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Parent Ideas

Thirty Phrases to Encourage Your Child:

1. You're so much fun to be around!
2. You get better at that every time I see you.  Way to go!
3. Hang on a second while I call Sport Illustrated - they'll want a picture of this!
4. I'm going to brag about this.  That's great!
5. That's the best ________ I've ever seen!
6. You are so thoughtful!
7. This is a tremendous improvement!
8. Good for you!
9. You're such a joy to us!
10. I never did that when I was your age!
11. Can I put this on the bulletin board at the office so I can see it every day?
12. You handled that beautifully!
13. That's incredible!
14. They just didn't make kids as good as you when I was growing up!
15. You're really special to me - and getting more special every day!
16. Keep that up and you'll be the world champion someday!
17. I really enjoy being with you!
18. What a super effort!
19. The guy or girl who marries you will be so lucky!
20. That's worth a trophy ten feet high!
21. Your mom and I are so grateful to be your parents!
22. If you lined up all the childen in the world, I'd still choose you!
23. I need to get word to the White House about this - the president will want to know about it!
24. I really enjoy your smile!
25. You're so helpful! Thank you!
26. You'll always be in my hall of fame!
27. I know you worked very hard on that. Wonderful job!
28. I love to hear your laugh!
29. I really like that!
30. I love you!



100 Things You Can Do With Your Children That Won't Break the Bank

1. Go to Dairy Queen for an ice cream cone with Mom or Dad
2. Identify five trees with Mom
3. Make homemade ice cream blizzards using a favority candy bar with Dad
4. Play Frisbee Golf to Grandma's and back with Dad
5. Direct and videotape a family skit with Mom
6. Shoot three balloons in darts with Dad
7. Write an "I Love You" letter to an aunt or uncle with Mom & Dad
8. Do the supper dishes with Dad
9. Go see Joey & Jeanie's new baby with Mom
10. Play a game of Sorry with Mom & Dad
11. Take a younger sibling for a walk down by the lake with Dad
12. Do ten pull-ups with Mom
13. Make Grandpa's pancakes for breakfast with Dad
14. Jog to the Bike Path and back with Mom
15. Memorize two new verses in John 1 with Dad
16. Call Great Grandma with Mom
17. Do a finger painting with Dad
18. Go for a swim at the beach with Mom
19. God with Dad to McDonald's for French fries
20. Read Archie comics to Mom
21. Make a modeling clay dinosaur with Mom
22. Go with Dad to see Kris & Diane's new baby
23. Write an "I Love You" letter with Dad to a babysitter
24. Have a bicycle race with Mom
25. Read Psalm 1 together as a family
26. Shoot fifty points with BB gun with Dad
27. Play Twister game with brother or sister and Mom
28. With Dad's help, set up a family picture with everyone in costume
29. Visit an elderly woman with Dad and tell her three nice things you see
30. Make a batch of chocolate chip cookies and go with Dad to take half of them to a neighbor
31. Play home-run derby (until ten runs are hit) with Mom
32. Have a tallest building competition in building blocks with Dad
33. Go with Mom to McDonald's for a hot fudge sundae
34. Play four games of Skee-Ball with Dad
35. Take a thirty minute walk in the woods with Mom
36. Go with Dad to see Brad & Debbie's new baby
37. Go down and back on the monkey bars with Mom
38. Play a game of Crazy Eights with Dad
39. Go with Mom to visit Grandma & Grandpa
40. Have a field practice in baseball with a brother or sister and Dad
41. Go fishing with Dad
42. Tour a museum with Dad & tell Grandpa then things you saw
43. Hit fifty tennis balls with Mom
44. Do twenty push-ups with Dad
45. Go to Wal-Mart with Mom and buy something special
46. Play nine holes of mini-golf with Dad
47. Play a game of H-O-R-S-E with Mom
48. Play catch-and-step-back using a tennis ball with Dad
49. Do a video production with Mom for grandparents
50. Hide 5 items in the yard then have a scavenger hunt with Dad
51. Go with Dad to McDonald's for breakfast
52. Watch a VeggieTales video with Mom
53. Buy a CD with Dad as a gift for Mom
54. Play soccer ball keep-away with Dad
55. Call Grandpa with Mom and talk for at least two minutes
56. Write a letter of appreciation to a teacher with Dad
57. Take a dog on a walk with Mom
58. With Dad's help, memorize a meaningful Bible verse together
59. Do twenty seat-drops on a trampoline with Dad
60. Go roller-skating with Mom
61. (You make one up)
62. Take three photographs for the scrapbook with Dad
63. Go to the park with Mom
64. With a volleyball, do throws and catches with Dad
65. Make a video for Grandparents with Mom
66. Shoot ten basketball layups with Dad
67. Play hopscotch with Mom
68. With Dad, make a crayon portrait of Mom and write "I Love You" on it
69. Do ten front flips on a trampoline with Mom
70. Dribble and shoot ten goals in soccer with Dad
71. Tie four different rope knots with Dad
72. Play checkers with Mom
73. Take a ride on the subway with Dad
74. Set up a putt-putt game around the house and play with Dad
75. Ride bikes with Mom
76. Watch a Disney video with Mom
77. Let Dad bounce you on a trampoline
78. Play around-the-world in basketball with Mom
79. Do twenty throws and catches using baseball and glove with Dad
80. Play Shuffleboard with Dad
81. Have a paper airplane contest with Mom
82. Do twenty football throws and catches with Dad
83. Write a letter of appreciation to the police or fire department
84. Go on a tractor ride with Dad
85. With Dad, take two photographs for gifts to grandparents
86. Tunble in the living room with Dad
87. Do twenty push-ups with Dad
88. Play balloon volley-ball over a bed with Mom
89. Play charades
90. Have a coloring contest
91. Make popcorn balls or caramel apples
92. Go window shopping
93. Have a scavenger hunt at the mall
94. Create a Spoil Mommy Day
95. Have a date night with Dad
96. Go horse-back riding
97. Create a homemade carnival in your living room
98. Pillow fights
99. Puzzles
100. Table games



How Kids Might Solve Our World's Problems:


How would you earthquake-proof your house?

Put slinkies under it. That way if it falls down it will bounce right back up. Jonathan, age 8

Wrap the house in jello so it will just shake and even if it fell down, it would still be okay. Kelby, age 8

Glue all your stuff to the floor. If it gets really bad, glue yourself to the floor. Sara, age 8


Too many people spend too many of their waking hours at a job they don't love or even like. Give their bosses some suggestions:

Let people have hamsters on their desks. Glenda, age 8

Let them make mistakes. Kerri, age 8

Give a break for five hours.
Yesenia, age 9

Pay double and have a big tickling machine for unhappy workers.
Andrew, age 9


Grown-ups need to have more fun. What do you suggest?

Run through the sprinkler. Kate, age 8

Celebrate their birthday every day. Jennifer, age 8

Have more boyfriends. Jessica, age 7


How can you make people feel better about themselves?

If they don't feel like they're pretty, you could say, "You're a lot prettier than a person I know who has big bulgy eyes." Katelyn, age 9

Everyone should have an alarm clock that says nice things to them in the morning when they wake up. Jacqueline, age 8

They should have a call line to cheer people up. Paul, age 8


What can men and women do to get along better?

My mom should try ice hockey.
Neil, age 8

They could understand better if they listened better. Kate, age 8

Men and women shouldn't talk about money. Julie, age 9


*The All Better Book by Suzy Becker