Raising Great Kids Blog

Living on the northern beaches of Sydney I visit the beach regularly, although these days it’s often just my husband and me.  My husband usually goes for a surf and I go for a long walk on the beach.  But this post isn’t about walking – it’s about building sandcastles.

Click here to get “Sandcastles for Everyone” DVD

How to sculpt Castles, People and Animals at the Beach

Some Things Never Change

While our teenage boys might head to the beach by themselves these days, some things never change.  Visit almost any beach on the northern beaches of Sydney, any time of the year, and there are mums and dads with their children building sandcastles – although I’ll admit it is usually the dads who get more involved.  Kids just seem to love it.  I bet it’s the same on your local beaches.

The Simple Things are Often the Best

Building sandcastles can be as simple as a couple of upturned buckets of sand with lollipop sticks stuck in the top, to sophisticated creations with spirals and moats.  Just last weekend on Manly Beach I saw the Egyptian Pyramids and a Sphinx made out of sand – along with a couple of great kids and their parents looking very proud of themselves.

But whatever you make, the simple pleasure of spending a morning or afternoon on the beach with your kids and creating something out of sand has got to be a top way of raising great kids.

Photo below taken at Gray’s Lake, Des Moines by Emily Miles of Ankeny IA

But you have to help

Have you noticed that when kids are young they love to build sandcastles – but only if you help.  It’s not just about them building sandcastle, it’s about them spending time with you.  Kids just love it when you engage with them.  As they get older they might be happy to build sandcastles on their own, but watch how their enthusiasm increases if they get other willing and interested helpers.

I’m sure most parents would agree that raising great kids does have it’s tricky moments, but sometimes it can be as simple as building sandcastles.

Raising Great Kids – Safety Comes First

Of course the beach can be a dangerous place and parents need to be particularly careful when they are there with children.  The water, the sun and even the sand can be dangerous, so take all necessary safety precautions. In Australia it’s always a good idea to swim and play between the flags.

Do you go to the beach with your children?  Do you  build sandcastles?  I’d love to hear about it.

Thanks for reading another Raising Great Kids Blog.

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Jan Littlehales

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I’ve just returned from a 3 weeks holiday with my family in the Lake District, in the North West of England (where I’m originally from).  Walking is something my husband and I have done with our boys since they were very young.  Now, aged 18 and 15, they are as eager as ever to come on walking holidays and will happily hike up any mountain we suggest – the steeper the better, as far as my 18 year old is concerned.

Hiking up Scarfell Pike - Lake District UK - July 2010

Spending quality time walking with your children is one of the best ways I know of raising great kids.  It’s a real pleasure to get out in the fresh air (sometimes a bit too fresh in England), admire the fabulous scenery and spend hours of time together.  There’s really nothing like it and I recommend it to all parents who are keen walkers.  Even if you’re not a walker yet, you might get to love it if you give it a try.

You don’t have to climb mountains

Quality family time together can be as easy as walking on the beach.  Slip off your shoes, walk along the water’s edge,  feel the water between your toes and the wind in your hair.  Check out your local area and see if there are any local foot paths and walk-ways.  Are there any national parks in your area?

Having lived in Sydney for almost 18 years, I think we have walked almost every harbour, bush and beach walk with our boys.  Even now, if we are heading into the City at the weekend to visit museums, markets or gardens, we will park the car on the south side of the harbour and walk over Sydney Harbour Bridge to our destination. Walking back over the Bridge at sunset is an experience not to be missed.

Total Cost – Zero

One of the great things about walking is that it’s free.  If you pack a delicious picnic for lunch, eaten away from crowds and queues, a day spent with your children will cost you very little.

Lunch Stop

Don’t walk in Ugg Boots

You wouldn’t wear slippers to play football or wear ski boots when you go cycling, but you’d be surprised how may walkers wear totally inappropriate footwear while walking.  Just last week in a UK newspaper there was an article about walkers twisting ankles and having to be rescued (at great expense) because they were hiking in Ugg Boots.  I’ve seen children and their parents hiking in the Blue Mountains (2 hours drive from Sydney) in thongs – that’s flip-flops by the way, not the other type of thong.

Leaving the summit of Bowfell - Lake Distrit UK - July 2010

If you’re planning a walk, think about what is appropriate footwear for the type of walk you are doing.  Hiking boots that give proper ankle support are best for walking in the mountains; walking/running shoes might be more suitable for flat walks.  If your children have sore feet at the end of the day because of wearing inappropriate footwear, they are unlikely to want to go walking again.

Added Bonus

Of course, you wont just have lots of fun walking together as a family, you’ll also get fit if you do it regularly.  Walking – just one more way of raising great kids.

Final Photo (I can’t resist)

Summit - Avalanche Peak New Zealand

Thanks for reading another Raising Great Kids Blog. You can leave any comments or suggestion below.

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Jan Littlehales

Most parents will have seen the effects unhealthy food can have on their children.  Just think about the party they went to, where they ate sausage rolls, party pies, donuts, potato chips and cheap lollies, all swilled down with an endless supply of fizzy soft drink.  Did your child come home hyper-active, cranky and rude? or maybe dazed and half asleep?  Foods filled with preservatives, colorings, food enhancers and other nasty things can have that effect on children – and it’s frightening.

Develop Healthy Eating Habits from an Early Age

While raising great kids, developing healthy eating habits from an early age is crucial.  The most obvious benefit is health, but it’s more than that.  If healthy eating habits are established in childhood, there’s a good chance those habits will stay with them for life.  As they become adults themselves they will hopefully then pass on similar eating habits to their own children.

Behaviour at School

Out of control and bad behaviour at school can sometimes be linked to a child’s diet.  In Australia, school canteens now have strict guidelines about what they can and can’t sell.  I think similar rules exist in other countries.  If your child takes a packed lunch, make sure it’s filled with delicious healthy options – like their favourite fruit and tasty wholemeal sandwiches.  Avoid packets of potato chips, biscuits, fizzy drinks and lollies.  Homemade muffins can be much healthier than bought ones and make a tasty treat.

The Cost of Eating Healthy Food while Raising Great Kids

I’ve heard people say they can’t afford healthy eating habits, but the cost of raw ingredients can be relatively cheap when compared with ready made packaged food and take-aways.  There are many pasta, rice and noodle dishes that can be made at home quickly and cheaply.  What are your thoughts?

What if I Can’t Cook

There is a wealth of free information available on the web about cooking. Preparing a family meal doesn’t have to take hours or be complicated.  There are plenty of recipes where you can prepare Dinner in Ten Minutes.  Have a browse on line and see what you can find – and look for recipes that only have around 6 ingredients of less to start off with, to keep it simple.

Things That Have Helped Me

• Always have a good selection of fresh fruit available in the house
• On outings, take a tasty packed lunch
• When driving long distance, pack delicious healthy foods to eat on the way
• When time permits, bake your own cakes and biscuits
• Fresh fruit juice, not fizzy drinks
• Make healthy smoothies
• Get in the habit of drinking water with meals
• Make double quantities and freeze half for another day
• Always start the day with a healthy breakfast
• Eat meals at the dining table
• Get your children involved and teach them how to cook and bake

Educate your Children from an Early Age

From an early age we talked with our boys about the benefits of eating good food – and the consequences of continually eating rubbish.  That’s not to say you can’t enjoy chocolate, ice-cream and take-away pizza now and again.  But everything in moderation.  My 18 year old boy continues to be a healthy eater of his own choice now – and I couldn’t be happier.

So What are Your Thoughts?

What has been your experience with healthy eating habits?

Thanks for reading another Raising Great Kids post.

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Raising great kids doesn’t have to stop at home!

Let me introduce you to Lucy.  She’s 5 years old, lives in Zambia and has known little but poverty in her young life.  Both Lucy’s parents are alive, but the family has no proper source of income.

They have had to resort to peasant farming but still cannot make ends meet.  They live in a mud-grass house.  Without the help of charities they would have limited access to education, health care, food and clean water.

Their life is similar to thousands of others who live in the region.

How can we help Raising Great Kids like Lucy?

Charities such as Child Fund Australia and World Vision enable more fortunate families around the world to sponsor a child like Lucy.  Sponsorship enables these charities to provide what most of us take for granted – education, health, nutrition, sanitation, income generation and community services – to communities like the one Lucy lives in.

Just as raising great kids is important to most loving parents, it’s also important to Lucy’s parents.  Through the help of Child Fund Australia and its sponsors, Lucy’s parents can devote more time and energy to raising great kidsand not worry about the basic needs of survival that many of us take for granted.

Sponsor a Child Today

So why not sponsor a child today and help children like Lucy.  Maybe you already sponsor a child?  Or have you thought about it for ages but not got around to doing it (I know I did that for some time).

Thanks for reading another  raising great kids blog post.

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Have you noticed how almost all young children love to ride bikes.  They probably love it for the same reasons adults do.  It gets you from A to B quicker, that’s for sure, and it gives the rider a sense of freedom and exhilaration.  Cycling is also a great way to keep fit and save money on fuel costs, but I doubt our youngsters are thinking along those lines.

Does Cycling help Raise Great Kids?

I believe cycling is one of many activities that contribute to raising great kids.  If kids are cycling they’re not watching TV – which has to be a good thing.  But there’s more to it than that.  What about keeping fit – playing with friends – having fun – feeling a sense of achievement – exploring new places – you get the idea?    And cycling isn’t just for kids.  Whether you’ve always been a keen cyclist or never tried it before, having your own children gives you the perfect excuse to get on your bike and start having some family fun.

Start Cycling with your Kids early

I don’t mean early in the morning!  I mean, when they are young.  Even before they are off training wheels, you should be able to find safe places to cycle in your area.  Many parks allow cycling and ovals often have cycle tracks around the perimeter.  Some children’s play parks even have mini roads, roundabouts and crossroads, with mini pedestrian crossings and traffic lights.  Great fun for toddlers.

Get off those Training Wheels

I recommend you get your kids riding on two wheels as soon as possible.  The training wheels are great for learning, but the real fun starts once they’ve been taken off – the sense of achievement and freedom of movement is well worth the effort.  By the way, from my experience with two boys, it’s much easier to learn to ride a bike without training wheels if the bike is a bit too small.  It’s easier for the child to put their feet down on either side during those wobbly moments – and if they do fall, it’s a lot less painful!  Once they are confidently riding on two wheels you can buy the new, bigger bike.

Develop Healthy Family Habits

As well as local weekend cycling, we’ve had some wonderful family cycling holidays over the years.  Just recently we visited Canberra to see an Art Exhibition and did not hesitate strapping the bikes to the back of the car so we could cycle from Hotel to Art Gallery and then cycle around Canberra’s beautiful lake.  This came as no surprise to our two teenage boys.  We have never been to Canberra without our bikes – it would have been unusual not to take them.   While out cycling, we stumbled upon a wonderful memorial, The Siev X Memorial, which we probably wouldn’t have found if we’d been in the car.  And don’t forget to pack a yummy lunch so you can stop wherever you fancy for a picnic lunch.

Alas, Cycling isn’t for Everyone

Of course, I understand that cycling isn’t for everyone.  We certainly don’t cycle all the time – maybe 3 or 4 times a year, at the most.  We also love hiking and snow skiing – and you may enjoy something completely different again.    But, over the years we have definitely developed healthy family habits.  Our weekends and holidays have been fun and exciting (most of the time at least) and there’s a good chance our boys will go on to be be healthy active adults themselves.  What more can you ask.

For those who do Love Cycling

If you love cycling and your children love it too, why not plan a family cycle this weekend, or plan to take the bikes (or hire some) next time you travel.  You’ll see a lot more, spend some fantastic quality time with your kids, get to exercise and have a whole lot of fun in the process.  I highly recommend it.

Thanks for reading Raising Great Kids Blog.

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Jan Littlehales