Here is a very cute Turkey Cookie.  It’s so simple to make, yet adorable.

Frost the top edge of a sugar cookie and add about 7 candy corn.  Give two dabs of frosting and two M&M’s for the eyes. Add a bit more frosting to make the beak and two feet.  Kids of all ages will enjoy making these cookies, and I’ll be they’ll enjoy eating them even more.

Parenting.com has an article with some things to think about when it comes to kids and sports.  It points out some questions to ask yourself before you sign them up.  You can read the article to find all the details, but here’s a summary of the main points.

•  Will it be fun?  If the child does not want to do it, don’t force them. There’s nothing harder than dragging a child to a practice or game that they really don’t want to be at.
• Do they have good hand eye coordination?  If your child has established good hand eye coordination they will most likely do o.k. on a sports team.  If you find they need to work on this skill you may want to wait another year and get some practice in first.
• Can they stick to an activity for at least one hour?  Most games and practices will last at least an hour.  The team needs a player that can stay the entire time.
• Does your child understand the rules?  Go over the rules for the sport your child will be playing.  Make sure they understand how things will work before signing them up for the sport.  If they don’t understand the concepts you may want to wait. They must also understand and be ready to take turns.  Team sports are all about team players.
• Are they excited about meeting team members? This may be hard for some children.  Make sure your child understands that they will be meeting lots of new people and possibly a new coach.  They will be on a team with lots of different people and personalities.
• Will the sport work with your family schedule?  Consider the time commitment involved with team sports. Most sports require at least one practice and one game a week.   We want to teach our children at a young age to stick with something they start.  Don’t make a decision you may regret down the road.

Our family has had great experiences with team sports.  With careful consideration beforehand I am sure it will be fun for your family too.

I came across some good tips when listening to a Mighty Mommy podcast the other day. Here are some of the highlights. First and foremost, we need to be an example. We need to be a “polite parent”. The best way for a child to learn to say thank you after receiving something is by hearing us do it.

We can also give recognition when we hear or see our children practicing good manners. Using phrases like, ” I really like the way you said please.” will make your children feel good about the choice they made and encourage them to do it more often.

Sometimes it’s not easy for our kids to think of the right thing to say, especially when it comes to toddlers. Using lead in words such as “what do you say when you need something?” will help them remember to use manners without them feeling like they are making a mistake.

Finally, we need to give our children opportunities to use their manners. Have them spend time with other children and adults. This gives plenty of situations where they can use their manners.

Our kids learn the most by watching us.  If we have good manners they will learn to have good manners too.

I came across a resource that can be extremely helpful when it comes to video games.   Whattheyplay.com is basically an online information guide for parents for all types of video game units and games that go along with them.  In fact they refer to their site as ” the videogames guide for parents.”

The site is divided up into categories according to the system  you own or may be looking into purchasing.  It also features a weekly advice column called “ask gamerdad.”  Parents can write in with all their gaming questions and have them answered weekly.

If you have kids with game systems, this site is defiantly worth checking out.   It will help take the guess work out of figuring out the good and the bad about the world of video games.

Pick a designated “time out” spot for any toys that are not picked up in a timely manner or according to your directions. When you see toys that are laying around or your child does not pick up their toys when asked, explain to your child that instead of them taking a time out the toys are going to need a “time out”. Place the toys in the designated spot and give your child a time frame for which they will need to stay. Depending on the situation this may be as short as a few minutes or as long as a few days. When the time frame is over, give them back to your child and ask them to put them away where they belong. You might also try this with a child who is having a hard time respecting their toys too.

I worried a little about not putting our 5 year old in preschool this year because people would comment that it would be so good for him socially. It would help him get over his “shyness”. Inside I knew that it’s just his personality and that I was the same way. One year of preschool was not going to turn him into his older brother. Since he told me he would rather stay home for preschool, I stuck to my gut and kept him home this last year. I’ve taken him to story time at the library and he has play dates with friends. Half way through the year I fell he is already academically and socially ready for school.

Research seems to be on my side with this issue. I just read an interesting article about our kids’ personalities. It supports the notion that personality traits we display as young as preschool age will most likely stay with us into adulthood. Although they may learn to become more social as time goes on they will not turn into extroverts.

An interesting part of the study did point out that the most rambunctious and aggressive children will most likely mellow out during their 20’s. This is due to all of the teasing and negative peer pressure causing them to be more self-conscious of themselves. MSNBC.com