Is Your Child's Handwriting Big and Messy?

Moms Buzz just came across an interesting article in Kidshealth.org about big and messy handwriting in children.  Certainly, Moms Buzz needs to apply these useful tips with her older son.  They recommend trying these tips if your child continues to write big, messy, and her handwriting is hard to read after formal instruction in school.

The Ultimate Reader Prize Pack Giveaway

This time Moms Buzz brings the ultimate reader prize pack for book lovers and students. This giveaway is promoting Take Me Back, the new reference book on Universal History from the stone age to the digital age, especially designed for kids. This is a must-have reference book to have at home! Win up to $250 worth of books, including a $50 gift certificate in Amazon.com and 4 runner-up prizes!!

To participate click here or the image below.

History may repeat itself, but there is no need to make the same old history book over and over. From the creators of the award-winning, New York Times Bestsellers Pick Me Up and Do Not Open comes Take Me Back--a journey throughout history like never before!  Rock out at a gory Aztec festival, read the blog of Louis XVI’s closest confidant, take a pinball tour of Celtic Europe, and check out Alexander the Great’s fan site.  With content that's comprehensive, irreverent and witty, Take Me Back is bound to become a classic.

Best of luck!

- The Moms Buzz   

Homework Do’s and Don’ts – Part II

This is the continuation of Part I on Homework Do's and Don'ts posted back on September 30, 2008.  In Homework Do’s and Don’ts – Part II, Dr. Thomas Phelan gives us some parenting tips and tells us about the PNP Method, time to call it off for the day, and a charting system to helps us incentivate our children when doing and checking homework. 

The PNP Method
Suppose your daughter has just completed her midweek spelling pretest. There are ten words on the list and she spelled nine correctly and misspelled one. When she brings you her paper, your job, naturally is to first point out to her the word she spelled wrong. Right?

Wrong! PNP stands for “Positive-Negative-Positive.” Whenever any kid brings any piece of schoolwork to you, the first thing out of your mouth must be something good. Then, after saying something nice about the child’s effort, you may throw in something negative, if it’s absolutely necessary. Finally, you conclude your insightful remarks with something positive again.

Using the spelling pretest as an example, you would first say something like, “Gee, you spelled ‘consideration’ correctly. That’s a pretty hard word. And you also got ‘appearance’ right. In fact, there’s only one word on here that I can see you didn’t get. Not bad.”

Continue reading...

- The Moms Buzz

________________________________________

Source:
ParentMagic Newsletter by Dr. Thomas Phelan © 2008
Simple, straightforward parenting advice and helpful tips from Dr. Thomas Phelan's award-winning, best-selling 1-2-3 Magic Parenting Program.

Homework Do’s and Don’ts – Part I

Homework hassles can make school nights miserable for the whole family. For some families homework battles can go on for two, three or four hours per night. People begin to dread the evening, relationships are strained severely and the child in question learns to hate schoolwork more and more. There are no easy answers to the problem; children’s needs vary depending upon their intelligence and the presence of handicaps such as learning disabilities and ADHD. There are ways though, of making things more tolerable and more productive. Below are some suggestions of Homework Do’s and Don’ts.

WHAT NOT TO DO
Don’t go around asking the child every five minutes if he has homework or if he’s started it yet. Instead try to pick the best time to start and stick with it—consistency is very important here.

Don’t interrupt the youngster in the middle of his favorite TV show to tell him it’s time to begin. There’s no better way to get no cooperation. He should not start watching a show in the first place if it’s going to overlap with his regular homework time.

Don’t let the would-be student do work with the TV on. Believe it or not, a radio or IPod may be OK because it provides consistent background noise, but the television is always out to get your attention.

If you can avoid it, don’t let the homework time change each day. One of the best ways of setting things up is to have the child come home, get a snack, goof off for about 30-45 minutes, and then sit down and try to finish his work before dinner. Then the whole evening is free.

WHAT TO DO
Consider trying the following steps in order (you can combine them as you go), and be sure to use plenty of positive reinforcement with whatever else you are doing.

1. Natural Consequences
If you are having trouble with homework for the first time—say with a fourth grader—consider using Natural Consequences first. That means do nothing. Keep your mouth shut and see if the child and the teacher can work things out. If this approach doesn’t seem to be working after a few weeks, then go on to the next step.

Natural Consequences is obviously not the method to use if you have been having homework problems for years and years.

2. An Assignment Sheet
Assignment sheets or notebooks can be extremely helpful. They tell you exactly what work is due for each subject. Many schools now have web sites where forgetful but fortunate kids access their homework assignments online. The idea of the assignment sheet, of course, is that after the child does the work, parents can check it out against the list of items to be done. If this is the procedure you are considering, you must routinely include two basic principles: the “PNP Method” and the “Rough Checkout.” Failure to do so will result in unnecessary misery.

See our next post on Homework Do’s and Don’ts – Part II by ParentMagic, Inc.

- The Moms Buzz

Permission to republish Homework Do’s and Don’ts - Part I were granted by ParentMagic Newsletter by Dr. Thomas Phelan © 2008. Simple, straightforward parenting advice and helpful tips from Dr. Thomas Phelan's award-winning, best-selling 1-2-3 Magic Parenting Program.

Good Reading Skills In Children Equal Success

According to NEA, National Endowment for the Arts reported a decline in reading skills in children, and that related abilities will lead to difficulties later in life, especially in civic, social and economic areas.

The reasons to the decline of reading skills in children that prevail are mainly the use of electronics such as computers, video games, etc.  Below are few suggestions on how we can encourage and cultivate reading in children:

1. Have your kids earn television viewing time based on how much they spend reading.
2. Take them to the library or bookstore and let them choose what they would like to read.
3. Have a family reading time, each day, even if it's only 20 minutes - a time where the family sits together in one room and read separately or aloud.
4. Encourage older kids to read to younger ones.  This improves their reading skills and gets the younger children interested in reading.
5. Keep reading material in the house that you think will be of interest to your children.
6. Play word or reading-related games like Scrabble or Boggle.
7. Get a special bookmark for each child to keep all to themselves.
8. Encourage them to try to write their own book or short stories.
9. Ge them to read things in every area of life.
10. Set the example.  Children who see their parents read are much more apt to make it a priority in their own.

In addition to these suggestions to encourage good reading skills in children for success, Moms Buzz also wrote another post about reading not long ago.  Here is the other post you may want to take a look at too.

Happy reading!

- The Moms Buzz

source: Family Magazine, August 2008

Ways to Get Involved in Your Child's Education in Middle School

As we mentioned in our post of Monday, September 6, research has found that parental involvement is the single most important factor influencing a child's education according to Dr. Mary Lou Fuller, profession in the Center for Teacher and Learning in the University of South Dakota. 

Parental involvement can take different forms which we are about to share. In today's post we will list the different ways you can get involved when your child goes to Middle school. 

Ways to Get Involved in Your Child's Education in Middle School

1. Keep reading to your child!
2. Encourage to read special interest magazines.
3. Attend open houses and parent-teacher conferences.
4. Review homework papers and tests brought home.
5. Review homework before it goes to school.
6. Offer help when asked for.
7. Drive for field trips.
8. Chaperone dances and special activities.
9. Attend sport events and booster club meetings.
10. Volunteer in the office or library.
11. Present special skills or career information.
12. Volunteer to judge science projects.
13. Tutor.
14. Be involved in fund raisers.

Whatever you decide is your thing as far as parental involvement in your child's education, remember that it will make a difference in your child's education.

- The Moms Buzz

source: The Family Magazine September 2008

Ways to Get Involved in Your Child's Education in Elementary School

Even if we are not the ones going back to school, you will soon learned that you do have "homework" when it comes to our child's education.

Research has found that parental involvement is the single most important factor influencing a child's education according to Dr. Mary Lou Fuller, profession in the Center for Teacher and Learning in the University of South Dakota. 

Parental involvement can take different forms which we are about to share. In today's post we will list the different ways you can get involved when your child goes to Elementary School, and in our next post, when your child goes to middle school.   

Ways to Get Involved in Your Child's Education in Elementary School

1. Volunteer in classroom or library
2. Bake cookies or help out at parties
3. Attend PTA
4. Attend open-house, orientation
5. Read to child
6. Listen to child read
7. Review work brought home
8. Include education at home by having child read and follow recipes, red prices at the grocery store, read signs, talk ab out colors in the home and on walks.
9. Encourage schools to hold parent workshops on educational issues
10. Attend board meetings
11. Have children keep a daily log
12. Chaperone field trips
13. Volunteer for field day
14. Be a lunchroom monitor
15. Be involved in fund raisers

Whatever you decide is your thing as far as parental involvement in your child's education, remember that it will make a difference in your child's education.

- The Moms Buzz

source: The Family Magazine September 2008

Checking Homework - PNP Method

Here is a quick tip about checking homework.  If you did not know, PNP stands for “Positive-Negative-Positive”.

Whenever a youngster brings any piece of school work to you, the first thing out of your mouth must be something positive—some type of praise. You might for instance, simply praise the child for remembering to show you her work. After saying something nice about the child’s effort, you may then make a negative comment, if it’s absolutely necessary. Finally, you conclude your insightful remarks with something positive again.

This type of response will help bring her back again and again. Kids will never want to bring you anything if you follow your natural human inclinations and shoot from the hip with criticism.

- The Moms Buzz

Source: ParentMagic Newsletter by Dr. Thomas Phelan © 2008. Simple, straightforward parenting advice and helpful tips from Dr. Phelan's award-winning, best-selling 1-2-3 Magic Parenting Program.

Win $25,000 Scholarship to Help Pay for Your Child's College

This is one of those contests that are worth participating because the reward is worth every second of your time.  As you know, another school year means another year closer to college, and participating in this contest, may be the solution to high college costs. 

Put in a little creativity and a peanut butter sandwich, and off you go to help pay for your child's college. Yes, your family could win a $25,000 scholarship fund to help pay for your child's college. Here is the scoop:  Jif®, our favorite brand for peanut butter, is having two contests, one for children and the other for the parents.   

The Seventh Annual Jif® Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest™ fosters creativity in children as they spend quality time in the kitchen with their parents.

• Open to children ages 6-12
• Entries will be accepted from August 4 through November 14, 2008
• Five finalists will win a trip to New York City for the live judging event.
• The grand prize winner will receive a $25,000 scholarship fund to help pay for college.
• Four runner-ups will each receive a $2,500 scholarship fund.

The Jif® Moms Voice Their Choice Contest™ gives parents(or those inspired by one) a chance to share their stories about the choices they make for their families. The writer of the winning essay will win:

• A 4-day, 3-night trip to New York City with a companion.
• A seat at the judges’ table at the Seventh Annual Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest final event.

For Official Rules and entry forms and to learn more about The Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest and the Jif Moms Voice Their Choice Contest, visit www.Jif.com.

Good luck!

- The Moms Buzz

6 Ways to Get Organized for Back to School

Many of us have not taken our vacation yet, and we are starting to get bombarded with "Back to School" stuff.  This post is meant to help you out in the transition once you have taken your vacation or have completely relaxed before the school year starts again.  So, don't feel the pressure yet! ;)

These 6 ways to get organized for back to school will save a lot of time and anxiety later.

1. Shift Your Schedules — The unstructured days of summer are ending, so ease your kid back into a school schedule by shifting his bedtime back to a school-day bedtime and waking him closer to the hour he'll need to rise.

2. Have a Morning Routine Run-Through — The week before school starts, start getting your child up, dressed, and fed in the same time as you would on a school day.

3. Clean House — Go through your child's clothes and get rid of anything he's outgrown or worn threadbare. Do a thorough cleaning of his room and study area as well, storing papers and books he won't need this year to make room for new books and supplies.

4. Stock up on Supplies — Make a list of everything she'll need for the coming year, from socks to crayons.

5. Get Papers in Order — Get all paperwork filled and read that your child will need to start. Take care of any missing vaccinations or forms ASAP.

6. Create Calendar & File Central — Set up an area with a large calendar so everyone in your family can see everyone else's plans for that month. For added organization, color-code each family member and keep colored markers nearby so everyone can easily mark plans. Nearby, set up file bins marked "To be Signed," "From School," and "To School," so your child can deposit papers you need to see in a regular place right after school and pick up things to go "To School" each morning.

- the Mom Buzz

source: www.scholastic.com

Social-Web Tips for Parents

Kids today live in an interactive “Web 2.0″ world where they socialize, post photographs and videos and share common experiences with friends, friends of friends and, in some cases, strangers. As parents, we hear terrible things about online predators, and it's only natural we want to protect our children from anything bad happening to them on this cyber environment.

ConnectSafely.org, a forum site for parents to discuss online socializing, give us the following social web tips when it comes to our kids socializing on "web 2.0:"

Be reasonable and try to set reasonable expectations. Pulling the plug on your child’s favorite social site is like pulling the plug on his or her social life. It's too easy for them to set up free blogs and profiles from anywhere, including friends' houses or even a cell phone.

Talk with your kids about how they use the services. They, not news reports or even experts, are the ones to consult about their social-Web experience. Help them understand basic safety guidelines, such as protecting their privacy (including passwords).

Support critical thinking and civil behavior because no laws or parental-control software can protect better than a child's developing good sense about safety and relationships.

Consider requiring Internet use in a high-traffic place in your home - not in kids' rooms - to help you stay aware of their online time.

Try to get your kids to share their profiles and blogs with you, but be aware that they can have multiple accounts on multiple services. Use search engines and the search tools on social-networking sites to search for your kids' full names, phone numbers and other identifying information.

To read full details of each of these tips, click here.

- The Moms Buzz

source: www.ConnectSafely.org

B.O.W. The Best of the Web Weekly Round-Up

Today, Tuesday, Moms Buzz is happy to bring you B.O.W. - the Best Of the Web in a weekly roundup of posts from fine blogs and sites featuring fashion, beauty, lifestyle, parenting and much more.  We also want to welcome our new member of BOW, Shopalicious, a shopping, fashion and accessories blog!

Style, Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle and Health

Shopalicious: Bloggers Play Dress-up at the Diane von Furstenberg Store. Shopalicious was one of ten lucky bloggers to take part in this event... see the photo shoot here!

Couture in the City: Exclusive ELLIOTT LUCCA Handbags Giveaway! Starts June 6th! Our exclusive giveaway this month is the ELLIOTT LUCCA handbag collection! Couture in the City with ELLIOTT LUCCA are joining to give away five handbags for the month of June! This extravaganza begins Friday June 6th.

Glam Spirit: Pretty Isn't (Always) Sexy. Discover your sexiest qualities (hint: they probably aren't what you think!)

Stylenotes: Stylenotes Reviews Alexander Wang for Uniqlo. Stylenotes stopped by Japanese mega-retailer Uniqlo in Soho, NYC this weekend to report on the latest designer capsule collection: Alexander Wang for Uniqlo.

Parenting, Family, Kids, Moms & Little Couture

Boston Mamas: Magnetic Appeal. Perfect for summer travel are Mudpuppy's compact vinyl sticker play scenes and magnetic play tins, in beautifully illustrated themes for boys and girls.

Classy Mommy Giveaway: Playskool Rose Petal Cottage. We're giving away a Playskool Rose Petal Cottage with lots of goodies included too! 
   
Clever Parents: Helping Children with Separation and Divorce. Many families face the challenge of divorce or separation. Whatever the causes of the separation, and whatever the circumstances, it’s hard on everyone involved. Parents want the best for their children. They want stable, loving relationships in their lives. And they want their children to thrive. Yet big changes must be made.
   
MomFinds: Win a Pair of Kids' Cobian Sandals. Three lucky winners will win a pair of these adorable sandals. Choose from shark, lion and zebra design.

Moms Buzz: Monthly Rewind for April and May 2008. Moms Buzz is happy to bring you a monthly rewind of over 50 posts published in the months of April and May in case you missed any of them. You will be able to see all the posts titles at a glance in this single post
   
One Chic Mama: Moms Rock. Tell us why moms rock (how do they not?) and you can win one of 3 "Moms Rock" tee shirts!
   
The Nest Baby: Dad's Day Gift Guide & Giveaway. From the Flip video camera to the manliest diaper bags and baby carriers, we've got all the coolest daddy gifts... and are giving them away! Enter now to win a gift he'll go crazy for.

TotSnob: TotSnob found the ultimate toddler travel solution...Phil and Teds Full-Size Travel Bed is perfect when you have a little one on vacation!
   
We Covet: Pin Up Girl Bracelet We Covet. This handmade clear resin bracelet beats getting a pin-up girl tattoo any day. Avoid needless tattoo removal expenses, buy stylish accessories instead!
 

B.O.W. The Best of the Web Weekly Round-Up

Today, Tuesday, Moms Buzz is happy to bring you B.O.W. - the Best Of the Web in a weekly roundup of posts from fine blogs and sites featuring fashion, beauty, lifestyle, parenting and much more.

Style, Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle and Health

Glam Spirit: Au Natural: Laughter Is the Best Medicine . Click here for a quick and fun pick-me-up.
   
A Girl's Gotta Spa! wonders if you are in need of some beauty sleep. 5 essential products for a more restful sleep
   
Makeup Minute found a must-have product for her summer makeup bag. Check out this smudgeproof eyeliner to start your summer right!

Stylenotes: Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, & Jimmy Choo. We've got the skinny on the 3 chic-est shoe designers around -- Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, and Jimmy Choo.



Parenting, Family, Kids, Moms & Little Couture

Moms Buzz: What to Pack for a Road Trip.  Many may have decided to travel by car rather by air due to the rise of airfares as a result the increasing fuel prices. Here are some travel tips for the busy mom on what to pack for a road trip, especially since we pack for almost the whole family, read about what the travel essentials are.

B.O.W. The Best of the Web Weekly Round-Up

Today, Tuesday, Moms Buzz is happy to bring you B.O.W. - the Best Of the Web in a weekly roundup of posts from fine blogs and sites featuring fashion, beauty, lifestyle, parenting and much more.

Style, Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle and Health

A Girl's Gotta Spa! Finds Suri Cruise's Ladybug Shoes. Enter to win a $30 gift certificate to Skimbaco--home of Suri Cruise's ladybug shoes!

Couture in the City: Today’s Couture - Belts. Harness them up ladies! Yes belts are the latest trend right now. Whether you are trying to look good in the office or for an evening event. There is a way to accent your frocks. By getting some tips from our celebrity friends, we let these trend setters pave the way.
 
GlamSpirit: Feel Fabulous Instantly. A quick way to change your mood from blah-dee-dah to wonderful.

Makeup Minute: Gives You a Chance to Win $215 Worth of Products from Prescriptives. Enter to win Prescriptives Urban Heat sweepstakes!

Shrimpton Couture: Shows us a glam outfit from the New York City Spring Ballet Gala.

Stylenotes: Mother's Day Gift Guide. We've rounded up loads of heartfelt, useful gifts that any mom would love this Mother's Day.
   

Parenting, Family, Kids, Moms & Little Couture

Moms Buzz: Mother and Daughter Bonding for Mother's Day. A few tips that can help bridge that generation gap between your daughter and yourself. Moms Buzz believes this would a great Mother's Day gift from you to yourself!

Classy Mommy "Big Give" -Away for Mom Impacted by Breast Cancer. Classy Mommy is giving away over $1200 in goodies to a Mom impacted by Breast Cancer. Please send us your nominations!
 
Coochicoos: First Birthday Party Ideas. How do you make first birthday parties memorable?
 
MomFinds: Win a $200 Shopping Spree at BloomMaternity.net. Celebrate Mother's Day by spending $200 as you wish at BloomMaternity.net. 
 
Swanky Moms: Baby Zabu. Floor time is important for babies and now they can play in comfort and style with a Baby Zabu by Wagamama Baby.
 
The Nest Baby: Mother's Day Gift Guide and Giveaway. There's still time to enter our huge giveaway... and we've got some serious swag up for grabs. Enter now to win personalized jewelry, gourmet dinners and tons more.
 
We Covet: Classic Romances DVD Box Set Giveaway! Today's the last day to enter this week's giveaway and win a huge box set of DVDs, including "Pride & Prejudice", "Emma", and "Jane Eyre"!
 

B.O.W. The Best of the Web Weekly Round-Up

Today, Tuesday, Moms Buzz is happy to bring you B.O.W. - the Best Of the Web in a weekly roundup of posts from fine blogs and sites featuring fashion, beauty, lifestyle, parenting and much more.

Style, Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle and Health

Couture in the City: Today’s Couture - Louis Vuitton. Welcome to the world of Louis Vuitton. Now available to us all is this essential designer travel wear. Branded by Marc Jacobs, this collection has become one of the most powerful and stylish iconic accessories today. It dosen’t matter where you go. A Louis Vuitton boutique is there. 
   
Stylenotes: The Best Sunglasses of the Season. Keep the glaring sun at bay with our stylish selection of sunglasses -- from the classic wayfarer to the more outrageous, contemporary designs.
   
GlamSpirit: The Japanese Secret to Eating Well. Discover one of the greatest joys of life - the pleasure of every bite!
   

Parenting, Family, Kids, Moms & Little Couture

Tot Snob:Tot Snob Pampers Moms with Philosophy Bath Set. Enter to win Philosophy's Thank You bath set!

Boston Mamas: Inspired Knits. Toto Knits includes an unbelievably cute line of hand knit sweaters and blankets for kids; the collection is ethically produced from start to finish by a group of Kenyan women - many single mothers – who knit as a means to earn a living in an empowering, family friendly, and flexible environment.
   
Classy Mommy: Interviews Christopher Gavigan, Author of Healthy Child, Healthy World
Want to create a cleaner, safer, greener home? Read this interview to find out his thoughts and advice on creating a safe nursery, what to look out for in skincare products, cleaning agents and more!
   
Clever Parents: The 10 Most Important Steps to Permanent Weight Loss. Miracle pills and diets don’t work yet women spend thousands of dollars praying that a little miracle pill will burn off all their fat and leave them thin and happy in all areas of their life. There’s one big problem, nothing changes once they lose the weight.
   
MomFinds: Win a Boon Animal Bag. Fill up the Animal Bag with your kid's stuffed animals for a fun and funky seat. To enter, just tell us if you want one in green or pink.
   
Moms Buzz: Warm Biscuit Giveaway! Play and Win! Play and win in our Warm Biscuit Giveaway! Take the front seat at your computer and start browsing through www.warmbiscuit.com site to see which bedding set you would like to get using a $50 gift certificate from Warm Biscuit! Yes, Warm Biscuit, an online bedding and furniture store for children, is giving away a $50 gift certificate! Play and Win!
 
One Chic Mama: Aiken' For a New Bag. Holly Aiken's line of stylish and durable bags range from diaper totes to cute purses, and right now they're 35% off.
   
The Nest Baby: Hot Topic -- Antidepressants During Pregnancy. Though antidepressants may pose dangers to your fetus, going off meds is risky for you. What's the safest decision for both you and baby? See what our experts have to say, then talk it over. 
   
Healthy Bump: Tickle Bellies. Tickle Bellies have created a really fun line of cards and announcements that moms and kids alike will adore. 

Promoting Good Character in Your Child

Do you remember what are the 6 basic pillars of good character that children should be encouraged to learn and practice? 

Although we may not remember them one by one, we most likely practice them in our daily lives. But, how do we promote good character in our children?

Good character in a child is founded by fundamental and universal values that we often see many young adults and older teens seem to lack these days when we listen to the news or even by personal experience.  Hence, Moms Buzz thought it was worth reviewing with you these universal values to ensure we are properly cultivating them in our children.

The six basic pillar of good character are:

1. Trustworthiness - be honest, be loyal, don't deceive, cheat or steal, have the courage to do the right thing.

2. Fairness - play by the rules, take turns and share, listen to others, be open-minded, don't take advantage of others.

3. Respect - treat others with respect, be tolerant of differences, use good manners, be considerate, etc.

4. Caring - be kind and compassionate, express gratitude, forgive others, help people in need.

5. Responsibility - persevere, always do your best, think before you act, be accountable for your actions and choices, do what you are supposed to do, use self-control, etc.

6. Citizenship - cooperate, stay informed, vote, be a good neighbor, respect authority, protect the environment, do your share to make your community and school better.

Yes, those are it. But the challenge as a parent is how to make sure we build these values in our children. The no-brainer is by example...hummm - yes, we need to be careful and aware, especially with younger kids who still look up to us [parents] for answers and acceptable behaviors.

In addition to parents setting the example, children build character at home and during playtime. The table below shows you how children build good character:

At home by:

• respecting parents and other adults
• following home rules
• doing household chores
• choosing books and TV that promote good character
• cooperating with family members

At play by:

• treat each other with a shared respect
• practice center rules
• keep emotions in control
• participate in character building activities

Finally, another effective way to build good character is studying the 6 pillars of good character. A nice way to remember the 6 pillars is learning the acronym TRRFCC of the 6 pillar. Teach your children to remember that people with good character are "TRRFCC" (pronounced terrific).

To learn more about the 6 pillar of good character, visit http://www.charactercounts.org/defsix.htm.

Promoting good character counts!

- The Moms' Buzz

source: www.charactercounts.org

FYI. The Six Pillar Of Building Good Character is available for download and printing at the left sidebar under Useful Documents.

___________________________________

Upcoming Post: Don't miss tomorrow's post!! Our Editor's Hot Picks are hotter than ever! Stay tuned! - The Moms' Buzz

The Newseum Opened Today in Our Nation's Capital

Washington, DC is a great travel destination for a family vacation as it offers a wide array of educational and cultural touristic sites. Today, the Nation's Capital opened a new museum that has been on the news headlines nationwide: The Newseum.  The Newseum is where the news come alive, and is the world’s most interactive museum. The Newseum blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second innovation and fun. This museum is a must-visit when you come to the Nation's Capital. 

If D.C. is your next travel destination, be it for work, leisure or family vacation, stop by The Newseum.  Click here get some tips on how to plan your visit; for ticket information and hours of operation, click here.

- The Moms Buzz

Chess Camps - A Great Way to Spend a Summer Week!

As we prepare and organize for our summer, summer camps is one of our hot topics and the first on our to-do-list. Many of the camps out are about sports, art, languages, or developing other skills. A Chess Camp is a different type of camp because it trains your kids to develop and expand their mental agility and teaches them about strategy. It also promotes lots of thinking and self-control, and kids are definitely challenged.  If you have not heard about a Chess Camp, learn more at the USA Chess site.   A Chess Camp would be a great complement to any other camp you are considering for your kid this summer.

Here is the site for more information, www.usachess.com. The USA Chess Camps tour all over the main US cities so check out this link to find out if your city is one of them, and when the camp takes place. They offer half and full day camps and they usually last a week. 

To help you get organized and plan better for your summer camps.  Moms Buzz created a Summer Camp organizer that you can download from our Useful Documents sidebar anytime, or simply click here.

- The Moms Buzz

B.O.W. The Best of the Web Weekly Round-Up

Today, Tuesday, Moms Buzz is happy to bring you B.O.W. - the Best Of the Web in a weekly roundup of posts from fine blogs and sites featuring fashion, beauty, lifestyle, parenting and much more.

Style, Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle and Health

A Girl's Gotta Spa! A Girl's Gotta Spa! has some great tips for DIY home spa skin care. Don't have a budget for the spa? These DIY tips will help you save some $ on skin care.
   
Shrimpton Couture: A Shrimpton Couture Celebrity Vintage Spot.  Check out Nicole Richie looking hot in vintage jeans.

Couture in the City: Katie Holmes - A New Style Icon.  Katie Holmes -the latest Mrs.Cruise - has become to the fashion and style industry quite the trend setter.
   
Makeup Minute: Makeup Minute doesn't need an umbrella for Lord & Berry's Raincoat Protecting Mascara. Learn about a waterproof mascara that isn't dry or clumpy!
   
GlamSpirit: Meditation Tips for Women on the Go. These 5 fabulous tips will bring balance to even the most hectic days. 
   
Stylenotes: Take Note -- Generra. Generra ermerged in the 1980s and has become one of the top labels for understated, chic apparel -- read on for more about the brand.
   

Parenting, Family, Kids, Moms & Little Couture

TotSnob: Twinkle Ocean Cake Kit Kids Giveaway! To enter, give your best advice on how to keep toys neat and organized! A winner will be chosen April 11th.

Boston Mamas: Seeing Green. Thanks to some fabulous picks from See Kai Run's spring line you'll be seeing green in no time.
   
Clever Parents: Operation Shower Branches Out and Heads West for Memorial Day! Help do your part through Operation Shower, baby showers for expectant and new moms whose husbands are deployed overseas.
   
MomFinds: Win Two Fabulous Hip-Ts to Cover Your Assets. Battle the bulge, smooth out muffin tops and cover up peek-a-boo undies with these ingenious fashion fixes.
   
Moms Buzz: Teaching Kids How to Give Compliments. This video that you will watch is about the importance of teaching kids how to give compliments. This may sound a bit strange at the beginning to you since it is one of the few people skills we do not usually emphasize on your kids because for some reason we do not expect kids to give compliments.

One Chic Mama: Mommy-to-be chic. Ann Taylor LOFT has added maternity clothing to their offerings, and we're giving away a $100 gift certificate.
   
The Nest Baby: American Terry Giveaway. Give us your best bathtime tip to win a gift bucket from American Terry filled with a hooded towel, bubbles, toys and more!

Teaching Kids How to Give Compliments

This video that you will watch is about the importance of teaching kids how to give compliments.  This may sound a bit strange at the beginning to you since it is one of the few people skills we do not usually emphasize on your kids because for some reason we do not expect kids to give compliments. Although giving compliments to others does not come natural to kids, you can certainly teach them bit by bit and off the scene about the importance of giving compliments to other people.

Rob Heller, founder of the Boost Kids program, presents a video tip for parents about the importance of teaching kids how to give compliments.  Giving compliments to others will help your kid build confidence and boost her self-esteem. Plus, the fact that others will like being around your kid more.

Click this link and listen to Rob Heller in this short video. 

- The Moms Buzz