So maybe it wasn’t 45 years, but I have had any number of parents contact me for advice about consequences, specifically what to do when they went a little overboard.

The usual pattern is their daughter does something wrong and they give a punishment. The girl talks back and the mother increases the punishment. The girl says she doesn’t care and mouths off again and the thing just escalates until you have the teenage girl grounded for the entire summer.

After everything calms down, the mother feels rotten because she overreacted. But what is she supposed to do now? If she backs down then her punishments don’t mean anything. If she follows thru then she is being cruel.

This is a tough spot for a parent to be in.

If you’ve been there you know what I mean. If you haven’t been there yet, this is some place that you really don’t want to go.

Over the past year we have researched and uncovered a number of mistakes that parents make when giving consequences or disciplining their children or teens.

I would like to share with you my secret for how you can avoid the Biggest Mistake that parents make when punishing their children.

You can see the video now for free.

Go to:

Biggest Mistake

Summer is upon us and it brings with it the summer vacations that are associated with school going children. Mothers now have to scramble to come up with innovative ideas and summer activities for children and it is no surprise if you have already exhausted your idea bank.

How do you go about making sure that the summer months are fun and interesting instead of boring? And how do you do this with budget restraints? Well, there are a number of things that you can plan for this summer that can help you in handling child behavior, and here is a list of some ideas.

Planning small vacations
Instead of taking a long vacation during the summer, try and break it into smaller parts that are also more affordable. Ideas for these include planning day long activities at amusement parks, museums, zoos, local festivals, etc.

When you take small vacations your child has more things to do than he would at a single event.

In order to look for ideas you can go to your computer and do a search for upcoming events and activities close by. You can then work on identifying some good deals. You can also discuss your plans with friends and coworkers and ask them for ideas about any places or ongoing discounts that they might know of.

I remember an instance when our local library offered free passes to the art museum which I used along with my kids. We ended up saving around $40 that we would otherwise have to pay as entrance fees. Plus my kids had a blast.

If you intend to venture into another state, going through the state’s ‘visitor bureau website’ and looking for coupons is always a good idea. For example, on a trip that we planned to Cedar Point, Ohio, I asked the visitor’s bureau to send me a packet of information. Along with this packet of information they also sent me discount coupons for the amusement park which resulted in a total savings of over $30.

Keeping tour Stock Levels Full
Once the summer is upon us, you will need to stock up on the essentials that your children need around the home. With your children spending more time at home, you will continually have to come up with different ideas to get them to eat.

Keeping your fridge stocked up with fruits, vegetables, bread, meat, cheese, etc. is a good idea. This will enable you to make different types of sandwiches and you can thereby avoid spending money on fast food. Besides, having foodstuff readily available would also encourage your children to make snacks for themselves when they’re hungry.

Eating Outside:
Kids, as well as most parents, love backyard BBQs. Now is the time to have them! Have a nice day with only the family or let each child invite a friend or two. Invite some friends over yourself.
Eating outside every once in a while is a great way to break the monotony and you also get to save on cleaning after eating. Eating in the backyard or the patio can be great fun, and if you have outdoor plastic furniture, it is fairly easy to clean as well.

Plastic mats can also be used to add a certain ‘picnic’ touch, and all this requires in the form of cleaning is a quick shake and pat.

A small lunchbox cooler can be a good investment to take along on your day trips. Taking it along with you enables you to take the whole day’s supply of food with you. Taking this along will not only help you save money, but you would also ensure that the food that your family is eating is healthy. You can also use the cooler while you shop for meat and ice cream.

Other Good Buys:
Another thing that you can think about buying is a seat organizer for your car that would allow you to keep things such as toys, books, maps, wet wipes, diapers, etc. in an organized manner. If you are planning a trip to the beach, you can also pack your towel into this.

Kiddy pools and sand boxes are also great ideas especially if you have young children. Children can spend many hours playing in these and the investment is considerably small compared to the enjoyment these will provide to your children. These two things are great summer activities for children under the age of four.

If a member of your family is planning on buying your child a gift, you could suggest that they buy one of these things, and this would save you some money. This could be in the form of a birthday present, a congratulatory present, etc. You could also set aside the money that you receive on your anniversary and birthday to spend on things such as these.

It is important that you remember to have an assortment of toys that your children can use to play outdoors. Visiting places like the Dollar Store can often yield good results, and you can find economical things such as sandbox toys and tools, water and bubble guns, sidewalk chalk, etc. with ease.

Rainy Days
Rainy days can often play spoilsport for parents and children alike. These days can definitely bring about undesirable child behavior.

A good idea to keep your children occupied during these periods is to keep a good stock of craft supplies at home. The internet is a good source for free printable coloring worksheets. Things such as play dough, paper, crayons, puzzles, etc, are also good economical ways to keep your children engrossed on days when the weather plays truant.

If your child likes to play in the mud and you do not mind the mess, why not let him go out in the yard and make mud pies or mud soup. Better yet, if you want to have a day that your kid will remember, get out there with him and feel the mud between your toes… have some fun. Have a few towels ready next to the door for when you come back in.

Also remember that your local library can be used as a great resource to make summer plans for your family. While the library is a great option to utilize on the rainy days, you can also ask the librarian if there are any special activities or reading sessions that are planned for the summer.

I remember coming across a great reading program offered by our library in conjunction with a leading fast food brand wherein the stars that we got for achieving our reading goals could be redeemed for discounts at any of the chain’s restaurants. This ended up motivating a number of children to hone up on their reading skills.

Setting goals pertaining to your child’s reading habits during the summer is a great idea. In doing so, getting your child’s teacher’s suggestions is recommended, as this would help them prepare for the next grade in advance.

If your child has not started reading yet, you can always make use of this time to start reading out to them. You should realize that the power that literature has over our mind, as well the help it provides in speech development is truly amazing.

Over Scheduling is a Bad Idea
There are parents who tend to go over the top by organizing way too many activities and classes for their children. Kids often end up remembering things such as just running around the park and having fun, having ice cream on a really hot day, etc. as opposed to activities that parents end up spending money on.

It is very important that you allow your children to be children. Children end up remembering these small outings that you take them on, and these often have more impact on them than spending four weeks in a summer camp would.

You should bear in mind that this is supposed to be ‘their’ summer vacation. Also, since you would not enjoy a choc-a-block schedule for your vacation, neither would your child. You should ensure that you leave some time for your child to simply unwind and relax. This has to be kept in mind when you intend to sign them up for different summer activities.

Getting your child to pick a couple of activities he might be interested is also a good idea.

Summer activities for children should be fun and relaxing. Keeping the right amount of excitement and relaxation will keep your child’s behavior calm and manageable through the summer months.

Keep Track Of Memories
The most important part of the summer vacation is that you make the most of it. Irrespective of whether days are spent lazing by the kiddy pool in the backyard, or days filled with activities, try and make the next summer vacation memorable for your children.

Keeping a memory book and updating it regularly with the things that you do as a family is great. These memories can include your child making his first sand castle, eating his first hot dog, crawling around in the sandbox, and anything else.

If you do not have pictures to go with your memories, you can simply fill your memory book up with text; and sometime in the future you and your children can reminisce about the good old summer days that have gone by.

It is essential that children get their required nutritional needs met in the formative years, and this could be as early as when they enter school. This is when their brain starts to develop to its full potential by gathering various ideas and observing different things.

In order for the brain to develop it is essential that the brain receives adequate amounts of the following.

a) Glucose: This directly affects your child’s blood sugar level. Glucose is a source of energy and is also important in building your child’s attention span. Inadequate supply of glucose can result in your child falling asleep in class. Since breakfast is regarded as the day’s most important meal, it is important that your child’s breakfast should consist of enough glucose levels to keep your child going through the day.
Children who skip breakfast are known to have difficulty with their memory and also have short attention spans.
b) Iron: Iron helps in transporting oxygen throughout the body through the blood system, and this also includes supply of oxygen to the brain. Iron deficiency can result in anemia, and this can commonly been seen in children who do not receive well balanced diets.
Besides having an adverse affect on your child’s attention span, if your child suffers from iron-anemia, he probably wouldn’t be very motivated in being a part of activities that require ability and imagination.
Food stuff such as chicken, tuna, red meat, leafy vegetables, etc are good sources of iron.
c) Vitamin A: Vitamin A is a very important nutrient required for the development of the brain in the baby’s fetal stage. The most common source of Vitamin A is beta carotene, which can be found in yellow and orange fruits as well as dark leafy veggies.
d) Vitamin B: This nutrient helps in releasing the energy that glucose provides. Inadequate supply of Vitamin B can result in depression and aggressiveness. Since there are 12 different types of Vitamin B which are classified essential, getting them all through one source can be difficult. Vitamin B can be found in most cereals.
e) Zinc: Zinc helps in maintaining communication in-between the nerve and brain cells. Zinc deficiencies can result in your child’s inability to solve academic problems, a condition that is referred to in the medical fraternity as cognitive impairment.
Peanuts and cereals are good sources of zinc.
f) Folic Acid: Folic acid plays an important role in the formation of white and red blood cells. Inadequate supply of folic acid can result in your child complaining of tiredness, forgetfulness, and irritability.
Most fresh fruits and veggies are good sources of folic acid.

Your child’s diet should ideally have a balance of fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, cereals, and plenty of clean drinking water. This will ensure that your child excels in his academics as well as in sports.

However, does this imply that the parents of all the bright students do their shopping and cooking everyday, and ensure that their children eat what’s being given to them? No, this isn’t necessarily the case.

An increasing number of parents are now discovering the benefits of adding nutritional supplements in their children’s diets so that their diets can remain balanced. Nutritional supplements work by filling the gap that a busy and hectic schedule brings about.

While you, as an adult, can willingly take mineral supplements and multivitamins for the betterment of your health, your young child could have to be coaxed into taking his, and this is when educating him about it does not work. However, remember that these are important for the growth of your child.

Children are known to dislike swallowing pills, and these include multivitamins that taste bad and are big. To children, the taste outweighs the benefits of the pill in question. While increasing your child’s awareness about matters such as this is beneficial in the long run, young children often have to be cajoled into taking their supplements.

An alternative is to get them chewable supplements which often taste quite good, thereby taking away the feeling that they are supplements. Young children are known to be more receptive to chewable supplements as opposed to pills that have to be swallowed whole.

Another alternative comes in the form of liquid supplements. Liquid supplements do away with the need for pills altogether. Nutritional supplements in the liquid form can be easily mixed into cereals, drinks, and anything else that your child would eat in the course of the day. Children nowadays are known to favor taking liquid supplements mixed with juices, sports drinks, etc.

Adults who are averse to taking pills are also known to favor nutritional supplements in the liquid form. Besides, liquid supplements are absorbed more easily and readily by our bodies.

Starting Early Is Essential
If you expect your child to perform well in school, then it is important that you start early. Vitamin B supplements should be taken by expectant mothers so that the fetus grows well. While nutritional supplements aren’t normally recommended for children under 2 years of age, getting you child used to liquid or chewable supplements at that age is a good idea.

Smart kids that excel in school don’t necessarily have anything that your child does not. The key difference is that their parents focus on providing a well balanced and proper nutrition.

Now that you know what you can do, it is important that you work in identifying the eating habits of your smart child, and take effective measures to bring a change in his life as well as yours. Remember, proper nutrition for children does go a long way.