Author Archives: Ask Grandma Maria
- Part 1 of 2: Teaching Kids to Respect Their Own Property
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Teaching kids to take care of their own things is a tough lesson. Learn how to teach your kids how to take care of their own personal possessions with these helpful suggestions.
- In the Kitchen with Grandma
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Cooking with grandma and grandpa in the kitchen can be a great bonding experience for kids, not to mention a huge learning tool (i.e., math skills, geography, cultures and traditions, safety rules, etc.). Here are some great kids’ cooking ideas to share with your young cooks.
- Explaining Halloween to Kids (or How to De-spook the Spookiest Holiday of the Year!)
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“Mommy, why is everyone dressed up so funny?” “Daddy, what does ‘trick or treat’ mean?” “Grandma, why are people giving away free candy?” “Grandpa, how come those pumpkins have such funny faces?” Halloween-related questions like these — and more, to …
- Fall & Winter Nature Lessons for Kids (or Snooping Around the Woods on a Chilly Day!)
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There are nature lessons for kids that are taught in the classroom…and then there are nature lessons for kids that are taught exactly where they should be: in the beautiful outdoors. Even though we are now quickly getting into the …
- 50 Fun Fall Activities For Kids (or Lots of Cool Cool-Weather Things to Do!)
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Ahhh…the leaves are suddenly turning brilliant hues of red, orange, and yellow. The air is decidedly crisper. And the days are getting noticeably shorter. It’s official: Fall has finally arrived. And with the cooler weather comes — you guessed it! …
- Kid Activities with Grandparents (Or Slowing it Down a Notch for the Older Generation!)
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There’s no doubt today’s grandparents are more active, more vigorous, and more vivacious than ever before. Case in point: How many more seniors do you see working out at the gym today than you did 20 years ago? ’Nuf said. …
- Making Chores Fun (Or How to Get Your Kids to Do Some Work Without Complaining!)
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Geez, how many times do you have to ask your kids to pick up their socks, put away the dishes, or help you out around the house? I honestly won’t think you’re exaggerating if you answer, “At least a thousand …
- Ways to Get Kids to Do Their Homework (or How to Make Homework Feel Less Like a Prison Sentence!)
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School’s back in full swing and so is that dreaded period of time after school lets out, but before lights go out — “homework time.” Yuck for kids . . . and double yuck for their unfortunate parents. When my …
- Debunking the “Scary Teacher” Myth (Or How to Prove if Your Kid’s Teacher is a Psycho!)
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When I was in first grade, I would get sick to my stomach every single morning before school. Physically sick. After weeks of this, my mom finally took me to a doctor who eventually declared there was nothing wrong with …
- Gardening Fun with Kids (Or How to Prove Plants Don’t Just Show Up in Stores!)
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When I was five years old, we moved into a new house. The backyard wasn’t very big, but my father immediately turned the whole thing — I mean, the whole entire thing — into a garden. I helped him plant …