Home and Living Daily Tips

Archive for June, 2009

As parents we have so much to worry about in regards to our children.  We want to protect them from all of lifes dangers, yet we want to accomplish this without putting unnecessary fear into their lives.

When my children were small, we began talking about secrets.  What is a good secret and what is a bad secret?  This seemed to be a concept my children could understand, while accomplishing my goal of not scaring them.

Good secrets are things that you get to tell mommy or daddy.  Such as we bought daddy a birthday gift.  Today it’s a secret but tomorrow we get to tell daddy.  Another good secret is when the principal at school tells you there will be a party for your teacher but today it’s a secret.  Tomorrow however we get to tell the teacher.

As your children get a bit older, a good secret might even be your friend telling you she likes a boy.  While your child may be asked not to tell the boy, your child could certainly tell you this secret.

So what is a bad secret?  A bad secret is a secret that your child is asked to NEVER tell.  A bad secret might be another child admitting they did something wrong and asking your child not to tell.  It might also be an adult acting inappropriately with your child and telling the child to keep this a secret and not tell mommy.
Read the rest of this entry »

Increased parental involvement provides the best foundation for a successful start to the school year.

“Back-to-school offers an opportunity for parents to get to know their children’s teachers and be involved in education year-round,” said Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association. “To reach their full potential, students need parents to take an active role in their education. Parents should be their children’s ‘favorite teacher.’”

NEA recommends five easy ways for parents to start the school year off on the right foot:

* Meet the teachers. Tell teachers about your children’s interests and hobbies. Make a date to visit teachers’ classrooms; don’t wait for Back-to-School Night or parent-teacher conferences to open the lines of communication. Provide teachers with your phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

* Get to know all the school employees. Whether it’s the librarian, school counselor, nurse, cafeteria worker or bus driver, education support professionals generally know all of the students in the school, and their relationships with your child will continue from year to year as your child moves from one grade to the next.
Read the rest of this entry »

If you are considering buying an aquarium full of fish or if you already own one, then you cannot afford to stop there. Just like any other pets, fish in aquariums require a lot of care and attention. You cannot just throw fish into an aquarium and expect them to survive and thrive. You must purchase the proper aquarium supplies for your fish.

I’m pretty passionate about this subject because owning a pet supplies store I have seen far too many people choose to own fish because “they are easier and require less than other pets.” While this is true on many levels, it is no excuse for people to not buy the proper kinds of aquarium supplies for their pets.

If you are unsure of what kinds of aquarium supplies you might need for the fish you have purchased or are hoping to purchase, then look no further than to a pet supply store for help. Go to a store near you and talk to someone that is knowledgable about aquarium supplies. Ask all of your questions and allow them to lead to aquarium supplies that are reasonable and necessary for the livelihood of your fish. Make sure that you have a full understanding of the needs of your fish before you purchase them. You need to realize that fish take work just like any other pet and that something will be required of you in taking care of them.
Read the rest of this entry »

Anybody who owns a dog will know that they can be expensive. Vets bills and food supplies soon mount up and this is why so many dogs end up abandoned in rescue centers or put out on to the street. Responsible dog owners are aware of the costs which a pet incurs and so go into it with their eyes open. However, an unnecessary expense is that involved with the purchase of a doghouse.

Many dog owners allow their pets to sleep in the home with them, thus eradicating the need for an exterior doghouse. But others prefer to distance themselves somewhat from their pets, preferring them to sleep outside at night. For these owners, the need to buy a doghouse is essential. These can range from budget buys which are little more than a wooden shell, to hugely extravagant constructions complete with a porch and stairs to make their kennel into a luxury home. Obviously, the cost rises proportionately to the quality of the doghouse. However, there is an alternative option.

You could build your own doghouse. You would still be required to pay for the supplies and you would have to do the work yourself but it means that you can tailor the doghouse to your pet. A doghouse should be large enough for your pet to comfortably turn but no bigger than that in order for it to retain the dog’s body heat and so self-insulate to a degree. Most readily available dog houses that you can buy from pet stores or similar places are a fairly standard size. Given that your doghouse should be sized in relation to your specific dog, you may find that, if you have a particularly large or small dog, that the shop bought ones are not ideal. Therefore, building your own can solve this problem.
Read the rest of this entry »