Mi Choza De Nipa

When my daughter Danae was a teenager, she came home one day and said: “Hey, Dad! There’s a great new game out. I think you’re going to enjoy it. It’s called ‘ Monopoly ’.” I just smiled. The family gathered and set up the board. Well, it didn’t take the kids long to figure out that old dad had played this game before. I soon owned all the best properties. My kids were squirming and I loved every minute of it. About midnight, I foreclosed on the last property and did a little victory dance, but my family wasn’t impressed. They went to bed and made me put the game away. As I began putting all of my money back in the box, a very empty feeling came over me. Everything that I had accumulated was gone. The excitement over riches was just an illusion. And then it occurred to me, “Hey, this isn’t just a game of Monopoly, this is life. You sweat and strain to get ahead, but then one day, after a little chest pain or a wrong move on the expressway, the game ends. It all goes back in the b...

By Dr Bill Maier What do you do when you’re cooped up indoors with a bunch of bored kids? That’s easy — you get creative! Instead of mindlessly flipping through the channels, hoping something decent is on, why not turn off the television and get busy having fun? Try designing an obstacle course with pillows and chairs, and cardboard boxes . Get a stopwatch and see who can get through it the fastest. After that, try a game of musical chairs , hide and seek or play your favourite board game . I’ll bet it’s more fun than you remember. When’s the last time you played tag? Or jumped rope? There are tons of great indoor games to play if you’re willing to move furniture around and make a path in the middle of the room. If all else fails, get the kids dancing to some energetic music. Anything is better than vegging out in front of the television on those bad-weather days. From TODAY, Voices - Monday, 07-June-2010 -----

Image via Wikipedia By Dr Bill Maier Is your child spending too much time in front of the television? Here are a few good ways to "uproot" your little couch potato ! Young kids often watch television simply because they're bored and can't think of anything else to do. Why not have them list all the things they enjoy doing, like playing board games , kicking around a soccer ball , riding bikes, or drawing pictures. Then post that sheet on the fridge and give them a reward whenever they do something on their list other than watching TV . It could be as simple as a gold sticker or an after-dinner snack. You might also promise a special celebration for kids who choose to go a whole week without TV. Throw a party to affirm them for spending their time in more productive ways. Watching television can easily become a negative habit, and the best way to break it is through encouragement and rewards. And kids who learn to tune out at a young age are much less likely to grow ...