Shopping during an economic downturn?

Everywhere you read, it is doom and doom and gloom, sigh! There seems to be no end in sight. Banks are closing, companies are retrenching and countries are declaring bankrupt. But, and that is a big BUT, we still have to go on living and eating, if not we will die, period.

What do you buy during an economic downturn? Where should you place your dire-straits dollars and cents? How do you stretch the mighty ringgit? Well, that calls for innovation and some homework.

There is this pretty neat site for all your online shopping needs that actually does all the searching for you. It is some sort of Google shopping search engine that seeks out all the stores in cyberspace and brings to your home the best shopping details for you to make a neat decision. In these troubled times, one cannot afford the luxury of paying more for the similar item that can be purchased cheaper elsewhere.

Also, one would rather shop for the daily necessities such as children’s clothing, books, or other stuff that your growing kids cannot do without. Maybe and occasional toy for good behavior but expensive toys is a no-no.

So shop wisely, plan your shopping needs, go for the best deals and compare prices by doing some homework. Wishing you all the best to overcome this dreadful recession.

Technorati Tags: kids,shopping,books,toys

HOW TO CONNECT WITH YOUR KIDS

HOW TO CONNECT WITH YOUR KIDS

TAKE A ONE-ON-ONE HOLIDAY
Time alone with a parent during the teen years will always remind a teenager she/he will always have a safe haven as she/he moves out into the world

PLAN A FAMILY NIGHT
Family Night give you an opportunity to spend some time together. It also forces your kids to plan, budget, and take other people's likes and dislikes into consideration

EAT DINNER TOGETHER
Make it a priority to sit down and eat a meal together at least five times a week. Not only is this a time to nourish your bodies with food; you nourish your family with good conversation and fun.

HAVE A DATE TOGETHER
To create your own date night, ask your child what type of activity he/she will enjoy. The object of your evening is to get out of the house and do something you will both enjoy and can talk about in the years to come

PRAY TOGETHER
Pray for missionaries and math tests or school work, friends who are sick and people in difficult situations as you read them in the newspaper. No request is too trivial.

WRITE A LOVE NOTE
Use the family mail box to encourage each other and to brighten up everyone's days. To start your own family mailbox, all you need is a basket, a pad of paper, and a pen. Start the ball rolling by writing notes to each member of your family

BREAK FOR A TREAT
After a long day in school, kids need a chance to unwind before going straight into their homework or tuition. Have popcorn and hot chocolate or cookies with a tall glass of milk shake. This is when you find out more about what happened in the day, how much homework there is and most important how to encourage and counsel your kids

START A PARENT-CHILD JOURNAL
Get a notebook, attach a pen and then write a question to start the conversation. Ask about school, friends, books or anything else that interest your child. Ask open-ended questions. Make it like a family diary. This will help you get more in-depth responses and just like you cherish your personal diary, you will always remember your family diary for generations

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adapted from a christian speaker

BENEFITS OF LESS TV FOR MY KIDS

BENEFITS OF LESS TV FOR MY KIDS


1. CHILDREN LEARN TO ENTERTAIN THEMSELVES
When we provide basic tools, our kids turn out some amazing creations.
Towers emerge from blocks and castles arise from sandbox.


2. CHILDREN LEARN CRUCIAL THINKING SKILLS WHILE ENTERTAINING THEMSELVES
Some children's TV shows are educational but they are not truly interactive.
Games that actively involve a child stimulate cognitive abilities and develop crucial thinking skills.


3. PLAY ENCOURAGES PROBLEM SOLVING AND CAN LENGTHEN A CHILD'S ATTENTION SPAN
When kids play, they are forced to think about how things interact and fit together.
They learn to figure things out - all by themselves.
Concentrating on finding these solutions helps kids focus, which can develop their attention span.


4. IT KEEPS KIDS MOVING
Watching an inordinate amount of television can be a risk factor for childhood obesity.
Kids who watch an excessive amount of TV tend to be more sedentary, less likely to engage in sporting activities, have poor eating habits and have a higher incidence of obesity.


5. YOUR VALUES BECOME THEIR VALUES
As kids grow andwatch more TV, they are exposed to an overwhelming array of messages that do not reflect good moral standards.
Even "safe" programs often send a clear message that wealth, beauty and power are fundamental to happiness.
Instead of allowing the TV to usurp our authority, we can reclaim control.


6. YOU HAVE MORE FAMILY TIME
When the TV is on, the family is tuned in but not to one another. If we want our kids to value family time, we have to demonstrate that it is a priority.




(this is for my wonderful kids - hope you can learn this for yourselves and also for your future kids)




@@@ adapted from a mother @@@

To my three wonderful kids...from Dad

http://jaredjuice.blogspot.com/

http://purplejan.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/

To my three wonderful kids...
this post act as a reminder to myself as a dad, the awesome responsibility of raising you fellows up and to make sure that i have done my best to raise a great new generation...

God Bless You, Ling Kern, Janene and Joel

How to raise Fantastic Kids

1. Encouragement is the fuel for a healthy sense of self-worth

In order to build a child's sense of self-worth, I must look for every opportunity to recognize internal character qualities such as courage, honesty, fairness, compassion, perseverance and kindness

2. Demonstrate unconditional love

When my children receive unconditional love, they develop a deep sense of confidence, security, and reassurance, which their mistakes cannot erase

3. Avoid comparisons

Comparing my kids with others will leave them feeling depressed and discourage

4. Separate the incident from the individual

There's a big difference between someone who made a mistake and someone who is a mistake, between someone who told a lie and someone who is a liar

5. Recognize effort and celebrate progress

Principle-centred parents who want to build character and develop their child's sense of self-worth will focus on effort rather than on outcome, on progress rather than on performance

6. Avoid reliving past failures

Focus on a child's strengths, without mentioning past failures