Being a parent or carer means that you will have to confront many issues - some of which with you may never have had any previous experience. I have four children and you would have thought that when I had the two youngest, I would have "seen it all, done it all and yes, I have the T-Shirts to prove it." But that is definitely not the case!
Yes, there were issues with the elder two, but most of them were the problems that most parents anticipate. However, despite the years of parenting experience I acquired during the late 70s, 80s and early 90s (there is a big gap between children number 2 and number 3) nothing prepared me for some of the issues my family has had to deal with since the birth of babies number 3 and 4.
I am a "natural" researcher. I find it easy (well most of the time) to research what I need to know on the internet and then use that knowledge to either help my family or get my family the help they need. However, not everyone has the time and/or the ability to do this. Since I became a Squidoo lensmaster I have read some very good lenses written by lensmasters who are either qualified to write lenses on their chosen topics or they, like me, have a lot of experience in dealing with the issues about which they write.
PLEASE read the guidelines BEFORE you submit your lenses
IMPORTANT!
This Group has been awarded the special status of Great Group by Lensmaster Spirituality. These awards are not earned easily and I am proud that this Group meets the criteria!
IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you read through ALL the guidelines BEFORE you submit your lens to the Group!
It is also crucial that you have "Contact" enabled so that I can get in touch with you if necessary.
Why create a new group?
The Group is for lensmasters who want to genuinely pass on their experience for the benefit of others and for any parent or carer who is looking for help.
Our Newest Lenses
These are the lenses that have just joined the Group
Birth Order - How Did It Affect Me?, Curriculum I've Used, Momography: Parenting a Deaf Child, Angry Young Men and Troubled Boys, Decluttering Toys
Topics that will and will not be accepted into the group
All Lenses MUST be G-Rated
The aim of "Children and Parenting" is to build a group of well written and researched lenses, that cover the many serious issues that can confront children, their parents and carers. I am not interested in creating "the biggest child care group on Squidoo" and am aiming for a specific quality not quantity.All lenses must be G-Rated as I hope that children and teenagers will be able to find help here.
To give you an idea what I am looking for, here is some examples of topics that will be accepted:
Examples of the sorts of lenses I am NOT looking for are:
Submitting your lens
Providing the title looks relevant to the group, I will visit your lens
You will receive an email whether or not your lens has been accepted into the group
If I think the lens is "borderline" then I will send you feedback
I cannot send feedback if you have not enabled "Contact Me" and I will have no alternative but to reject the lens
Lens Writing Guidelines
What makes a quality lens?
Take an honest look at your lens - will it stand up on it's own and be helpful to people with an interest in the topic WITHOUT lots of links to affiliate products?
You should also have the "contact me" button enabled, your Bio should be filled in and a Guest book.
Bullying
Anti-bullying week in the UK is 17th-24th November 2008.
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Does bullying run in families?
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Does bullying run in families? Many parents can tell you about the bullying that goes on at their children's schools. However, how many of us stop to think about the reasons why a child bullies? In many cases we know nothing about the child's home li...
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Bullying At Primary School
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Bullying at Primary School summarises everything that I learned when my daughter was being bullied and gives tips and strategies to use when dealing with the school. I hope your children are never bullied, but if they are then perhaps our experience...
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How to Protect Your Child From Bullies
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I truly believe that it is our responsibility to impart the skills of self-preservation to all of our children. My Book shows you how to do this. For 35 years I have taught kids in inner cities, African townships and rural England, have been the hea...
Lensmasters
Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
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Parenting Help for Autistic Children
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Parents having children with autism could be very stressful. To Begin with, they need to pick up a whole domain of knowledge regarding autism which are a steep stressful learning curve for most. Parents may feel frustrated, diminished confidence and...
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Asperger's Child: From Mom's Concern To Diagnosis, And Beyond
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Having a child with Asperger's Syndrome is the most confusing, exasperating, embarrassing, helpless, innocent, energetic, fun, and amazing experiences I have ever been through. And one that I will continue to learn from for the rest of my son's life....
Health & Conditions
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Momography: Parenting a Deaf Child
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Being a parent to your child is hard; being a parent to your child with special needs is HARD. I am not an expert by any means, nor am I the perfect parent. Considering my most frequently uttered phrase is, "Well, there goes my Mother of the Year Aw...
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Dyslexiology
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Should you let dyslexia be a barrier to your success? Certainly not. How do you overcome it? Dyslexiologists refuse to accept that dyslexia is a barrier to doing well. So it's difficult to spell - so what? When you're 'grown up', you won't need to be...
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Dyslexia Is A Sign of a Highly Intelligent and Creative Person
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When my son entered fourth grade, his school work came to a screeching halt. After a very frustrating year, I found out he was dyslexic. I immediately began researching this perplexing brain patterning. From the beginning I was very drawn to Ron Davi...
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Auditory Processing Disorder
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Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a little known condition that may affect 10% of children, the majority of whom are undiagnosed. According to Contact a Family it was first recognised in the USA in the 1960s. APD is a term that is often used to...
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Selective Mutism
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The purpose of this lens is to raise awareness around the area of Selective Mutism, especially to those who will come across children in the school environment who display some form of selective mutism. I hope my case study & thoughts will give you...
More Lenses on Health & Conditions
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Late Talking Children - The Einstein Syndrome
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The Einstein Syndrome (coined by Sowell and Camarata) helps explain a certain group of late talking children. This page is inspired by my late talking son and I hope to enlighten other parents the theory. Although I have never had my son diagnosed, h...
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How not to listen to your MP3 Player!
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The incidence of hearing loss in children is alarmingly increasing! Statistics show 1 in 8 school aged children in America as having some degree of hearing loss, and although there are numerous causes for these statistics -genetic disease, virus, all...
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"My Angel Was Holding Me"
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When your children are born, you have certain dreams and hopes for them. You look forward to all the milestones - sitting, standing, walking and talking, but what if that doesn't begin to happen? There are some things in life that you just cannot be...
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Kids With Special Needs
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Over thirty years ago, Mary M. Wood, Ed.D. established Developmental Therapy - Developmental Teaching for educators and parents of children with emotional and behavioral disabilities, autism, Asperger's Syndrome, or other sensory-integrative disabili...
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My Child Has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder & Does Not Take ADHD Medication ... So What!
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NO MATTER WHAT THE ADHD EXPERTS HAVE TO SAY ... This lens is inspired by a hubpage, "Know A Kid with ADHD? Get the Facts About Kids With ADHD and Sports". It has a list of sports that are considered "ideal" choices for children with Attention Defici...
Lensmasters
WAHMs and Dads
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Stop procrastinating - tips for WAHMs
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How DO you stop procrastinating? Procrastination is one of the biggest barriers to getting things done for WAHMs (Work At Home Mums) - and Dads. No amount of Time Management techniques will work unless you tackle the bad habits caused by Procrastinat...
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WAHMS Time Management Tips
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If you are a Work at Home Mom (or Mum) or Dad, the first thing to remember about Time Management is to understand and accept that there is no magic "one size fits all" solution. Everyone is an individual and every family is unique. Different people h...
Simple pleasures!
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Creative Parenting
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Some things we do as parents haven't been written in books, sometimes we just ad-lib and come up with something in the moment, something that is spontaneously creative. These are some of the creative parenting ideas that I came up with, in the moment...
Lensmasters
Parenting
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Everything You Need to Know About ATTACHMENT PARENTING
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Attachment Parenting Attachment Parenting or also known as Positive Parenting, a phrase coined by pediatrician William Sears, it is a parenting philosophy based on the principles of the attachment theory in developmental psychology.
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Breakthrough Parenting
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This is a positive parenting approach that creates closeness in families, reduces conflict and prepares children to be happy, successful, competent, independent and loving adults.
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Self-confidence for children
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Asked that question, of all the parents I have ever spoken to, the answer is invariably, 'I want him to be happy.' Not, 'I want him to be top of the class,' or 'I want her to get into the best school.' So what is the magic ingredient? What makes...
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Children: Building Character
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Building character in your children is probably the most important aspect of your parental life. Being the parent of a child who grows up with emotional intelligence is entirely in your power. A child whose character is developed will have a markedly...
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Raising Boys
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Boys are different - have you noticed? What are the most important issues in raising boys? What parenting advice will be the most useful for families with boys? Why are boys vulnerable and how do we overcome this vulnerability?
More Parenting Lenses
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Strong willed children
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Feeling frustrated? Think they are getting the better of you? Don't lose hope. You can learn to nurture that strong willed nature. Insight into the mind of your child is just the beginning. Raising a strong willed child takes perserverance. Remember...
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Building Your Child's Self-Esteem and Confidence
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I knew that being a parent would be difficult, but as a trained educational psychologist I foolishly expected to employ all my know-how and to be able to create perfect, well adjusted, confident children. Not the case, of course! Lashings of praise,...
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Obama's Daughters
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Can you image what it would be like to stand next to your parents and watch them mark ballots that select your father for the Presidency of the United States? I first remember when Caroline and John-John were in the White House. I was 12. I was for...
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Only Children
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I'm an only child with an only child of my own by choice. When I close my eyes and imagine the perfect family size this is it. When I was in college I started a yahoo club (they were clubs back then) for onlies. That's been abandoned for a while but I...
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Good Enough Parenting: Stop Worrying and Start Parenting
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Johnny was a perfect baby and achieved all developmental milestones early. He walked at nine months, fed himself with a spoon by 1 year and could identify letters and words at 3. Everything was perfect and his parents were so proud. Well, except tha...
The messy side of parenting!
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Bedwetting is No Fun!
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Does your child wet the bed? Are you wondering if you should do something about it or just give them time to grow out of it? I will share our bedwetting journey here. Please feel free to give your opinion or share your experience too.
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The Wonderful World of Potty Training
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Can it already be time to potty train?... This is what I'm asking myself daily as I hear a small little sound that I recognize, on an almost sub-conscience level, as baby pee hitting the hardwood floor. Or maybe not as 'baby' as I would like to thi...
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Potty Training Strong Willed Children
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This is my review of several potty training techniques that I have used for the last 2 years and my journey in potty training my strong willed daughter.
Children's Diet
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Parent's Guide to Healthy Children
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You are not alone in your quest to "grow" a healthy child; learn tips and find tools to help your child eat right, exercise more, make smart decisions, and grow up to be a healthier, happier adult. Being the parent or other responsible adult in our...
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Die, Dye! The effect of food dyes on children's behavior and thinking.
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Have your kids lost their minds? Are you losing yours? This lens will help any parent who worries about their kids' behavior. Many food choices contain artificial food coloring that can have negative effects upon children's behavior, impulse control...
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Children and Teen Vegetarians
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There's no doubt that a vegetarian diet is healthy. It is low in cholesterol and saturated fat, and high in fiber. Children and teens can be healthy with a vegetarian diet, but parents or caretakers must be diligent about their daily food intake so...
Lensmasters
Childcare
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In Home Day Care Providers
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To this day I have yet to find (maybe not looking hard enough) lenses, or blogs about Grandmothers like me. I do not work out of the home, but I do work all day every day. I take care of my 5 month old grandson and have been doing it since he was 6 w...
School and learning
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Helping Kids Find Their Strengths to Succeed in Life!
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I am here to share my thoughts, ideas, passions about helping parents support kids in their quests in learning and become the most amazing individuals they can be in life! I have many passions, from helping kids know themselves, supporting and foster...
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Easing Your Child's Back To School Worries
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Back to school worries normally start at the end of summer. No more going to bed late, sleeping in every morning, or playing outside until dark. Now the routine has to change. Beginning kindergarten, going back to primary school, or to a child care p...
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What happened to RECESS?
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Do you remember the games you played during recess as a child? Think about all the physical activity that involved and what you learned from those recess games. Did you know that more and more recess is being replaced by testing and homework? While...
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Social Stories
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A Social Story is a very prescriptive way of identifying and addressing a problem behaviour and giving direction on how we'd like to change it. Social Stories are usually written for children (or adults) on the Autistic Spectrum but are also benefic...
Lensmasters
Alternative education
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Curriculum I've Used
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Here's an overview of what we've done for homeschool from kindergarten until now (currently wrapping up 4th grade). You can see our curriculum choices, philosophy changes, favorite books, and a good dose of crafts and fun. I even include some possibl...
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Homeschool FAQ
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Do you have questions about whether you should homeschool, or how you can? You've come to the right place. Here is an extensive list of questions and answers, with links to some of the best resources on the web. I hope to expand this lens significan...
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Unschooling
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This page is sponsored by An Unschooling Life Unschooling (a term coined by John Holt) differs from other forms of homeschooling in that it's not directed by a teacher or a curriculum. Parents who unschool their child...
Lensmasters
Safety
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Safe Child!
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More than 2 and a half million children die annually due to home accidents, accidents that can be prevented. I have two goals with this lens. 1. To help you make sure that this will not happen in your home, to your child. 2. To help you find the in...
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How to Perform the Heimlich Maneuver on a Baby
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The Heimlich Maneuver was first discovered in 1974 by an American physician named Henry Jay Heimlich. The idea is to produce an artificial cough by exerting pressure on the bottom of the diaphragm. By doing this, hopefully the object will dislodge....
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Your Child and the Cell Phone: The Controversy and the Facts
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Younger and younger children are clamoring for cell phones. Companies like Disney have plans to market to the 8 year old market. Disney had to change their phones to make them 'more grown up' as kids get more sophisticated. It s whole new world. My...
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NAR Registry | Protect Your Children | Child Predators
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The National Alert Registry (NAR Registry) is a tool designed to stop child predators. Parents and community members alike can use it to maintain alert over child predators living in our midst. Court rulings have determined that child predators can't...
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Family Health and Safety Basics (Supports SquidAid)
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Proper nutrition, exercise, and rest are very important for health. However, providing a safe and loving home and spending time together - can also make a big difference. Here are some practical tips on home safety, including preventing falls, fires...
The controversy around lead
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Help Prevent Lead Poisoning in Your Home
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The recent news of lead in the toys from China and the new CSPC law has really brought out our concerns about lead. Lead has serious side effects and it's even more accute in children. This will help you become aware of many sources in our home and...
Children's Behaviour
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troubled teens
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If you're a parent of teenagers, or have dealings with teenagers, then you may be wondering how best to deal with them, especially if you're having problems with them, or they are. Sometimes, they can appear 'normal', at other times, they are so irr...
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How Children Learn Bad Behavior
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Our lack of control may become the standard for a generation still left on the vine. As we fiercely persue issues like freedom of speech let us not leave our children behind.
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Raising children in today's society!
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Raising children has so many wonderful rewards but with reward also comes moments where we question whether we as parents are doing everything we can to protect our children and teach them to be strong and not to bow down to the negative peer pr...
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Raising nice kids
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I am knee deep in character education these days - I just finished producing a kids game about virtues (The VirtueGame). When I thought about why this subject resonates so strongly for me, I realized it all boils down to one simple thought - I want n...
Lensmasters
Communication difficulties
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Sensory Processing
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If your child is restless and can't sit still. If your child just doesn't communicate like other children do. If your child is overly sensitive... The simple advice and play activities described in this lens can often be helpful. They can make your...
Life Lessons
Important messages to teach our children
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Your Child's Financial Future Starts Today!
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A child's financial education should begin as soon as possible; the sooner the better. You can start to help kids make responsible financial decisions before they even know what money is. Start with any material object. When you give your 2 year old...
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The Gift of Patience
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You can't hurry nature. Seasons come. Seasons go. And in between, we learn to wait. Eventually, tiny buds form. Sun warms. And one day, the bud opens to beauty inside. Winter has ended, ushering in the sweetness of Spring. For some, waiting in a li...
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The Gift of Kindness
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The gift of kindness doesn't always come naturally. Sometimes it's "caught" by observing someone whose quiet, gentle spirit makes a lasting impression--a parent, teacher, or special friend. Sometimes it's learned through the school of hard knocks, wh...
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The Gift of Honesty
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Honesty isn't something we slip into when the right mood strikes. It's a character trait that's developed early in life. Over time, like a butterfly squeezing from its cocoon, an honest mindset becomes a part of who we are--how we view our world, and...
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Try, Try Again: Ants at Work
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Life is a series of hills and valleys. Some weeks are harder to get through than others. But can we agree to something here today? Let's postpone the pity party. Hold the grumbling. Today we're going to take a long look at nature--ants, specifically...
Possibly Controversial Lenses
Whether you agree or disagree with the content of these lenses, they will certainly make you think!
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Fighting Child Protective Services False Allegations
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Fight CPS is a family rights website that seeks to assist parents and others who are falsely accused of child abuse and neglect. This lens clarifies family rights issues and explains why I choose to try to help families who have been torn apart by C...
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Angry Young Men and Troubled Boys
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Aaron Kipnis is clearly passionate about his subject. As an adult, he has made a strong commitment to helping troubled boys and young men turn their lives around. I'd like to start my review by quoting an important statement Kipnis makes on page 9:...
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The Indigo Children
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We call them Indigos because of their aura. But what does this really mean? Let me introduce myself, my name is Andrea Berrios and I'm a very lucky woman; I'm not just a mother of a indigo girl, but also of a crystal boy. Like I said, I'm very l...
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Videos About Family Rights and CPS Cruelty
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A basic building block of a strong civilization is the family. Put millions of strong families together and you'll have a nation of well-balanced adults that are sustained with love at home and able to blossom as citizens in a commonwealth, working f...
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Generation Born 2008
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In 2025, children born in 2007 will be 18. Oh, I know, this is a very easy math problem. But, because my granddaughter was born in 2007, I have began to entertain what her future will be like. This grandmother has heavy concerns. The following subje...
Eco-parenting
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Purging Plastic - Safe, Reusable, Alternative Water Bottles
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Serious concerns have been raised over the safety of water bottles made in China. Plastic can leach harmful chemicals into the water we drink. Alternative water bottles such as SIGG and Klean Kanteen are hitting the market by storm. These BPA-Free wa...
The influence of advertising & the media
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The Influence of Advertising
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The influence of advertising on our lives, for both children and adults, has changed over the years. In the early days, advertising for toys and other products for children was primarily targeted toward parents and their message was direct. Today h...
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Influence of Media on Children
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Television can be a powerful entertainment and education tool for children given the right programming. However, studies have shown that television, and media in general, can also have a very negative influence. Some studies indicate it can shorten...
Parenting is not just about the children
It's about the parents as well
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Lost In Mommyland
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Motherhood is a crazy ride full of ups and downs. There is no better way to learn about yourself than by watching your little mirrors (i.e. your children) reflecting both your good and bad qualities. But sometimes in the chaos we lose who we really a...
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Surviving the empty nest
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I am going to share my thoughts, humor & motivation that I have experienced the last couple of years as my children all grew up and started their own lives! There truly is life after in-home parenting! The question is what will you really do with all...
Parents were children once!
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Birth Order - How Did It Affect Me?
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Yes, I am the third child in a family of four children. I am the youngest of three girls so I was the "baby girl" of the family with a younger brother. We were all four years apart and I often wonder what our birth order has to do with the way we tur...
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Just being a Kid and Playing Outdoors
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When I was a kid in the mid 1960s, we lived in a neighborhood with lots of kids in grade school. Our mothers were always home and our dads worked during the day. We played outside most of the time, in our yards or in the street. In addition to playi...
Decisions, decisions!
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Decluttering Toys
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I've just had the BEST day! Now what could be so great that I had to write a lens about it? Well, I spent over 10 hours decluttering kids toys! Yes, that's right, over 10 hours! You would think that after spending that amount of time I would be exh...
Children's Charities
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Raising Funds for CLIC Sargent
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This is the story of Daniel who at the age of 5 years contracted leukemia while he was living abroad in Cyprus with his little brother and parents. By the way if you see anything in the google adds you are interested in, go have a look and then you...
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Very Special Kids
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Very Special Kids supports families throughout their experience of caring for children with life-threatening illnesses, from diagnosis through to recovery or bereavement. Very Special Kids
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Palestine Children's Relief Fund
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The Palestine Children's Relief Fund is a charity that provides medical assistance for injured Palestinian children. This most recent assault on Gaza (December 2008-January 2009) left over four hundred Palestianian children dead, and many more injur...
Keep up to date with what is happening with the Group
Join my Fanclub
I have seen messages left in people's Guestbooks, giving them updates about the Group, which is a lovely idea, but as the number of Lensmasters in the Group grows, this will become extremely time consuming and I think we all know, that there is just not enough Squidoo hours in the day.
So thanks to a lens written by Lensmaster kab, I have discovered a work around, which is to send a Squidcast, with the Group's name and picture on it, that will go to all of my fans.
To make sure you receive this Squidcast, you need to be a member of my Fanclub.
Please note: this is not an attempt to increase the number of Fans I have - those Lensmasters who know me on Squidoo, know that while I love having Fans, the number is not important to me!
AJ is Always Juggling on Blogger
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byAJ's latest musings on Squidtop
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byWho on earth is AJ?
AJ is Always JugglingIf you want to know a bit more about me before joining the group, then these lenses will give you a better idea.
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What's your star sign?
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Are any particular star signs more dominant among people who are active on Squidoo and Twitter? It's just something I got thinking about. Writing is one of the careers that is suggested for my star sign, so I wondered how many other Lensmasters I kn...
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I am aj2008
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The AJ stands for Always Juggling. Married....four children.... two still at school.... one very big dog....trying to balance family life with the need to earn an income....trying to do my bit to save the planet.... former website editor....get invo...
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wannabe a writer?
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wannabe a writer? by Jane Wenham-Jones is one of the best books anyone has ever given me. So, whether you are a WAHM (Work at Home Mum) or Dad, part or full time writer, if you want to learn about writing and getting published AND laugh at the same t...
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Squid Etiquette
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Squid Etiquette is all about what to do and what NOT to do on Squidoo! In our enthusiasm to not only publish our first few lenses but also get traffic, we may forget some very important things or we may do things that actually, if you really stop and...
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Narnia
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The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven novels for children, written by C. S. Lewis, which has been adapted for radio, television and more recently, cinema. The books are regarded as classics of children's literature and they are C S Lewis' be...
Say hello & tell us which lenses in the group you have visited.
Go visit some lenses in the group, let us know what you think about them and then submit your lens. You are free to add links to your own lenses PROVIDING they are relevant to the group. Any irrelevant links will be deleted.
cjsysreform wrote...
Hi, thanks for accepting and featuring my lens! You can squidcast from groups now, but I'm sure you knew that already.
Posted May 22, 2009
seedplanter wrote...
Thanks, AJ, for inviting me to add The Gift of Patience to this group. I love what you've done here for families. I hope it keeps on growing with good, solid lenses to help parents through these important years. God bless you!
Posted March 15, 2009
CreativeArtist wrote...
Thank you for including my lens on Creative Parenting - Parenting and a song.
Posted February 21, 2009
speechsrl wrote...
Hi! This is a great group with some awesome lenses! AJ -- I love your lens on Otosclerosis, and I've enjoyed reading about Positive Parenting, Motivating Reluctant Readers, and Keeping Your Kids Healthy! I'd love to submit my lens on hearing loss and mp3s to this group!
Posted January 04, 2009
marsha32 wrote...
great group! Going to check out the great lenses that are listed within.
Posted January 01, 2009
Meet the Groupmaster
aj2008
This group is for lensmasters who want to submit and read quality lenses about different issues affecting children and their parents or carers.
PLEASE read the guidelines BEFORE you submit your lenses to this Group.
Join Our Group!
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Group Stats
Created August, 2008
There are 72 lenses in this group
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About this Group
This group is for lensmasters who want to submit and read quality lenses about all sorts of issues affecting children and their parents.
However, please read the following guidelines BEFORE you submit your lenses.
Flag this group as spam or adult
