Ready to Learn Mom

An article on family relationships, offering ideas for keeping your family close, from the time they are children until they become adults.

With the widespread success and use of the home computer, people are simply a mouse click away. The innovation of email and digital photographs has made it possible for families to stay in touch; however, is this really enough? While technology has enabled us to talk to people all over the world, in some ways it is hampering us from intimate contact, especially with our families.

Keeping your family close must start when you children are very young. If you instill in them at an early age the importance of family, chances are your message will stick when they become adults.

An important way to ensure family closeness is by creating special family traditions. While we all know every eats turkey on Thanksgiving, add something special to the day. Perhaps set aside this day for the entire family to play games. Try playing something as simple as Bingo, where everyone will get a prize – and here’s the real treat – make the prizes “coupons”. For instance, “This coupon good for one free movie with mom” or “This coupon good for one indoor picnic.” Thanksgiving is traditionally a day for football, so organize a friendly family game of your own. You will be surprised how your children will come to treasure these special family times.

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Fostering good family relationships take work, lots of love and a sprinkle of patience. It isn’t always easy but always well worth the time you put into it. Many family relationships today are not designed and nurtured the way they were even twenty years ago. Dynamic and sometimes complicated situations are mixed in to make them more challenging. In a world of divorce that translates into second marriages with step-parents and siblings relationships can be larger in scope and more difficult to sustain.

Yet with every challenge comes a blessing and it is up to each of us to help these relationships grow.

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Because we live in such a small world, it is critically important not to burn bridges – no matter how tempted you might be! You aren’t going to like everyone and everyone isn’t going to like you, but there’s no need to make enemies. For example, when you look for your next job, it’s quite likely that the person interviewing you will know someone you know. In this way your reputation precedes you everywhere you go. This is beneficial when you have a great reputation, but harmful when your reputation is damaged.

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1. Empower the kids to be involved in packing, planning and a part of the trip!
2. Purchase those small travel size dry erase boards and plan some activities using them such as: 
   • The Draw Game:  draw a cow, draw an octagon, draw a car, draw the number 48, etc.
   • The True or False Game:  Have the kids put a T for True or an F for False to a series of family questions such as:  Grandma Martha use to drive a motorcycle; Aunt Beth is adopted; You have 4 first cousins; etc.
   • The Person, Place or Thing with 10 clues Game.  Select a category between, person, place or thing and write down the answer and have the kids ask clues to figure out the answer.  For example – for a person, the kids might ask, do I personally know this person or is it someone famous?
   • The Yes or No game:  Ask questions and the kids will write yes or no – Do you like pizza?; Would you like to scuba dive someday?; Might you be a teacher?; Sail the ocean?; Travel to the North Pole?
   • Perfect for Tic-tac-toe and hang man games!
3. Bring books for quiet time reading for the kids to enjoy.  Set the timer and tell the kids it is quiet time to either take a nap or read! I would be happy to send you my books for kid fun or playing school or teacher in the car:  Let’s Get Ready For Kindergarten!, the Spanish/English of iA Prepararse Para Kindergarten! or Let’s Get Ready For First Grade!
4. Bring travel size colors and a coloring book with a tray to do activities!
5. Purchase blank books in the dollar bin and create travel journals documenting the trip.  Purchase some vacation themed stickers and allow the kids to either use the camera to take some pictures or get them cheap disposable cameras that they are in charge of using!
6. Print off the computer start and stop maps to where you are going and let them draw points of interest that they have seen along the journey!
7. Bring electronic devises, if they already use and a DVD for movie time!
8. Bring prepacked healthy snacks ready to go to keep the kids happy!
9. Crank up the radio and sign along together to your family favorites!
10. Share family stories about how they will be seeing on the trip or about how mom and dad met, some of the things Grandma and Grandpa use to do and stories when Mom and Dad were kids!
11. Pack travel size cold water for the kids, put them in pull-ups to avoid accidents in the car seat or plane, bring wipes for quick clean ups and toilet paper for emergency stops!
12.  Have an extra change of clothing with easy access as well as favorite stuffed animals and blankets to encourage sleep time.
13. Count to 25 by finding 25 white cars; 25 red cars, trucks, cows, etc.
14. Before you leave home guess the number of VW Bugs you will see along the way or Smart Cars or Windmills or flags and start counting.
15. Play I spy something red, something red, white and blue or something moving, etc.

Smiles – Stacey

Stacey Kannenberg
“Ready To Learn Mom”

1. Pitch a tent and camping in the backyard or make a fort and bring camping inside when the weather is too cold!
2. Kick the can!  This game was played by my entire neighborhood about 40 kids every summer night in the early 70’s!
3. Picnic in the yard or park or on the living room floor with a big blanket if it’s too cold outside.
4. Go for a hike.
5. Ride your bike, scooter, roller blades or roller skates.
6. Chalk the sidewalk and driveway – now they even make the 3D stuff!
7. Water fight with balloons or guns!
8. Have a pie fight as a family!! Set up the video camera and let the games begin!
9. In the age of digital camera’s – make a scavenger hunt inside or out – taking pictures of locations to keep them moving from clue to clue!
10. Reading can be enjoyed inside and out by the entire family! 

Smiles – Stacey

Stacey Kannenberg
“Ready To Learn Mom”

It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine without thinking too much about where time goes. So, before you find yourself saying, “She grew up so fast!” get in some quality bonding time with your kiddos today.

Challenge 1: Build relationships with your kids

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By Martha Beck

Friends don’t let friends do all the work.

When my friend Riley and I met for coffee, I was feeling somewhat gloomy, looking forward to a little emotional support. As I sat down, however, Riley recounted a harrowing tale. Only hours before, as she was chomping happily on some caramel corn, one of her front teeth had snapped off, right at the gum line! Her dentist glued it back in, but I mean… The horror! The horror!

My bad mood disappeared as I grilled Riley about every detail, told her it was perfectly normal that the incident upset her more than global warming, and affirmed that her teeth looked great (they did). After a while, Riley drew a deep breath, exhaled, and relaxed.

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I am not sure why I was actually dreading the event.   Yes, I have gained weight since I graduated from High School 25 years ago…whatever! I wasn’t the only one!  I was excited that it was to be an outside picnic with our families invited.  I was always a late bloomer, so it did not seem to surprise many that my kids were 5 and 7 along with a handful of others who had children later in life, but I was overwhelmed by the number of high school classmates who had kids right out of high school and were already grandparents!

My entire family had fun, even my husband.  My kids found a group of older and younger kids and were entertained the entire time.   My husband heard stories that he had never heard and met many new and old faces.  I am so glad I introduced my husband to my first boyfriend and was amazed at how alike they really were: both into hunting, fishing and watching football.  They even made a date to go fishing on Lake Michigan together.  I was happy he married an old school friend of mine so that we could get together while our husbands go fishing.  And we all laughed when we found out that their daughter lived near us and was dating my husband’s cousin!   Fate?

I tried to talk to everyone and was shocked at how many different career paths:  three owners of manufacturing companies, a state patrol sergeant, several plumbers, a nursing home director, several restaurant owners, patent owners and publishers, a few in real estate, banking, entertainment and employees for the airlines.  Since I am always networking this day was no different.  So a promise was made to keep in touch with a handful solely for business purposes.

Many people gained weight.  Two had lost too much weight and looked very sick, pale and washed out.  A few had lost their hair, many wore white and gray proudly.  I did not recognize a few people and would never have done so until they were pointed out to me.  But the majority of people looked very much like the day we all graduated.

Here is what I would recommend to those of you that have the big day looming in the distance.

Remind yourself to put on a big smile and set out to enjoy the event.  It’s just one moment in time.  And sadly it went way too fast!

So if you are trying to lose weight before your big day, make sure you are truly doing it to please yourself, because if you are not, you probably will not stick to it.

If you are using this day as a day to motivate you to get in shape, great!  Make sure you set a realistic and safe goal of a few pounds a week and make exercise and eating right part of your daily plan.

And even if you do not lose the weight, here’s the most important thing:  be a happy and positive person and let your spirit shine, because even with a few extra pounds people seem to gravitate to those people that are happy and fun!   Enjoy!

Are you getting ready for a reunion?  What steps are you taking to prepare?  Are you anxious or apprehensive? Or a little of both?  Please share your thoughts with us.

Smiles – Stacey

Stacey Kannenberg
“Ready To Learn Mom”