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1. | Sharing the Joy at Christmas time
Terri is one of those women other mothers either envy or resent. With two
boys, both under six, she's always sunny and upbeat, even as she goes about the
many daunting tasks required of a working mother ...
[Added: 27 Nov 2006 Hits: 414 Words: 568]
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2. | On the Plane with Kids
It's not "over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house",
anymore. Your new and growing family lives a thousand miles away from your
childhood home, so a visit to your childrens' grandparents is a long trek that a
horse-drawn sleigh won't cover. Still, your parents live ...
[Added: 27 Nov 2006 Hits: 488 Words: 609]
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3. | Presents Vs. Time
It's hard enough for most parents
to arrange good, quality family-time, under normal circumstances. But in
December, with holiday preparations dominating so much free time, and talk of
Santa's arrival dominating so much conversation, parents are lucky to keep up
with their ...
[Added: 23 Nov 2006 Hits: 384 Words: 545]
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4. | Parents Can Help Each Other At Christmas
The first few years that they were parents, Gail and Darin dreaded the stress
of the Christmas season. The difficulty of shopping with a child in a stroller
made an already arduous task even more tiring. ...
[Added: 22 Nov 2006 Hits: 398 Words: 576]
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5. | Planning for Christmas Past
Your child's at the age, now, when she understands that Christmas is coming,
and that it's a very special day, so you're going out of your way to make sure
you don't disappoint her. You've planned ...
[Added: 22 Nov 2006 Hits: 442 Words: 555]
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6. | Enjoy the Snow
Remember how your parents always seemed old to you, even before they reached
middle age? They could never relate to you, they could never remember what it
was like to be a kid. Now, you're an adult with children, but you've made a pact ...
[Added: 21 Nov 2006 Hits: 518 Words: 546]
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7. | Host a Santa Letter-Writing Party
So, it's that time of year, again. Your son is being bombarded with thousands
of commercials, touting all the "must-have" toys and kid-gadgets available this
Christmas. He's at the age now, when he pays attention, and of course, he wants
everything he sees. And he's obsessed ...
[Added: 21 Nov 2006 Hits: 387 Words: 556]
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8. | Good Deeds & The Santa Factor
Looking back, it may seem a little like cheating, but my friend Annie found a
way, several years ago, to instill in her young kids the habit of performing
random acts of kindness. She didn't call ...
[Added: 17 Nov 2006 Hits: 369 Words: 571]
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9. | Help Your Child Help Others At Christmas
Whether you celebrate the holidays for their religious significance, or as a
time for the fellowhip of friends and family-if you have small children, you
know that Santa's visit is definitely the focus of their attention.
It's not unhealthy, according to most experts, for ...
[Added: 16 Nov 2006 Hits: 302 Words: 585]
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10. | A Little Bit of Christmas Trivia
He wants to know everything about everything, this five-year-old genius of
yours. And he expects you to have the answers, right now. After all, he figures,
you're so old, you must know just about all there is to know, right?
So he's going to pester ...
[Added: 16 Nov 2006 Hits: 468 Words: 580]
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11. | The Legend of Santa Claus
OK-it's that time of year, again, when you're no longer The Most Influential
Adult in your kids' eyes. You've been replaced, at least temporarily, by The Fat
Man, The Jolly One, The Old White Beard, himself. In some ways, it's actually a
good thing, because ...
[Added: 15 Nov 2006 Hits: 455 Words: 542]
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12. | Gingerbread Men
Quick-picture the last gingerbread house you saw, in your mind. Now, without
thinking about it, what was the season when you saw it? Chances are, it was
Christmas-time. Few treats are as closely associated with Christmas as
gingerbread, ...
[Added: 15 Nov 2006 Hits: 442 Words: 474]
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13. | Golden Oldie Toys
It's the season of giving, the season of joy, the season of peace and love
for all mankind, the season to give thanks for family, friends, and all the
blessings we share. But if you're the parent of a small child, and your child
watches ...
[Added: 15 Nov 2006 Hits: 410 Words: 509]
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14. | Remember Your Pets This Holiday Season
In the Martin household, last Christmas Eve was typical, for a family with
two children under six. Marci and Dan got the kids to bed as early as they could
manage- which really wasn't early at all, considering all that pre-school
adrenaline pumping at the thought of ...
[Added: 14 Nov 2006 Hits: 392 Words: 569]
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15. | Snow: The Easy Explanation
Your five-year-old's at that stage-you know the stage-where he's discovered
his own brain. And he realizes that the world around him is full of stuff he
doesn't understand. But, like the genius you hoped he'd be, he sees no reason
why he shouldn't know everything there is to ...
[Added: 14 Nov 2006 Hits: 616 Words: 539]
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16. | Flying With Kids: The Airport
When you were single and traveling, you'd watch those families, whose small
kids were already screaming, before your flight boarded, and you'd pray that
your seat on the plane was far from theirs. Then you promised ...
[Added: 14 Nov 2006 Hits: 287 Words: 540]
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17. | Spoiled Rotten Angel
You really lucked out, in the child lottery, didn't you? Just look at her,
that daughter of yours. She's beautiful, obviously-everybody says, she's going
to have movie star looks, when she grows up. She's healthy-just the usual ...
[Added: 08 Nov 2006 Hits: 571 Words: 569]
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18. | Fast Food Mom
You got up at 5:30, just so you could have a few quiet minutes to slap
yourself together and down a cup of coffee, before waking the kids and waging
the morning wars: Getting them dressed, fed, gathered and off to school. You got
to work, miraculously smiled ...
[Added: 07 Nov 2006 Hits: 385 Words: 554]
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19. | The Dreaded Stage-Mother
"I dread it," Barbara tells me. She's the head of the local community
theatre, and is preparing to direct the group's big Christmas show-The Sound Of
Music. "By the time the show opens, I'm gonna hate it!" I assume she's ...
[Added: 03 Nov 2006 Hits: 327 Words: 563]
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20. | Sideline Dad
You scored great seats for this game-right on the fifty. Now, it's
nail-biting time. Your team's down by six, but they're on the fifteen, inside
the red zone-it's third-and-five, with thirty seconds left. It's ...
[Added: 02 Nov 2006 Hits: 336 Words: 564]
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21. | Adjusting to a Second Child
Nothing changes the dynamic of a
couple's life together like the news that they're expecting their first child.
And, later, nothing will change the dynamic of their young family's life more
than the news that a second child is on the way-especially if ...
[Added: 02 Nov 2006 Hits: 310 Words: 616]
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22. | Christmas Shopping with Kids
Remember when Christmas shopping was something you could put off until the
last minute, and then rush through, in one evening? Alone? Ahhh-those were the
days, weren't they?
Now you have little shoppers, and you ...
[Added: 02 Nov 2006 Hits: 310 Words: 499]
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23. | Keep Your Toddler Safe During The Holidays
For families with small children, gearing up for Christmas is like running a
triathlon. There's list-making, shopping, party planning, wrapping, gift-hiding,
travel planning, tree-choosing, tree-trimming, cookie-baking, toy assembling…it
seems endless and impossible, until that blissful morning-December 26th, when
parents everywhere wake up for ...
[Added: 01 Nov 2006 Hits: 334 Words: 572]
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24. | The Origins of Mistletoe
You smile to yourself, as you hang the mistletoe in a prominent doorway or
from the bottom of a chandelier, every holiday season. You think about all the
times you were kissed under it-or all the times you wanted to be kissed, but
weren't. And this year, just ...
[Added: 28 Oct 2006 Hits: 382 Words: 502]
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25. | Surviving Thanksgiving Dinner
When you were a child, this was the time of year you couldn't wait for. The
holiday season, from Halloween all the way through New Year's Day, seemed like
one long feast for your eyes and ...
[Added: 27 Oct 2006 Hits: 366 Words: 599]
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26. | The History of the Christmas Tree
Your child's just reached the age where Christmas really matters. All the
preparations, all the planning and decorating, everything about the holidays is
an exciting experience for him. Along with the excitement comes the
curiosity-about the colors, the songs, the traditions each family observes.
As adults, we're ...
[Added: 25 Oct 2006 Hits: 366 Words: 474]
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27. | Worried About What To Give? Try A Christmas Story
We all have different traditions, when it comes to celebrating the holidays,
but one thing most of us can count on: It's the time of year when friends and
families gather for fellowhip, food, and gifts. In today's ...
[Added: 25 Oct 2006 Hits: 447 Words: 541]
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28. | Mother's Day Can Be Every Day
You pride yourself on being a great father. Sure, your career takes up too
much time each week, but you're as diligent as time allows about sharing
child-rearing responsibilies with your wife. You ...
[Added: 19 Oct 2006 Hits: 336 Words: 558]
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29. | Santa -I Want a Puppy
Uh-oh. The holidays are fast approaching, your child is at the age where she
knows what it means, and she's already making wish-lists. And the wish you
feared the most is the one at the top. She wants, she craves, she'll die if she
doesn't get-a Christmas puppy! Whatever ...
[Added: 19 Oct 2006 Hits: 306 Words: 580]
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30. | Yes, Your Child is Perfect - Can We Change the Subject?
Something's happened to your friends. It's been slow in coming, and it's
taken you a while to notice, but something is definitely wrong. You used to be
able to plan lunches or dinners or weekend get-togethers, but now your friends
are ...
[Added: 19 Oct 2006 Hits: 250 Words: 576]
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31. | She'll Always Be Daddy's Little Girl
She's your precious angel, a
perfect piece of porcelain, crafted from your own miraculous DNA, and you're
determined that nary a tiny crack will ever mar this rare treasure. At first
glance, you may appear mild-mannered, but let even a ...
[Added: 16 Oct 2006 Hits: 317 Words: 548]
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32. | Just Wait Till Your Father Gets Home!
Since the days of the Neanderthal, these six words have been spoken with a
solemn undercurrent of doom, always meant to portend a terrifying fate, always
meant to stop children in their misbehaving tracks, and fill their ...
[Added: 14 Oct 2006 Hits: 461 Words: 545]
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33. | Hey, Dad - It's a Girl! Now What?
You knew what was coming and you had time to prepare. What more could a guy
ask for? You got over the initial panic-"Pregnant? How did that happen??"-and
you spent weeks doing your father-to-be due diligence; you read the ...
[Added: 14 Oct 2006 Hits: 489 Words: 547]
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34. | Being a Daddy & Livin' the Dream
A few years ago (it seems like a lifetime ago, now) you were in your prime,
physically and personally. You and your wife wanted a family, so you figured,
it's now or never, right? You were in your prime, professionally, too, climbing
that career ladder surely and steadily. ...
[Added: 12 Oct 2006 Hits: 253 Words: 606]
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35. | Diffusing Sibling Rivalry
Another long day is over, dinner's finished, the dishes are put away, and you
can relax for the first time, sinceyou can't remember the last time. You think
about curling up on the couch and watching a little TV, then ...
[Added: 12 Oct 2006 Hits: 278 Words: 525]
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36. | Fire Safety for the Family
Statistically, you'll probably never experience the tragedy of a catastrophic
fire in your home. But, statistically, if you do, your family's chances of
survival are greatly increased, if, as a family, you've planned for the
possibility.
Planning begins with prevention. ...
[Added: 12 Oct 2006 Hits: 358 Words: 522]
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37. | To TV or not to TV
Most parents start out, resolved to be more enlightened than their peers,
when it comes to their children and television. You did-you planned to
substitute reading, physical activity, and family projects for that electronic
addiction you grew up with. Now, you realize, it ...
[Added: 12 Oct 2006 Hits: 273 Words: 525]
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38. | I Don't Want To Go To School
It's something you might hear on the first day of pre-school, or out of the
blue, after months or years of uneventful school attendance. Most
children-especially younger ones-enjoy going to school. The daily comraderie ...
[Added: 10 Oct 2006 Hits: 275 Words: 589]
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39. | Family Time Takes a Backseat
If it's Thursday, it must be soccer. Or ballet. Or piano, voice, religious
school, jiu-jitsu, or t-ball. Or is that Wednesday?
Between school and all the available extracurricular activities today,
kids-even very young ones-can seem busier than their working parents. Of course,
we ...
[Added: 05 Oct 2006 Hits: 327 Words: 519]
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40. | Springing Forward & Falling Back
Somewhere deep down in your subconscious, you know you have a few more
minutes to sleep, before the alarm goes off. You hug your pillow, and in the
recesses of your mind, you smile, relishing this quiet ...
[Added: 04 Oct 2006 Hits: 366 Words: 536]
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41. | Enjoy This Perfect Autumn Day!
It happens every October: You step outside on a Autumn Sunday afternoon and
you can't believe it. Gone are the heat and humidity of summer, replaced by
crisp, clear, clean air that fills your lungs in a way you haven't felt in
months. You really notice it, ...
[Added: 04 Oct 2006 Hits: 794 Words: 583]
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42. | Choosing the Right Childcare Provider
Family life in the twenty-first century presents challenges our parents and
grandparents never imagined. With the preponderence of two-career marriages, and
a growing number of single-parent households, no longer is it a foregone
conclusion that a mother ...
[Added: 03 Oct 2006 Hits: 317 Words: 374]
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43. | How To Make Halloween Safe, But Still Fun
As Halloween approaches, most parents share the anticipation of the scary
night with their children, but not necessarily with the same eagerness. Times
have changed, since we grew up, roaming the neighborhood in costumed groups,
without adults shadowing our every move. ...
[Added: 03 Oct 2006 Hits: 430 Words: 558]
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44. | Helping Children Cope with the Death of a Pet
The death of a pet can be a traumatic experience for the whole family. For a
young child, it can also be confusing-it's often the first time a child must
deal with such loss. In many cases, the pet has been with the family since ...
[Added: 29 Sep 2006 Hits: 313 Words: 574]
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45. | Is your Young Child Ready for the Computer?
In less than two decades, home computers have become a necessary part of life
for most people. In the twenty-first century, computer literacy is as important
as reading itself. We all remember how daunting the computer seemed, ...
[Added: 29 Sep 2006 Hits: 255 Words: 538]
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46. | Bedtime!...But Mom I'm Not Tired!
We all remember how we felt, growing up, when Mom called out, "Bedtime!" each
night. We resented it. She just picked a time out of thin air, we thought, and
made us go to bed, whether we were tired or not. ...
[Added: 29 Sep 2006 Hits: 321 Words: 551]
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47. | Pumpkin Carving Made Easy
As fall approaches, the leaves begin their annual change, the air grows
crisp, and children's thoughts turn to Halloween. Most scholars date "All
Hallow's Eve" back to ancient Celtic traditions, when the people of Scotland and
Ireland would darken their houses and dress up in ...
[Added: 29 Sep 2006 Hits: 737 Words: 549]
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48. | Children & the Scary Sights & Sounds of Halloween
As autumn approaches, the signs of Halloween are everywhere. Nowadays, by
late August, merchants are already gearing up for one of the most lucrative
retailing seasons of the whole year. And, it's no longer just about kids
trick-or-treating on one night ...
[Added: 17 Sep 2006 Hits: 374 Words: 486]
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49. | The Day My Preschooler Said "#@%$+&" !!!
Even as your heart stops, you know you'll laugh about this, one day. Like, in 2046. It'll make a great story at the retirement home. But, right now, in the dead silence that fills the dining room, you just want to ...
[Added: 16 Sep 2006 Hits: 227 Words: 591]
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50. | Are You the Greatest Dad You Can Be?
You're an enlightened guy, right? When you first learned that you and your
wife were pregnant, your first thought (O.K., your second thought, right after
that moment of sheer panic) was that you were ready for this. ...
[Added: 16 Sep 2006 Hits: 280 Words: 563]
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