A season for givingWritten by Stephanie Foster
The holidays are upon us. It is best time to teach your family about caring for others. In midst of all holiday madness, there are so many people who need and deserve your help, and it can be so easy to do.One easy idea is to contribute to Christmas Child. This program is run by an evangelical Christian group, Samaritan's Purse. All you have to do is fill a shoe box with small gifts for either a boy or a girl. Good things to include are small toys, school supplies, soaps, toothbrushes, or just about anything small that will benefit child. They do ask for a $5 contribution to help them ship box. For more information, visit http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.asp?section=Operation+Christmas+Child. You can also consider donating to your local food bank. They need so much more than just creamed corn, of course. Talk with your children about foods that make holidays special to them, and how families with less would appreciate them. You may not be able to donate a favorite, as food banks are greatly limited in what they can distribute, so consider donating ingredients. Alternatively, call your local food bank and ask what they need. They may have enough food staples, but need things like condiments or mixes. Nonperishable donations are typically more welcome than perishable items, and may be all they can accept from individuals. For a list of items most needed by most food banks, take a look at http://www.sandiegofoodbank.org/needed.html.
| | Are we there yet?Written by Stephanie Foster
The holidays are rolling around again, and it's time to figure out how to keep kids busy as you drive to see your families. Whether it's only an hour or two or most of day, traveling can be a very boring experience for children.How you handle it can depend on ages of your children. No matter their ages, you need to take into account your children's interests. Infants are pretty easy, relatively speaking. Personally, I prefer to travel at night with an infant, so that you don't have to stop to feed them. If your baby sleeps through night, you can probably have a peaceful trip, although you'll probably need a nap when you get to your destination. If you just can't stand traveling overnight, plan to make plenty of stops. Make sure your schedule is very flexible, so if you have to stop a little or a lot you don't feel pressured. Night travel can work well for toddlers as well, but daytime trips can be a lot of fun too. Some toddlers travel very well. Bring plenty of soft toys. I suggest bringing some that your toddler doesn't use all time, so that they are something of a treat and a little more intriguing. Make sure your stops have at least a place for your toddler to run and stretch his or her legs. Ten minutes is plenty for a stretch.
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