Felt Pen or marker Cardboard Glue Scissors Scraps of yarn and fabric Shoe box Directions

My friends and I did Friendsgiving for years, children in tow. It took trial and error to figure out what worked best for everyone. Spending Thanksgiving with friends and their little ones was always more fun to me than spending the day with my kids. More: How to Use Thanksgiving to Jumpstart Your Genealogy and Family Tree Research Preparing Your House If you’re hosting this year’s Friendsgiving celebration and don’t already have kids, there are some things you need to do to prepare your home....

A useful site is the State and Local Government on the Net (SLGN) website at www.statelocalgov.net. Experiment with the options given. These websites won’t have the actual records, but will provide some helpful aids, such as historical background, maps, hours and location, or others. Another type of website is the Massachusetts Registry of Deeds at www.mass-doc.com/land_registry_dir.htm. This one takes you to a page with links to maps of the state’s towns/cities and counties, plus links to counties....

Educators continually complain that students are not ready to learn. They show up for school underfed or malnourished, angry or apathetic, stressed, threatened, and sleepy. Naturally, this makes the roles of both teacher and learner much more difficult. This article considers how educators and parents can better prepare their children’s minds and brains for school. Although research shows that school readiness, indeed, begins at conception, we’ll concentrate first on those critical first months and years after birth....

Effort: Easy – no sewing required Materials: Jumpsuit, overalls, or sweats Red felt White felt Black felt marker Scissors Glue Empty wooden fruit box (the kind that oranges or berries come in) Silver spray paint Duct tape Vacuum cleaner hose Instructions: Make a “no” symbol by cutting the red felt into a circle with a slash through it. Cut a little white ghost out of the felt, and draw a ghost face on it with black marker....

Whatever kids’ chores you decide to assign to your grade-schooler, try to tailor it to her abilities and what she wants to do. Giving kids chores boosts their self-esteem, teaches them the importance of having a job and finishing it, teaches them responsibility, and shows them the importance of keeping things clean and organized, among other benefits. This list of some age-appropriate chores for kids may help you consider what jobs your child may be able to handle....

Traveling with a baby is no easy feat. You need your run-of-the-mill items like diaper bags, changing pads, pacifiers, clothes, and toys, but then you also have to think about larger items like car seats, strollers, carriers, and where baby is going to sleep. There are a lot of travel cribs on the market and each comes with different features depending on what parents want and need. The Graco Pack ’n Play Cuddle Cove Playard is one such option which comes with a changing station, removable vibrating seat and bassinet, built-in shelves, and, of course, a spacious, mesh-enclosed playard....

Grandma’s Unique Mixture A grandmother is a unique blend of essential and nonessential elements. She… Enriches her grandchild’s life with love, affection, support, and a connection to a family history. Is a playful companion, baby-sitter, friend, and confidante. Can act as an intermediary between mother and daughter during difficult times. Can give guidance and advice that sometimes parents are not able to. Has the luxury of spoiling a child without dealing with the consequences....

Plain or construction paper Scissors Can of spray-on artificial snow Directions

Spending the afternoon creating a sidewalk masterpiece is a great way for your kids to enjoy a spring day. But long after their fantastic artwork has washed away, your kids will remember making their own colored chalk! Materials needed:1 cup plaster of Paris 1 cup water Powdered tempera paintMold for chalk (small paper cups, ice cube trays, tissue rolls, etc.)Mixing bowl and spoon What to do: Step One: In a large bowl, mix the water and plaster of Paris together....

Victorian valentines showcased the printer’s art and included moving parts, three-dimensional effects, feathers, real lace and fringe, spun glass, and even pearls. Valentines were sent between friends, not just to objects of romantic affection. One simple way to decorate a card is to make a design on white or light-colored paper using a traditional pin-pricking or piercing technique. The result can be as simple or complex as you choose....

Regardless of what the case may be, parents can help ease the transition back to school by being able to recognize the symptoms of stress and anxiety and implementing some creative strategies. Reasons Kids Might Be Stressed or Anxious Some kids’ worries are rooted in a fear of the unknown, especially if they will be in a new building or a new school district. They also may be worried about making friends or have concerns about the workload and whether or not they have the skills needed to be successful....

Writing the Biography Once your child has gathered all the information they need, they need to come up with an “angle.” This is what makes one biography substantially different from other biographies. Coming up with an angle just means figuring out the main idea of the biography or the point the biography will make about the person. It is really like a thesis statement. For example, a child might want everyone to know that his grandfather was an honest, hard-working person who, in spite of many hardships made a good life for himself and his family....

As such, most parents want to intervene in some way. Yet many end up feeling confused about their role when it comes to homework. How much should you push a child who is having trouble applying themselves to the task? How much help should you offer? And what if your child doesn’t seem to need your help with homework at all? Here, we’ll connect with experts regarding the best approach to helping your child with their homework, broken down by age....

More: Top 10 Skills for High School Students A child’s high school career can significantly impact their future. For example, it can affect where or if they attend college; they may learn a trade or specialized skill or win a scholarship based on athletic or musical ability. While a high school freshman has plenty of time to figure out where their life is headed, their freshman year is their first step towards adulthood and their future....

According to the HRSA (Health Resources & Services Administration), many schools have taken their responsibility to stop bullying very seriously and have put in place an anti-bullying system of rules and consequences. Several states have passed anti-bullying laws that require public schools to have an anti-bullying program in place.You can request a copy of your school’s anti-bullying policies if it is not already in your student’s handbook. What Can You Expect the School Administrators, Teachers, and Staff to Do?...

Reasons to Request a Child Support Modification Generally, the courts will only consider child support modification when there is a substantial change in either the obligor’s income or the child’s need. If you’re the parent who owes child support, you might be considered eligible for a child support modification following a job loss or change in income. On the other hand, if you’re the parent who receives child support on behalf of your child, you might be eligible for a child support modification if your child’s education costs or extraordinary medical expenses have gone up considerably in recent months....

Understand Sole Custody vs. Joint Custody When it comes to child custody, first you have to understand the difference between legal and physical custody. Legal custody refers to having the legal authority to make decisions for the child, whereas physical custody refers to how much time a child spends living with each parent. Depending on the circumstances involved in a child custody case, and the court’s decision based to determine the best interests of the child, parents can either be awarded “sole legal custody” or “sole physical custody,” or “joint legal custody” or “joint physical custody....