Think first about the lessons they are learning. I think you should redecorate when a room needs it and not before. Redecoration on a whim is like thoughtless spending and not a lesson we should teach the kids.
From the age of about 5 they can start to take an active role and by the age of 16 they may be mature enough to do it all themselves.
However there are a few pointers to bare in mind regardless of their age.
1) Good curtains keep out early morning sunshine, which helps them get a good night sleep.
2) Fitted Wardrobes, cupboards and drawers have more storage capacity than their stand-alone counterparts. It seems you can never have enough storage space when there are kids about.
3) Colours really do matter. They strongly affect mood. Keep the kids happy and relaxed at bedtime with warm muted tones and not too many vibrant primary colours.
4) Never let a teenager spray paint their bedroom black. They will be leaving home soon and they can do that when they are paying mortgage or rent, but not in your house. This should be a non-negitionable stance.
When you are a student you really cannot afford expensive airline tickets. The good news is that if you ask for a discount you will get one. However you need proof, so get yourself an internationally recognised student ID card. The ISIC card is the one you need.
Do not believe that homemade cards from spurious institutions will fool anyone. The savings an ISIC gives you are amazing, particularly when looking for cheap international student flights and accomodation. ISIC cards are not free, but cost approximately the same as a cinema ticket. You will need proof of your student status and various other documents. Go to the ISIC website for more details.
A two week holiday is not a right, but if you can afford to take a vacation you should do it. The question of when to go is more pressing when you have kids. School holidays are your only option and during those periods the prices skyrocket. However, if you don’t follow the herd, there will still be cheap vacations to be had in less touristy spots. If everyone else heads south, consider heading north (and visa versa).
For great money saving holiday advice and the latest cheap flights you can look around the internet or ask your travel agent. Be very friendly to your local agent. If they like you they will work harder to find you a great deal.
About 60% of the way through a contract is a great time to ask for an upgrade. A good reason for not signing long contracts is that the company won’t upgrade you so often.
Do remember to be polite when asking for an upgrade and don’t get angry if they say no. Just leave it a few days and politely phone again. Usually on the 5th or 6th call they will upgrade you just to shut you up.
Most pediatricians say that 12 months is the oldest a baby should be given a dummy.
Although dummies (pacifiers) are great in calming babies down there are some problems associated with their contuinued use.
Dentists say that there is evidence that dummies hold sugars in contact with teeth, leading to a greater chance of dental decay. However dummies can cause adults and other toddlers to look on a child who still has a dummy as underdeveloped. This may lead to unconcious actions which retard normal development. However the biggest issue is the most obvious. When a child has a dummy in their mouth, they are not able to practice speech, so speec development is delayed.
For these reasons, most health professionals suggest that a dummy should not be given to children past their first birthday.
Kids under the age of three don’t ‘get’ magic. They just accept it as something that can be done. Between the ages of 3 and 5 they start to realise the boundaries of reality and that is when magic tricks first appeal to them.
A simple magic trick to show to younger children.
Here is a basic trick that is easy for any adult to perform but leaves the little ones dumbfounded. It is the form of a rhyme. The only preparation you need is to learn the rhyme and stick two small pieces of tissue paper to the nails of your index fingers. These tissues can be stuck with a little spit and represent two birds. Now bounce your fingers up and down in rythmn on the edge of the table, saying the rhyme.
“Two little dickybirds sitting on a wall
One named Peter, One named Paul
Fly away peter, fly away paul
Come back peter, Come back Paul”
As you say the rhyme bounce your index fingers in the same spot. On the line ‘Fly away Peter’ swap your index for your second finger, but still come down on exactly the same spot. On the next line do the same thing with the other hand and on the subsequent lines swap back to the index fingers. The effect to the kids watching is that the birds dissapear and then magically reappear.
You should never ask a boy out. They smell!
You will probably be at school with the first girl you ask out. The big timing tip is to do it when your other friends are nowhere around and the girl’s friends are also absent.
Trust me on this. Never ask a girl out in front of an audience. Your friends may be cool most of the time, but when you are opening yourself up for a little emotional vulnerability (yes it will hurt a little if she says ‘no’) then it is best not to have your friends (or her friends) all standing around you.
Don’t start dating until you are ready. Your parents may think that you are too young to date and you should consider their feelings and what life at home might be like if you disobeyed them.
Think about who you want to date. Are they really mature enough? Are they too mature and likely to want to move the relationship forward faster than you are comfortable with?
Relax, you have a lifetime ahead of you. Don’t get stressed about it and it will sort itself out in the long run.
If you can answer all these questions and still fell happy about the idea of dating, go ahead and have fun. Be careful, move at a pace you are comfortable with and don’t think for one second that the first person you date will be the last.
When should you tell your kids they are adopted?
