Don't Say "I'm Sorry"

Written by Arleen M. Kaptur


The Holidays are a great time of year. People just seem friendlier and nostalgia permeates celebrations everywhere. It is also gift-giving time - an opportunity to show others how much you care and what they mean to you, as a family member or friend.

The decision on what to give is all part ofrepparttar festivities. You decide on a gift that you will make - whether you knit, quilt, paint, cook, bake, etc. You pull out your very favorite recipes or patterns and think aboutrepparttar 111318 recipient of this gift as you work. There is no limit torepparttar 111319 time and care you take -repparttar 111320 quality ofrepparttar 111321 ingredients (food, material, yarn, thread, paint, etc.). You want it to be your best work - and you want that person to know that you cared enough to create this "gift" because nothing else would do.

You lovingly wrap your gift and whenrepparttar 111322 time is right - you give it. Now, two things can happen. One,repparttar 111323 "getter" is so pleased that tears of gratitude, appreciation, and love brim over and there are hugs, smiles, and heaps of "thanks." It is either proudly used or displayed for everyone to see. The second thing that could happen is that it is received politely, but with a lukewarm reception. Never you fear, you didrepparttar 111324 very best job and you have a right to be proud. There are feelings in every stitch, tuck, and stroke, and "what you see" is justrepparttar 111325 cover for a whole lot of feelings and emotions. This particular gift is packed - it is filled torepparttar 111326 breaking point with care and love. But - you say - they just didn't seem to like it. You also say - did they think I was cheap or money was a problem? Whether money is a problem or not is not of concern here. Cheap - not in your wildest dreams - this gift is lavish and royal with allrepparttar 111327 trimmings that really count. They didn't like it - not correct either. While, yes, some beleagured individuals have become slaves to advertising campaigns and manufacturing giants' every whim and idea. These "wayward souls" are to be treated with concern. They are, as you can see, in need of some therapy, and your gift is that therapy. If you could be a flower onrepparttar 111328 wallpaper inrepparttar 111329 home of where your gift will reside - on that day when everything went wrong - when bad news followed more bad news - or when there was no particular reason to feel blue but you are - that quilt, blanket, afghan, sweater, etc. will be cherished, held, and berepparttar 111330 comfort and hug that you can't give personally at that particular moment. That painting or ceramic will be traced with a finger hoping to find answers to present problems, and each line and corner gives glue to a life that is falling apart. That hand-made gift, while not fully appreciated atrepparttar 111331 time of giving, will berepparttar 111332 hand to hold,repparttar 111333 smile to grace a face, andrepparttar 111334 lilt of joy that only precious care can bring.

5 Ways To Help Your Kids Do Math

Written by Murdo Macleod


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5 Ways To Help Your Kids Do Math

(c) Copyright 2003 by Murdo Macleod

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Uh oh.

Your kids arrive home with their school reports and it's poor marks fromrepparttar math department. Now what do you do?

You may not be a math teacher, but thankfully there are ways you can help your kids improve their grades.

Studies have shown that children are much more likely to perform well in a subject that interests them.

So here are 5 ways to get your kids excited about math and actually looking forward torepparttar 111317 next math class:

1. Inspire them.

Some kids don't enjoy math because they just can't seerepparttar 111318 point of it. Unlike reading or painting, all those mathematical symbols and numbers don't seem to mean anything.

What you need to do is show them how important math is inrepparttar 111319 real world.

Tell them stories aboutrepparttar 111320 great engineering feats throughout history. From buildingrepparttar 111321 great pyramids of Egypt, torepparttar 111322 Hoover dam, torepparttar 111323 latest space missions to Mars, nothing would have been achieved without mathematics, and mathematicians.

2. Get practical.

Involve your kids in some real world math away fromrepparttar 111324 classroom. Find something your child is interested in and relate it to math in some way.

For example, do they like baseball? Terrific. During a game, ask them how many pointsrepparttar 111325 losing team has to score to beatrepparttar 111326 other one. And how many games do they need to win before they have enough points to winrepparttar 111327 league?

If they enjoy helping aroundrepparttar 111328 home then let them dorepparttar 111329 "clever stuff". Ask them to work outrepparttar 111330 sizes for that wood you're going to cut. Or get them to measure outrepparttar 111331 ingredients forrepparttar 111332 cake you're about to bake.

When you're in a store, ask your kids to add uprepparttar 111333 prices and keep a running total while you shop. Then ask them how much change you should expect atrepparttar 111334 checkout.

3. Take life "step-by-step".

Success in math - as in life - is largely about breaking large projects down into manageable, bite-sized pieces.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
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