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Parent's
Time Out
October 26, 2001
This weekly feature of the Online Exchange
is committed to helping parents take back quality time and
devote it more fully to spending it with their children. Here is where you can start to take a Time Out from the TV, computer, housework, and bills. It only takes a few minutes to do fun and memorable things
with your children and we will lend a hand each week to get you started. Tune in here for encouragement, fun and easy things to do,
and other tidbits, all geared just for you and your precious ones.
~ Time Out for
the Week
Start cultivating the gardener in your child.
Here is a quickie your kids will love. Get a carrot. Give the carrot a
short haircut- Cutting off the leaves on top, leaving just the very ends
that are close to the carrot. You should be able to do this with your
child using scissors. Now, cut the carrot about an inch down from the
top. Put the top into a shallow dish with water up to almost the top of
the orange part. Snack on the rest. You might need to put little pebbles
around the stub to keep it in place. Find a spot for it near sunlight.
Have your child keep it watered. Soon you will see new green leaves
coming out of the top. Of course the carrot is not going to grow, but
the leaves do and it is something very simple that your kids can watch
grow. Remember to let them have a large part in getting this ready and
in keeping the carrot watered. You do the cutting, but let them do the
rest, and have fun!
~ What's for
Dinner?
Best Meatloaf Ever
This dish can be made ahead of time and
place in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to bake
it.
What you need:
- 1- 2 pounds of ground beef
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 1 green (bell pepper) finely chopped
- Saltine crackers - about 20,
smashed, but no too fine
- 1/4 cup milk (can use canned or
skim)
- salt and pepper to taste
- Bacon- about 4 strips and catsup
What you do:
- Mix ingredients the first 5
ingredients about with hands or a fork. Form this mixture
into a "brick shape".
- Top with the strips of bacon and
pour catsup generously on top.
- Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 50
minutes. Serve with salad and vegetable.
This recipe serves 2 adults and 1 child - double the recipe for a
larger family
NOTE: I make these up 6 at a time and wrap and freeze. Place
in oven after work frozen for 1 hour uncovered. YUM
YUM YUM
~ Just for You
4 Ways to Cut the Fat out of Your Cleaning
by Mary
Ellen Pinkham
Here's some great news for women: Researchers now believe we may
actually need more dirt and germs in our lives, since being exposed to
them during childhood may help us develop immunity to asthma and
allergies. As if that weren't enough, I read that famous decorator Mario
Buatta called dust "a protective coating for fine furniture."
On the other hand, most
people don't want an adult domicile to look like a dorm room. The key --
as always -- is moderation. The way to cut down on housework is to clean
less stuff more often. Here's what I mean:
Pare down.
The less you own, the less you have to clean. Get rid of everything you
don't love or need. Can't decide whether to ditch it or not? Put
doubtful items into a box, tape it closed, and mark it "Deliver to
[name of favorite charity] on [date six months in the future]."
(Seasonal items should be earmarked for disposal in a year's time.) If
you haven't had any reason to look inside the box when the "deliver
by" date arrives, dispose of it. Do not under any circumstances
take a last peek inside.
Gear up.
Put cleaning supplies where they're needed. This is one of the greatest
housekeeping tips ever. A wipe here and a spray there keeps dirt under
control and makes cleaning almost painless. So put cleanser, all-purpose
spray and a sponge in every bathroom. Keep mirror cleaner, furniture
polish and paper towels in the bedroom closet. Have an upright or
canister vacuum on each floor. Mount an extra battery-operated vacuum
wherever it might be needed: near bedrooms, in the family room,
wherever. Take a moment or two to deal with smudges, spills and dirt as
you notice them.
Think small.
- Deal with little jobs
before they turn into big ones.
Example: Vacuum up crumbs and blot up spills before the dirt gets
ground in or sets, after which it will be much harder to remove.
- Divide big jobs into
manageable tasks.
Example: Instead of waiting until the holidays to clean the good
china, run some of the dishes through the dishwasher periodically.
Don't try to tackle all the silver polishing at once. Polish the
silver forks one week, knives the next, etc.
- Do as little as possible
whenever possible.
Example: You can wipe off the handprints; you don't need to clean the
whole wall. You can deal with the spots without shampooing the entire
rug. Besides, too much cleaning wears away the paint and isn't good
for the rug. And you don't need to clean places that no one will see.
Focus elsewhere.
The best cleaning aid you can invest in is a cordless phone with a
headset. Collect your cleaning tools, then dial your friend. Having
virtual company while you do such unpleasant tasks as mopping the floor,
cleaning out the refrigerator and scrubbing the toilet will make all
those jobs go a lot faster.
~
Recommended Site of the Week
Can you tell me how to get to...
There's still no place like Sesame Street! Check out their website:
http://www.sesameworkshop.org/
Thank you for joining us
for this weeks Time Out! Now the rest is up to you. Take the time to do
the things suggested, or think of your own ways to spend precious time
with your family. But most importantly, HAVE FUN!!
Be sure to tell your friends about us! Highlight the parts of the page
you like the best and print it. Then keep a folder of ideas and recipes.
We would like to hear from you! If you have a favorite family site or craft,
send it to us and we might share it with our readers. Or, just let us know
what you think of our feature.
Contact Sara.
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click here.
Find all of
the Parent's Time Out Editions in our Archives.
Giving Credit were Credit
is Due...
We search all over for great tips, ideas and recipes and don't want to
forget to let you know where it all comes from. This week we would like
to thank the following:
www.homeschoolzone.com
www.ivillage.com
www.sesameworkshop.org |
