Awkward Family Photos Now in Book Format

Awkward Family Photos started life as a website in 2009 and is now available in book format. I'll admit, I used to spend a bit of time on the website LMAO. I wonder how they got the rights to publish all these photos. 

Amazon shows quite a few juicy pics if you look inside.

Teach Me Kindergarten iPhone App

The Teach Me Kindergarten iPhone App is great for parents with kids just entering school. It teaches math skills like addition and subtraction as well as spelling and sight words.

As kids master the game they earn coins and stickers which keep them playing and learning as they go.

TeachMe: Kindergarten is available at the iTunes store  for 99 cents. Well worth it. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/teachme-kindergarten/id336689375?mt=8#

Dyslexia - Developmental Reading Disorder

Unlike what many people think, Dyslexia is not caused by vision problems. It is a Developmental Reading Disorder in which the brain has difficulty processing, or recognizing, symbols.

Many people with Dyslexia have overcome learning and reading difficulties such as Richard Branson in this Dyslexia Video.

Although Dyslexia presents as a lifelong problem, it is possible to treat it with with the help of an IEP and individualized tutoring.

If you think you or somebody you know may be dyslexic, it's important to have an assessment. There are websites that can offer an initial assessment and depending on the outcome may lead you to a more professional dyslexia test.

Sir Ken Robinson - Brilliant TED Video About Children and Creativity

"We don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it." - Sir Ken Robinson

Website: http://sirkenrobinson.com

His book is available on Amazon: The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything

Let The Wild Rumpus Begin!

How many times have you felt like this?

Think you know your children's books? See how many of these you can identify from, "This is Your Brain on Children's Books."

Ten Best Children's Museum Lists - Great For Kids on Holiday Vacation

What's a parent to do with bored kids home for a few weeks from school on winter holiday vacation?

Chances are, the weather isn't great and you probably don't want them tracking in a day's worth of wetness when you're planning for a family dinner soon.

It's tempting to let them hang out on a computer or TV but after a few days they'll soon be a bit restless and their brains and bodies need something more stimulating.

Why not send them off to a museum for a day? There are plenty of them around and although many are free, even the ones with paid admissions aren't too spendy.

 

 

Google "The 10 Best Children's Museums" and you'll come up with plenty of suggestions.

Parents.com has their 10 Best Children's Museums list.

Babble.com has a similar list with their 10 Best Children's Museums.

Faqs.org takes it even further with their list of the Top 50 Children's Museums.

There are plenty of museums out there for kids and they're not too bad for parents either. Most of them don't allow cameras in sensitive areas but take one along anyway as you'll find plenty of things you can shoot. And when you get home, have the kids put together a slideshow on the computer to show what they did on vacation.

10 Things Your Teenager Won't Tell You

Ah, the teenage years. We were all there once and now we're on the other side - as parents. Most of us, as teenagers, probably thought we'd have a great relationship with our kids when we became parents - we'd be "cool" parents and our kids and their friends would think we were cool too. Guess what, things sure look different once we get here.

Kids and young adults live a carefree "no fear" lifestyle where invincibility rules. That notion disappears the moment the first child is born and we are suddenly transformed into another world where "fear" rules the day and we essentially become "our" parents.

Fear becomes our safety mechanism and we no longer throw caution to the wind, certainly not where are kids are concerned. One of the best ways to keep fear at bay is to talk to your kids, know what the are doing and how they feel, and keep an open relationship with them. It may not always work but keep plugging away.

Still, there will be times when they just won't open up and we need to understand that. Teenage years have always been tough and we need to understand that there are times when teenagers need some space but keep the door open for them when they do want to talk or need some guidance.

There's a good article that sets the groundwork and shines a light on some of the issues that kids don't want to talk about.

It outlines 10 Things Your Teenager Won't Tell You:

1. She needs privacy.

2. Sometimes he just needs you to listen.

3. She may be dating—even if you've explicitly said she can't.

4. He may not be getting great grades on every assignment

5. She doesn't want to talk to you about sex.

6. He hates when you don't hold his siblings accountable.

7. She wishes you'd cut her some slack.

8. He lies to stay out of trouble.

9. She gets frustrated when you use her age to your advantage.

10. He wishes you would trust him.