For many children, math is neither fun nor easy. Many children find it difficult and uninteresting and unfortunately this attitude can lead to less chance of success and further distress. But changing a negative attitude towards math into a positive one can be as easy as making math more fun.

One of the best ways to do this is with the use of math games. Fun math games can be used in all areas of math and they are a great way introduce math concepts and to practice basic math skills.

If you choose the right math games they won’t be complex to play or to learn, or time consuming. There are many simple, quick math games that can be played with little or no equipment.

Many math games can easily be adapted for the classroom or for use at home. Some of these games can be used to teach or practice different math concepts and can be used with different ability levels.

The following is an example of a fun math game that can be adapted for different skills and levels.

This math game is very simple to play but requires skills in different areas. Students must have a concept of number order and place value to give the answer higher or lower and to provide guesses that are appropriate for the clues given.

Higher or Lower
To begin select the upper and lower number limits, e.g. between 10 and 100.
One player selects a number and records it on a piece of paper.
The other player/s guesses what they think the number might be. For each guess the first player tells if the chosen number is higher or lower. Play continues until the number is guessed.

Variations of Higher or Lower Math Game
This game can also be played in more advanced varieties to develop skills in ordering larger numbers, decimals or fractions. See the examples of more advanced games below.

- 3 digit number between 300 and 600 (e.g. 345)
- 4 digit number between 2000 and 4000 (e.g. 3027)
- number with 1 decimal place between 6 and 9 (e.g. 7.3)
- number with 2 decimal places between 4 and 5 (4.87)
- fraction with single digit numerator and denominator, between 0 and 1 (e.g. 4/5)

This math game can be played with two people so it is easy for a parent to challenge a child or it can be played by a whole class. In the classroom, the teacher can select the number and challenge students to guess it or a student can select a number between the given limits.

The game can be played with each guess being recorded and H or L written beside each guess. A more advanced version is to play orally which requires players to remember the previous guesses and answers.

So if you really want to make math fun for children, math games is the answer. The games don’t need to be complex and often you don’t need any special equipment.

Choose games that are simple to play and have simple rules but most importantly choose math games that are challenging and fun. For more fun with math why not try using a variety of games including math board games, card games and pencil and paper games.

Teresa Evans is a teacher and parent who uses math games to get kids excited about math. At MakingMathMoreFun.com she shares her favorite math games including board games, card games and game sheets. Visit http://www.makingmathmorefun.com to receive your own Free 7 part math games collection.

Two of my sons start preschool next week.  It’s an exciting time for my husband and I… but mostly, for the boys.  They have their new backpacks.  New shoes.  New clothes.  And new crayons and coloring books.

They are all set for reading, writing, singing, drawing and playing.

But what can we be doing at home with the boys?

Root & Sprout has some wonderful suggestions in their Preschool section, Shoots.

Check it out HERE.

Beth Ann Bentley, founder of iLunchBox spoke with Mom Generations about the launching of her site - iLunchBox.com.

iLunchBox.com is a resource center and portal of information for parents and caregivers dedicated to the pursuit of a healthier lunch for school aged children. With school already begun or just about to begin for your children, iLunchBox.com is the go-to site to help parents prepare healthy and nutritious lunches. Make sure you bookmark this site!

Q. iLunchBox.com is an exceptional resource for mamas (and dads); can you give us the inspiration for your website?

A. About 5 years ago a friend of a friend went to the pediatrician’s office with her three children for their annual physical. When the doctor was speaking with her, then 7 year old son, she (the pediatrician) asked him what his favorite green food was. Her son answered Jolly Ranchers. I vowed never to be that mom. Don’t get me wrong, I laughed for weeks after my friend re-told the story. On the more serious side of inspiration, I read an article that same year outlining a nutritionist’s point of view about setting her child up for a healthy adulthood. The basic principle was to set your child up to be healthy adults as early as you can. The example she used was this: if you have heart disease as a factor in your child’s genetics, put him on a heart healthy diet now. This way by the time he is a teenager or college student and you can’t control what he eats, you have done your part to set him up for success as a healthy adult. From then on in, I did tons of research on how to feed my family better, without driving them all crazy and myself included.

Q. For all our busy smart mamas, can you give us the super-quickest lunchbox menu prepared the night before?

A. Any of the grain salads: pasta, rice, tabbouleh. You can make them at any time during the day you have a bit of time and package them up in containers, put them in the frig and have a grab and go morning. They are also a great way to use up leftovers and the odds and ends in the fridge. My family’s favorite is Pesto Pasta Salad with Mozzarella and Black Olives. I often do it without the chicken and change up the veg depending on what’s in season or what I have on hand.

Q. If you had to list the one energy packed food item that each child’s lunchbox should contain, what is it?

A. Water! I know that wasn’t what you were thinking, but keeping your child well hydrated with good old fashion water, will, without a doubt, also keep them energized.

Q. You write about transporting the lunch. What are your top 3 lunchbox favorites?

A. I think an insulated lunch bag or box with compartments to make keeping things from getting crushed. I like the LLBean Flip Top or the Thermos Sling Back Lunch Cooler.

For inside the lunchbox I like these items:
1. I love the Fit & Fresh items. They have the ice pack snapped right into the lid, so there is little to no chance to lose it; and it keeps the food safer, longer. They also carry containers for hot foods as well and a water bottle that filters the water as your drink it.
2. Ecobags have a great approach to an eco-friendly lunch bag. I use the canvas ones to pack snacks separately in my children’s lunchboxes so they can grab their snack without sorting through lunch first. (iLunchBox readers are getting a 15% discount until October 15th using the code iLunchBox08 at check out.)

3. Re-sealable snack-size baggies, they are so handy.
If you go to HERE you can see my back to school shopping list.

Q. And of course, let’s talk “sweets.” How do you replace the standard chocolate chip cookie with something “sweet,” yet nutritious?

A. I am not a total meanie, my kids do indulge. It is just all about moderation and portion size. Here are 3 ideas:
1. A tropical salad of pineapple chucks, mandarin orange slices and seedless green grapes
2. The new all natural go-gurts, freeze them before you pack them.
3. A small fruit & grain type bar like cranberry oatmeal or fruit and cereal.

Here is a tip to make any of your baked goods a bit more nutritious. Sub ½ the white flour for whole white wheat flour to up the whole grain count and fiber, and sub ½ the oil or butter for apple sauce or another fruit puree to reduce the fat grams. But don’t do it if it will ruin your favorite recipe flavor. Really, let them have a cookie once in awhile, just do it at home with a big glass of milk and share it with them.

(The Travel Mom, Emily Kaufman and Family)

Summer travel may almost be over. But that doesn’t mean that traveling comes to an end. Oh , no. There’s Labor Day weekend. Fall long weekends. Holidays vacations. And spring break upon us.

Traveling with kids isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Especially when you’re flying to a destination.

Emily Kaufman, The Travel Mom, recently answered some questions for us in making travel with the entire family a little less daunting.

1. Many of us pack too much for our children. Could you pack us a “virtual suitcase” for a 4-8 year old. One week. Warm weather. Is it really necessary to bring an outfit for each day?

My first rule is to make sure that the kids are comfortable, both on the road and when we arrive at our destination. Tagless tees and super soft underwear and socks like those from Hanes keep my kids comfy and happy so there is less complaining and more smiles. Also, don’t over do it. From camp grounds to cruise ships, there are laundry facilities where ever you travel and now airlines charge for checked bags. Kids usually stay in the same outfit the entire day so don’t think they will change several times.

2. Airline travel has become an adventure in itself. Can you pass along any tips for us to keep kids entertained in airline terminals.

Create “Boredom Bags!” Take a plastic travel cosmetic case and fill each pocket with age appropriate activities, toys and snacks. If you’re on a car, plane or train, just hook the bag so it hangs on the back of the seat in front of them for easy access. If you’re stuck in the airport it’s the perfect distraction. Things like electronic hand held games, comic strips, self contained craft kits and playing cards all fit easily into the pockets. The important thing to remember is that if you get frustrated and cranky in the terminal, your kids will as well.

3. Can you recommend any book series or websites that prepare children for travel… or prepare children with information about their exciting destination.

Almost any place you plan to visit has a website loaded with information about family friendly activities that are available at each destination. If you Google search using the key words of the place you plan to travel and “visit” there will be loads of info for kids. When do you have your final destination confirmed do a little research on activities happening in the area, such as carnivals and food festivals, movie listings, bike tours, etc. Getting your children involved in this type of research not only helps you plan for your trip, but it gets the whole family excited. I also like to include themed goodies in their boredom bags that tie back to our destination, so a colorful lei for the beach or new mittens for the mountains.

4. What are three of your recommendations for the most kid friendly destinations? And why?

I love lots of places for many reasons - Orlando is a family friendly mecca with tons of theme parks, Wisconsin Dells is one of the most simple yet wonderful places for families and Hawaii is loaded with added value for family travel right now and a once in a lifetime experience everyone should have.

5. Give us the lowdown on easy to pack snacks. Easy to pack. Easy to store. Easily accessible.

First, let me tell you what I don’t suggest. When it comes to road trips, I am not a fan of juice boxes because once an unfinished box is punctured; the liquid creates a big sticky mess everywhere. Some healthy snacks that I do like to carry with us are string-cheese, individual packages of animal crackers, apple slices and trail mix. The trail mix is a particular hit because the kids get a mix of sweetness with the chocolate chips and saltiness with the nuts. Also, make sure you pack a plastic bag for garbage as well as wipes and napkins.

Bathing suit season is almost behind us.

Now we’re about to enter the “holiday zones”… you know, where pies and crisps and cookies start coming out to play!

Working out is something that us moms may not have too much time for, but it’s something that we should (at least) try and fit into our busy week.

Walking.  Running.  Biking.  Swimming.  Yoga.  Pilates.  Dance.  Hiking.  Anything to keep us moving and active and healthy!

One thing that is important and smart to do before any exercise or activity is to stretch.

Stretch those muscles that are about to get a workout.  It’s good for your body, it’s good for you.

Mark Salinas has a wonderful post up today on his blog - Mark Salinas - about stretching and warming up.

So before you get moving… start stretching!

Check out Mark’s post HERE.

A successful school attitude is built on confidence. Parents want to treat mistakes as opportunities to learn and encourage children to ask questions. Otherwise, children may lack confidence because they view asking questions or making mistakes as signs of weakness, rather than strengths that will help them learn more.

Some children feel insecure about trusting their own judgment and abilities because they depend too much on other people for direction and approval. Parents want to avoid only saying, “Good job.” Instead, describe what made it “good” and point out any effort or improvement the child showed. This helps children know what to do next time and not need constant approval from others.

Parents also should avoid paying children for good grades or giving stickers for success. They usually discourage children or they might work in the short run, but won’t teach self-motivation.

To succeed in school, children need two crucial skills: organizational skills to get their materials home and back to school and time management skills so they complete their work.

Every child needs to be at least somewhat organized to succeed in school. At the least, parents need to provide children with organizational supplies. If a child or parent is not naturally organized, it’s helpful to have a reliable system to follow.

Be sure your child’s “system” is simple. I tend to be more organized than most people, but don’t go so far as alphabetizing my soup. Yet, I once had a teacher present an organizational system for my third grader that was so complicated it took me several weeks to figure it out. In the end, I scrapped it and helped my child come up with a system that would work for her and still meet the teacher’s goal of being more organized.

An organizational system must meet the needs of parents, teachers and children, but be easily adaptable to a child or teacher’s particular needs. A key feature is getting color-coded folders for each subject so children can quickly find their subject materials at a glance. Color-coding also helps children file their assignments correctly, so they will bring home their assignments and return them to school.

In the past, pulling together such a system took a lot of searching, but now there are products like the Mead & Scholastic pre-organized color-coded school supply system for children in grades 3 – 6. This unique system includes all the necessary supplies in color-coded subject-specific formats and even includes curriculum-specific reference materials. So if children (or parents) forget how to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, or what a preposition is, it’s in the front of that subject’s notebook.

To teach children time management and good study skills, establish a consistent routine. Let children choose whether they will always do their homework immediately after school or after dinner, if they need some time to unwind or play before sitting again.

Provide a specific uncluttered space for homework. Be available for questions and support, but don’t hover or do too much for children. Instead of giving children answers, ask questions that help children figure out the answer independently. This provides children lifelong learning skills.

Success in school is like a three-legged stool in which the parent, teacher and student each play a vital role. The parent’s role in school success is that of a “supporting cast member.” Parents can best support the child and teacher by being encouraging, helping children get organized and teaching children to be independent, instead of doing too much for children.

Parents can learn more specific details about helping children succeed in school by visiting a special back-to-school tips page I’ve created at my website: www.ParentsToolshop.com. Just go to the home page and click on “Back-to-School” tips. It will take you to a page with links to a baker’s dozen (13) of articles and back-to-school resources that will be available throughout September.

Jody Johnston Pawel is a Licensed Social Worker, Certified Family Life Educator, second-generation parent educator, founder of The Family Network, and President of Parents Toolshop Consulting. She is the author of 100+ parent education resources, including her award-winning book, The Parent’s Toolshop.

Q: Sometimes my two-year-old pushes other children and has recently started biting, too! What can I do?

A: Young children usually experience their emotions as physical energy. Since they naturally lack self-control, they often release this energy impulsively. Simply telling them, “Don’t hit” is rarely effective, because they still feel angry, but don’t know what else to do. Likewise, it is difficult for them to use words, because they haven’t mastered language enough to know what words to use and how to express them appropriately. These children need to learn effective ways of expressing their feelings and releasing their anger energy.

For some children, learning to express anger appropriately can take time. Some responses might appear to give a quick fix (spanking or biting the child to “show how it feels”), but teach the child that there are times when aggression is okay. To a child, if a parent does it, it must be okay. To teach children healthy anger management, parents can consistently follow several steps.

First, tell children that it is okay to feel angry, but it is never acceptable to hurt others or themselves. Offer acceptable alternatives for releasing the physical energy. If the child bites, provide something acceptable to bite (a rubber object or blanket). If the child pushes or hits, suggest he stomp his feet. These are only temporary steps toward your long-range goal of having a self- controlled child! Since it may take awhile for the child to control his impulses, a temporary substitute is needed until he has mastered more acceptable anger management skills. Supervise social situations closely, until you are sure the child is handling conflict appropriately:

Teach children a three-step plan:

• First, the child can try using words to resolve the conflict. Teach children the exact words to use and role play possible scenarios.

• If words don’t work, tell children they should walk away. When children feel like hurting someone or themselves, they can use an acceptable temporary substitute. If the other child bothers them, they can say, “I want to be alone.”

• If this isn’t enough, children should walk away and seek adult assistance.

Rehearse this plan with the child before social outings. Eventually, as the child’s verbal skills and self-control improve, the physical aggressiveness will decrease.

Be a role model. Become aware of how you handle you own anger. If you slam doors, throw things, yell, slap, or spank, your child will often imitate these behaviors with others. Instead, use your child’s natural tendency to imitate adults to your advantage. The next time you are faced with an upsetting situation, talk out loud to yourself, knowing a sponge is listening. This will reveal your mental process of choosing appropriate responses to conflict.

Parenting is a two-way learning process. Our children learn from us and constantly provide opportunities for us to learn about ourselves. Teaching our children appropriate anger management skills helps us master these skills, too.

Jody Johnston Pawel is a Licensed Social Worker, Certified Family Life Educator, second-generation parent educator, founder of The Family Network, and President of Parents Toolshop Consulting. She is the author of 100+ parent education resources, including her award-winning book, The Parent’s Toolshop. For 25+ years, Jody has trained parents and family professionals through her dynamic workshops and interviews with the media worldwide, including Parents and Working Mother magazines, and the Ident-a-Kid television series. Jody currently serves as the online parenting expert for Cox Ohio Publishing’s mom-to-mom websites and also serves on the Advisory Board of the National Effective Parenting Initiative.

Although it’s still the beginning of August, thoughts of Fall are upon us.  Why not start early in making this Fall your most beautiful one ever.

Check out “Planting Fall Flowers for Autumn Colors” by David Beaulieu.

And get a beautiful start on Fall.

Our attitudes towards money are, to a great extent, shaped by our parents. And yet, according to a study, less than 50 % parents admit to teaching their kids about finance. Here are six great ways to help kids grow up with a healthy attitude towards money.

1. Practice what you preach. Children learn best by observing their parents. If your kids grow up seeing you save money, they are more likely to do the same later. Make it a point to explain to them how you take steps to save money and avoid wastage.

2. Give an allowance. Rather than giving kids the money they ask for, give them a fixed allowance. This will teach them to prioritize on how and where they spend “their” money. They will also have to decide between spending the money and saving it for future use.

3. Teach them the value of money. Once you have settled on an allowance ‘amount,’ don’t indulge them with liberal advances. If you must, charge them an interest-this way kids learn that everything good has a price.

4. Let them earn. One way of teaching your kids to value money is by letting them earn it. You can pay them to do chores such as washing the car, running errands, or raking the lawn. You could even make a deal whereby they clean out the attic, for instance, and keep the money earned by selling the unwanted stuff that comes out.

5. Encourage business skills. Encourage entrepreneurial skill in your kids by helping them find ways to raise money. For instance, they could easily earn good pocket money by running a lemonade and cookie stand, or running a dog walking service.

6. Open an account for them. Teach your kids wise saving habits by opening an account for them and teaching them how to use it. Allow them to withdraw the money under your supervision. Besides learning to use and monitor the account, this will also be a lesson in the importance of investment.

Paul Banas is a founder of GreatDad.com. He writes articles on father and daughter, parenting skills, family planning, pregnancy care and many more topics related to dads.

“A mother’s work is never done” (sigh). Just when you think you’re through, you find you’ve only just begun. You aren’t the only one!

If the pressure of balancing your work and parenting is ultimately leading you to give both your work and family less, it is time to find a new parenting strategy and quick! When a work from home mom decides to set clear boundaries and manage her time effectively she can dramatically reduce parenting stress and boost her parenting joy. So let’s get started.

Six Essential Work Life Survival Parenting Tips for the Work at Home Mom (WAHM)

Your happiness as a work at home mom (WAHM) depends on your commitment to following these six parenting time management tips:

1. Ban your open door policy. Set your work hours and stick with them. Unless your job requires you to answer the phone, answer it only on your schedule. A work at home mom (WAHM) has no time for distractions (especially from your kids and spouse—likely your biggest distractions). This only leads to low productivity. Make certain every member of your household knows the times of day when you are and are not available for interruptions and stick with this schedule.

2. Involve your family in what you do. Talk about what you do, ask your family to help solve work problems (children often find very creative solutions), and let them help you with small jobs like licking envelopes. One work at home mom I know asked her nine year old daughter to answer the business telephone when the receptionist called in sick, on one of their biggest sales days. This boosted her daughter’s self-esteem and also helped her appreciate how her mother’s work put a roof over her head, food in her mouth and clothes on her back.

3. Consciously make the transition from work to home. When it is family time, focus on the family. Make certain you have cleared the work cobwebs from your head. Write down your to-do list for the next day and ask yourself before you leave your desk, “How can I make my time with my family special?” Then smile and give them a hug when you see them. Too tired? Take a 20 minute cat nap, a quick walk, meditate for a short while or say a little prayer to let go of your day, so you can be all they deserve you to be.

4. Remember it’s about quality time, not quantity time. When you are with your family, be with your family. Leave work behind so you can focus on them. “Light up” as soon as they come into the room and find fun ways to do mealtimes, and even clean-up times together. Half an hour of positive can prevent dozens of hours of misbehavior.

5. Solve misbehavior time-wasters. As a family counselor, I regularly hear variations on the complaint, “My kids are driving me crazy, but I’m too crazy to find time to learn how to stop them from driving me crazy.” There are simple ways to motivate your children to want to be well behaved. Invest the time now, so you don’t spend more time and frustration later on (which of course takes away from time you can devote to your work).

6. Schedule your self-care time. The most critical key to your WAHM success is to nurture some of your needs so you can continually renew your passion for parenting. You need time to replenish your energy so you can be more efficient, productive and happy. With so much on your plate it is essential that you schedule a minimum of 20 minutes a day for you. Before or after the kids are in bed is generally the easiest to stick with.

By the way, if putting your self-care needs first makes you feel guilty and selfish, then don’t do it for you—do it for your family. It is time that your self-care became a necessity, not a luxury so you can give more to all you do—at both work and home. Remember that if you are emotionally and physically healthy, you will be able to give more quality time to your family.

The six parenting time-management tips above will allow even the busiest work at home mom to finally have her cake and eat it too. By successfully balancing work and family, you will model for your children a fulfilled and healthy woman and your family will no longer have to deal with a “burnout-mom” but a happy one!

Kelly Nault-Matzen, MA, family counselor, corporate parenting spokesperson and award winning parenting author of When You’re About To Go Off The Deep End, Don’t Take Your Kids With You shares time-tested tools that motivate children to want to be well behaved, responsible and happy! To gain access to more parenting tools and to access your free online parenting course visit www.ultimateparenting.com.