December 26, 2011 by

Be careful where you lead

“A few weeks ago I went walking jogging / walking at our local YMCA. I decided to go jogging / walking path on the inside, because I hate the treadmill. I went to a quick look at the road sign (to tell which direction on what day of the week on foot) and ran away. It was quiet for a while, and then an older man began to run.
Common sense lesson: read the signs properly. Management lesson: Be careful when you do. Some people will follow, but you could classify it leads in the wrong direction. Leadership is a great privilege and responsibility. Not take lightly.”

Read More:
Be careful where you lead

  •   •   •   •   •
September 12, 2011 by

Use the Tooth Fairy to Get Your Child to Brush

Kids are fickle. I know mine are. Some days my kids race to the sink, practically knocking each other down, so they can be first to brush their teeth. Some days they complain about everything from the water, to the taste of the toothpaste or even the color of their toothbrush. I am sure most parents have experienced this at one time or another. What if your children fall sick while on tour? Don’t forget to buy a visitor insurance when travelling to meet your medical expenses.

Good dental care is important for children for many reasons. The obvious is healthy teeth means less traumatic experiences at the dentist. Visitors health insurance comes handy in case of a medical emergency in a foreign country. I can tell you from experience that this is a good benefit for your child as well as for the parent. There is nothing worse than watching your child cry and wrestle with the dentist in order to fill one of those pesky cavities. Establishing good brush habits while your child is young will follow your child through his teenage years and into adulthood. I guess you can think of your child’s baby teeth as their practice teeth to get them ready to care for their permanent adult teeth.

I have tried many different methods to keep my children interested in brushing. I have tried the musical toothpaste lid, buying overpriced toothbrushes because they were imprinted with the newest superhero and I even bought the toothbrushes that twirl and spin hoping to keep my children interested. Well, they all worked for a while, at least until the novelty wore off.

After a traumatic visit to the dentist with my 5 year old I wanted to do something special for him. After he went to sleep I sat at my computer and wrote a special Letter from the Tooth Fairy telling him how brave he was and that although he is brushing his teeth every day he still needs to use the proper techniques like mommy showed him. I also added a brand new green toothbrush and toothpaste just for him. When he woke up in the morning and received the unexpected note from the tooth fairy he was so excited.

After all, most children know the tooth fairy is coming when they lose a tooth, but when the tooth fairy sends a note out of the blue it can add a sense of excitement and encourages the child to brush. My son was so happy and told everyone he saw how the tooth fairy came to see him and he did not even lose his tooth yet. He believed that the tooth fairy is watching all of the time, just like Santa.

Enjoy the magical time when your children believe in the Tooth Fairy. Enjoy the twinkle in their eye and the smile across their face. Take advantage of this awesome opportunity to help your child understand the importance of good dental care.

2006© Trish Holfelder. All Rights Reserved

About the author: Trish Holfelder is a mother of 5, and the owner of www.ToothFairyCity.com. www.ToothFairyCity.com provides easy tools to help parents create personalized and encouraging letters from the tooth fairy.

  •   •   •   •   •
September 12, 2011 by

Why Kids Love Mail

“Is there anything for me?” With 5 kids I heard that at least once a day when reaching into the mailbox for the daily mail. Actually, I even remember asking my mom the same thing when I was young. Kids love to get mail. Even if it is just a small little note.

One of the reasons a child likes to receive mail because it makes them feel grown up. They see their mommy and daddy get the mail every day. By getting mail it may seem to them that they are grown up and get mail just like mommy and daddy. Another obvious reason is because it makes them feel special. If you think about how you feel when you receive an unexpected note from a friend or a card from a family member. Children get the same feeling. It is always nice to get something that you are not expecting.

Now I am not saying send your children gifts every day of the week. I am just saying that kids love to receive mail. Even a little note can really brighten up a child’s day. If you see your child is having a tough time at school or dealing with a situation, send a little note to your child. It will show him that you notice how they are feeling and you care about them.

You can also take the opportunity to use the mail for helping your child to learn. Sending your child fun educational worksheets and activity sheets are a wonderful way to help educate and give your child an extra smile.

Basically, kids love mail for the same reasons you enjoy receiving notes and correspondence from friends and family. Sending a child mail can be as simple as a note or as elaborate as a packet filled with activity sheets, stickers and crafts. You decide what your child needs and enjoy watching the smile on their face.

2006© Trish Holfelder. All Rights Reserved

About the author: Trish Holfelder is a mother of 5, and the owner of www.ToothFairyCity.com. www.ToothFairyCity.com provides easy tools to help parents create personalized and encouraging letters from the tooth fairy.

  •   •   •   •   •
February 25, 2011 by

New Camper Care Packages

“This summer is the first time we have a new and exciting products in the store offer a care package to deliver campers from their parents! We brought some of the best articles from our store (even a few free!) In a newly designed CentriKid backpack for campers of their parents. Children Minister:
We are group leaders, we deliver them on Monday at the Adult Gathering. You can choose to give your camper. We are so excited to have a chance for parents to send email without giving postage paid at all!”

Read More:
New Camper Care Packages

  •   •   •   •   •
January 30, 2011 by

Group Leader Info It’s Here

“Check out the parent packet. There is more information than ever that we want to get into parents’ hands. This will help them understand what is going to happen at camp, even if they aren’t coming, and will give them questions to visitors health insurance follow up with their kids spiritually when they get back from camp.
Explore the follow-up section. This is the first time we have provided you with a plan for follow-up after camp. We are very excited about what this means for the continuation of learning and discipleship. We know many leaders already do this, but for those who don’t… we wanted to make it simple for you!
Have parents order care packages for campers and dvds/church group photos at your parent meeting. This summer, we are going to provide the option for parents to order a care package for their campers. It will include a backpack, an OMC T-shirt (in their OMC color), a pair of sunglasses, a watch, a missions bracelet, a poster of the staff for them to get signed with verses from their staffers, a carabiner to keep up with their keys, and a handheld fan to keep them cool. This is a $35 value for $30.”

Read More:
Group Leader Info It’s Here

  •   •   •   •   •
January 30, 2011 by

Always Reading Always Learning

As a kid, I never wanted to carry around multiple books, so I would only read one book at a time until it was finished. Now I’ve got a few books going, and as always I’ve got a stack lined up to read soon.All my reading material visitor medical insurance lives in the #3 basket at home. Generally it is half to three-quarters full of books, magazines, or articles. Reading is one of my favorite hobbies, so I love having a few different books going at the same time. My Kindle is my favorite device for reading, but I never pass up free books, so I’ve got a number of “physical books” in basket #3 as well as e-books on my Kindle.

Read More:
Always Reading Always Learning

  •   •   •   •   •