when your kid goes to school for the first time..

This can be a very stressful moment for moms who will be sending off their kids to kindergarten for the first time. A lot of doubts make moms anxious. Will the child adapt to a school environment quickly? Will he be able to get adjusted to a new surrounding around other kids and with an adult who is going to be his teacher? Will he get along with others?

Been there. Seen them all. Kids crying, screaming, kicking because they do not want to go to school. Moms literally dragging their kids to school, sitting with them inside the classroom for a month or so until he gets adjusted. All these can be really exhausting. We moms want our kids to be able to embrace school very easily. But this is not happening to all the moms and to all the kids. Fortunately I did not have to deal with these problems when my own children started kindergarten and when my 5-year-old granddaughter went to school for the first time. But I have observed many who are in this situation. In fact one of my friends had her 4-year-old daughter tutored by me because her daughter didn't want to go inside her classroom.

Here are a few tips moms can do to prepare their kids for school:

1. Talk about school in the most pleasant way you can. Talk about the fun he will be having there with his other classmates.

2. A few days before school, try to rehearse the child or make him experience a classroom situation in your house, making him sit down and do some school stuff like coloring, writing, or how to hold the pencil and stuff. Make him sing and dance with you to the tune of a nursery rhyme.

3. Play "pretend" with him that you're the teacher and he is the pupil. Instill in him the idea that school is fun and a teacher is just like mom.

4. Ask him what food he wants to snack in school. Pack him his favorite snack and get him excited about it.

5. Sound excited about school for him and make it sound like a very nice place to go to.

6. After school ask him to tell you what they did in the class. Be excited about what he has to tell you each time. Reward him with a kiss for every good deed he'd done like he listened to the teacher, he was friendly with everybody, he obeyed his teacher, etc.

7. Make a "field trip" to the school with your kid a day or two before classes. Look for his classroom and point it out to him.
The last but not the least, when you have some negative thoughts about school, don't let your child hear about it.

a gift for you, kids!

A new site has been very recently opened to actively help kids with their school work. You may start loading your homework now at http://www.kids'-homework.blogspot.com where the help will also appear instantly as soon as I am able to view it. Homework especially having to do with projects related to book reports, book review or story analysis, essays, etc. will be entertained. Of course, this will have to be done on a first come, first served basis. So kids, got any homework? Go to it now.

gift-wrapping ideas

Gift-wrappers can be very costly. If you are giving gifts to a dozen people and you pay for gift-wrapping service, that could cost a lot of money. There are a number of alternatives to consider if you want to have a more personalized, creative, as well as environmentally friendly gift wrappers. So you don't have to buy expensive gift wrappers each time, try making your own from:

1. hemp (details are at http://www.eartheasy.com)
2. any soft fabric and make a gift bag out of it
3. comic strips or comic sections
4. calendars
5. your children's art work
6. old maps
7. newpaper
8. glossy magazine covers

The trick is in the finishing touches. Give your gift that classy look by using a nice ribbon around it. For a more detailed description of how and where to purchase these wrappers with low environmental impact, visit http://www.eartheasy.com

gift ideas for a boyfriend

I find looking for the perfect gift for a man both hard and easy. It is easy because men are not complicated beings. They are simple when it comes to shopping----no frills, just basic. So in looking for a gift for him, it should not be too hard to choose from a limited variety of stuff that men use. However, this simplicity and lack of complication also makes the task difficult for choosing from a limited number is not that easy.

Women have come up with a variety of ways to make their men happy on their birthday. When I shop for a birthday gift I stick to the basics. So here's a list of things your beloved bf or husband will surely appreciate:
1. a good shirt (but get the right size and the color he prefers) ---I am putting this as my gift no. 1 because all men appreciate a good shirt that he could use at work.

2. wallet---if you notice that his wallet has fallen apart

3. a personalized lighter (if he smokes)

4. an expensive cologne (if he's fond of this)

5. socks, hankies, undies (this never fails)

6. an expensive tie (if he wears one)

7. a good mousepad with a wrist rest ( for computer junkies)

8. a personalized mug (if he is a coffee drinker)

9. a bestselling book he'd been wanting to read

10. bottle of exotic wine (if he drinks)

11. an organizer/planner

12. a huge comfortable pillow with your face on the pillow case which you can have printed

A dozen gift ideas for your beloved. As was already mentioned, keep it simple and basic.

so your kid is turning 1?

Parents, especially moms, get so hyper when the date of their angel's FIRST birthday party is moving in fast.

A kid's 1st birthday is supposed to be the most memorable for the parents and the baby. Should it be a themed party? Since you would like it to be a grand birthday celebration, you decided to make it a themed party. Here's a list of themes you can possibly use:
* Teddy bear party
* cowboy
* Ducky-duck party
* angel
* Rainbow party
* fruit
* Pirate b'day party
* fairy
* hat party
* princess/prince
* bunny party
* pajama
* Indian party
* career
*Alice in Wonderland theme
* star
* Under the Sea
* cartoon
* Zoo party
* Micky mouse
* Hi-5 party
* Dora the Explorer
* Disneyland
* Totally Spies
* Wonder Pets
* Blues clues
* the carnival

Those are only suggestions. I am sure you can think up of other themes. The list is endless, it is all up to you how you would want your kid's 1st birthday a most memorable one.