Parenting Tip on Reducing Sugary Desserts

You can reduce the white sugar intake in your home by substituting the required white sugar in your recipe with something else. I've seen a cook book on this. Also, some fruits are sweet enough alone so offer these types of fruits as a dessert. You can make Mondays and Wednesdays tasty fruit night. Serve mangos slices. Nectarine slices. Cut up watermelon. (Some children are more inclined to eat fruit if it's sliced or cut up.) Fresh strawberries. Blueberries. Dried apricots. Dried peaches. Do not serve fruit your child isn't keen about. This defeats the purpose of getting your child to see that fruit can be a tasty dessert. In other countries other than the U.S. fruit is actually considered a dessert.

Movie Review: Aladdin

Movie Title: Aladdin. Disney animation film. Musical. Robin Williams does an amazing job as the voice of the genie. In fact, his funny antics steal the show. Aladdin's worth renting just because of him. Plot: It's time for Arabian Princess, Jasmine, to marry. However, she has to marry a royal. Along comes a peasant who wants to marry her. Lucky for him he comes across a magic lamp. The Genie in the lamp turns this commoner into a prince. But before Aladdin can marry his princess he must thwart the plan of an evil sorcerer. The movie is appealing to both boys and girls. Side note: A couple of moms have told me they don’t like the mid-drift top Jasmine wears in the movie.

Book Review: Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild

“Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild,” by Mem Fox. Illustrated by Marla Frazee. I thought the pictures in the book were cute.
This picture book is about a mom who tries to keep her cool when her small child keeps spilling and knocking things over. The mom finally loses it and yells at her daughter. But she’s sorry and apologies to her child. This is something that does happen to parents. It’s important to let your child know even grown-ups can reach a limit and act out.

Marshmallow Crispy Rice Ghost

How to make a Simple Marshmallow Crispy Rice Ghost Treat. This is a great snack for a child’s Halloween party.
What you need: ¼ cup of real butter, 4 cups of marshmallows, 4 ½ cups of crispy rice cereal
What to do: Grease a 9 by 11 or 13 rectangle pan. Or put wax paper inside pan, covering bottom and sides. You the parent melt butter in a pot on low heat. Slowly add marshmallows until they melt. Stir. Turn off stove and put pot on another burner which is cool to the touch. Add crispy rice cereal. Stir mixture well. With a big wooden spoon put marshmallow mixture in rectangle pan. Before mixture hardens cut into figure of a ghost. Take out extra marshmallow treat around ghost and place on a plate. Place two chocolate discs for the ghost’s eyes (chocolate discs can be bought by the bag). Arrange shoe string red licorice in the shape of an O for the mouth.

ALTERNATIVE: The morning of Halloween cut pancakes into ghost shapes. Use chocolate chips for eyes.

Movie Review: Chitty, Chitty Bang-Bang

Movie Title: Chitty, Chitty Bang-Bang. Kid movie with music. Rated G. Though the Child Catcher may be scary for young kids! I know it was for me when I was little.

Eccentric inventor and widowed father Mr. Potts creates some pretty nifty stuff. But nothing as cool as his flying and floating car. Potts, at the wheel of his flying car, travels to Vulgaria with his children and girlfriend, Truly Scrumptious. Ms. Scrumptious is the daughter of a candy magnate. Once in Vulgaria they think it's strange there are no children around. A horrible man, the Child Catcher, catches children and puts them in his jail like vehicle. Scene not to be missed: Potts (the talented song and dance man Dick Van Dyke) and Scrumptious do a dance routine dressed up as puppets. The Potts children are saved in the end, but for some little kids the Child Catcher is so creepy it could give them nightmares. By age ten or eleven, kids shouldn't be so disturbed by this.

Make a Ghost for Halloween

Easy Halloween Decoration: A big floating ghost. Take an old white bed sheet and wrap it over a rubber ball. (The rubber ball is the head.) Cut about a foot of string. Tie string under the ball, on the outside of the sheet, to keep ball inside sheet. Make a face on the ghost with a marker (you can make a big O for the mouth). For a funny ghost put a wig on it, or glue yarn on it for head hair, or a make a yarn mustache or beard. Tie sheet, from underneath ball, to high branch or to the porch beam.

Arts and Craft: Home made piñata

Home made piñata which is easy for little kids to break open. This Halloween if your kids aren't going trick-or-treating give them candy from a piñata. This piñata is also great for birthday parties, other holiday parties, a school party, or a family gathering.

What you will need: Bags of wrapped candy. Brown paper grocery bag with handles. Brown lunch bag. Newspaper. Black felt. Black yarn. Cardboard. Construction paper. Scissors. Child friendly paint. Glue. Stapler. Brown packing tape. Ribbon.
To make a witch. Lunch bag will be the head. Since the grocery bag will be the body make sure the face is symmetrical with the body. Paint witch face on upside down lunch bag. Your child can cut out a long nose from cardboard and staple it on bag. Now stuff newspaper in the lunch bag. You should put enough newspaper to fill out the lunch bag to make the head as stiff as possible. Tie ribbon, tight, around bottom of lunch bag so newspaper will not come out. Glue black yarn on for hair. Make a witch hat and staple it on head.

Using the felt cut out two arms and hands, and two legs and shoes. Staple arms to sides and legs to bottom of upright grocery bag. Your child can make a broom out of cardboard. Staple it underneath legs so witch is flying. When you are ready to use piñata put candy in grocery bag. Tape top of grocery bag shut so candy can't fall out. Staple on head to the bag body.

The rope to pull the piñata up and down should be put through the back bag handle. Use a tall tree branch, patio rafter, or basketball hoop to help ease the piñata up and down. Since you will blindfold the child and turn them around before they hit they piñata with the end of a broom don't worry if the piñata isn't strong enough. I've seen piñatas so well made an adult has to step in and break them. It's more fun if a child has a chance to break it. Using the same simple idea above, you can make other types of piñatas- a cat, monster, fairy (make wings for the back)…