The Family First
Newsletter
Promoting family unity one issue at a time
Vol. 10 Issue 5 - Week of January 28, 2007
ISSN: 1527-6201
©2007 - Joyce Pierce --All Rights Reserved
In this issue:
Start as You Mean to Go On
How to Select the Best Presidential
Candidate in 2008
Raising Responsible
Kids - How To Get Your Children To Do Their Chores
7 Quick Tips to Keep You Organized
Good morning!
I realized last week that the link to subscribe to the newsletter wasn't working properly. I've revised it, and believe it's now working. If you've forwarded the ezine to friends in the past and they've had a problem, please forward this issue and have them try it again. I am no longer using Yahoo Groups to publish, so it's important they use the link at the bottom. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thank you for forwarding.
My daughter forwarded this link to me
last week. It is is a webcam of an African
watering hole.
http://www.wavelit.com/?ch=Wildlife&sh=africam Be careful. It's addictive. From the comfort of your own home, you can watch the animals in their own habitat. I watched baboons playing last week! There are other interesting things on this site, too, so browse around.
Here's a great site for all you groovy parents! THE FAMILY GROOVE was founded by two moms, Jillian Swartz and Amy Beth Sestito. They say, "We share your exhilaration, exasperation and exhaustion. We, too, want to figure it all out: how to be the best parent possible and still maintain an identity; how to grow as an individual while shaping our children's lives. THE FAMILY GROOVE is here to make your life a little easier, a little more fun and a whole lot groovier." http://www.thefamilygroove.com
Please forward this issue to someone who may benefit from it!
Joyce Pierce
Start As You Mean To Go On
by: Simone Nowell
It is easy to begin a new year with the best of intentions which quickly fall by the wayside and get forgotten. Why not make 2007 your best year ever?
The first thing to accept is that there are never going to be any more hours in the day than 24 and for most of us, a few of these need to be set aside for things like sleeping and eating. Making the most out of the hours we do have available is fairly easy and once you get a grip on your time management, you'll wonder why you never did this before.
Slice it up
The best way to start getting yourself and your family organized is to get some sort of family planner. The best ones span seven days and the days are divided up into hourly or half-hourly time slots. There should a column for each family member, including mum, see Take Breaks. I'd suggest getting one that is made of wipeable plastic and invest in some erasable pens. Hang your family's planner in a prominent place and mark on it everyone's activities and appointments for the week. i also have my own diary that lives in my handbag with most of this information in but this is a great way to remind forgetful children (and partners!) of upcoming events.
Make a list
Every morning over a cup of real coffee, I draw up my list of things I need to accomplish during the day. I include both work and home items on there even things I know I can do fairly quickly as crossing them off gives me a real sense of success. If you are planning any large projects such as a big party or remodeling your kitchen, keep a running list separate to your main list. I know it sounds like a lot of work writing out all these, you could use a digital organizer or online site. I find plain old paper and a biro work best for me, I use a journalists notepad and keep all my lists together on that one book.
Cut the clutter
It is remarkably freeing to get rid of some of the clutter that not only lives, but manages to replicate, in all of our homes. I'm terrible at hoarding bits of paper, articles from magazines, recipes and books. It can be daunting to be faced with a house full of sorting out so break it down into manageable chunks (your lists come in handy here) and do no more than 30 minutes at a time. Start two plies - one to definitely go and one to stay. The best way of deciding whether something should go or stay is simple, ask yourself this question, if you were moving abroad would you pack this bit of old newspaper or book in your shipment? Knowing that you would have to pay to send this clutter overseas makes you think twice about hanging on to it. If you can't bear to get rid of something but will not use it in the immediate future, then put it in a box clearly marked 'Check on (a date six months from now)'. If you haven't touched the box in six months time, the chances are, you never will so cut the clutter.
Take breaks
Most women I know are terrible at making time for themselves, which is why I recommend scheduling breaks during your week. Add this to your column in your planner, it really doesn't matter what you do, it can be a family activity or a trip to your favorite book store, just make sure that it is something you choose to do. There is something so wonderful about knowing that you have your own special event coming up.
Prioritize
You will never be able to do everything you want during your day. There's always one more thing that needs doing but not everything is absolutely essential. Yes, it would be lovely if the ironing basket was empty, you'd replanted the garden and had your highlights done but some things can wait until tomorrow. Make time for the things that you and your family deem important. Take some of the stress out of your life by setting standards as to what you want to accomplish how you are going to do and when you will make time for it. It is a really useful exercise to go through your to do list and appreciate the items that are urgent. Of course, you can delegate and ask a family member to help, be warned this sometimes ends up taking twice as long and being far more exhausting than doing it yourself.
Family time
This is my favorite part of the day, my 'breaks' usually include my children and partner but dedicated family time is so important. Dinner is a great opportunity to sit down with your family, share in some freshly prepared food and talk about your day. My children eat with us and enjoy an active role in getting dinner ready. My son loves to help sort out the ingredients and enjoys helping me wash veggies or mix the batter for a cake. If you stick to your new plan to get organized, you should find that planning family time comes naturally. The act of slowing down and unwinding is beneficial for everyone and can help lead into your family's bedtime routine. It gives everyone a chance to get some focused attention.
There are loads of really helpful books and websites out there that can help you get started.
Simone Nowell is the author of 'Now & Then Dubai' and helps her father run an independent publishing house, Zodiac Publishing UK Ltd. Simone is currently working on a new cookery book called 'Eat Your Way Around The World'. Simone's cookery blog can be found at www.timetocook.wordpress.com . Zodiac Publishing's website is www.zodiacpublishing.co.uk
How to Select the Best Presidential Candidate in 2008
By Marnie Pehrson
If you were a referee at a basketball game, what would be the first thing you would need to know or do? How well could you judge the game if you were not familiar with the rule book? If you didn't know about the three-second rule or didn't know what constituted a foul, or didn't know how many shots a person received when they were fouled, could you fairly referee the game?
And if you didn't know the rules, what might happen on the sidelines or in the bleachers as the fans became more and more incensed at your ineptitude? Would they rise up in anger against you? Would they walk out of the game?
What if they didn't know the rules either? What if everyone in the building was clueless about the rules of basketball – the players, the refs and the fans all had a different idea of how the rules should go. You'd end up with pure chaos, wouldn't you?
We live in an age of rampant information and disinformation. Anyone may put their ideas or opinions out on the internet as fact. Anyone may claim themselves to be an expert. Anyone may report "news" as if it is fact without any real checks or balances in place about proper reporting or verification of facts.
So how is one to know the truth? As Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?" (John 18:38). As everyone scrambles to find their next Presidential candidate for 2008, there is mudslinging, false news reports, attacks upon character and more. How is the average American to know "what is truth?" In essence, our nation is like a bunch of ball players, referees and fans who have forgotten the rule book. Because we don't know the rules of the game, we can't judge and we certainly can't proceed fairly.
And so I make a plea with my fellow Americans to return to the rule book - to make it an active part of your study. Read a little less news if you have to. Stop searching out negative information and disinformation on the internet and spend more time studying the rule book and educating others about that rule book. What is this rule book? If you haven't guessed yet, it's the Constitution of the United States of America. If you will make an honest study of it, you will find that much of what is advocated today by political ball players, fans and referees is simply a mad scramble for power and gain or at the very least just rules they made up. Most of it can't even be found in the rule book at all.
The Constitution of the United States of America has served us well for over 225 years – in spite of society's degeneracy, and in spite of it having been ignored, twisted and misinterpreted. Just think of what we could do if the "fans" of this country read the rule book! Would we allow power hungry refs and corrupt players to ruin the game? Of course we wouldn't! Would a crowd of fans at a basketball game – who were well acquainted with the rules – stand by and watch the referees and ballplayers ruin the game of basketball? Of course not!
Then why don't we Americans wake up to our own power to set things right.
Begin a thorough study of the Constitution and invite your friends and family to
do the same. Study
The Federalist Papers
Once you understand the Constitution, it won't matter what the media says. It won't matter what disinformation or corruption is out there. You'll be able to review the voting records of politicians and easily see whether they know the rules or not. It will all become as plain as judging a basketball game.
Stop fighting against the dark shadows and sinister forces -- for whatever you resist persists. Instead, start fighting for truth and justice. Start fighting for the rule book – The Constitution of the United States of America!
Marnie L. Pehrson, a wife and mother of 6, is a best selling author of inspirational nonfiction and Southern romance. She's also been helping talented professionals deliver their message to the online world since 1996 through her heavy-hitter sites like IdeaMarketers.com. Read excerpts from her books at www.MarniePehrson.com or learn more about her internet promotion services through www.pwgroup.com.
Raising Responsible Kids - How To Get Your Children To Do Their Chores Are you raising responsible kids?
Do you come home to kids watching TV, playing video games, or chatting on cell phones? Are the morning and afternoon dishes stacked in the sink for you to do? Do you want help with laundry, vacuuming, and fixing dinner? Let's find out how to raise responsible kids and get the help you need. To raise responsible kids, be kind and firm: What you say to your kids and how you say it must reflect your inner conviction that you are the parent. With that inner conviction your words will be more effective. You won't be complaining, yelling, or feeling mean when telling your kids to do their chores. Your kids will sense you are in charge. 3 steps to experiencing your authority as the parent: Ask yourself, "How would I feel inside if I calmly and strongly felt my authority?" Take quiet time to imagine and feel that authority. Practice experiencing that feeling before confronting your kids.
by Jean Tracy, MSS
When it's time to tell your kids to do their chores, take that inner conviction with you. Make sure it's strong, serious, and calm.
To raise responsible kids, avoid this mistake:
A young boy named Tom, whose father was a preacher, asked his dad on the way home from church, "Dad, were you telling the truth today or were you just preaching?" (A true story from Kidwarmers)
When parents lecture, kids don't listen. Preaching wastes your time, alienates your kids, and increases your tone of helplessness. Instead use few words and speak with a firm voice.
Raise responsible kids with rules and expectations:
Parents make a big mistake when they fail to draw the line. My friend Roberta, who raised 5 children, talks about eliminating "the control that a child likes to have in raising a parent." When kids leave dirty dishes, keep messy rooms, and play on the computer without helping, they're raising their parents to be their servants. Roberta believes that responsible parents draw the line. That means they follow through with rules and expectations.
To raise responsible kids, use this formula:
-
Develop a calm inner conviction that you have both the authority and the responsibility to be the parent.
-
Avoid lecturing.
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Use few words.
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Speak with a firm voice.
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Follow through with your rules and expectations.
Practice using the above formula consistently. You'll be teaching your kids to be responsible. You'll be getting the help you need, and you'll be building character too.
Jean Tracy, MSS, "Granny Jean" publishes "Tips and Tools for Character Builders," her Free top-rated Parenting Newsletter. Subscribe at her web site http://www.KidsDiscuss.com and receive 80 fun activities to share with your kids.
Treat your children to Jean Tracy's Weekly Chore Chart Kit
at http://www.KidsDiscuss.com Jean Tracy, MSS may be contacted at http://www.KidsDiscuss.com
7 Quick Tips to Keep You Organized
by Barbara Myers
1. Avoid late fees. As soon as you borrow books or rent videos, write down the due dates and quantity borrowed/rented on your calendar.
2. Tape a list of important phone numbers inside a kitchen cabinet door near the phone.
3. Assign a basket or large envelope for credit card receipts. Hang it on the wall and throw in receipts daily.
4. Plan only 70% of your day to allow for interruptions and emergencies.
5. Write down messages in a spiral notebook as you take them from your answering machines or voice mail. Avoid replaying them and wasting time. Cross them off as you take care of them.
6. Divide your daily to-do list into four sections. Consider "to do," "to call," "computer tasks" and "errands."
7. Choose and prepare five outfits for each family member on the weekend. Include jewelry, shoes and socks. You'll save time and stress during the week.
Barbara Myers is a speaker, writer and organizing consultant. Enjoy a FREE "50 Ways to Manage Your Time" Tips Booklet. Visit
www.INeedMoreTime.com .Barbara Myers may be contacted at http://www.ineedmoretime.com or barbmyers@adelphia.net
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