FW: Bright-Kids - 06/23/03 - Sane summer schedules; bathtime fun

[Guest guest]

Bright-Kids - 06/23/03 - Sane summer schedules; bathtime fun

Bright-Kids

________________________________

Vol. 3, No. 13 -- June 23rd, 2003

Circulation: 36,000+

<a

href= " http://hometown.aol.com/brightkidsrus/ " >http://hometown.aol.com/br

ightkidsrus/</a>

mailto:debi@...

Copyright 2003 Deborah -Hough

ISSN: 1536-0466 ________________________________

Subscribe: join-bright-kids@...

Unsubscribe: leave-bright-kids@...

________________________________

IN THIS ISSUE:

-- " Dear Readers "

-- Quote-able

-- Making Bathtime FUN!

-- Recommended Resource: Literature-based Coloring Books

-- Sane Summer Schedules

-- Letters to the Editor / Reader Tips

-- Assorted Information (resources, retrieving back issues, etc.)

________________________________

< < O U R S P O N S O R > >

More than just a coupon organizer!

" I was amazed when I saved 40% just by following your guide- lines. I've

already saved the cost of my Priceplanner! "

-- Theresa B. (Tampa Bay, FL)

" I can honestly say that Priceplanner cut at least 30

minutes from my usual time for shopping. "

-- Jena F. (Cambridge, MA)

Presenting PricePlanner. A smart, compact, durable and

easy-to-use coupon organizer, money saving system & day

planner all in one! Loaded with features that will help you

save money -- with or without coupons!

<a href= " http://www.couponorganizer.com/ " >PricePlanner</a>

________________________________

Dear Readers,

I hope everyone who's beginning summer vacation this month

has an absolutely wonderful time! If your kids run out of constructive

activities and are starting to stare at each other with blank looks,

send for my free email article on

200+ Summertime (or anytime!) Activities. To order the

article, send an email containing any message to:

200ideas@...

Simply Yours,

Debi

(Deborah -Hough)

Editor, Bright-Kids Email Newsletter

--Author, 'Frozen Assets,' 'A Simple Choice,' and the newly

released 'Frugal Living For Dummies®' (2003, Wiley) --Editor,

Simple Times and Bright-Kids email newsletters

<a

href= " http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/ " >http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/

</a>

________________________________

QUOTE-ABLE

" Appealing to the conscience is different from using guilt

to manipulate. It is not a matter of telling the child, 'You're bad and

you need to change.' Instead, we are trying to convey that the child is

a good person who has done the wrong thing. "

-- Turansky and Joanne , 'Say Goodbye to

Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes ... in you

and your kids!'

Browse this book online at: <a

href= " http://snurl.com/1mqo " >http://snurl.com/1mqo</a>

________________________________

MAKING BATHTIME FUN!

Copyright Terry

Used with permission. All rights reserved.

<a

href= " http://www.terrymillershannon.com " >http://www.terrymillershannon.c

om</a>

Are you hearing, " But I don't wannnnna take a bath! " from

your child? With these simple and inexpensive ideas, you

may soon hear, " Mom, can I take a bath NOW?! " :

1) SAFETY FIRST:

-- Never leave your child alone in the tub!

-- Feel the temperature before putting your child in the tub.

-- Fill the tub before adding the child, to avoid temperature

fluctuations.

-- Bone up on other safety tips here:

<a

href= " http://www.parentcenter.com/refcap/health/safety/10559.html " >http:

//www.parentcenter.com/refcap/health/safety/10559.html</a>

2) TUB TUNES:

-- During tub time, teach your kids the songs you loved

as a child.

-- Play their favorite music while they splash in the tub.

-- Try singing, " Scrub, scrub, scrub your face (arms, legs,

etc) " to the tune of " Row, Row, Row Your Boat " while

washing them.

-- Don't forget the old Sesame Street song, " Rubber Duckie. "

What? You've forgotten the words?! Refresh your

memory at: <a

href= " http://snurl.com/1iqy " >http://snurl.com/1iqy</a>

3) TUB TOYS:

-- Pouring and Measuring: Measuring cups, measuring

spoons, funnels, plastic bottles, plastic watering cans,

eye droppers, colanders, strainers

-- Floating and Sinking: Balls, rubber ducks, plastic boats,

a rock, a full bottle of shampoo, sponges

-- Squirting: Empty plastic shampoo bottles, turkey basters,

squirt guns, plant misting bottles

-- Things for the little bather to wash: a doll with hair to

shampoo, toy cars for a car wash, plastic dishes

-- Bubblers: Bubble bath or bubble solution plus wands,

empty plastic berry baskets, straws to blow through,

slotted spoons. Make your own bubble solutions and

wands at

<a

href= " http://creativekidsathome.com/activities/activity_5a.html " >http://

creativekidsathome.com/activities/activity_5a.html</a>

4) GAMES:

-- Tea parties, with a plastic tea set

-- Hide a small plastic toy beneath one of several floating

plastic lids (like yogurt lids) while your child closes

her eyes. She seeks, and finds. Her turn to hide the

toy for you!

-- Paint the tub with homemade bath fingerpaints from

<a href= " http://snurl.com/1ir1 " >http://snurl.com/1ir1</a>

On your mark, get set ... go fill the tub with fun!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

--Terry and her son, Tim Warner, wrote

a funny, rhyming picture book, 'Tub Toys' (Tricycle

Press, 2002), inspired by Tim's three-year-old bath-

loving son. Children's Literature calls it " a must-have

book for families. " Check it out: <a

href= " http://snurl.com/1iqv " >http://snurl.com/1iqv</a>

________________________________

< < O U R S P O N S O R > >

PIANO IS EASY! Kids 4-12 love it!

Put the numbered stickers on your piano and

you're ready to play.

A great way to get kids started playing piano.

I CAN READ MUSIC!

FREE ebook, plus FREE VHS video too!

Visit <a

href= " http://www.pianoiseasy.com/?src=bright33 " >http://www.pianoiseasy.c

om/?src=bright33</a>

and see all the fun songs you can play! ________________________________

RECOMMENDED " BRIGHT-KIDS " RESOURCES:

Literature-Based Coloring Books

During those long summer days or unending cross-country

car trips, kids love to color. Spark their coloring adventures with

books containing not only fun pictures but also the text of great

poetry, fables and Bible stories.

<a

href= " http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/048623844X/simplepleasuresp

/ " >Rackham's Fairy Tale Coloring Book</a> by Arthur Rackham 30 drawings

and 17 Grimm fairy tales include Hansel and Gretel, King Thrushbear,

Doctor Know-All, plus 12 others. http://snurl.com/1mp6

<a

href= " http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486206238/simplepleasuresp

/ " >Bible Stories Coloring Book</a> from the Bible 46 incredible woodcuts

from the Koelner Bible (1479) illustrate Old Testament stories. Clear,

simple accompanying text. Great for reading aloud to younger children.

Illustrations are complex and probably better suited for older children,

teens or adults to color, rather than younger kids.

http://snurl.com/1mp7

<a

href= " http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486228835/simplepleasuresp

/ " >Kate Greenaway's Mother Goose Coloring Book</a> by Kate Greenaway,

Perkins (illus.) Little Jack Horner, Jack and Jill, and 35 other

Mother Goose personalities in beautiful illustrations.

http://snurl.com/1mp8

<a

href= " http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486210405/simplepleasuresp

/ " >Aesop's Fables Coloring Book</a> by Aesop 46 fables in

illustrations--from 1476 German woodcuts--and texts in new translations.

http://snurl.com/1mp9

<a

href= " http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486234819/simplepleasuresp

/ " >Child's Garden of Verses Coloring Book</a> by Louis son

25 favorite poems exploring the details of a child’s world illustrated

by new, large illustrations. http://snurl.com/1mpa

________________________________

SANE SUMMER SCHEDULES

Copyright Huckaby

Used with permission. All rights reserved.

<a

href= " http://www.TheHOMEWriter.com/ " >http://www.TheHOMEWriter.com/</a>

@...

Little League. Soccer. Horseback riding. Swimming

lessons. Family picnics. Employer picnics. Vacation.

Summer camp. Visiting relatives. Just typing all those activities made

me tired! In addition to all of this, you may also include gardening,

yard work, a wedding or two, and a few rounds of golf, tennis, or

volleyball. Let's not forget that you will still be cleaning your home,

cooking, taking care of your children, exercising, working, and keeping

up with your hobbies.

If your children are grown, you can take about six activities off of the

above list. But, if you have three or more children, you will be

multiplying those six activities! Regardless of the number of people

living in your home, there's a good chance that you will be going in

different directions this summer. How can a busy family find time to be

together when everyone needs to be somewhere different? By simply using

the Rule of One.

ONE MAIN CALENDAR

If you don't have a main calendar for your family, now

is a good time to create one. Using one main calendar

will ensure that everyone knows what is happening,

who needs to be where, and when it all takes place.

As plans are made, write them on the calendar right

away. If you make an appointment while out of the

house, be sure to write it down on the calendar as

soon as you get home. I like the ones with the big

1 " x2 " squares for each day because I can see it from

across the kitchen. You may prefer a desktop-style

calendar instead. I found Polestar Calendars on the

web. There are also computer software calendars,

like Microsoft Outlook, or Sidekick (my favorite!). If

you need to access your calendar from the office,

but don't want to carry it with you, try one of the

web-based options available, like Jungle Mate or

Remember It.

ONE DAY PER WEEK

Choose one day per week for a " family day. " Don't

schedule anything else for that day -- no appointments,

no lessons, no visits, etc. It doesn't even have to be the

same day each week. Just be sure that at the beginning

of each week you pencil in this Very Important Priority.

Your family needs you! You need time to reconnect with

each other, whether there are just two of you, or ten or

more of you. Play a board game, take a walk, create

your own home movie, or just relax in the shade of a

tree and talk. Once you have at least one day per week

set aside for family, you can move on to the last Rule

of One.

ONE EXTRA ACTIVITY

During the winter many people feel tired and run down

from the lack of sunshine. That doesn't happen in the

summer when most days are filled with bright sun,

chirping birds, and fresh breezes. We tend to want to

get everything done so we overbook our days. Our to-do

lists get too long; we take on too many projects; and

the children sign up for every activity under the sun.

To avoid this, limit each family member to only one

outside activity. Soccer or horseback riding? Gymnastics

or tennis? The choice will be up to the individual and it

will depend on how the activity fits in with the family schedule.

Remember to schedule one day for family first! If you have more than

three children you may even want to convince some of them to attend the

same activities, otherwise you'll find yourself traveling all over town

every day of the week!

Summer time doesn't have to be the season that you

lose your sanity. With one main calendar to schedule

all your events, one day per week dedicated to your

family and one outside activity per person, you will cut

down on summer stress. Use the Rule of One to enjoy

that sunshine, and enjoy your family!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

-- Huckaby is the HOMEWriter. Her goal is to

encourage other mothers through the written word.

Be sure to stop by and visit her at her HOMEWriter

website at: [ http://www.TheHOMEWriter.com/ ] or

her website for home educators, the Unofficial Weaver

Pages [http://www.unofficialweaver.com/ ].

________________________________

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR / READER TIPS

We're looking forward to reading *YOUR* tips, ideas and

feedback here in Bright-Kids ... we love to hear from our

readers! :-) Mailto:DSimple@...

Re: Family newsletters

Just read your newsletter. We've been doing a family newsletter for

years. Our children love it and grandparents love it. We went to an

email version after doing a print version for a few years -- we don't

have a copy machine. It made it much easier to send to our family far

away. We've also found helpful the book <a

href= " http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/096302227X/simplepleasuresp

/ " >Creating Family Newsletters</a> by Elaine Floyd. She gives many

ideas on things to write about and how to format, etc. I highly

recommend doing a newsletter because the children don't mind writing

about family events. They get used to thinking like a writer and seeing

little things as " potential " for articles. --Amy

________________________________

< < B E O U R S P O N S O R > >

Would you like to place an ad in this newsletter? Contact

Mailto:marketing@... Subject line:bright-kids

Discover the modest rates for reaching this targeted market.

________________________________

FAMILY " TWADDLE-FREE " READING LIST

Recommended books for children and families

Go to: <a href= " http://snurl.com/1fue " >http://snurl.com/1fue</a>

(This is a great list to print out and hand to your kids' grandparents

for suggestions at gift-giving times!) ________________________________

Feel free to forward this newsletter to your family and friends. :-)

________________________________

BRIGHT-KIDS ARCHIVES

For a list of most back issues of the Bright-Kids Email Newsletter,

click on the " Read Messages " button at the following website:

<a

href= " http://hub.thedollarstretcher.com/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?visit=bright-ki

ds " >http://hub.thedollarstretcher.com/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?visit=bright-kids

</a>

________________________________

RESOURCES:

Frugality/Simplicity: <a

href= " http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/ " >http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/

</a>

Cooking Ahead: <a

href= " http://hometown.aol.com/oamcloop/ " >http://hometown.aol.com/oamcloo

p/</a>

Bright-Kids: <a

href= " http://hometown.aol.com/brightkidsrus/ " >http://hometown.aol.com/br

ightkidsrus/</a>

__________________________________________________

<a href= " http://snurl.com/phk " >Frugal Living For Dummies®</a> (Wiley,

February 2003)

<a href= " http://snurl.com/15r5 " >A Simple Choice</a>

A practical guide for saving your time, money and sanity.

<a href= " http://snurl.com/15r6 " >Frozen Assets</a>

How to cook for a day ... and eat for a month!

<a href= " http://snurl.com/10c5 " >Mix and Match Recipes</a> Creative ideas

for today's busy kitchens. ________________________________

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

Subscribe: join-bright-kids@...

Unsubscribe: leave-bright-kids@...

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think

might be interested. This is a private mailing list which isn't sold

or shared with anyone else. Tips and articles are printed for

entertainment purposes only.

________________________________

A special thanks to Larry , Foreman and The Dollar

Stretcher resources for making this mailing list possible!

<a href= " http://www.stretcher.com/ " >http://www.stretcher.com/</a>

________________________________

---

You are currently subscribed to bright-kids as: handd1@... To

unsubscribe send any message to the following address:

leave-bright-kids-1098299G@...

---

Incoming mail is certified Virus Free.

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

Version: 6.0.491 / Virus Database: 290 - Release Date: 6/18/2003

---

Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

Version: 6.0.491 / Virus Database: 290 - Release Date: 6/18/2003