can be almost impossible. Outlandish and unrealistic promises are often made in the hopes of a “few more minutes” in bed; the resulting comedy can be the stuff of family legend.
9. Only Through Extensive Effort – Though it can be the source of a bit of parental frustration, an extremely difficult-to-wake child can also be quite funny. In quite an ironic twist, parents spend the earliest days of their child’s life trying to help them become “good sleepers;” when they grow up to be exceptionally heavy sleepers, they can find themselves rethinking those early hopes.
10. Far Ahead of Schedule on Big Days – Children that are nearly impossible to wake on normal days are often the first ones out of bed and clamoring on big days. Holidays and other milestone mornings can send a child hurtling out of bed in a bid to wake the whole household.

Childhood is a fleeting time that builds fond memories of even those most common things. When siblings reach adulthood, get togethers are often spent reminiscing about those days growing up and the routines of each individual that marked the patterns of their days.

1. They will learn the value of a buck. There’s a world of difference between an allowance and a salary. When a child is required to earn the money, its value becomes more tangible. Speaking of allowance vs, salary …
2. An allowance should be earned by performing jobs, not chores. In this way, your kid will see how there are things in life that one must do for themselves without any benefit other than having gotten them done, like household chores. Then there are jobs they must also do to earn a living and pay the bills.
3. Nothing is free. Understanding that is an abstract concept for a young person until they are called upon to pay for it themselves. You want something, you need to earn it.
4. They can develop a sense of financial worth, or earning potential. Understanding what certain tasks are worth monetarily is one part of preparing for the adult labor force that awaits them.
5. Instill in them a work ethic. It’s important for a child to learn that they have to earn their keep in this world. The need for sustenance is a strong motivator for getting out of bed and going to work each day.
6. Appreciation for material wealth. Everyone loves to have things. Kids especially want to have all sorts of great stuff like video consoles, cell phones, clothes, etc. They will appreciate what they have much more once they start paying for it with money they had to earn.
7. Conversely, it’s surprising to realize how many material things you can do without when you’re spending your own money instead of someone else’s. Kids learn to economize and the value of moderation, or frugality.
8. On that subject, a child who is required to earn their keep will have the opportunity to hone bookkeeping skills, accounting, balancing a budget. These are essential skills for a young adult to master.
9. Time management is another necessary in the adult world. It’s incumbent upon an employee in any occupation to make maximum use of their time. When that time has a monetary value attached to it, a child learns the meaning to the adage that time is money.
10. Prioritizing is part of growing into adulthood also. Learning that they have to set priorities when managing a budget, their time, and their purchases prepares them for the realities of adulthood.

1. The Bunny Ear Method – Teaching the child that the bunny first needs a head, they will make an ‘X’ out of the laces and tie the first knot. Then, show the child how to loop the loose ends, making the bunny ears, then tie them together. This, you inform the child, will make the bunny’s ears tight, so they won’t fall off.
2. The Squirrel and the Tree Method – This technique will teach your child to tie a shoelace knot using the single loop method. Start off the tree by tying some “roots”, which will of course be the basic ‘X’ knot as above. Have them hold a loop of lace in one hand, which will be the tree. Now then, you say, ‘a squirrel runs around the tree, and into the hole below’. Have the child wrap the other lace end around the ‘tree’ and into the ‘hole’ below to form the knot.
3. The Indian and the Teepee – This shoe-tying teaching aid makes use of a poem to go along with the visual. An Indian who is building a teepee is used to help the kid visualize how to tie the knot:
• Build a tee pee
• Come inside
• Close it tight so we can hide
• Over the mountain
• And around we go
• Here’s my arrow
• And here’s my bow!
4. A Really Big Shoe – If your child is having trouble mastering her shoe-tying skills, it sometimes helps to provide a bigger-than-life model to work with. You can cut out a big shoe from cardboard, and let your child decorate it. Punch lace holes in the cutout and let her lace it.
5. Different Color Laces – As a way of helping your kid differentiate between left and right when teaching him to tie a shoe, you can use two different color laces. Now, instead of having to say, “take the right lace and tuck it under the loop”, you can tell him to use the red one instead.