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Running around the neighborhood I bet you have heard this once or twice, “I know she knows how to say it. I heard her singing her colors in Spanish just this morning. Lisa, tell my friend what red is in Spanish right now!” Or perhaps this scenario rings a bell, “Jorge, I am warning you! No more English. If you want something, you have to ask me in Spanish starting ahora!”

Parents across the world see a very global future for their children and want to prepare them for it. We have read or heard about the reports from experts about bilingual children scoring higher on standardized tests and reading sooner than monolingual children. Yet there seems to be a struggle to achieve that blissful state of learning.

Many times children rebel at using their native language of Spanish; thus eliciting threats from the parent of no communication in any other language but Spanish. Then there is the Anglo parent who, with all good intentions, eagerly enrolls their child in a fairly expensive once a week language class; only to wonder why that same child will not ‘perform’ for family and friends her new words in Spanish.

With the following seven simple steps and suggestions you and your family can bloom into a second language journey - blissfully and with smiles:

1. Start the second language learning as early in your child’s life as possible. Experts agree - the earlier, the better. Think of how you learned your native language. It’s all about vocabulary at first so remember that repetition is the key for all your child’s learning.

*Experts say it is just as easy for a child to learn two words in two languages for one item as it is to learn just one word.

*Introduce the new language bilingually, using the native language and the new together, for any child birth through 8-10 years old. (Immersion should be used for children 8 -10 and older.)

2. Find a bilingual language learning program, product or class for your child that incorporates the following components necessary for success: visual, music, beginning reading and verbal exchange. Give your child the opportunity to enjoy the new language daily for 10 to 30 minutes (depending upon the age of your child, more time needs to be spent as your child continues to develop his language skills).

3. Show your child you value speaking a second language.

*If you speak mainly English in your home invite a Spanish speaking friend over, attend cultural events where both native & new languages are spotlighted through music, dance, food and more and turn on the Spanish channel on TV and the radio.

*If you speak mainly Spanish in your home invite new English speaking friends over and get them involved in learning Spanish as you cook for them, entertain them and welcome them into your home, visit the local library for bilingual books and fun children’s programs and make learning the new language fun for your child and yourself.

4. Do not allow anyone try to convince you that learning a second language needs to come after your child has mastered her native language. The myth that children will be language delayed or have a language disorder if a new language is introduced early in life is just that - a myth.

*The latest study out of Texas on this subject suggests that children up to the age of five can learn five languages simultaneously.

*I will caution that you not settle for immersion for your young child during her school day. It should not be ’sink or swim’ in the English only classroom for the Spanish speaking child nor should a Spanish only class be used with your English speaking first grader.

*Your child should be allowed contact with his/her native language throughout the day until at least the age of 8-10 years old.

5. For Spanish speaking families it is a lot of work to continue your native language within your home and community when English is the dominant and daily language your child hears. As in most of parenting, keep a smile first of all.

*Refuse to fall into the trap of making your child ‘perform’ in your native Spanish language. Encourage your child to appreciate their native language by appreciating it yourself and speaking it with love.

*Try not threaten to speak only in Spanish to your child in order to get them to respond back to you in Spanish. This will alienate them from you, their language and their heritage.

*Your child will understand everything you say to them, but your child might often times make the conscious effort to refuse to verbalize back in their native tongue due to your threats.

*One last note: You, as the parent, need to practice your new language of English. Try to make it a family effort to soften your accent when speaking English.

*Instead of being embarrassed by your Spanish accent, show your child you are proud to be Hispanic and will continue to work on your new language as you ask your child to work on their native language. Practice what you preach!

6. Have realistic expectations for your child. Becoming fluent in a new language takes time and takes living the language. Avoid getting a one-on-one tutor for your child during the early years (birth - 8 years old).

*This language journey should be fun - filled with music, games and creativity (not conjugating verbs and grammar).

*Try not to look for your child to be conversational after benchmarks you set up yourself. Every child learns and develops differently.

*Allow your child to enjoy this language learning by not pressuring your child to excel in or perform in either language. The sign of a true linguist is one who code switches. That is, one who can flow between both languages easily within one sentence, one thought, one conversation.

7. The ideal situation in any home where the parent wishes to raise a bilingual child is for one parent to speak Spanish full time with their young child while the other parent speaks English full time. They would flow back and forth between the two languages while explaining things in both languages when possible. We all realize this takes a tremendous amount of effort.

*We also realize that this is not the norm in most households across the world which is why we look for simple solutions that fit into our daily lives.

You can do this. You can give your child the gift of a second language. You are your child’s best teacher. You just need to find the tools to jump start their second language journey today.

You know what makes your child excited about learning. You know what you can fit into your daily routine and still make it fun for all. You just need to do it!

Beth Butler is the creator of the BOCA BETH Language Learning Series for young children. Find out how fun and easy it can be to introduce Spanish to your child. Sample the BOCA BETH bilingual music and movies for free at http://www.bocabeth.com
Call toll free 1.877.825.2622

Having a baby at home is a wonderful experience. Looking after the baby and caring for it is an even more fulfilling experience. When calculating how much to feed a baby, on average a baby needs two and a half ounces of formula for each pound of his weight. A baby does not distinguish night from day. If it’s your first, your baby is going to make a big difference in your life. Of course babies cannot understand what you are saying because they don’t have a grasp of the English language but they do understand sounds and tones, and if you talk quietly and make happy noises the baby know this.

If both parents are working and you need to balance the care of your child between day care centers there are many things you can do to accomplish this, even if you are single parent many day care centers will work with you to help out. If both parents work a day job maybe you can arrange to have one of the parents working either at night or a staggered shift, say starting at noon and working to 8 or 9. And usually the best time to do this is in the summer when both parents might be off work.

As you look at the child care alternatives of day care center, day care at someone else’s home, or a dedicated child care worker in your home, there are two other factors you should take into consideration: it may be best to consider only state licensed day care providers; and your friend or co-worker’s considered choice might not be the best one for your family.

In a childcare center you will need at least one certified trained person that should oversee everything, this is very important if something should happen during operational hours. How can a parent be sure they have made the right decision? A parent wants the best possible care for their child. Today child care centers are very expensive, sometimes parents wonder if it is cost effective for both parents to work, because it is so expensive many think that the day care centers are money magnets.

The most important parts of providing daycare for your child and that’s your child’s nutritional needs. Certainly the daycare center is not going to let the child starve and the food the child is given to eat will certainly be good food. Trying to find good quality daycare is very hard.

When the child care deductions came about many parents were very happy about this because it put more money in their pockets. Many laws have changed since 2001, this was around when all the tax cuts were happening and in fact increased the tax deductions for the number for children. Children who are under the age 12 the parents are eligible to receive a tax break for them and this is a life saver for many. If you didn’t know about this tax advantage there are many accountants or professional tax planners that can help with this, and show you how you can claim this deduction on your taxes.

David Marc Fishman creates personalized party favors for children. Find out how to get party favors at http://www.mailordermommy.com.

There are two safety techniques that children can learn that are very effective yet not so well known. We call the first one a “Power Voice” and the second one a “Belly Brain.”

A Power Voice teaches a child to yell for asisstance when in trouble with a strong voice that comes from the abdomen, not the throat. Every child is capable of this type of voice although they may not have ever used it or know they even have it.

When kids yell, and most adults too, they yell from their throat. The Power Voice is a yell from their belly.

Put your hand on your abdomen and push out with your stomach muscles. Do it again and huff out a breath with it. Do it one more time and this time push out your breath and make a sound with it.

It sounds like a deep “Huh!” More importantly, it comes out with a measure of strength and power. This is the Power Voice.

Kids can practice this when you tell them to, “Bounce Your Voice off The Walls!” Again, it comes from the abdomen, not the throat and when done correctly the difference is astonishing. Kids will need to learn this voice if they ever need to use it. It will get people’s attention when it is used.

You can also teach your child they have two brains, the one in their head and one in their belly. Call the one in the belly the Belly Brain and the one in their head the Head Brain. Its pretty simple but they are names kids can remember and understand.

Kids know how to listen to their Head Brain. They do it everyday, all the time. We teach kids the differences between their two brains and how to listen to their Belly Brain. Teach your child that their Belly Brain is always right.

For adults, a Belly Brain is that visceral, gut feeling that is always right. Kids have this gut feeling too, but they need some help in learning how to listen to it and use it to keep themselves safe.

Simply show your kid how their Belly Brain works. Show them it is always right and always works positively for them. Teach them to pay attention to it and how to listen to it. More importantly, show them that listening to it is “OK,” as well.

In doing this you will have to show the kids how their Head Brain can sometimes trick them. Do this by using imagination and storytelling techniques that enable the child to build up a great, exciting tale about a shadow they saw dance across a wall.

It’s the same when kids think monsters that are in their bedroom closet or under the bed. Show them how their Head Brain makes these stories up.

Then, reinforce the Belly Brain as the alarm clock for potentially dangerous situations. Teach your child to recognize the uneasiness in their stomach without panic, alarm and worry. Teach them to see potential danger calmly and avoid it with any number of ways to leave the area they are feeling uncomfortable in, safely.

When kids tune into their Belly Brain they are more tuned in detecting uncomfortable situations, situations with questionable adults and inappropriate behavior. Kids naturally feel uncomfortable with inappropriate questions and behaviors they are around. You are simply showing them how to be alert to it with their Belly Brain.

The kids learn not only to listen to their Belly Brain but to also go tell you about how they feel and who they were with when they tune into it.

Joyce Jackson is a child safety expert in northern California. For her extensive website and information see http://www.KeepingKidsSafeToday.com and a free special report at http://www.StopPredatorsCold.com

One of the best things a parent can do to boost the self-esteem of pre-teen girls is to share family books about their worth. Starting in early childhood and going throughout life, girls and women look at life shaped by stories told to them. Stories affect the worldview and belief systems of both girls and boys. Did you ever stop to think how certain stories influence pre-teen girls?

Consider child abuse and bullying. Child abuse is the direct result of a lack of respect for the dignity and potential of children. Statistics show that almost 80% of child abuse is caused by parents or family members. Pre-teen girls are verbally and emotionally challenged at school. According to Prevent Child Abuse America, nearly 160,000 children stay home every day because of bullying.

In the United States alone, there are more than 11 million pre-teen girls who are between the ages 9 through 13. Girls face a special challenge. When girls are hurt by emotional abuse, they can develop a lasting cycle of feeling depressed, anxious, or fearful. They can develop low self-esteem that leads to inappropriate or troubled relationships. They lack trust in others and teach their own children not to trust others. Girls and women are experts in relationships, much more so then boys and men. So when an emotionally abused girl grows up to be a mother or grandmother, what about her children?

What contributes to the overall debasing of girls? Have you considered how stories build negative thoughts and beliefs about the value of girls? Pre-teen books about boys or men with power show that it is all right to bully and verbally or emotionally abuse girls. Even some of the leading adventure stories contain violence. Boys act as warriors and treat girls as victims. These stories abuse the real value of children and teach them unsafe roles.

Preventing abuse depends on developing well-being. Well-being is a state where everyone is respected and treated with dignity. Prevent Child Abuse America says that well-being involves every person at personal, family and community levels. Personal well-being includes hope and optimism that prevents abuse. Hope-filled stories show how girls make a significant difference for good. When you treasure girls, their self-esteem grows. Family and society become stronger and more loving.

How do parents make a safe environment for pre-teen children? Discover and read meaningful adventure stories that value the contribution of girls and women. Find books with a hope-filled story about pre-teen girls and boys. For example, consider stories that have these five elements:

First, there is a spirit of collaboration. Children work together instead of against one another.

Second, the heroes in the story have a mission to serve others. This could be helping to solve a problem, lend assistance, or provide kind words and deeds.

Third, the book follows a progressive story line where the characters of boys and girls are growing deeper and more meaningful. Avoid stories where no growth happens.

Fourth, the story illustrates virtues, not vices. For example, hope replaces despair. Peaceful and creative solutions replace violence. Respect for all characters is the main focus of the story.

Fifth, the book imagines a positive ending that children can associate with. Closure is an important aspect of the book. This may include scenes of reconcilation, forgiveness, reunion and other positive heart-felt events.

When hope and optimism win out, pre-teen girls can imagine how they can make life better for everyone.

The girls of today become the mothers, business and civic leaders of tomorrow. To break the cycle of violence and improve lives of pre-teen girls and boys, tell stories of hope and optimism. Family books with positive messages provide parents with an excellent place to start.

Dave Pipitone is a professional communicator, spiritual entrepreneur, dedicated husband and father. For more information on a hope-filled story for pre-teen girls and boys, visit http://www.therainbowchronicles.com.

When your child goes out of your home they are in the realm of offline or direct sexual predators. In your neighborhood, at your parks, on your streets and outside the fences of your schools, direct sexual predators are surreptitiously hunting for children. You can choose to spend every second supervising your child between birth and high school. How practical is that? How much does that instill in your child personal responsibility and growth? There is a better way.

These predators are hard to spot because they look like normal individuals. Your child can encounter threatening situations simply by playing in your yard with you in the house. The best way to protect your child is to teach them how to be able to keep themselves safe.

Step one is for your child to be able to know how to deal with strangers and how to deal effectively with them when approached by one. Your child must be able to respond and stay away from developing dangerous situations as well as getting out of one if caught in it. They must also be able to stay calm, focus and apply any number of safety techniques if a situation rapidly gets out of control.

We have Five Secrets for playing outside that you can teach your child. They can use them immediately and be a little safer when you are not around. They apply to any outdoor situation including times, like at the park, when you are close but not directly next to your child.

So, here are The 5 Secrets For Playing Safely Outside.

Secret #1: Teach Your Child To Pay Attention To Things That Seem Out Of Place.

Teach your child to be on the look out for things that occur that are out of the ordinary. Tell them it is “OK” for them to come tell you when they see something different. Say it and mean it. It does not matter what it is, just get them in the bait of telling you about things they see that just don’t seem normal to them.

Things out of the ordinary are things like people moving through your neighborhood that are not normally there, cars moving much more slowly up and down your street than usual, vehicles repeatedly driving up and down your street or an unrecognizable ice cream truck appearing out of nowhere one afternoon.

Secret #2: Teach Your Child How To Sit Properly When Playing.

Sitting properly means your child has their back is straight, head high and shoulders straight even when they are looking around or down. Show your child how to sit and play with their legs crossed and back straight. Sitting on their knees or with them bent to the side is also very effective for quick movement as long as their back is straight.

This sitting posture allows your child the ability to spot things out of the ordinary and gives them an advantage if they need to stand up quickly.

Secret #3: Teach Your Child To Get To Their Feet.

Quickly And Tell You About Things That Are Not Normal
In a potential threatening situation a child needs to be able to get up fast and move quickly yet steadily. We teach kids to move fast and we teach them to do it under control. It starts with being able to get up properly off the ground. With good focus skills they can learn to do this easily and will be able to do it with a great deal of calm control.

The way most kids get up opens them up for being blindsided in an attack or abduction. Just watch your kids when they are watching TV. When they get up they usually stick their bum in the air first, put their hands on the ground and point their head down as they push themselves up with their arms. This method affords your child absolutely no protection or ability to see anything or anyone.

Teach them how to stand up so they can keep their heads up and eyes alert and up. This means they stand up without bending over and without placing their hands on the ground. They can do this by raising up to their knees first with head and shoulders straight, then placing a knee out at ninety degrees to their torso and then rotating up using the hips to a full standing position.

The end result is a child upright and alert with head up, shoulders back and ready to move quickly if required.

Secret #4: Teach Your Child To Look People, Especially Adults, Directly In The Eyes.

Teach your child to look at people directly in the eyes, especially adults. Kids need to learn to look adults directly in the eyes. Very few children look adults right in the eyes when they are talking to them. Kids are naturally intimidated by adults because we are bigger and stronger than they are. It is just a natural thing, but you can teach your child to have the confidence to look anyone in the eyes.

Looking someone in the eyes does many things for a child. One, it projects confidence that anyone approaching the child can see. Two, it allows the child some time to assess the intentions of the approaching individual. Three, a small child squarely and confidently looking at an approaching stranger in the eyes, can give the child an extra split second advantage in fleeing a dangerous situation if that stranger is taken by surprise with the intense gaze of that small child.

Secret #5: Teach Your Child To Listen To Their Instincts.

Another tool your child’s safety arsenal is teaching them that they have two brains, the one in their head and one in their belly. We call the one in the belly the “Belly Brain.” Adults know this as their “gut instinct.”

Kids need to learn to listen to their Belly Brain. It is rarely, if ever, wrong. Kids have this gut feeling too, but they need some help in learning how to listen to it and use it to keep themselves safe.

Teach your child that the Belly Brain works for them. Teach them how to listen to it. Help your child to distinguish between their “Head Brain” and their Belly Brain.

In our classes we show the kids how their Head Brain can sometimes trick them. We use imagination and storytelling techniques that enable the children to build up a great, exciting tale about a shadow they saw dance across a wall. It’s the same when kids think monsters are in their bedroom closet or under the bed. We show them how their Head Brain makes these stories up.

Reinforce the Belly Brain as the alarm clock for potentially dangerous situations. Teach your child to trust and always listen to it at all times. You can show your kids how to recognize the uneasiness in their stomach without panic, alarm and worry. When kids tune into their Belly Brain they are more tuned in detecting uncomfortable situations, situations with questionable adults and inappropriate behavior.

Kids naturally feel uncomfortable with inappropriate questions and behaviors they are around. We simply show them how to be alert to it with their Belly Brain.

Joyce Jackson is a child safety expert in northern California. For her extensive website and information see http://www.KeepingKidsSafeToday.com and a free special report at http://www.StopPredatorsCold.com

The camp you choose for your child will provide a lifetime of good memories and will be truly rewarding. The more artistically minded might consider arts and crafts, clowning, drama, photography, or dance to be important elements of having a well-rounded camp experience. Beyond the traditional sports - baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, tennis, football, and more - there are camps for outdoor enthusiasts that can offer horseback riding, hiking, camping, fishing, and even rappelling.

Camps are divided by gender - girls only, boys only, or co-ed and again by age group. Each summer, more than 10 million children and counselors attend day camps and overnight summer camps across the country. Basically, if you can think of any subject of interest, there’s probably a camp that specializes in it.

Special needs camps meet the needs of a wide range of children with disabilities; these camps provide an outdoor summer camp experience along with a therapeutic environment. Camps often focus on specialties that include: adventure, art, computer, dance, music, religion, horse riding, sports, theatre, and many others. An overnight summer camp is a supervised program for children and teens conducted during the summer months in most countries; children and teens, called campers, who attend camp, participate in a variety of activities, many of which are special interest.

Specialty overnight camps can range from $500 to $1000 per week depending on the program. Get to know the camp director from an in-person visit to your home if possible, phone conversations, email or other correspondence. Camp tuition can be expensive; similar to travel insurance, there are now insurance policies for families sending their children to overnight summer camp to cover last minute cancellations, homesickness, medical emergencies and emergency evacuations.

Visit the camp; you can view campers and counselors in their element, witness activities as they occur, and just obtain an overall feel of the camp, something that cannot be accurately experienced when the camp is closed. At camp would it benefit your child more if he or she interacted more with the opposite gender? There are many types of overnight summer camps with a focus on education that cater to students with differing ages and academic interests.

Camps should have at least a 40% to 60% return staff ratio, which shows that the camp is seen as a good place to spend a summer. Some camps are often called adventure camps - having a very specific theme or interest; many of these programs emphasize skill development and personal growth through the adventures the offer. Four weeks at a good private overnight summer camp or sleepaway camp will cost anywhere from $3500 to $6500, and eight weeks will range from $4000 to $7000.

Check the camper-counselor ratio to determine the number of campers for each counselor. Consider these industry-recommended guidelines - for smaller children ages 7 and 8, there should be one counselor for every six campers; by age 15, there should be one counselor for every 10 campers. The best overnight summer sports camps do much more than just improve a camper’s soccer, tennis, lacrosse, or wrestling skills - they help each child become a more skillful athlete, a more gracious competitor, a more committed team player, and a more confident person.

Choosing a camp close to home will save a lot of money on airfare and possible hotel or motel overnight stays for a parent, or other transportation costs; this is especially true if your child might get a case of homesickness and want to come home early from the overnight summer camp. Typically an overnight summer camp experience will leave a lot of wonderful memories for the child or teen camper. If you think your child may not be ready for a sleepaway or overnight summer camp, choose a local camp in case you end up having to make a late night pickup in the event he or she gets homesick. Homesickness is a frequent problem, but with a caring camp counselor most campers adjust easily.

For more information on choosing the best overnight summer camp and finding the best sleepaway or overnight summer camp go to http://www.OvernightSummerCamp.biz a nurse’s website specializing in overnight summer camp tips, help, free tuition resources and information on overnight summer camp reviews

There are overnight summer camps that are co-ed camps, boy’s camps, girl’s camps or brother-sister camps where boys and girls may have separate venues and activities. Basically, if you can think of any subject of interest, there’s probably a camp that specializes in it. The more artistically minded might consider arts and crafts, clowning, drama, photography, or dance to be important elements of having a well-rounded camp experience.

Planning early is important; you should be diligent in your efforts to visit camps during the peak season to make plans in advance of the next camping year. An overnight summer camp is a supervised program for children and teens conducted during the summer months in most countries; children and teens, called campers, who attend camp, participate in a variety of activities, many of which are special interest. Camps often focus on specialties that include: adventure, art, computer, dance, music, religion, horse riding, sports, theatre, and many others.

There are overnight summer camps with a focus on self-improvement, weight loss and grief counseling. Many kid campers are enrolled in summer camp by their parents early in the year, thus camps fill up quickly. The variety of camps available today is almost innumerable, meaning there will be some specialized camps that may have availability left even into the summer.

Children will get more individual attention and supervision with a lower number of campers per counselor. Is there a special topic (e.g. religion, sports, educational, performing arts, arts and crafts) that you hope your child will gain ability and experience in? Camps should have at least a 40% to 60% return staff ratio, which shows that the camp is seen as a good place to spend a summer.

Some camps are often called adventure camps - having a very specific theme or interest; many of these programs emphasize skill development and personal growth through the adventures the offer. The best overnight summer sports camps do much more than just improve a camper’s soccer, tennis, lacrosse, or wrestling skills - they help each child become a more skillful athlete, a more gracious competitor, a more committed team player, and a more confident person. Non-profit camps often range from $1200 to $3000 for four weeks and $2500 to $5000 for eight weeks.

There are many types of overnight summer camps with a focus on education that cater to students with differing ages and academic interests. Do you think, if you have more than one child, they would they benefit from attending the same summer camp together? Get to know the camp director from an in-person visit to your home if possible, phone conversations, email or other correspondence.

Check the camper-counselor ratio to determine the number of campers for each counselor. Try to determine whether the director incorporates a similar philosophy to running the camp as you do in parenting your child or children. Children or teens could typically explore subjects new to them like marine science, photography, creative writing, community service, drama, magic, scuba diving, video production, comic book design, crime scene forensics, cooking, yoga, rappelling, etc.

If you find a traditional overnight summer camp or sleepaway camp that’s not the right fit, or an expense that isn’t possible at this place in time, rest assured that there are other options that can keep your child occupied throughout the summer. Homesickness is a frequent problem, but with a caring camp counselor most campers adjust easily. The summer is a key time to visit overnight summer camps or sleepaway camps because you can ascertain whether they’ll be the right fit for your child, children or family while the camp is in full operation. Choosing a camp close to home will save a lot of money on airfare and possible hotel or motel overnight stays for a parent, or other transportation costs; this is especially true if your child might get a case of homesickness and want to come home early from the overnight summer camp.

For more information on choosing the best overnight summer camp and finding the best sleepaway or overnight summer camp go to http://www.OvernightSummerCamp.biz a nurse’s website specializing in overnight summer camp tips, help, free tuition resources and information on overnight summer camp reviews