Tips for Teaching Your Kids aboutWar

Certainly we would all prefer to teach our kids about peace and happiness. However, there comes a time in which you will probably need some tips for teaching your kids about war. War is a truth. It does exist, and no one’s family is free from the casualties. Even if those are only attached to friends and not immediate family. As with most things, it is almost always better to be prepared than surprised.

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, fights to help keep our country away from impending war. His organization is particularly against making nuclear deals with Iran. These are the kinds of political moves that can speed up the progression of hostility and lead to war. As such, our kids need to be informed. That’s why it is important that we teach them about war.

Steps for Speaking Openly about War with Your Kids

These steps for speaking openly about war with your kids are just suggestions. We know that it is a delicate subject and that each child’s personality and maturity should be taken into consideration prior to attempting to broach this discussion. Therefore, be certain that the tips you utilize are best suited for your children:

Be honest, but age-appropriate– Kids need to know what’s going on and how the current climate can affect their lives. They are going to hear about war from their friends if you don’t tell them yourself. Consider the questions they might have and then plan the way you will answer those questions. Be careful about what they see on TV. While war may be imminent, it doesn’t have to cause them nightmares at a young age.
Explain your family history– This is especially beneficial if you have any military veterans in the family. Kids love knowing where they come from and who they are connected to. Of course, sharing about the soldiers shouldn’t be your only focus. Tell them about any significant people in your family’s history. This will help them see that people they are connected to survived challenging times, or did great things, or both. Learn more.
Teach them history– That means telling them about your country and the world. The more they know about historic events, the better prepared to face the future they will be. Plus, the main reason history is able to repeat itself is because people forget what has occurred in the past. You can show them documentaries, read historical fiction, and even visit sites of historic significance to make the learning fun and memorable.
Emphasize the value of faith and family– Making your faith and your family the central focus of your daily life will help keep your kids grounded. It will give them a foundation from which to base their lives on if they are ever faced with the calamity that is war. Discuss your beliefs with them at the dinner table, or over breakfast. Memorize some inspiring and strength giving Bible verses to help them through the tough times they will face in life, with or without the added troubles of war. Read these

We also suggest that if you end up in wartimes, that you give your children things to do. They need to feel like valuable contributors to your home and well-being. Also, supply them with historic heroes who survived horrid times. Anne Frank comes to mind, but we’re sure you can find some of your own. If you need help, here’s a list of courageous people who survived war and other harsh circumstances.…

Teaching Your Kids to Love Log Cabins

If you have considered living in a log cabin, you might find that your kids are a little less enthusiastic about the situation. However, teaching your kids to love log cabins doesn’t have to be as challenging as it initially appears. In this article, we will show you some log cabin toys, crafts, and even benefits that will aid you in your attempts to get your kids excited about this new adventure.

Researching log homes Canada will lead you to Artisan Log Homes. They have over 35 years of experience in the industry. And, they can provide you with intricately designed custom homes, or simple log cabin construction. Their expertise will certainly meet all your family’s desires. Plus, the kids will be thrilled by the rustic look that matches the toys we are about to suggest for their enjoyment.

Toys to Get Kids Interested in Log Cabins

Of course, Legos are often the go-to building toys for kids. But, there are other log cabin building options in the toy arena that should help your children become slightly more enthusiastic about living in a log home. Consider these options:

Lincoln Logs– Obviously, the number one option for log home building toys. These come in a variety of designs including: white river ranch, classic edition frontier cabin, and forge mill.
Legos- Yes, they were not going to allow Lincoln Logs to corner the market, so they offer a creator Log Cabin Play Set too.
Frontier Logs- Made of all wood, these are definitely Lincoln Logs main competitor providing kids with options like: 75 piece and 160 piece construction sets.
Cedar Shed Log Cabin Cedar Playhouse– If you want to go the extra mile and let them see what living in a log cabin might be like, you can always cough up the money for one of these all wood child size playhouses. Learn more.
ECR4Kids Wilderness Log Cabin– Equally expensive, this log cabin is actually made out of plastic, so we’re not sure it will work as well as the Cedar Shed mentioned previously.

Crafts for Log Cabin Enthusiasm Building

If the toys don’t work, you could consider these craft options:

Crayola Log Cabin– Take a recycled box and cover it with pieces of broken crayons in a log cabin pattern. It will make for an interesting means of employing your crayon remnants. And, it will result in a very colorful log cabin model. Make sure you leave space for the windows and doors.
President’s Day Craft– In this craft you will need an empty cardboard milk carton (like the kind they give your kids at school). Clean it and cut the top line out to make the top of the carton look more roof like. For full instructions click this.

Sharing the Benefits of Log Home Living

Generally, when we desire to build a log home for our family, it is because we have our eyes on a nice piece of land that will open other doors as well. When this is the case, we can share the following benefits with our kids as a means of getting them on our side for log home living:

Campfires
Inter tubing and rock skipping on nearby rivers
Hiking and exploring
Fishing and hunting

If you need more reasons to convince your kids to live in a log home, read this.…

Teaching Your Kids about Turkey

Mention that topic to your children right now and they will think you are going to give them some wishbone strategies. Or, teach them how to make stuffing. When people hear the word Turkey, they automatically associate it with Thanksgiving. We’ve got bellies on our minds and not struggling countries. But, it’s time to feed the brain instead. Here are some things you should be teaching your kids about Turkey.

First, let’s discuss the issues the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) seems to think is of the greatest concern. Now, this part isn’t for your kids, this is strictly for your knowledge. The FDD thinks that the US should reassess its military deployment in Turkey. The Turkish government has restricted US usage of the 17 bases located within its borders. And, Russia has been concerned, since the beginning of the year, that Turkey is shelling Syria. So, there’s a lot of turmoil over in that neck of the woods.

Getting Your Kids Interested in Turkey

Despite what you and your kids might hear on the news, Turkey is home to plenty of regular people with kids just like yours. They live ordinary, redundant lives just like the rest of us do. And, they deserve the right to be portrayed in a fair light. That’s why we think it is a good idea to teach your kids these pieces of trivia about Turkey to get them interested in the other lessons to come:

Amazon women are said to have originated in Turkey.
The oldest church on the planet, St. Peter’s Cave Church, is located there.
Nicholas was born in Turkey (your kids probably know him better as Santa Claus).
The first coffee houses were established in Turkey, and from there coffee was introduced to Europe.
The Smallpox vaccination came out of Turkey.
Robert College was the first internationally located American college.
Turkey gave refuge to Jews, including Einstein, during WWII.
Turkey has 20,000 more animal species than Europe.
Noah’s Ark landed there, on Mount Ararat. Read all about it.
It’s the home of the famed Trojan Horse.

If you’d like to read some more trivia click this.

Real Lessons on Turkey

It’s always best to start an educational session with something entertaining that will spark the interest of your children. Now, you can delve into the more substantive facts about the country itself. Be sure you include the following topics in your lesson plans:

Geography- Turkey is a peninsula bridging Asia and Europe. Seas surround it on three sides. It is larger than Texas.
Nature- Migratory birds consider Turkey to be a great resting place. It is home to what was once known as White Castle.
People & Culture– Kids who want to attend high school have to move to a nearby city. Most of the population is Sunni Muslim. A fifth of them are Kurdish. Yogurt, eggplant, and lamb make up the greatest part of their diets. And, kebabs are particularly popular there.
Government- Turkey helped found the United Nations. It is a member of NATO, but has never been accepted as a full member of the European Union.
History– The Hittites (from the Bible) ruled there for hundreds of years. King Midas ruled Turkey in 700 or so BC.

We have only given you a brief break down of the topics suggested. There is more information for your educational pursuits available here.…

Teaching Children about Money Management from a Young Age

Financial management is a skill that every adult should possess, as otherwise, the lack of financial management can bring about ruin and can cause a person to go bankrupt faster than you can imagine. Although that is an extreme scenario, such things have happened in the past and they’re not unlikely. That said, the best way to prevent such a scenario would most probably be to have knowledge about financial matters, preferably from a young age, as that is when children’s minds are the most flexible. Besides, habits die hard, these financial lessons will stick to them for life. So prepare them for the real world from a tender age.

Spending habits in different ages

Ages 3-5: At this age, it is important to teach your children that they can’t always get what they want immediately. Sometimes they just have to wait for them. So for instance, if they’re waiting in line for the swings, explain to them why it is important for them to wait. Set up 3 small boxes or jars labelled ‘savings’, ‘sharing’, and ‘spending’, and encourage your children to save up small amounts of money that they might get as birthday presents or for doing their chores.
Ages 6-10: This is when it is the parent’s job to teach their children about how money is finite and that they have to be smart about their purchases. Let them have a little financial authority as well, by giving them $2 while you’re shopping, for instance, and letting them decide what fruit to buy within the limitations of your needs. Also, involve them in more adult financial decisions and decide aloud about cheaper deals or alternatives while you’re shopping.
Ages 11-13: Teach them about compound interest, and about how much faster they’d be able to save if they start early. Shift their focus from short term goals to long term goals in this case, and be as clear as possible, using real numbers as examples.

Visit http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2013/10/15/the-5-most-important-money-lessons-to-teach-your-kids/3/#4f79f9226b0b for more information.

Teaching your children about handling their finances early on helps them immensely in life, as they will be able to have realistic expectations about how things may turn out and be able to set proper financial goals. Otherwise, they may or may not end up becoming careless and taking their finances for granted.

We have all seen or experienced in one way or another what poor financial management can do to a person. Whether you like to admit it or not, a good number of all those failed financial expeditions may just have been avoided had the person been trained early on to be able to set realistic expectations. That is why many fall into debt or bankruptcy as well. That said, sometimes even early planning and teaching cannot prepare one for a financial downfall, which is why it can’t always be blamed on the lack of preparation. Nonetheless, you should always be prepared before making major financial decisions. Check the latest broker rates here for more information.…

Voices for Children