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Recent topics on the Kids Activity Queen’s Blog:

- 3 Safety Tips for Healthy Eating
- Fun Activities for the New Year

Event of the Month: 

Sunday, Jan. 6 

4:05 pm

Aeros Hockey Family Day

Cheer on the hometown team

as they battle against the Iowa Stars. Kids receive a chilly doll giveaway. All will enjoy the excitement.

Thanks for subscribing to the Houston Family Fun newsletter. The January 2008 newsletter offers insightful tips and fun activities for your family. I also encourage you to check out my blog for candid commentary on Houston family life and add your comments to this online community.

Happy 2008! Will it be happy?
The holidays have passed and hopefully you enjoyed some restful winter days while you could. Now the New Year is upon us and everyone is gearing up for another year.

Whether or not you make New Year's resolutions, I encourage you to spend more quality time with your child(ren) and less time stressing. The latter part is the hardest for me. So I researched several ways to maintain the balancing act in 2008.

1). Prioritize. What does your family want out of this year? Many parents make decisions about their kids' new classes or after-school care without talking about the possibilities with their children. Help your youngster identify the one interest he/she really wants to pursue this season. Commit to participating in that one activity until the season ends. This limits your carpool trips and gives your child the opportunity to soak it all in, while still resting throughout the week.

Remind your child to explore other avenues that expose him/her to that interest. For instance, your family can read about the sport or rent a movie about a professional in that arena. Web sites like www.amazon.com and www.netflix.com offer good search engines to match interests with related films.

2). Relieve stress by recruiting helpers. Don’t feel like you have to handle it on your own. Kids feel empowered when they are able to help others. Assigning tasks to our children builds their confidence and allows you to power through the To Do list.

In the article "Find Your Happy Parent Place" (January 2008 issue of Parents magazine), Scott Westcott suggests the following:

"Doing chores is good for your kids too. A study at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis found that the most reliable predictor for a child's success isn't his IQ, his social status, or his extracurricular involvement, but rather his participation in household tasks. The key is to get your children to learn about responsibility by pitching in at a young age -- and to stick with it." 

My 2.5-year-old now helps feed our cats in the morning and evening. It’s a great help when I’m trying to fix a meal.

3). Exercise. Yep, whether you like that recommendation or not, it’s out there. Exercise is a great stress reliever, but you don’t have to join a gym. (Good for you, if you’ve already done it!) Ride bikes with your family. Skate in your driveway. Practice your child’s new sport. Pull your child in a wagon or walk through the neighborhood together. Exercise can be accomplished while playing with your child.

4). Enjoy every moment with your child. Last month, my daughter casually ignored my request to get out of bed and start getting dressed for the day. I stood there and just watched her, lying on a smashed stuffed animal, while she hummed some random song. For one minute, I could put aside my impulse to rush and just stare happily at my little one. I felt better about it, too.

Future topics for the Houston Family Fun newsletter:

• Affordable toys for kids at varying ages
• Connecting with the outdoors
• Day trips from Houston
• Good ideas for cooking with kids from snacks to meals
• More low-cost activities for families
• Turning kids’ passions into careers: matching interests with activities

Book of Tips on Family Activities
Discover wonderful activities for your family, using the book 100+ Activities for Houston Kids. This book features activities ideal for each month of the year, as well as year-round activities and family-friendly restaurants.

Order your book online or pick up your copy at any of these shops: Barnes & Noble, Berings, Borders, Blue Willow Bookshop, Brazos Book Store, Houston Invitation Service, or Olive Anne in the Heights.

Megan F. Salch
"The Kids Activity Queen"
MeganSalch@TellYourTale.com  
www.TellYourTale.com/Kids  

Smart Thinking!

What should you do this weekend?

The 2008 Houston Kids Calendar

provides a date-specific listing of local events. It costs only $10 and is downloadable here.

Discover wonderful activities for your family, using the book 100+ Activities for Houston Kids