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I became a father at 21 and I knew that if I was going to “make it,” I had to rely on my family for help. My daughter’s mother and I split up early, and I went back to my childhood home, where my mother and great-aunt Lorraine lived. Lorraine — or Rainy, as we called her — was in her eighties and in frail health. Her memory had started to go. She wouldn’t eat. I was barely hacking it as a father, so I certainly didn’t feel capable of also caring for elders. It was a delicate balancing act, and I was teetering like a drunk on a tightrope. I had been raised by my mother and my grandmother, who had died some months before my daughter was born. When I was in junior high, the recently widowed Rainy — my grandmother’s youngest sister – came to live with us. She helped to raise me and my mother before me, but had never been blessed with children of her own. Still, Rainy and Madison took to each other immediately. Despite what age had taken from her, Rainy’s indelible charm remained. She and my daughter were fast friends. Once, during a moment of clarity, Rainy asked, “Why don’t you let me watch the baby while you do all the other stuff you have to do?” To be honest, I didn’t trust her to be able to care for Madison while I was off doing laundry or making dinner or any of the other dozen things I had to do. Whatever excuse I offered in reply was met with a dismissive, almost put-upon expression and the retort, “I took care of you and your mother as babies; I think I know a thing or two about it.” This conversation happened over and over again, until finally — when Madison was a little older — I took Rainy up on her offer. Amazingly — at least to me — she was a natural. She could keep Madison entertained, spending hours playing the tedious games infants enjoy. As Madison got older, Rainy was able to handle more extended periods of watching my daughter. As Rainy got older, her health worsening, Madison was able to keep an eye on her, too. Getting Rainy to eat was always a challenge. I would coax, implore, and outright yell sometimes in order to get her to eat. Yet once Madison — always a picky eater — said she wouldn’t eat unless Rainy ate, Rainy finished all her meals. Caring for elders and children can be easier if you remember that your elder is not a child. The infirmed elderly often struggle with finding a sense of purpose, because they often feel like a burden on the younger family. By encouraging Rainy to help with Madison, it filled her last years with a renewed sense of purpose. Madison and I were both lucky to have her. Are you caring for older relatives while raising children? What do you find to be most rewarding about it? What’s most challenging?

A casi tres meses de haber dado a luz, la Duquesa de Cambridge hizo su primera aparición pública y sorprendió a todos al lucir su abdomen plano.

Teaching kids how to share early on in life, from a place of sincerity, will help them grow into empathetic and caring people. Here are five tips for raising compassionate and generous kids who are also willing to share without being forced. Express Empathy Teach kids to share by expressing empathy toward others so they can see past their self-centered nature. Make a point of making statements like, “It’s hot out! Do you think your coach would like a bottle of water, too?” or “It’s your teacher’s birthday. How about we draw her a birthday card?” In this way, you can help your child think of other’s needs and how their actions impact their world. Make it a part of your family legacy to be empathetic. Respect Boundaries Teaching kids how to share is important, but respecting their boundaries should also be noted. Depending on their development, some kids find sharing to be a hard task to master. Respect your child’s developmental boundaries while promoting high expectations of behavior. If your child has a very special toy with which she has difficulties parting, make that a “safe toys.” Allow your child to keep that toy for herself. Along with rules on where those toys can be taken, assure your child that she won’t be forced to share if she doesn’t want to. Be the Solution When your child refuses to share, try your best not to focus on her refusal. Sharing is hard, especially for young kids. Instead, prompt her to help you find another object she would willingly share with her friends. Stress the importance of being the solution and focus on her positive behavior in solving the sharing problem. Although your child might not share her treasured book, ask her to help you find another story her friends might enjoy. Practice Makes Habit Even adults have a hard time sharing if it’s not a part of their day-to-day behavior. Find a time in your child’s day where teaching her to share is your main parenting objective. During homework time or a designated playtime, for example, engage in a daily practice of the mechanics of sharing. Don’t wait for a heated kid spat to enforce the notion of sharing. Generosity and Gratitude Focus on generosity and gratitude in your parenting. Raise your children with the knowledge that, no matter what’s going on with mom’s attention or the last slice of pizza, they have an abundance of life to be grateful for and that your love is ever flowing, and you can always order another pizza. When a child has enough of what she needs, tempered with a healthy dose of gratitude, she’ll grow up with sharing as part of her nature, instead of something that’s forced.

Estos raperos no nacieron con micrófonos en las manos. Aqui te presentamos las vidas pasadas de 10 raperos.

Rescue a rainy day with these fun, easy indoor activities that are also easy on the wallet! Kids have always loved turning old things into new ideas and if you give them the space and supplies, you’ll be amazed at just how much fun can be had even on a rainy day! Here are three fun ideas that can be completed with standard household supplies or with items easily found in nature. Recycled Rocket Ship The process of collecting the supplies for your Recycled Rocket Ship can be just as much fun as the actual construction! When we made it, everyone had fun looking through the recycling bin and scavenging around each room in our house. It was also a great opportunity to talk about why we reuse things and the importance of being able to make your own fun—even on a rainy day. After all the materials have been collected, begin assembly! Use craft glue for some of the smaller bits. You might need to help the kids out with a low temp glue gun for large pieces. After all the glue has dried, allow your child to paint, decorate and enjoy exploring space! Matching Colors Activity Working on colors and making the best of a rainy day is completely possible with the help of a discarded egg carton and a bag of dollar store pompoms. Add some inexpensive (but appropriately sized!) tongs and now you’re also helping your child’s fine motor skills. I made this four years ago for my first son and I’m still using the same game today with my second. Don’t worry too much if the pompoms end up everywhere at the end of this activity because more than likely, they will! Sticks & Stones Number Game My favorite thing about Sticks & Stones is that it can be adapted to almost any child’s age! The only supplies you’ll need are small stones and some numbered strips of paper. I play the 1-5 cards with my 2 year old, just counting and placing the rocks. He loves choosing which rocks to put on the cards and is gaining a real and tangible idea of what numbers are. With older kids, Sticks & Stones becomes a game of counting and addition. Each person takes a turn of randomly picking out a card and counting out the stones. The game progresses until each of the cards has been dealt and the stones counted. The winner is determined by adding up each of your cards. This game is great for little kids who are just beginning to add because if they get stuck on addition, they can always use the stones to help them count. The best thing about these activities is they keep kids busy while helping them learn and be more creative. What are some of your favorite things to do with kids when skies are gray?

Estas mujeres han destacado en el mundo de la actuación, ya sea en cine, teatro o televisión, lo que les ha valido ser las más buscadas en internet.