A Woman’s Diary

Don’t think that your child is too young to help out with chores. In fact, most of them are just waiting for you to ask for their help.

It really rewards the child when the parent asks them if they’d like to help out. They feel important and in a sense, grown up too.

Now you’re probably wondering, what can my child help out with without them getting hurt? There are plenty of things that are safe for them to help out with around the house!

Here are some suggestions:

• drying the dishes
• folding laundry
• changing pet water bowls
• picking up toys
• raking some leaves
• watering the garden
• washing the car

The list can really go on and on. Just think of some small things around the house that you are going to end up doing throughout the day. Chances are, your child can help with those too.

Make sure you reward your child by giving them a hug, cookie, or even saying a simple “Thank you”. It really does make a huge difference in their world when they know they are appreciated.

How young is too young to introduce children to the world of computers and laptops? My personal opinion is whenever they take interest in it. There are so much valuable things children can get out of using a computer.

Plus, most of these ways are done through fun games that allow them to learn too. There are so many benefits to introducing children to computers. Some include:

• use software to learn colours, math, and other subjects
• learn how to communicate with family members via email
• can easily print out favourite cartoon characters to colour in later
• search the internet for new Disney movies and their release dates

There is really endless possibilities at the advantages. But there are disadvantages that shouldn’t be taken to lightly. One of the major ones being predators online. That’s why it’s great to have parent spying software that allows you to moderate and block certain things on the web.

So the choice is yours. How young is too young to introduce your children to the world of computers?

Have you ever tried to explain what new year resolutions are to your children? It’s a great time to start! They too can be setting resolutions and you can encourage them.

Here are some resolutions you could talk to your children about.

• no fast food for a year
• eat veggies with every dinner
• read a children’s book daily or weekly
• join and participate with playing a sport
• take up a new hobby (drawing, photography, etc)
• start a fund raiser and collect clothes & toys to give to the less fortunate

Don’t forget to reward them at the end of the year if they accomplish any of their goals. Good luck with the new year resolutions!!

I was browsing the web this afternoon and came across the top 10 toys for boys and the top 10 toys for girls.

This certainly is something every parent should look at if you are unsure what to get your children this holiday season. Knowing kids, they’ve already made their Christmas list and have been snooping around the house looking for presents. Heehee…

So what’s the number one toy for each gender?

Girls - High School Musical DVD Game ($9.99 - $26.99)
Boys - Transformers Ultimate Bumblebee Action Figure ($79.99 - $149.99)

Check out both lists for other great gifts for your children this Christmas.

Anytime there’s a pregnancy in the family, it’s usually a joyous time. The best part is probably the first time you hear your baby’s heartbeat. Then it really hits you that, “Wow, it’s real.”

You might find yourself longing to hear your baby’s heartbeat again or even wanting others to hear it too. Now you can thanks to the Fetal Doppler - Pregnancy Heartbeat Detection.

This system allows you to hear the heartbeat throughout your entire pregnancy. You just place a pair of headphones on and place the object on your tummy. Then you’ll be able to hear the heartbeat in no time!

This is an ideal gift for any new parent or even those who are trying to conceive. Seeing that Christmas is coming up, it’ll be a perfect time to give this special gift to someone you know.

You can even get it for yourself. It is really affordable too and only costs around $30. Click here for more information regarding this product.

Finding: Become Santa For Your Kids

This week’s find comes right in time for Christmas. Do you children adore Santa and would love a personalized letter from him? Well, you as the parent can become Santa for your child.

BecomeSanta.com is a very beautiful website. Their design is straight forward and to the point. You can create a personalized letter within minutes. You can put your child’s name, achievements, and wish list on it so they think it comes directly from Santa.

What better way to make Santa real in your child’s life than to send a letter to them addressed from Santa. Check it out because it is such a great idea. Don’t forget to check out the previews to see what the letter and envelope will look like.

W.A.T.C.H (World Against Toys Causing Harm) has come up with the Top 10 Worst Toys of 2007. Many of which can cause serious harm to your children. It’s no surprise that “Aqua Dots” has tops that list since children who have ingested the beads have been comatized and could potentially die.

Check out the remaining toys that are on the list and see if you have them in your house. Recalls are not a joke and should be taken seriously. I sure as hell wouldn’t be putting my children in harm’s way.

Finding: Money Savvy Pig

This is the first weekly finding! It’s such a great one too. The Money Savvy Pig allows your child to learn how to deal with money. They can easily add coins into one of the four slots. The slots are save, spend, donate, and invest.

Teach your child about the value of money and let them learn how to save for a special purchase. They can even invest their money and then put it in the bank once they have accumulated enough coins. Each slot exits the coins through each foot. So whenever they are ready to use the money for something, they can easily take out one slot instead of all of them.

The Money Savvy Pig comes in four different colours — blue, red, pink, and green. It’s a perfect gift for your child this Christmas. This piggy bank only costs $15.99. It’s definitely a gift any child will appreciate and still allows them to learn at the same time.

Want to create the perfect photo book? Then you’ll want to check out Picaboo.com. You can create beautiful and long lasting photo books to share with your whole family.

Plus, you can do it right from your own desktop. Just download the Picaboo program (which is FREE) and start creating your books.

You can drag and drop photos, change layouts, adjust backgrounds, and so much more. You can see how it works here. Also, on the Picaboo website, you can find many ideas of what to create using Picaboo. There are so many possibilities. Just look at some of these ideas of photo books.

• babies
• travel
• birthday
• scrapbooking
• holidays
• heritage
• pets
• graduation
• and so much more!!

Create your photo book today and share it with friends and family. It also makes a perfect gift!

As most children are going trick-or-treating tonight, it’s important to stay safe. Here are my top five tips for staying safe this Halloween.

1. Carry a flashlight and extra batteries.
2. Check your candy before eating anything.
3. Put reflective tape on your costume.
4. Always walk with a group and never alone.
5. Never enter a stranger’s house or vehicle.

Be safe and have fun. Happy Halloween!!

Is your birthday coming up? Then hurry and add your birthday to Domino’s Pizza birthday registration. All you have to do is fill in this form which asks for a few things. The information they needs includes:

• First name
• Last name
• Date of birth
• Email address

Once you’re signed up, they will send you a free gift close to the date of your birthday. Talk about being a nice freebie!! Hum….maybe free pizza? I don’t know but I sure do want to find out!!