Has anyone else noticed that kids seem to be growing up a lot quicker these days? Sure, a case could
be made that a hundred years ago it was common for kids to get married early in their teenage years,
so not that much has changed, really. Of course, the life expectancy back then was about 50, so that
argument doesn’t really hold water. The point is, kids are so busy being connected to the whole
world through the internet, social media, and their many technological devices that they are no longer
connecting with their families. And they’re probably learning a lot more about the world than parents
would like, and a lot earlier in life. But you can get back to basics with your kids, and it starts with
opening the lines of communication.

There’s no denying that modern kids can be hard to talk to. For one thing, they have their own lingo.
But that’s really nothing new; you probably used slang in your childhood that threw your parents for a
loop, too (I can’t be the only one who perturbed my father by him “dude”). Even if you’re not hep to
their jive, you can try talking to your kids in regular old English. Even if they don’t seem to know how to
speak it at times, they can at least understand what you’re saying. But sometimes it can be difficult just
to get started, and getting them to open up may seem tougher than breaking into Fort Knox.

However, it behooves you to keep in mind that any wall may be breached – you just have to find the
weak spot. Often, it starts with a positive attitude. It’s easy for parents to get caught up in the demands
of daily life and start ushering [Read more…]

Many families these days are opting to choose one night a month (or even a week) to turn off the telly,
put away their many mobile devices, and plan a family game night as a way to reconnect and have
some fun. And if you feel that you’re just not getting the quality time you crave with your family due
to the distractions of daily life, this could be a great way to bring everyone together to make some new
memories. But you’re going to need some games that are suitable (and appealing) for the whole family,
and luckily, there are plenty of options. Here are just a few that you may want to check out.

1. Scrabble. This one is an oldie but a goodie, especially for families that encourage their kids
to read. If you want a game that is both fun and educational, this long-lived board game can
give you both. Keep a dictionary on hand to help kids out and let them look up new words that
match their tiles. This will increase their vocabulary, improve their spelling, and if you have
them read out definitions, it could even do wonders for their comprehension skills and take
them to a higher reading level. In short, it’s great for their overall language aptitude, and you
could learn something along the way, as well.

2. Charades. Kids love to play pretend, and this game provides an excellent way for them to put
their theatrical flair to the test. Although many parents know this to be a popular party game
for adults, there’s no reason the whole family can’t spend an evening miming movies, books,
songs, quotes, people, and events. You’ll have to make some cards beforehand, so just take
care [Read more…]