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Welcome
CELEBRATE GIVING IN DECEMBER!
As we head into the holiday season, December can easily become the “gimme” month. It is so important to teach our children about the joy of giving and sharing. Even very young children can get into the spirit of helping those around them. On this page you will find all kinds of ways to celebrate sharing and help build a character of compassion and caring in your young people….
- Food shelves are always looking for donations. Let your children help pick out things that they like and share the items with another family. (Many grocery stores have receptacles for donated food items.)
- Look around your own neighborhood…
- Is there an elder that could use help shoveling snow?
- Could you bake cookies for someone who has lost a loved one and would welcome a visit?
- Are there families of our armed service members who could use some help with decorating or may need a bag of groceries?
- Many people are not alone but may feel very lonely - how could you and your children help?
- Click here for more ideas.
Putting Family First helps you live longer
Today on Oprah (Nov. 25) Dr. Oz talked about places where people live to be 100 years old. One thing centanagarians had in common was tradition. Whether it was eating tortillas together, or gathering for meals, these long-lived folks all had their families and traditions to give them purpose every day. I even heard Oprah say the words "Putting family first helps you live longer!"
We here at Putting Family First always knew traditions were good for families, and now we know it can be good for your health!
Twilight Together
I just attended a midnight showing of a movie on a school night! The audience was full of moms, daughters, a few boys, and some reluctant dads. What brought out all these people on a cold Minnesota night? The movie Twilight. Twilight is the first in a series of books written by Stephenie Meyer. Her books have caused a sensation around the world. I happen to be a HUGE fan. I even stood in line for 13 hours at the Mall of America to get her autograph! Why am I writing about this movie and book on the Putting Family First website??? I have seen moms and daughters bonding! Moms and TEENAGE daughters experiencing the enthusiasm together.
In my own family, my husband read the whole series. I LOVE how this book series has us talking about these fictional characters like they are real! I must admit I'm still as exhilarated this morning at 9am, as I was walking out of the movie at 2am! The movie and books will not affect everyone like they have affected me, but I have had so much fun bonding with the teenagers in my life. Now, I have to go brush my teeth, then get over to movie theater for the 10am show!
-Stacy
Shake Up Mealtime Ideas
- Make mealtime a family affair - everyone helps prepare and clean up
- Try Backwards Day - eat dessert first!
- Go on an alphabet picnic - all food must start with the chosen letter (i.e. a "P" picnic might include peanut butter sandwiches, plums, popcorn etc.)
- Eat in the dining room for no reason - light candles
- Have the kids do an internet search on another country - try a food from there
- Explore your heritage and cook a native dish
- Have everyone share an "Up" and a "Down" that happened today
- Change chairs at the table and assume the duties of that chair (in Mom's chair do Mom's duties)
- Make good use of mealtime to check in with each member of the family!
If you can do only ONE thing to help your kids each day...
SHARE A FAMILY MEAL!!
Click here to learn more!
MINNESOTA SAYS YES TO NO
A new book by Dr. David Walsh, president of the Institute on Media and the Family has sparked a new statewide initiative in Minnesota. The book titled,
NO: Why Kids – of All Ages – Need to Hear It
and Ways Parents Can Say It
talks about Discipline Deficit Disorder and what we as parents can do to reverse this alarming trend.
As Mary Pipher (author of “Reviving Ophelia”) has said, “Walsh is an excellent scientist and cultural observer who gives sage, sensitive, and practical advice. “NO” should be required reading for every parent who walks out of a hospital with a newborn.”
Learn more about this new initiative and about the tools you can download to help parents at:
Reclaim the Family Dinner Hour
Emily Puro, a freelance writer in Portland, OR, just wrote a wonderful article for Metro Parent about reclaiming the family dinner. See current research and great ideas on how to make it happen at http://www.metro-parent.com/Jan07_1.pdf (2.3mb). It starts on page 12.
Need Acrobat Reader? Get it here.
New Book “No” hits the shelves!
It was an exciting day when I attended the book Premiere Event for:
NO: Why Kids – of All Ages – Need to Hear It
and Ways Parents Can Say It
“NO” is the latest book by Dr. David Walsh, President and founder of the National Institute on Media and the Family. In his book, Dr. Walsh talks about Discipline Deficit Disorder and what we as parents can do to reverse this alarming trend.
As Mary Pipher (author of “Reviving Ophelia”) has said, “Walsh is an excellent scientist and cultural observer who gives sage, sensitive, and practical advice. “NO” should be required reading for every parent who walks out of a hospital with a newborn.”
I encourage parents with kids of all ages to learn more at www.mediawise.org.
January is National Hobby Month!
In many parts of the country, families are "nesting" to stay out of the cold and snow. This is a great month to share a hobby with your children or begin a new one! Try scrapbooking your holiday memories, take up knitting, woodworking, stamp collecting, baking, reading...the list is endless! Visit our newsblog for hobby ideas. Send us your creative thoughts on hobbies that your families share!
Family Connection Quiz
Take a Family Connection Quiz at www.spiritualparenting.com/family.htm to see where your family scores in those all important family connections. This comes to us from Mimi Doe, author of Busy But Balanced. You can find her at www.spiritualparenting.com.
Other News
Recent New York Times Articles
Families With Full Plates, Sitting Down to Dinner
By LISA W. FODERARO
For Cathy and Bill Powell, finding a time when all three of their children are home for dinner can be like working a Rubik's Cube. A recent Monday was typical: Valerie, 9, got home from dance class at 6:35. Brian, 10, had to leave for Boy Scouts at 6:50. That left 15 minutes to sit down for tacos.
"I actually have to take all their schedules and make calendars and put things in different colors," said Mrs. Powell, of Wantagh, N.Y.
Still, she said, the effort is worth it. "It's crazy, but having dinner together reinforces the family unit," she said. "That's when we get to hear about their day. We ask them questions, and the other two can't butt in." (more)
Ah, the Family Dinner. Remember? (5 Letters)
To the Editor:
Re "Families With Full Plates, Sitting Down to Dinner" (front page, April 5):
I have memories of sitting down to family dinners five, six, even seven nights a week. My father, who commuted from Manhattan to the southern tip of Brooklyn, relaxed with the evening newspaper and we all sat down to dinner at 6:30 sharp every night.
Today, the 9-to-5 job and single-income household are a distant memory. I spend dinner hours teaching college courses until 8 p.m., and my husband travels on business. When family dinners are not possible, we have found another solution: the family breakfast. (more)
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Mission
Putting Family First works to raise awareness about the crucial connections between parents and children, and helps families find balance in their lives.
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