What Are They Selling? Helping Your Kids Say "No!" Copyright 2002 Deborah Taylor-Hough http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/ Do you ever feel helpless in the face of the massive advertising campaigns directed at your children? While watching television, our family has found a way to educate our children about the advertising methods used in commercials. We play a game called "What Are They Trying to Sell Us?" Whenever a commercial comes on the air, we ask our kids to tell us what's being sold, and we also ask what methods are being used to convince us to buy the products. The kids love this game because the answer is not always obvious. Sometimes the commercials are subtle, and it can be challenging for young children to identify what's being sold. By becoming aware of the methods used, our children are finding themselves amused at attempts to convince them they will be more appealing, smarter, etc., by purchasing various items. Rather than passively watching television commercials, this game helps teach that commercials are trying to manipulate people's behavior through the media. By becoming aware of the subtleties of advertising, children and adults alike can become stronger to withstand the commercial onslaught in our daily lives. About The Author:--Deborah Taylor-Hough (free-lance writer, wife and mother of three) is the editor of the Simple Times join-simple-times@ds.xc.org and Bright-Kids join-bright-kids@ds.xc.org email newsletters. Debi's also the author of the bestselling book, "Frozen Assets: How to Cook for a Day and Eat for a Month", click here for more information .and "A Simple Choice: A Practical Guide for Saving Your Time, Money and Sanity" (Champion Press).Visit Debi at: http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/ Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. All rights reserved. More >>

Mommy To The Max: Seven Wonders of a Mother's World by Debi Stack www.maxedout.net The world is full of wonders: the pyramids of Egypt, the Grand Canyon, what any woman ever saw in Woody Allen. But a mother's world has wonders all its own. Below are just seven that I find both awesome and unanswerable. A mother wonders why fussy babies will demand their mothers hold them standing instead of sitting, even though the babies' position doesn't change at all. She stands-the baby calms. She sits-the baby cries. How can infants, who will put any disgusting object in their mouths without hesitation, have such high standards for posture? A mother wonders why the gravitational pull of a kitchen floor is directly related to how clean it is. No one seems to drip juice or drop eggs on a dirty floor. But on the very day that we scrub and super-shine our floors, plates of syrupy-pancakes topple of their own accord. A mother wonders why a child can ignore a certain toy for months and scornfully reject it as being "for babies" until he spots it on the garage sale table or in the give-away box. Suddenly, he clutches the rescued item protectively, tells you it's his "favorite" and looks at you as if you'd just shot Bambi. A mother wonders why her preschooler can spend 45 minutes taking a bath, use an entire bottle of shampoo and yet emerge dry and dirty from the waist up. A mother wonders why her husband's way of telling the kids goodnight is to swing them in the air, wrestle with them on the floor and chase them through the house until everyone is sweaty and somebody gets hurt. A mother wonders why her own mother, who forbade elbows on the table and other abominations, allows a toddler-grandchild to make his own indoor sand pile by pouring boxes of cereal on the floor and then declares the resulting mess to be, "Adorable!" A mother wonders why even on days when she's too maxed out to fix her hair or put on makeup, she hears her children say, "You're the prettiest mommy in the world." Debi Stack is an author, speaker and media guest who addresses the topics of stress, overcommitment and perfectionism. Her humorous, self-help book for maxed-out women, Martha to the Max: Balanced Living for Perfectionists, is in multiple printings and translations. Visit www.maxedout.net . This "Mommy to the Max" column is used by www.drlaura.com with permission. Copyright 2002. All forms of reproduction strictly prohibited. More >>

Planning Your Garage Sale By Cheryl Gochnauer Here in the Land of Opportunity, we're on the brink of Garage Sale Season. Figuring out what to part with is easy. You're tired of it. It hasn't fitin two years, and never will. The color is wrong; the style is wrong; it'sjust not you. But hang a sign on it, and somebody's sure to think it's perfect for THEM.With the right spin, trash miraculously transforms into prime merchandise.Flame your entrepreneurial spirit with these tips for your upcoming garagesale. PRESENTATION REALLY IS EVERYTHING . Appear disorganized and dirty, and buyerswill drive right by. Instead, mow the grass and sweep the sidewalk. Advertise in the local paperand post bright signs at nearby major intersections, leading buyers to yourdoor with arrows. Tie balloons to your banister. Move large, eye-catchingitems like furniture out on the driveway. Open all garage doors; turn onall lights. Make everything easy to see. Smile at visitors, but don't hover. Stand at their shoulder, and you'll losesales. Instead, sit at a table on the driveway, with pop and cookies.Divide your garage and driveway into clearly defined zones, like babyclothes, household items, children's toys, bedding and linens, etc. Thumbtack sheets to hang from the ceiling, then stash "not-for-sale" itemsbehind the curtain. Have an extension cord ready to prove electrical items work. Don't lump 50 stuffed animals together, hoping someone will take time tosort through them. Instead, place an elf next to a sparkly Christmasdress...position a cowboy peeking over a pair of boots...have a huge teddybear "read" one of a series of books piled beside him. Know your customer. Used prom dresses are a hard sale to adults, but takethose same chiffons and hawk them in the toy section under "Dress-upClothes" and a mini-ballet dancer or princess will clean you out. Play jazz or easy listening music, giving your sale ambiance. Instead ofstacking pictures on a table, display them in appropriate areas: astill-life by some dishes, an angel positioned over a crib. If something's dated, come up with a new way to enjoy it. For instance,don't display an old Selectric with your office supplies. Roll in a pieceof glow-orange paper, set the typewriter with the kids' stuff, and plug itin. Watch a preschooler fall in love with its tap-tap-tap. Put cars, trucks and other "try before you buy" toys on a sturdy area rug.While Mom shops, Junior will bond with something, then take it home. Don't pack clothes tightly on rods; separate them by size and type. Hangdresses; put shorts and tops in clearly marked boxes or baskets: "Boys2T-4T;" "Girls 10-12." Display frilly baby outfits on ladder rungs. PLAYING GARAGE SALE LIMBO : How low will they go? That's the question onshoppers' minds as they spring from cars. Don't keep them in suspense; postprices prominently. Color-coded dots work well; stick one on every item andlet shoppers check a chart for prices: yellow-25, blue-50, red-75, etc. Garage-salers are looking for deals. Don't demoralize them with $10toddler dresses. Know what similar items are selling for at other sales,then charge SLIGHTLY higher prices. When merchandise is clean andattractively displayed, shoppers are willing to pay more. (But not tentimes more.) The first person up your driveway will try to negotiate, but don't dropprices before noon. If someone makes an offer, write down their phonenumber. Build in perceived value. If books are 50 cents, offer "3 for a dollar".Toss in free sheets when you sell a bed. Start the day with plenty of change so the first shopper doesn't clean youout, using a $20 to pay for a 75-cent purchase. Keep money in a fanny pack,and immediately take large bills in the house for safekeeping. Garage-saling is a combination of fun and sport. Tailor your sale to pleaseyour customers, and stuff will fly off your shelves. Copyright 2002 Homebodies.Org, LLC. Advance copies of Cheryl's new"Stay-at-Home Handbook: Advice on Parenting, Finances, Career, SurvivingEach Day Much More" are now available ($10.99 plus $3.00shipping/packaging). "Stay-at-Home Handbook" has 42 chapters, featuring theinsights of 60 families and a foreword by Dr. Laura Schlessinger. To orderyour autographed copy, visit http://www.homebodies.org/orderSAHH.htm Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

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Moments for Mom by Elisabeth K. Corcoran, 2002 So my 5-year-old daughter says to me in the van, 'Mom, are you thinking what I'm thinking?' Don't you just love when your kids repeat grown-up phrases? Especially when you're pretty sure they don't know what they're actually saying. So I had to smile. And reply. And I said, 'I seriously doubt it, but what are you thinking, honey?' She then said, 'Nothing!' and burst into giggles. Actually, unfortunately, she was pretty close. I had just about nothing on my mind. If I did, it was definitely nothing worth recounting here. I think I was in one of those random thought patterns where your mind floats around topics like 'I need to change the sheets' to 'what am I going to wear for Easter?' to 'I need to pray for Sue' then back to something banal again like 'I would kill for some chocolate'. Please tell me I'm not the only one who seems to have little control over my inner world sometimes. Please tell me those thoughts parallel your thoughts at least sometimes. But how I wish I could have longer stretches where my mind is not unoccupied or when it is not occupied with meaningless trivialities. Reminded me of II Corinthians 10:5b and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. I really believe that God cares about how I spend every minute of my time, and that includes my mind-wandering moments. Though, it may be built into us as humans to wander from time to time - and maybe that's a good stress-reducing habit - I know I sure can use a little thought captivity now and then where I actually stop myself in mid-thought and redirect its path to something of higher value something that is true or noble or right or pure or lovely or admirable or excellent or praiseworthy something that will allow me to tell Sara next time that I actually am not thinking the same nothing that she's thinking for once. Elisabeth K. Corcoran is the author of Calm in My Chaos: Encouragement for a Mom's Weary Soul (2001), which can be purchased directly through her publisher, Kregel Publications at #1-888-644-0500, online at amazon.com or through your local Christian bookstore. This column is original and not excerpted from her book. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com More >>

MEATBALL MANIA! Copyright 2004 Deborah Taylor-Hough Used with permission. All rights reserved. Recipes adapted from " Frozen Assets: How to cook for a day and eat for a month " http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/ Cooking up a large batch of meatballs in advance to store in the freezer goes a long way toward establishing a supply of quick and easy meals. And if you take advantages of sales on ground beef and stock up, this can be a tremendous boon to your family budget, too! In addition to stirring meatballs into spaghetti sauce, you can also use them in soups, serve them on skewers (kids love this!), or heat in brown gravy or a warmed can of cream of mushroom soup served with mashed potatoes. The following recipes prepare a large batch of freezer meatballs and also include examples of ways to use frozen meatballs. The sauces require some preparation, but the meals go together quickly with your stockpile of precooked meatballs in the freezer. MILLIONS OF MEATBALLS (this makes a lot -- at least four dozen, depending on size) 12-ounces tomato sauce 1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs 4 eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped 1/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped 1 teaspoons salt, optional 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed 1/8 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed 4 pounds ground beef In a large mixing bowl, combine first eight ingredients. Add ground beef and mix well. Shape into meatballs (use a small cookie scoop if available) and place on boiler pan so grease can drain while cooking. Bake uncovered in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Divide into meal-sized portions. To prevent from freezing into a solid meatball-mass, freeze individually on cookie sheets and then place in freezer bags. Label and freeze. To serve meatballs, thaw completely and reheat with your choice of sauces (six sample sauce recipes follow). SWEET-N-SOUR MEATBALLS (5 servings) 1 (14-oz) can pineapple tidbits or chunks, undrained 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 teaspoon soy sauce (or more to taste) 1 family meal-sized portion of freezer meatballs 1 (5-oz) can water chestnuts, drained and thinly sliced 1 green pepper, cut in strips Drain pineapple tidbits, reserving syrup. In medium saucepan, combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Blend in reserved syrup, water, cider vinegar and soy sauce. Cook and stir over low heat until thick and bubbly. Carefully stir in meatballs, water chestnuts, green pepper strips and pineapple. Heat to a boiling. Serve over hot cooked rice. CHILI-DAY MEATBALLS (5 servings) This recipe sounds a little strange (chili sauce and grape jelly?), but it tastes like burgundy sauce (only without the wine) 1 (12-oz) jar chili sauce 11-oz. jar grape jelly 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 cube beef bouillon dissolved in 1/2 cup water 1 family meal-sized portion of freezer meatballs Whisk together chili sauce, grape jelly, lemon juice and bouillon, breaking up all clumps. Simmer on low heat until sauce starts to thicken. Add freezer meatballs; cook in sauce until meatballs are fully thawed and heated through. Serve over hot cooked noodles or rice. MEATBALL SANDWICHES (6 servings) 1 family meal-sized portion of freezer meatballs (approximately 4-5 meatballs per person) 6 hot dog buns (or hoagie rolls) 6 thin slices mozzarella cheese 2 cups prepared spaghetti sauce Thaw meatballs and spaghetti sauce (if using frozen). Place both in medium saucepan. Heat until hot. Place meatballs into warmed buns. Ladle small amount of spaghetti sauce onto each sandwich; place mozzarella slice onto each sandwich. TOMATO-SAUCED MEATBALLS (5 servings) 1 (10 3/4-oz) can condensed tomato soup 1/2 cup water 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 family meal-sized portion of freezer meatballs Mix together soup, water and Worcestershire sauce. Place meatballs in a medium sized saucepan; pour soup mixture over meatballs. Simmer until meatballs are heated through.Serve over hot cooked rice. MEATBALL STROGANOFF (5 servings) 0 3/4-oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt 1 cup mushrooms, sliced and cooked in butter until soft 1 family meal-sized portion of freezer meatballs In medium saucepan, mix together mushroom soup and sour cream. Gently stir in mushrooms and meatballs. Simmer until meatballs are heated through. Serve over hot cooked rice or over egg noodles tossed with melted butter and chopped parsley. CATALINA MEATBALLS (5 servings) medium onion, thinly sliced 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 bottle Catalina salad dressing 1 family meal-sized portion of freezer meatballsSaute' onion slices in olive oil until softened. Place frozen meatballs in medium skillet. Pour dressing over meatballs. Cover skillet and cook over low heat until dressing caramelizes on meatballs and onion, and the meatballs are fully thawed and heated through. Serve over rice. About The Author: --Deborah Taylor-Hough (free-lance writer and mother of three) edits the Simple Times and Bright-Kids e-newsletters. She's also the author of several books including Frozen Assets, Frugal Living For Dummies(r), and A Simple Choice: A practical guide for saving your time, money and sanity (recently featured in Family Circle magazine). Browse Debi's books and subscribe to her free email newsletters at: http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/ . Used with permission. All rights reserved. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com More >>

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Pack it Right Making Lunchboxes Healthy By Leanne Ely, C.N.C. Over the years, the school cafeteria has become a place of too many choices--from franchise fast food offerings to the usual stuff we grew up with--most kids don't know how to pick a healthy lunch or are not inclined to do so considering the many tempting offerings. The alternative is packing your child's lunchbox and is probably one of the healthiest things parents can do for their school-aged children. Like anything else, lunch is a time to balance your child's meal. Having a decent protein/carbo ratio in your child's lunchbox, will help him or her finish the day with energy to spare. And while sandwiches are okay, the Ultimate Tortilla Roll-ups (see recipe) is perfect lunchbox fare. Not only are they easy to make and pack well, kids truly love them. There are hundreds of variations on this theme, too--you don't have to just stick with any one recipe. Tortillas make great transportation for almost any filling--experiment a little bit and try different things--even your basic PB J takes on new meaning when wrapped in a tortilla. Most kids feel their lunch box isn't quite packed unless there are chips aboard--not the healthiest food around. Baked tortilla chips are a good option or even better are baked Pita Chips (see recipe). Not only are they healthy and inexpensive, they're simple enough to make that your 5th grader can crank out a whole slew of them for the week. If you're going to make chips, you might as well throw in a little dip and some veggies. Basic Black Bean Dip (see recipe) could be made in mass quantities and frozen in little plastic containers to save time. It couldn't be easier to make, but it's even easier to thaw. The only trick is getting the container home! Don't skimp on the fruit. Bananas are great for lunchboxes--convenient, a great source of potassium and come in their own carrying cases. Pack it on the very top though, and wrap it in a couple of napkins for protection-nothing worse than a bruised and mushy banana. And for a great dessert, pack a Puffy Grain Chewy Bar (see recipe), a much healthier alternative to the marshmallow-laden rice crispie bars. This is another easy recipe the kids can make themselves. But what about a beverage? Where's the juice, soda or milk? According to the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) drinking too much juice (yes, even 100% fruit juice) can contribute to the problems of cavities, childhood obesity, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems, such as excessive gas and bloating. Get your child into the good habit of drinking water. Try freezing a small bottle of water instead of the usual juice and flavored drinks. Most children don't drink enough water and packing that frozen bottle is a smart move. By the time lunch rolls around, the bottle has served two purposes: hydrating your child and keeping his lunch cold. Besides, those goofy blue ice thingies always seem to leak their blue stuff everywhere. Packing a healthy lunch isn't a big deal and something you can easily train your child to do. As a matter of fact, children who learn to pack a healthy lunch are the kids who learn to make responsible nutritional decisions as they grow up--good habits that will serve them for a lifetime. Allowing your children free range in a school cafeteria can be hazardous to their health, unless they can make good choices. That is, if there are even any good choices available. Great Easy Packables Curds and No Whey--no kidding! Try drizzling a little honey over the top of that cottage cheese and some cinnamon. Kids think it's great. Cue the Carrots--the produce department keeps making it easier for busy moms. Those little carrots are indispensable for packing it right and the price is reasonable, too. Cheese on a String--or whatever other type of cheese, ready to go in the cheese section of the dairy case. All Dried Out--like just a handful of raisins for example. Get the itty-bitty boxes and encourage your child to put them on their cottage cheese. It's really good that way! Apple This Way--quarter the apple and sprinkle with cinnamon in a baggie. You won't have to hear about it turning brown and the flavor is just like apple pie. Put a little plastic container with some peanut butter for dipping in there too, and you've got some protein thrown in on the side, too. RECIPES: All Recipes are from Healthy Foods: An Irreverent Guide to Understanding Nutrition and Feeding Your Family Right (Champion Press) The UltimateTortilla Roll-Up Makes One flour tortilla -- *health food stores have a sprouted wheat tortilla that is delicious 1/2 ounce low-fat cream cheese -- you can use less 1 ounce chicken breast without skin -- tuna, or whatever you have on hand 2 slices tomato -- chopped 1 romaine lettuce leaf -- shredded 1 green onion -- minced fine (optional) 1 teaspoon vinaigrette -- whatever you have on hand Lay tortilla flat and spread cream cheese all over. In a small bowl, toss lettuce, tomato and optional green onion with vinaigrette. Set aside. Lay chicken out evenly over cream cheese. Spread lettuce mixture evenly on top of the chicken. Roll up like you would a sleeping bag and secure with a toothpick or just place on a plate, seam side down. If this is for a lunch box, wrap securely with plastic wrap. Per serving: 373 Calories (kcal); 11g Total Fat; (26% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 54g Carbohydrate; 21mg Cholesterol; 483mg Sodium Chips for Dips Serves 12 (as an appetizer) 12 corn tortillas -- or pita, whole wheat tortillas, whatever non-stick spray (health food stores have ones without the propellant or use an oil pump)Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet generously with non-stick spray. Stack the tortillas and cut them into 6 even pieces, sort of like a pizza. Place on the cookie sheet and lightly spray the tortillas. Bake for 8 minutes or so checking to make sure they don't get too brown. Let cool and serve with hummus or Black Bean Dip. Put a generous portion of veggies out with the chips, too. NOTE: Make sure you only use the non-stick sprays from the health foodstore. The others are full of propellant and unless you plan on flying your food, propellant doesn't belong there. Or buy an oil pump that uses air to help spray. Available at Wal-Mart and other stores, for under $10. Great investment. Per serving: 56 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (9% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 40mg Sodium Basic Black Bean Dip Serves 12 (as appetizer) 1 black beans, canned (15 oz.) -- drained 1 can green chili peppers -- drained 1/4 cup salsa -- use what you have 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon garlic -- pressed 1 squeeze lime or lemon Dump it all into a food processor and whir like mad. When it's done, blop it into a bowl and serve with any type of chip that turns your key. But preferably with a healthy one you made from these recipes. Per serving: 14 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (11% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 58mg Sodium Puffy Grain Chewy Bars Serves 12 1 cup each: Puffed kamut, brown rice, millet from the health food store or use 3 cups regular puffed wheat from the grocery store. Or try Kashi cereal. 1/2 cup peanut butter -- or almond butter 1/2 cup honey 1 teaspoon molasses, blackstrap Dump the cereal in a big bowl. Heat the honey, peanut butter and molasses together. Pour into cereal mixture, working quickly to get it mixed. Press very firmly into a 13 X 9 inch pan. Let sit for as long as you can wait (the longer, the harder) and then dig in. Per serving: 108 Calories (kcal); 5g Total Fat; (42% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 51mg Sodium NOTE: Variations of a theme: Try using brown rice crispies in place of the puffed rice, and toasting the millet and kamut on a cookie sheet (425 oven till toasted) for a crispy texture instead. For more variety, use this recipe as a base and add raisins, chopped dates or chopped nuts. Leanne Ely is a nutritionist, former caterer and the author of Healthy Foods: An Irreverent Guide to Understanding Nutrition and Feeding Your Family Well (Champion Press). Ely is also the editor of Menu-Mailer, a weekly e-zine that provides menus, grocery lists and recipes and answers the question, "What's for Dinner?" For more information, send an email to: More >>

Dream A Little Dream With Me By Cheryl Gochnauer As an at-home parent, It's important to surround yourself with people whosupport your family-focused decision. To illustrate this point, this week I'm including part of a message board posting from a Homebodies reader,Shelly, and some responses her posting: "Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of being married to my handsomeprince, having babies and making my home a safe harbor for my family andfriends. It was a simple, non-glamorous dream, but it was my heart'sdesire. "I am the only lady to stay home with children in my husband's family, andevery now and then I get feedback as to my lifestyle. Recently, I washaving a conversation with my sister-in-law, who doesn't have any kids. Wewere talking about working, and she commented, 'Well, I could never seemyself staying home with my children, because I wouldn't want to lose touchwith reality and having a structured life.' "When I get these little jabs, it hurts. But I have never felt the need tobe like everyone else; in fact, as I get older, I try very hard to be myselfand am thankful I am what I always wanted to be: a wife, mother andhomemaker." - Shelly When Shelly's posting went up, several Homebuddies jumped in to encourageher: "When I was a stay-at-home mom, my life wasn't structured. That's what Iloved about it. We woke up when our bodies told us to; we played outsidewhen the weather let us; we went with the flow. As far as being in touchwith reality, that is a common problem with some SAHMs. If you aren'tcareful, your entire life will revolve around sippy cups and potty training." - Jennifer "My own sister is married and doesn't have kids. For a long time she usedto harass me about staying home and doing 'nothing' all day. Until shewalks the walk, she's not going to know. Don't let people get to you. Youknow your heart; stand by what you believe." - Terri "Although your desire was to be a mom all along, lots of us dreamed of acareer, house, hubby AND kids, so it may be very hard for your sister-in-lawto imagine that your dream was different. It wasn't until we had all thosethings that some of us realized our values had changed." - Mary I appreciate the thoughts expressed in each of these ladies' postings. Areyou looking for the same sort of support as you're tackling your at-homeparenting role? Visit the message forums at Homebodies (www.homebodies.org)and link up with new friends with common goals. Not connected to the Internet? Check with your local churches and boards ofeducation to discover parenting support groups in your area. Like Jennifersaid, at-home life is more than "sippy cups." Mix up your routine bymeeting other like-minded moms, whether in person or on the Web. (Advance copies of Cheryl's new "Stay-at-Home Handbook: Advice onParenting, Finances, Career, Surviving Each Day Much More" are nowavailable [$10.99 plus $3.00 shipping/packaging]. "Stay-at-Home Handbook"has 42 chapters, featuring the insights of 60 families and a foreword by Dr.Laura Schlessinger. To order your autographed copy, email Cheryl@homebodies.org . Autographed copies of Cheryl's Mother's Day book,"Mom to Mom" are also available by going to this link: http://www.homebodies.org/mom2mom.htm ) More >>

Make Time For Your Teen By Patti Chadwick We live in a fast-paced world. Our lives are so full of things that need to be completed that from morning until evening we are in perpetual motion. Amidst the hustle and bustle we need to carve out the time to spend with our teens. You are probably wondering just how to do this. You are busy#133;your teen is just as busy! Make no mistake, it will take both time and effort, especially if you have more than one child, but it will be worth it. Begin by looking at the schedules of the entire family. Can you find free times and make a #147;date#148; with your teen to get a soda, have lunch, or go for a walk in the park? If your schedules are impossible #150; all is not lost! You just need to be resourceful! Do you need to take your teen to the dentist or doctor? Take a little extra time to make the time alone special. Use your time alone in the car to talk instead of listening to the radio. After the appointment, stop at a coffee shop for a drink and a chat. Do you have an errand to run? Ask one of your kids to tag along. Does your teen have a project due? I bet they could use an extra pair of helping hands. Maybe they just need someone to bounce ideas off of #150; let that someone be you! Let#146;s not forget dinnertime. Try to eat as many meals together as possible #150; and make mealtimes a relaxing time filled with good conversation as well as great food. I encourage you to be creative. Think outside the box. Find the time to spend with your teenager. You both will benefit from the times you share together. More >>