There are a few things you can do to make homework time easier for your kids. If they get home and you are all distracted, they may be tempted to chuck backpacks in a corner and scatter to watch TV or play video games. You have to establish a routine to let them know that telling you at five minutes till bedtime “I have homework” is not a good idea!

One of the best pieces of parenting advice I ever heard is “Let them fail once in a while!”  My kids learned the hard way that if they don’t do their homework, I won’t let them stay up late to do it or let them make us late for school in the morning trying to finish. We have a strict rule: You get home, you bring me your backpack, you do any homework right then.

If they are really starving (they go to trampoline class after school, and sometimes the snack I send gets burned off!) I have a special stash of healthy options that won’t spoil dinner. I have to make them sit at the dining room table to eat it or they sneak off to their rooms to crash in front of the tube and never be heard from again!

We do our studying at the kitchen table because I can watch them while I start dinner. My son doesn’t get  homework in first grade except reading, but I make him write all of his spelling words three times each, then read his books aloud. My daughter has homework in each subject, and we have a card on the fridge stating which day each is due back.

Another piece of parenting advice; NEVER do your kids’ homework for them. I look my daughter’s over, and if I see any glaring errors I tell her to take an extra look but I don’t solve the problem for her. She is responsible for listening in class. I will clarify a hypothetical question for her, but I expect her to learn, and she can’t do that if I do her homework for her.

Once the kids finish their homework, they know they can have free time until dinner. Since we have the routine, they are pretty good about getting their work done promptly without complaining, and then running off to play! This good habit is going to stand them in good stead in the future - it builds a great work ethic and helps keep them from becoming procrastinators who always put things off until tomorrow!

Single moms have to do it all. Sometimes it’s easy to look around at the couples with or without kids and feel like no-one understands what you are going through. This is when you need help the most, and there are a lot of places you can get backup and single mom support.

Support groups are everywhere, whether it be the single parents in your neighborhood or building, the other moms who show up at the PTA meeting with baby food on their blouse, or even the parents’ group at church. Strike up a conversation and make a new friend. You might be surprised at how much you have in common with the immaculately dressed woman in 3-A when you run across her at midnight in the laundry room. When you see her bleary eyed and make-up free, in grungy sweats with her hair jammed in a scrunchie washing kid vomit out of sheets, you might just realize your worlds aren’t so far apart after all.

Many people in a mom’s life can offer a single mom support by taking turns carpooling or offering to baby-sit in shifts so she can have a chance to run errands or even just sleep for a few hours. Churches often offer a cheap alternative to standard daycare, and mother’s day out programs are great.

If you can find a group dedicated to single mom support all the better!  These loosely organized networks of single parents can help all members cope with the trials of handing kids, a job and a life on your own. They can hook you up with coupons, deals, babysitters and nannies, let you know who the best household help options are, qualify you for group rates on tickets for fun activities or just offer a few understanding shoulders to cry on when life seems too complicated.

When you are a single mom, support can just mean validation or assurance that you are doing an OK job. Parents can feel so inadequate sometimes, and wonder if they are shortchanging their kids. A group of moms going through the same things can help a lot just by reinforcing the fact that you are not alone.

If you are a single mom, support might be al you need to get that extra boost to help you through the week. Look for a support group in your area and join up today. Help is on its way!

One evening I spent four hours reading different mom’s and environmental blogs. It was a great experience and I decided to share it with you.
The concept of living green is broad and can be applied to almost all aspects of life. I put it together the collection of parenting tips and ideas that focuses on green concepts and trends. In this articles you will find out about green products for household, Halloween, family recipes, fashion, food labels, household hazardous wastes, solutions to fight the bacterial germs in schools, energy conservation ideas, etc.
I would like to say BIG Thank You to all bloggers for letting me use their articles!

• Best Eco Stuff Blog
Green Halloween 5 Tips
http://bestecostuff.com/blog/green-halloween-5-tips

• Radiant Ideas Blog
10 tip for decorating green this Halloween
http://radiantideas.blogspot.com/2008/10/ten-tips-for-decorating-green-this.html

• Go Green Diva Blog
Diva Doing Dish
http://gogreendiva.blogspot.com/2008/10/dish-doing-diva.html

• Living The Green Way Blog
Food labels can be misleading
http://thegreenwayblog.com/organic-food/

• ECO-CAN News Blog
How to Green you Home
http://www.eco-can.ca/eco-news/2008/10/20/how-to-green-your-home.html

• Green Living Blog
Where’s the green talk in the election?
http://dianesgreenpage.blogspot.com/2008/10/wheres-green-talk-in-election.html

• Retro Housewife Goes Green Blog
Product review: Nature of baby organics
http://retrohousewife05.blogspot.com/2008/10/product-review-natures-baby-organics.html

• Green Divas Blog
Brook There - Eco-Fashion from Maine

http://relevanttimesdiva.blogspot.com/2008/10/brook-there-eco-fashion-from-maine.html

• Little Beach Homestead Blog
Rural Americans
http://outerbanksmom.blogspot.com/2008/10/rural-americans.html

• Pink and Green Mama Blog
That’s A Crock of… Compost!
http://pinkandgreenmama.blogspot.com/2008/10/thats-crock-of-compost.html

• Blog on Smog Blog
Hazardous Waist Primer
http://www.blogonsmog.com/environmental-friendly/hazardous-waste-primer.html

• Mama Goes Green Blog
Effective Eco Actions-Water Usage
http://mamagoesgreen.blogspot.com/2008/09/effective-eco-actions-water-usage.html

• Global Warming Blog
A Global Warming Primer
http://globalwarmingisreal.com/A_Global_Warming_Primer.html

• Goal For The Green Blog
Johnson Diversey’s Plans for Sustainability
http://goalforthegreen.com/2008/10/johnson-diverseys-plans-for-sustainability/

• Daily Home Renovation Tips Blog
Energy Conservation Tips
http://dailyhomerenotips.com/energy-conservation/

• The Green Girls Blog
Doing your part becoming green
http://www.thegreengirls.com/blog/default.aspx

It seems like today’s society is all about me, me, me. We are so focused on living our lives that families seem to get in the way! We have 24 hour daycare centers for our kids, and lock-down nursing homes for our parents. What happened to the family unit?

In the ‘olden days’ as my kids say, families stuck together. Grandma sat in the corner and knitted while the baby played on the floor, and mom passed the wisdom she learned at the older woman’s knee on down to her own daughters.

Today we seem to look at things differently. We disregard Grandma as fussy and old fashioned - hopelessly behind the times. The thought of asking our mom for advice doesn’t even cross our mind.

At the same time, we have given up on our kids. We ship them off to school and daycare, and hope they turn out OK. We try to ignore the reckless things they do, and tell ourselves it’s part of the natural rebellion against authority.

I don’t have a mom, so I’ll never know if I would have been smart enough to listen to her, and I’ll never have to decide whether or not to move her in with me. I do have a daughter, and I hope I pay enough attention to her needs and wants and questions!

I hope she will always be close to me, and we can break the cycle. I want to live with her when I get old, and rock her babies on my knee!

Contributor: Sarah P.

I cannot believe that it is only five days to Halloween! My oldest daughter loved Halloween so much. She demanded a big performance every year, so we always did Trick-and-Treat in the special neighborhood.

In our city we have a certain street with big houses, which are all well known for the Halloween celebration. The residences decorate all houses for this holiday and block the street for the safety of the children. When I say decorate, I MEAN DECORATE all the houses because each house looks like a Haunted House from the Disneyland park! I bet they have spent a fortune on it. But it is worth it. It is so creative, beautiful and scary on the same time. The children love it!

After seven years of the same old, same old I got so bored and exhausted. Three hours of candy marathon on a cold evening every Halloween. No, not anymore! God bless, my oldest daughter is seventeen now and doesn’t need it. My youngest one is much more low maintenance. So this year I decided that we will play it low key. We will go to the local neighborhood with couple of Kristina’s friends and have pizza for children and wine for adults (we have to have a reward too)! after that. I shared my plan with the rest of the family and was surprise that everybody liked it! What a relief - no marathon for me this year.

I work a LOT so I am always on the lookout for quick and easy dinner ideas! I think it is important for as all to sit down together for dinner, but sometimes I am in such a hurry.

I have found one quick solution that is healthy and quick - and cheap, too! A store near us sells organic chicken in bulk, and I have made a habit of placing an order for breast pieces every month. I pick it up on a Friday, and take it home.

Saturday, I wash it and de-bone it, and spread the big pieces out on a flat surface, and I whack them with the edge of a china saucer a few times to make them an even thickness. Next I melt butter in the microwave just till it melts, and mix in a bunch of garlic and herbs, lemon pepper and a little salt. I drizzle it over the cold chicken pieces, and let them set to stiffen the butter sauce back up. Then I stick each piece in a baggie and throw them all in the freezer.

The breastbones I toss in a big pot to cook off the bits and make chicken and dumplings or pot pie out of for that night’s dinner. Anytime during the month, I can take out the right number of chicken pieces for a healthy meal. I just put the frozen pieces in a foil lined pan, and thirty minutes later have perfectly baked, juicy chicken!

I make noodles with sauce while it cooks, or a pot of saffron rice. Sometimes we have a fresh salad and French bread; other times we pick a mix of veggies and hot crescent rolls. It is so convenient being able to make dinner in thirty minutes!

I don’t usually get a flu shot… and I always get the flu! So I don’t know if maybe the flu shot could help me. My immune system isn’t the greatest, so maybe I could use a little help.

I know when I was working as a chef in a fancy retirement center, all of the residents got flu shots, and the staff, too. They wouldn‘t give me one because I had just found out I was pregnant. When I saw my doctor, he was mad, and said I should have gotten one, but by that time it was too late. I had the flu!

I was trying to decide if my kids should get a flu shot. I guess I am scared it might make them sick - that doesn‘t make sense, but I am still a worrier. They don‘t get the flu like I do! I read in one blog for moms. They say that sometimes the flu shot will accidentally give you the flu, but my doctor said not so.

By the time I made up my mind, it was too late! The flu shots were all gone. My kids didn‘t get the flu anyway - but I did!

I think next year I might try to get the flu shot and see if helps me stay healthier. Then I can decide if it is the right thing for my kids. I know old people and kids are more at risk for complications from flu, so the doctors really advise to give the shot. If it really works, I guess it makes sense!

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It happened four years ago, two weeks before Halloween…

My daughter was 13 years old. My husband and my daughter are best friends. He drives her to school every morning, making lunch and giving her valuable advices about the boys. But one night …

My husband came home from work and told me that he needed to talk to me about something very important. He had this sad face and looked like he had to make very important decision in his life. I got a little worried and after the dinner when kids were watching TV I asked him what was wrong.

My husband: “Babe… you know I love your daughter very much. I treat her like my own and do a lot for her.”

Me: “Yes, Honey? Tell me what is going on?!

My husband: “Well, you know for the last two weeks, every morning when I am driving Sofia to school she starts requesting something that I cannot really do for her…”

Me: “Yes????!!”

My Husband: “She wants me….. to wear a “Banana” costume for the Halloween, you know, this big yellow banana costume!!! I am a serious person and lot of people know me. I just cannot do it but I do not want to hurt her feelings…”

Me: “Bruce!!! What feelings????”

Me: “Sofia!!! What banana costume???”

Sofia: “Oh, come on! I was just jooookiiiiing. Just wanted to see his reaction!”

Bruce: “Whew!”

I guess Sofia got her holidays mixed up!!!

Parenting advice: always ask your teenager what does she/he really mean.

All parents are planning the routine for “after the baby arrives”. Some parents are asking a mother or mother-in-low to help them. Unfortunately, in many cases it simply doesn’t work.

Many parents have the alternative to hire a baby sitter or a nanny. But it is not as easy as it sounds. How to trust the person you do not know to take care of your special baby?

I would recommend that you start looking for help a few months before your baby is born. Ask your friends, family and local parenting community about recommendations. You can always look for, the nannies through local mom support groups or online, but remember to run a background check on the person and have few interviews with her.

Also, I would suggest that you start with organizing your routine around the house before the baby is born. For example, who is responsible for cleaning the house, doing grocery shopping, the laundry, etc? All these questions must be answered in advance. Parents should schedule all these activities so that when the baby arrives there would be less confusion.

Good luck and do not forget management, it is an essential tool in running the family!