Build Your Own Ant Farm

by Nell Taliercio

Why build your own ant farm? Ant farms are, both, fun and
educational. They take up little space and are a great way to
teach your children about these amazing little insects. They
will learn a bit about entomology and how an ecosystem works…
without even trying.

There is no need to purchase a ready-made ant habitat. Building
your own ant farm is easier than you might think. It is an ideal
science project or something to consider when your kids are
suffering from a case of the ‘mid-summer there’s-nothing-to-do
blues’.

If you have the time to research the subject, on your own, you
will probably find a wide variety of instructional articles and
tips touching on the best way to build an ant farm. Some of
these methods will prove to be more complicated than others.

But, if you are anything like me I know you are interested in a
fairly simple project. So, I recommend that you follow the
instructions below and save the HARD work for the ants!

Supplies Needed:

• Small aquarium and a smaller container to take up un-needed
center space • Sand and/or garden dirt • Funnel • Construction
paper • Scotch tape • Shovel • Bucket • Cotton balls • Honey •
ANTS! (large black ants work best)

First, you need to locate an ant farm in your backyard. With the
shovel, gently dig up the area, which seems to have the highest
ant population. Look for queen ants with wings and larvae, if
possible. Transfer soil and ants into bucket.

Place the small container in center of the aquarium. It should
take up all space except one inch around all sides. (This forces
the ants to build against the glass, where they are easily
viewable.)

With the funnel add the soil and smaller worker ants to the
space between the containers. Next, add the larger ants, queen
ants and larvae.

Once the ants are in their new home, tightly cover the aquarium.
Make air holes, smaller than the ants.

Make a construction paper cover to place over the aquarium. This
will make the ants feel as though they are underground. To view
ants, simply remove the cover.

Feed the ants small bits of honey, sugar, tiny pieces of fruit
or bread dipped in sugar water. Provide water via a soaked
cotton ball, every other day. And just plain enjoy the new farm
full of ants!

About the author:
To find many more articles on parenting babies and toddlers and
kids and teens head over to http://www.freeparent
ingtipsonline.com where you will find all you need to know
about being a parent!

Kids Summer Craft Ideas

by Kelly Milano

With summer here, many of us are looking for things to help

keep our kids busy and out of trouble during the long, hot

summer days. Without spending a fortune on craft supplies or

days out, you can create some unique masterpieces with your

children; masterpieces that can last a lifetime.



ROCK GARDEN


During the morning, when the sun’s rays aren’t so hot and the

morning breeze is still present, take a walk together, looking

for rocks. Kids love rock hunting and with every new find will

grow more excited. Tell them to keep an eye out for rocks of

all shapes and sizes, watching for flat, smooth stones, as well

as jagged, sharp rocks. Encourage them to use their

imaginations and look for rocks that can be turned into animals,

flowers, dragons or fairies once you are at home.



When you return home, cover your table or other work surface

with plastic wrap. This makes for easy cleanup once the project

is finished. Arrange an assortment of water tempra paints and

paint brushes and have fun painting to your hearts content.

Use the creations throughout your garden or house hold plants.

Another idea is to take the dried rock creations, glue them into

the inside lid of a clean, dry baby food jar, seal and glue the

lid and you have your own miniture rock garden.



PAINTED PIGGY BANKS



Turn empty koolaid canisters into piggy banks that your kids

design and create. Simply peel the outside label off the plastic

canister. Wash the canister and allow to dry completely. Once

dry, arrange the various paints and brushes, remembering to

cover the work surface with plastic wrap first. Your child can

use their imagination to make a farm animal, a beach ball or

other ball, face or anything they can dream up. Cut a slit in

the top of the canister. You may also want to seal the top and

bottom pieces of the canister together to keep little hands from

getting into the new treasures. These are a great, fun place

for your child to put their allowance or other chore money

during the summer.



BACK TO SCHOOL PLANTER



Another idea for the empty KoolAid or other small plastic

container is to create a Back To School Plant. Covering the

workspace and arranging paint again, allow your child to paint

the canister any way they please. Once dry, take a sharp knife

and poke several holes in the bottom of the new ‘planter’ for

drainage. Fill the container with soil and let your child plant

several seeds in the soil. This is a great learning experience as

your child will need to water the plant and care for it as it

grows. When your child returns to school in the fall, he can

take his plant with him and give it to his teacher as a ‘Welcome

Back to School’ gift for the classroom.



For more fun ideas, visit
www.friendandfamilies.com/forums



Kelly Milano is a SAHM mom to 4. Her and her husband live in

Michigan, where he is a home inspector and she owns two

websites. www.friendsandfamilies.com
and www.shopNswap.net

12 Ways to Defeat a Bully - Without Fighting!

Copyright © 2005 Raynay Valles
Degerberg Academy of Martial Arts
http://www.degerbergacademyofmartialarts.com/



How can parents help their children when faced with a
bully problem?

Self-Defense Expert Fred Degerberg says, "It's not
enough to go over options with children. Kids need to
be TRAINED in their options." Fred Degerberg uses the
12 Ways to Defeat a Bully system, which is taught in
his children's martial arts classes at Degerberg
Academy of Martial Arts. The 12 Ways to Defeat a
Bully system was developed by Dr. Terrance
Webster-Doyle, author of Why is Everybody Always
Picking on Me? (Education for Peace Publications)

Alex Jovica, Head Children's Instructor at Degerberg
Academy in Chicago said, "I ask kids in my class, what
if? What if you got into a situation where someone
was picking on you, what would you do? Then the
children say what they would do. I don't tell them
the answer, I guide them to the answer."

Children can use one or more of these options when
confronted by a bully:

1. Making friends.
Treat the bully as a friend instead of an enemy.

2. Using humor.
You can turn a threatening situation into a funny one.

3. Using trickery.
Use your creative imagination to resolve conflict.

4. Walking away.
Don't get into it - just walk away.

5. Agreeing with the bully.
Let insults go, without fighting back.

6. Refusing to fight.
The winner of a fight is the one who avoids it.

7. Standing up to the bully.
Stick up for yourself! Just say NO! to bullying.

8. Screaming/yelling.
A powerful shout can end conflict before it starts.

9. Ignoring.
Be like bamboo - bend like the wind.

10. Using authority.
Call a proper authority to help you defeat the bully.

11. Reasoning with the bully.
Use the most powerful tool you have, your brain.

12. Taking a karate stance.
Be a victor - not a victim!

With these options, children have many ways to resolve
the situation with a bully.



-------------------
Fred Degerberg owns martial arts schools in Chicago.
To learn more about his training systems, visit:
http://www.degerbergacademyofmartialarts.com The book
Why is Everybody Always Picking on Me? by Dr.
Terrance Webster-Doyle is available at your local
bookstore.

No More Ties! Homemade Father's Day Gift Ideas

By Adriana Copaceanu

If you are like me, you never know what to get dad for Father's Day. Well, today, you'll get a few ideas that will get you out of a bind any time.

Wallet Memories - Cut a business card size rectangle out of poster board. Decorate both sides with stickers, photographs, small messages, or drawings (for kids). Laminate it, and give it to dad. He can keep the card in his wallet - a reminder of your kind gesture.

Daddy Cake - Your child will love creating this Father's Day cake. Bake a cake and then get busy decorating. You can create a golf scene for the golfing dad, a briefcase for the businessman, or simply, just a smiley face. Oh, what fun!

Short story - Write a short story where the hero is your dad. Don't forget to mention some of the things you've always taken for granted, and never thanked him for. This will be a great keepsake for him. An alternative to this would be to write a poem for your dad and frame it for him.

Father of The Year Banner - design a father of the year banner and post it in the front yard before dad gets home on Father's Day.

Breakfast in Bed - we always do this for mom, but this time, make dad's favorite breakfast and serve him in bed. Better yet, make breakfast for 2 and leave him and mom alone to enjoy it.

Scented Pillow - sew a small pillow and fill it with cotton and a few drops of either clary sage, marjoram or ylang-ylang, or a combination of them, for an anti-stress effect. If you like, you can also hand-embroider some sweet saying like "World's Best Dad".

Adriana Copaceanu provides people with creative gift ideas that don't blow the bank. If you are looking for Father's Day Gift Ideas, look no further. Want regular reminders on gift-giving? Sign up for her free monthly newsletter, Gift News

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Help Your Child Make a Father's Day Card for Daddy

It's never too soon to teach your child to be creative and to learn
a wonderful lesson of how doing something special for someone can
bring life-long rewards!
Help your little boy or little girl make a very special Father's Day
card for Daddy!
You'll need:
1. Child safety scissors (if your child is old enough to use them)
2. Regular printer paper
3. Colored construction paper or card stock (Card stock is paper
that is slightly thicker than regular printer paper and makes a
nicer card. You can purchase card stock in any office supplies
store.)
4. Crayons or colored markers
5. Child-safe, non-toxic glue

Go to Mom's Break.com and visit the Father's Day Printable Projects
(http://fathersday.momsbreak.com) page. Find the links for Father's
Day Train Card (for a boy)
(http://fathersday.momsbreak.com/printable-fathersday-card.html) and
Father's Day Bear Card (for a girl)
(http://fathersday.momsbreak.com/printable-fathersday-bear-card.html).
[These pages will open in a new window so that you may read these
instructions while you look at the printables.]

These are free printables and you may print as many as you like, on
regular printer paper or on colored card stock. I suggest that you
print two or three copies, just in case an "oopsie" happens while
your child is making the card.

After you print the train or the teddy bear (or both), help your
child to cut out the picture along the dotted lines that are shown.
There is a helpful instruction on the free printable to guide you.

In the white space in the train cab or the teddy bear's tummy, help
your child to write in To Daddy, From XXX (your child's name). You
can also write "I Love You Daddy" or "To My Daddy" etc. Ask your
child what he or she would like to say, and then assist with writing
that in the white space.

Have your child select a piece of colored construction paper or card
stock. It doesn't matter whether it is a good color match for the
train or the teddy bear, remember that the important thing is that
you are helping your child to be creative!

Using the non-toxic glue, help your child to glue the train or teddy
bear to the piece of construction paper or card stock. Glue the
picture in the middle of the page. This will give your child lots of
space around the picture to decorate the card with pictures or
squiggles or whatever happy crayoning your child would like to do!

For a really special Father's Day gift, purchase an inexpensive
8-1/2 x 11 inch frame, and frame the card! Imagine your child's
delight in presenting a framed card to Daddy, and watching Daddy
hang it on the wall!

Remember the goal is to help your child be creative and to spend the
time to make a card---rather than simply sign a card that you've
purchased at the store. Daddy will love the homemade card far more
than any other!

For other Father's Day ideas, please visit Jan's Free Content
(http://www.jansfreecontent) and click on the links for the Father's
Day articles.

Be sure to re-visit Mom's Break (http://www.momsbreak.com) for all
the free printable crafts and projects that are available!

Jan K., The Proofer is freelance proofreader and copyeditor. Visit
Jan's Portal (http://www.jansportal.com) for information about her
proofreading and copyediting services, free printable recipes for
Sourdough Bread, free baking and cooking tips, and more, and for
more free content articles by Jan K., The Proofer and other
contributing authors. Please visit Mom’s Break
(http://www.momsbreak.com) for free printable projects and crafts.
Article © Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.

Building Teen Character: Part-Time Employment

by Rachel Paxton

The teenage years are a crucial time in a child's life. They are
not children anymore, but they are also not adults. During this
time the choices they make may have an effect on them for the
rest of their lives. It is the parents' responsibility to guide
their teenagers in the right direction by helping them make
responsible choices and building their character to the point
that when their teenagers move out of the house they are on the
road to being responsible adults and have the tools they need to
succeed in life.

There are a number of ways that parents can help teenagers build
their character. One way is through part-time employment.
Having a job provides many learning opportunities for teens.

* It teaches them what it takes to make a living, and that it is
hard work to earn money to pay bills.

* They have the opportunity to learn to manage their own money
and make choices of how they will spend it.

* If parents gives their teens the responsibility of paying for
some of their own bills (e.g., car insurance, gas, clothing, cell
phone, lunches out, etc.), then teens will realize they will only
be able to have these things if they pay for them and will have
to decide if it is worth it to them or not. Their priorities
suddenly change when it is their money they are spending. They
don't necessarily have to pay all their own bills, giving them a
couple of expenses to take care of will teach them to pay their
own way and make responsible choices with their money.

* Working is one way for teens to learn to get along with and
work along side other people, a very crucial step in character
development. How many adults do you know that can't get along
with other people! Teens learn that you won't always like
everyone you work with, but that it doesn't matter. You still do
your job and have a good attitude about it, treating others as
you wish to be treated.

* The process of looking for a job requires teenagers to take a
good look at themselves and their abilities, helping them to see
what kind of people they want to be and what they ultimately want
to do with their lives.

* Job experience is the first step to building a successful
resume. Any jobs a teen has will look good on college
applications and be a stepping stone to future employment.

Of course, all this sounds great but in reality can be difficult
to put into practice. The first job our daughter had she got
laid off from because she and her boss could not come to
agreement on the hours she would work. After she started working
there he changed the hours he said she could work and it
conflicted with other activities she had. It was very hard for
her to feel like she was "fired" from her first job. We had to
talk through a lot of the feelings she had towards her boss and
some of the experiences she had at that job. But because she
chose to honor her boss by showing him respect when he didn't
necessarily deserve it, he gave her an excellent reference for
her next job.

A couple of months later she did find another job that was much
better than the first one, and she had many great learning
experiences of working with others and learning to serve others
even when it was very hard work.

Parents can't just throw their teens out into the workplace and
expect everything will go great. Issues will arise that need to
be worked through with the parents' help, but this is where the
learning occurs, and character development begins!

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For more
inspirational articles and tips for everyday living, visit her
web sites at http://www.creativehomemaking.com and
http://www.christian-parent.com.

Becoming a More Consistent Parent – A Simple Suggestion

by Guy Harris

Consistency happens to be one of the biggest challenges I
personally face in working with my children. I understand that
it is an important issue. I write about it. I teach it in my
business. And still I struggle.

I share the question on almost every parent's mind : “How do I
get my kids to do what I want them to do and not do what I don’t
want them to do?” My struggle with consistency happens to be my
weakness in this quest. One tool my wife and I have developed to
address this issue is a family system. We got the idea from our
work in the business world. The emotional ties are different.
But when it comes to structure, families and businesses have a
lot in common. They are both organizations of people with a
common purpose. So, what can we learn from successful businesses
that will help us build more successful families?

Nearly every successful business has a well-defined system.
Systems provide structure. Systems provide accountability.
Systems provide mutual understanding of expectations. Systems
make work easier. Systems are tools that allow ordinary people
to obtain extraordinary results. Systems provide the results
most parents desire -- a consistent method to encourage good
behaviors and to discourage bad ones.

As you develop your family system you’ll want to define the
following items: - a simple set of family rules,

- minimum acceptable behaviors,

- unacceptable behaviors,

- a way to reward good behaviors and penalize bad ones.

You should also write it down and communicate it to everyone in
the family. My wife and I own a speaking, training, and
consulting business. We speak and train on human behavior,
leadership, and communication topics. Everything we have learned
in the business world says two things: 1) Control and fear
tactics create minimal performance, and

2) Positive reinforcement creates high-level performance. We
teach business leaders to use positive reinforcement to inspire
their teams. Yet we sometimes find ourselves tilting more
towards fear and intimidation when working with the people we
love the most -- our children. Our negative disciplinary
approaches are not usually the result of poor understanding.
Instead, they come from fatigue, stress, and strong emotional
ties. A system also helps to remove stress and fatigue from the
equation when handling disciplinary issues.

Do the work to create pre-defined rules, expectations, and
definitions of consequences. Then you will feel less stress and
frustration as you work to guide, correct, and instruct your
children. You’ll be free to focus on relationship issues rather
than on task issues.

You may use this article for electronic distribution if you will
include all contact information with live links back to the
author. Notification of use is not required, but I would
appreciate it. Please contact the author prior to use in printed
media.

Copyright 2005, Guy Harris

About the author:
Guy Harris is an author, speaker, trainer, and consultant on
human behavior at home and in the workplace. Guy co-authored
"The Behavior Bucks System(tm)" (http://www.behaviorbucks.com)
to help parents reduce stress and conflict with their children
by effectively applying behavioral principles in the home. Learn
more about Guy at http://www.principledriven.com

Family Road Trip Fun: How Best To Travel With Kids

By Sherrie Le Masurier

Family Travel is meant to be fun and relaxing and with a little
road trip planning, you can organize your car travel to make this
year's road trip your best family vacation ever.

When it comes to road trip planning it's important to expect the
unexpected and be prepared. Turn to creative solutions like
pre-planned snacks and car games to counter "I'm hungry" screams
and "Are We There Yet?" questions. Every time you travel with kids
you can count on the need for both creative solutions and a ton of
car games to keep the kid's busy.

Following are some of my favourite ways to make a family vacation
car trip not only bearable but fun.

Activity Boxes
A plastic tote with a flat lid works best as it holds both your
child's activity supplies (paper, markers, cards etc.) and doubles
as a play surface.

Bottled Water
Bring a whole case for drinking and quick wash ups.

Paper Towels
These are indispensable when eating and make short work of cleaning
up.

Blankets or Coats
The warmth of a blanket or coat comes in handy for nap time.

Pillows
To a tired and cranky child, a pillow can be a real lifesaver.

Plastic Bags
Various sized plastic zipper-type, grocery and garbage bags are
handy for everything from storing crayons and leftover crackers to
separating wet bathing suits and collecting trash.

Drinks
Place a small cooler filled with beverages in a central location
where everyone can reach.

Snacks
Consider individual boxes of cereal, packages of crackers, cups of
fruit,applesauce and yogurt. Don't forget the spoons.

Okay, so now your kids are well nourished and have their activity
box before them. But with a day or two of traveling still ahead,
your kids'short attention span may yet get the better of them. Ward
off sibling battles and screams like "She's looking at me again!"
with the following car travel solutions.

As a child one of my favourite family travel games was to create a
story together. Dad would start the first sentence, then mom, myself
and my brother would add to it. Each of us would take a turn adding
a sentence as the story unfolded.

Another favourite road trip car game was "I'm going on a trip and
I'm bringing..." Here someone starts the game off by naming an item
that starts with the letter "A". After "A" , the next player will
say the same thing but with the letter "B", and so on.

If you're looking for creative verbal games that will help build your
kid's vocabulary, check out 101 Word Games at
http://familysanitysavers.com/cargames

Finally, countdown the distance to go, with a bunch of Cheerios or
Fruit Loops pre-thread on shoestring licorice. Your kids can enjoy
one with every passing kilometer.

Want more Family Sanity Saving Ideas?
Visit http://www.familysanitysavers.com today!

Written by Sherrie Le Masurier, Lifestyle Columnist, Professional
Organizer and Co-Owner of Family Sanity Savers.com - Copyright 2005.