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It’s autumn and time for a series of holidays that will keep your kids busy throughout the next few months. First up was Halloween which now leads into Thanksgiving only 4 weeks later. What is wonderful about these holidays is they fall within the same season and use the same color scheme. As a result, many of the things you purchase for one can be used for the other. This reduces the amount of money you need to spend on the kids’ fun during this season.
Here are some examples:
Cookie Cutters: A simple pumpkin cookie cutter you chose to create marvelous pumpkin invitations and decorations for your spooky Halloween party can be used at Thanksgiving time to make pumpkin sugar cookies, pumpkin bread, brownies, etc. Pumpkins are as festive at Halloween as they are at...

Here They Come!
By Kim Estes PEACE of Mind
Here they come… the holidays, the relatives and the insane schedules! Now is a great time to take a moment BEFORE things get too crazy, to talk to your family about some common sense safety tips.  There will be lots of interaction with family and friends, new experiences and new places. Take time to practice “what if” scenarios with your kids. Taking time to talk safety with your kids will take some of the anxiety out of your holidays!
 Safety while...

Tis the season for all things wicked and hocus pocus.  Here’s an easy concoction to make that kids will love!
Take a plastic goblet —...

Do your children's words ever take you by surprise because they sound remarkably like something you've said?  These "boomerang words" can be a good thing or not such a good thing.
When we hear our children repeat our words, it's a strong reminder of just how much they are picking up from us. We also get a new appreciation for how those words feel to the person receiving them! Where have I heard that before? One mom told me that she was in her 6-year-old daughter's bedroom when she accidentally knocked a toy off her dresser. Her daughter exclaimed "Mom, next time could you be a little more careful!" This mom was taken aback by this rather rude sounding comment. Sadly she realized her daughter had learned these precise words from her. She remembered how often she reminded her daughter to be more careful when she made a mistake. Hearing these words directed back at her, she understood how harsh they sound. She's now working on showing empathy when her daughter accidentally spills something instead of admonishing her to be more careful in the future. Repeating...

It’s coming on Halloween season again, and it’s the perfect season for a Halloween Treasure Hunt.   Mike, Peppers and Pollywogs’ own poet, has created a great set of clues all around Halloween decorations this year to keep the kids on the hunt for their treats!
Check out the clues:
If you find your next clue, I hope that you’ll grin. It’s under a vegetable that’s lit from within. (Jack o’ Lantern)
Where’s the next clue? I think that I saw … the last one holding it was...

So, will you have goblins and pumpkins around your home this year, or perhaps Chicken Little? Whatever you decide for your costumes for your Halloween party and trick or treat night, keep a few tips in mind when purchasing and/or making costumes for your trick o’ treaters ….
If purchasing costumes, wigs, beards, etc. make sure that they are labeled flame resistant. Although the label does not mean these items will not catch fire, the label does mean it will resist burning and extinguish quickly.
Avoid costumes with baggy arms, billowy sleeves, pontoon pants, and/or made...

We all know this age-old rhyme as Halloween approaches:
Trick or treat, you’re so neat.
Give me something good to eat.
Nuts and candy, fruit and gum.
I’ll go away if you give me some.
Trick or treat, smell my feet.
I know you’ll give us lots of treats.
Not too big, not too small,
maybe the size of Montreal.
Trick or Treat, Trick or Treat,
Give me something nice to eat.
If you don’t, we don’t care,
we’ll put money in your underwear!
Cute, huh?
Halloween Eve will be a time for your children and their friends to get together, don their costumes, and head out into the crisp night air with their torches to light the way. Here are some ideas for...

At your upcoming Monster Mash, be sure to serve a creepy menu of snacks to your guests.  It’s quite easy when you transform ordinary every day snacks into ghoulish ones by simply renaming them.  Write the spooky names with chalk on black heavy cardstock and place next to each bowl of goodies:
1.     Baked Skeleton Bones (Pretzel Sticks)
2.     Bat Brains (Popcorn)
3.     Bloated Ants (Raisins)
4.     Boiled Lady Bugs (Red Jelly Beans)
5.     Braised Beetles (Milk Duds)
6.     Candied Spider Eggs (Gum Drops)
7.     Cheesy Owl Eyes (Puffed Cheese Balls)
8.     Chocolate-Dipped Houseflies (Chocolate-Covered Raisins)
9.     Compressed Cobwebs (Chex Brand or Similar Cereal)
10.  Crumbled Bat Wings (Blue Corn Chips)
11.  Deep Fried Fingernails (Bugles Brand Snacks)
12.  Dehydrated Dragon's Wings (Doritos)
13.  Dirty Shoelaces (Black Shoestring Licorice)
...

Have you ever become frustrated with your children when they are begging you for something? If so, you can probably relate to this mom's story.
Begging for Ice Cream One mom told me how exasperated she was while driving her 10-year-old son to Baskin Robbins to order cake for his upcoming birthday party.   Her son started pleading with her to get an ice cream cone at Baskin Robbins.  Mom said he couldn't have one since he had just had ice cream yesterday. He didn't give up hope and instead kept asking her if he could please have an ice cream cone.  Completely fed up, she pulled over and stepped out of the car for a few minutes explaining she needed a break from his behavior.    After getting back in the car, he soon asked her again about the ice cream! Feeling quite angry now, she yelled at him for continuing to ask after she had already told him no.  By the end of her rant, he was crying.  Needless to say, this wasn't exactly the pleasant outing she had envisioned.     Alternative Parenting Responses We don't always do our best parenting in the heat of the moment.  The good news is...

Do you ever find yourself rushing around in the morning desperately trying to get your kids off to school?  Feeling rushed and hassled first thing in the morning is not a good way to start a day!  Unfortunately many parents and children report this is exactly how they feel in the mornings.   How can we change our behavior so that mornings feel calm instead of chaotic?  It can help to take a step back and look at what needs to get done in the mornings and how we want to interact with our children.   Adding Stress by Nagging and Ordering One thing that adds to morning stress is when parents feel they need to give their kids lots of orders to get them out the door on time:  

"Eat your breakfast."
"Brush your teeth."
"Get dressed right now!"
"Remember to bring your clarinet."

Whenever we order our kids to do something, we are setting ourselves up for a possible power struggle.  We are also sending the unspoken message "You're not smart enough to think of this for yourself so I'm telling you what to do."  This is not quite the message we want to be sending!  How can we stop giving orders?  By turning more responsibility over to our children, we can relieve ourselves from having to police their morning routines.  This can be scary as mistakes will undoubtedly be made.  However, children quickly learn from their mistakes and become more competent.  Let's look at a few areas where...