Fun Indoor Activities For Rainy Spring Days

Spring is a great time of
year to start getting
colorful and to create
beautiful artwork of all
types. There are lots of
simple, low-cost options
for parents to consider,
and these projects can
easily be completed with
simple ideas and in a
short period of time.
Some important supplies
to have on hand will
include low-cost watercolor paints, craft glue, colored paper and old magazines, yarn and fabric scraps, recyclable plastic contains such as large and small yogurt containers or even plastic soda bottles.

Spring Vases
Vases are always a great option to make in the spring, and they can be as simple or as creative as your child likes. Start with a plastic container and apply a layer of craft glue with a paintbrush to create a layer over the plastic that will make it easier to work with.

Allow this to dry completely and then provide kids with markers, paints, fabric scraps, yarn and even sparkles and decorative shapes and allow them to design their own vase.

There are lots of videos online about making paper flowers, but you can always just use tissue paper that is gathered in the middle and fluffed out around the edges. Use a green pipe cleaner to hold the base of the "flower" and create a stem. A bouquet of these flowers will look amazing in the kid's own vases.

Egg Shell Planters
Start by hard boiling eggs and allowing them to cool. Draw a line around the top pointy end of the egg about a third of the way down. Using markers and paint, allow the kids to decorate blow the line to give their egg planters faces or spring scenes.

A parent can then use a very sharp knife to cut off the top of the decorated egg and scoop out the egg, leaving just the decorated shell. Fill almost to the top with a few tablespoons of potting soil, sprinkle in some sprout seeds and just a dusting a soil. Place in an egg holder or create your own with by cutting up an egg carton, kids can decorate the base as well.
Place on a windowsill with sunlight and water just to moisten the soil. In three to five days you will have sprouts, and within about a week they will be ready to eat.

Talk So Kids Will Listen

Most parents complain, at least from time to time, that their children don’t listen to them. Shouting doesn’t help, and chances are it will only aggravate the problem. Try these tips for forging better communication with your kids:

• Get their attention. Don’t start talking if they’re focused on something else. You may
have to do something unusual—to reach a toddler having a tantrum, for example, trying giving his or her back a few pats or a tickle. For older children, singing a song may break through their wall of boredom or inattention.

• Be brief. Most kids don’t want to listen to long lectures. When you have something to say, get right to the point. They’ll get the message without feeling patronized or growing bored.

• Write a note instead. If your message isn’t time-sensitive, try writing a note to your kids. They can read it at their convenience, and you’ll be able to put more detail into it than you would in a brief conversation.

• Stay positive. Don’t just assign chores and tell kids what they’re doing wrong. Praise them and thank them so they won’t automatically tense up when you ask, “Can I talk to you for a few minutes?”

• Set the right example. When your kids have something to say, give them your full attention. If you ignore them when they’re trying to talk, they may do the same to you.

Emotional Management Advice For Family Caregivers

Unpaid caregivers are among the most overlooked yet vital workers, with more than sixty-five million Americans giving care to loved ones who suffer from aging, disabilities, or illness. It can be difficult to balance care-giving with others roles such as partner, parent, and professional, and it is only natural to have mixed emotions which can include anger, loyalty, love, and resentment.

If things are really getting too much for you, then you should try to get professional help, but for those for whom things are generally okay, there are ways to cope with bad days.

Anxiety is a natural emotion for caregivers. Medical issues that involve complex technologies and treatments and alarming symptoms, together with seeing loved ones declining in health, can cause great anxiety. One good tip is to make sure you stay as informed and confident as you can be about the specific illness your loved one suffers from, and motivate yourself to share feelings with them before it is too late.

Guilt is another emotion common to care-givers; the awful feeling that you are not doing enough. It Is crucial to understand that everybody has their limits and that respecting and understanding those limits within yourself does not make you an awful person. The reality is that accepting those limits can ensure you stay present and engaged and do not burn yourself out.