Children and Mom and Paper

Memorabilia ? Children can create enough artwork for an entire gallery in a few short weeks. The key here is choices; establish a particular place-e.g., basket, drawer, or shelf ? for each child to put artwork. When that space is full, have one-on-one time with Mom and select your "three favorites". This is a lesson in life, which is continually full of choices. Then create a Memorabilia Box for each child where the favorites are kept. Keep the box in a convenient place, with the lid off, so it's easy to add new items. Use the same approach for photographs. A great parent-child activity is "scrap booking" ? have your child help make a family album, or get double prints, and let the children make their own. If you're not into albums, use attractive boxes. If you're on a tight budget you can use shoeboxes. Label the outside of each packet with the contents (e.g., Lee's 5th birthday, Mary's soccer outfit, etc.) with the date. At the end of the year, store your calendar with the photos in case you decide you want to create albums when the children are grown and you need to retrieve more specific dates. The key here is "Less is more." A few great photos are far superior to boxes of unidentified ones! One of the biggest causes of clutter ? and family disagreements -- is paper. Create a filing system for important papers. Create one file for each child for each area. For example, Medical Records ? Mary, St. John's High School ? Tom. Children can begin their own filing systems as soon as they start school. The key to any effective filing system is a File Index. This can be a handwritten list, a word processing document, a spreadsheet, or you can use Taming the Paper Tiger software (see below). A File Index will help you avoid making a file for "Summer Camp" when you already have one for "Camp Wesley." Here's a sample of some other file headings for information that children might like to file: Cartoons I like English Homework Family Information Friends Fun Things to Keep Gift Ideas for me Gift Ideas for others Hairstyles I like Math Homework New Year's Resolutions Phone Numbers/Addresses Recipes I can make Savings Account Scouting Information Summer Camp Information

We live in an age when children spend a significant amount of time with computers ? for doing their homework to spending time with their friends. Taming the Paper Tiger software (Check out www.thepapertiger.com for a free 30-day trial!) is an easy way to organize many of the things that matter to kids of all ages ? paper files, like the ones described above, as well as audio and videotapes, CDs, collections. The principle is simple. Simply attach a number to the item and tell the computer what the number means. Items are automatically cross-referenced, so that searching for something in your own room is as easy as searching for something on the Internet.

© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com

---

A Good Preschool Idea

The successful preschool idea behind many successful preschool learning centers is thorough all round planning and well-chosen staff members. Any preschool idea that does not begin with... Read More

Parenting Skills - Five Ways To Turbo-Boost Your Confidence

The 'phone conversation had nothing at all to do with parenting - but it made me think . . ."Hello, Eastbank Football Club. Can I help you?"... Read More

Develop Your Childs Genius - Developing Leadership Qualities

Often I have heard that leaders are born, not made. Do you think this is true? How many times did you read a biography of a great... Read More

Marriages May End But Families Are Forever

It was at that time when our marriage was falling apart and we completely hated each other when we needed to work constructively as parents, as our... Read More

Back to School Success Tips

Q. With the school year just beginning, what can we do as parents to help make this a successful year for our teen-ager and our family?A. Fortunately,... Read More

The Best Gifts Ever: Life Experiences Every Child Should Have

This past holiday season Canadians spent over $45 billion-with parents paying out almost $1.8 billion of that on their children's presents alone. However, the best gifts we... Read More

The Reticular Activating System, and its Role in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

In our last article about the neurology of ADHD we began to introduce the reader to the system in the brain known as the Reticular Activating System.... Read More

Co-sleeping, a personal story

When I was pregnant, we knew that we had some fairly fixed ideas about how we wanted to raise our child, including allowing her to share our... Read More

A Dads Thoughts On Dads day

21 Reasons I Love Being A DadWhat you will read in the next five to eight minutes will not qualify as one of the top ten professionally... Read More

Public Schools --- Why On Earth Do We Need Them?

From the time the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620 until the 1850s, most parents taught their children to read at home or sent their children... Read More

THE NEW SCHOOL VISIT: 5 Things to Look For

Today the little red school house is not what it use to be, and along with changes in how our schools are funded, how they are governed,... Read More

Ritalin (Methylphenidate) in the Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Ritalin is a good medication with a bad reputation. Its name causes more fear in the hearts of parents than any other medication. It is the topic... Read More

Cloning; is it for you?

What would it be like to have a clone? What would it be like to be a clone? If you end up cloning yourself you just might... Read More

Stress is No Kiddy Matter

Kids today no longer live the kind of privileged lives that we used to live as kids. This, I am absolutely sure of?.if there's nothing else in... Read More

10 Ways You Can Advocate For Your Child With A Learning Disability

Did you know that you are the most important person in your child's life? Of course you did. But did you know that parents of children with... Read More

Homeschool Socialization - Developing Your Homeschool Childs Social Skills

Everyone needs friends, and, as parents, you and I both know we're responsible for our children's social lives as well as our own. As homeschoolers, we also... Read More

Frequently Asked Questions About Reading To Your Child

Are you worried about your child's reading habits? Perhaps you feel he or she should be starting to read, but they have no interest in books whatsoever?... Read More

Children?s Birthday Party Planning: When and When Not to Have a Big Party

Age 1: Invite only family members and close friends only because this birthday is more for the parents than for the child. At age 1, a child... Read More

Watch What You Say

"Now don't you go getting any ideas, Harold.""Don't you get any ideas either, Terry.""Don't you two get any ideas."The young mother's words to her small children echoed... Read More

Parenting Your Teenager: Are Sleep Overs with the Opposite Sex OK?

Q. Our 17-year-old son wants us to let his girlfriend spend the night at our house in his room. He has two beds since his older brother... Read More

Grandparents! Help Your Grandkids Do Math!

This may come as a surprise.But despite all the advances in education, many kids still struggle in the math class.Math is an important subject, yet many kids... Read More

The Safest Stuffed Toys for the Kids on your Gift List

Although it's hard to say when the first stuffed dogs appeared, I would guess that it was soon after dogs were domesticated. We do know that as... Read More

Personal Responsibility: What It Means and Whose Job is It?

"How many times do I have to tell you to clean your room?" Why should a child keep his room neat? Many children say they don't care... Read More

Screaming Kids Driving You Nuts? Four Rules to Help You Keep Your Sanity!

Often I will hear parents say, "I just ignore Jr. when he has a fit or screams."Though there may be times when this is appropriate it is... Read More

How Do I Get My Child to Read?

Well first off, please to don't institute the ½ hour of mandatory reading that so many schools and parents are so keen on these days. You want... Read More

Top 10 Mistakes by New and Expectant Dads

From criticizing a spouse, to claming up about one's own feelings, there's no shortage of mistakes made by new dads and dads-to-be.Here's a Top 10 List of... Read More