Since Americans in the South began roasting pigs publicly, Barbecues have been a staple of North American living. For many, grilling becomes a routine mealtime activity, while for the most devoted grillers, summer is ruled by massive barbecue parties. But grillers do not have to choose between boring repetition and outrageous get-togethers: every barbecue can and should be an exciting family event. Here are 5 ways to make your routine evening barbecue a more unique experience:

1) Who said you have to stick to meat? Much can be done with bread and fruits over an open flame. To make this into a fun activity with your kids, use cookie cutters to make the bread and fruit into shapes. You can decide on themes like “animals” and “letters” or ask that each shape be different from the others! Then, let your kids decide which toppings they would like to put on. Add cheese, onion and various spices to bread and cinnamon and honey to fruit.

2) Try foil-wrapped surprise meals. Place different combinations of chicken, fish and vegetables with sauces and spices in foil packets. These cook in less than 20 minutes and lead to no-mess, lip-smacking results. Children will love the surprise element and can easily switch packets. You can even ask your family for combo suggestions before the barbecue, or draw ingredient names out of a hat to create new meal ideas.

3) A little variety goes a long way. If you tend to stick to the same old beef burgers and pork wieners, why not try grilled pizza or salmon steaks? Similarly, try to mix it up with condiments and seasoning. Sick of ketchup? Try salsa instead. Look online where you’ll find hundreds of easy recipes for barbecue rubs. These give your food that extra pizzazz and prevent the mess and drip that comes with barbecue sauces.

4) Barbecues don’t have to be rushed. In fact, barbecue devotees will tell you that today’s quick broiling is an insult to the term, which should represent a process of slow cooking on low heat. You can find many slow cooker recipes online, and the wait is a great opportunity to pass some quality time with your family and friends. Entertaining backyard activities include creating an outdoor canvas to paint on or playing backyard bowling with household items.

5) Mom said not to play with your food, but there’s always an exception! Barbecue games are great fun and tasty at the same time. In Glutton, each player gets a certain amount of mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese or any other side dish. Various kitchen utensils are put in a box and the players blindly pick a few. On the go, they begin to eat their dish with the items that they took out. The first to finish his or her food wins the prize!

Finally, don’t fret! Far too many people get lost in the details of planning the perfect barbecue party and forget to enjoy the social atmosphere and delicious food. So kick back, bask in the relaxing sun and prepare for a summer of unforgettable barbecues!

Moriah Shemer works for Chris & Tal’s Better Foods, a food innovation company focused on crafting no compromise, guilt-free versions of your favorite foods. Our top product is the Better Burger, made of a blend of lean meat and high-grade textured soy protein. The result? The delicious beef taste you love with half the fat, calories and cholesterol. For store availability visit http://www.betterfoods.ca

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Playtime between a parent and a child creates a deep emotional bond. It’s the bond that sets the path for joyful, creative, cooperative times by being together. Adults seem to shun fun and games in their daily lives. As adults, we often get so caught up in “grown up” business that we can forget how to have pure fun. Some parents just don’t know how to play with their children or feel they don’t have the time. It’s no wonder - most parents work a full-time job and feel drained with little or no energy at the end of the day to feel playful. If only parents knew how much playtime shapes their family life, more parents would welcome it. They would come to know that it recharges their adult batteries!

Most parents played as children. Parents experienced being silly, laughing at nothing, playing games on their own or with their peers. Why is it that parents today have forgotten how to play? Why do parents feel like outsiders or simply ignore this way of communicating with their children? Parents make sure their children are loved, comforted, safe, fed, and sheltered; but when it comes to playing, most parents can’t seem to get in the swing of it. Our society in general doesn’t take playing very seriously either. Most play professionals such as day-care providers, after school program teachers, recreation department workers and camp counselors are paid very low wages for the really important work they do for our children’s lives. These workers are treated more as baby-sitters than experts on children and play.

Playtime is a rewarding time for a fresh, renewed look at life. It’s the time when a zestfulness of living takes place. When a parent plays with his child, there is a deep heart-to-heart vibration that can overcome all the day’s stresses and frustrations. Participating in your child’s playtime arena, whether it’s on the floor, eye-to-eye, sitting next to each other or across a table, creates enjoyment and spontaneity, happiness, and an opportunity to interact as no other activity can. Years of research has shown that successful parenting is when there is a sensitive response to their child’s needs. This response includes physical contact, smiling faces, eye contact, and communication, both verbal and nonverbal.

Some of my clients have said, “My family members need to feel more connected. We seem to be disconnected and going in different directions.” Playing helps build that connection and communication so vital to a loving family environment. Parents can try to remember and reconnect with that part of themselves that knows how to be in the flow of fun. Asking a child to play with you and then allowing your child to lead you to what they want to play and how they want to play, is the first step to creating a deep connection. Hide-and-seek, tag, chasing, wrestling, fantasy play, sports, pillow fights, art projects, racing, etc. are games that all children like. You can start by knowing that anything can be fun, especially doing it together.

Here are five ways to be a more lighthearted parent:

1. Lead the way - ask your children what type of activity they would like to do with you. Talk it over and accept an activity that will bring both of you a feeling of gladness. Think about what caused you to giggle as a child. Children like rules - start the game with, “OK, if we play there will be no giggling or blinking!” Then pretend to fuss when your child breaks these rules! Let the games begin!

2. Loosen up - playtime is just that: play and time. Don’t worry about messiness, noise, or commotion. Just remember to let the play flow and follow it along. As long as you hear silly giggles, howls of joy, see happy smiles, then you know that this playtime session is a success.

3. Encourage Your Children - Understand that when you play with your child it encourages strong feelings of excitement, exuberance, joy, as well as frustrations, anxiousness, jealousy, and embarrassment. Get a handle on these emotions by knowing that these emotions should be freely expressed rather than having them buried and held inside. So take time out during your playtime to stand back and remind your child that having these feelings is okay, that being angry or being joyful are emotions that are acceptable. This creates a deep connection between you. After all, play is a child’s way of expressing themselves and their emotions.

4. Be Playful with Your Children - Use a voice that is relaxed and goofy. Step outside of your everyday stern parent style and start to feel the energy of play. Choose games that allow you to give your children encouragement, inspire their confidence, allows for their need of attachment and closeness. Give your children your complete attention accompanied with love, hugs and affection. Always promote win-win situations in the games you play and have a good time!

5. Be Lighthearted - Being lighthearted while playing with your child actually adds to your life and brings you time. Playtime is rejuvenating. You may have to push yourself at first, but very soon thereafter, you will feel, understand and want to play as the payoff is well worth it.

To help your batteries feel recharged after your exhausting day at work, take the initiative to spend more together time with your children, even if it only means hugging them, talking to them, being with them at the end of the day. Bring up everyone’s spirits by telling them how much they mean to you and what you most appreciate about each family member. Create a healthy, energetic connection today that your children will remember for the rest of their lives.

Copyright © 2005 by Linda Milo and Empowering Parents Now. All rights reserved.

Parenting Specialist Linda Milo, who is also known as The Parent-Child Connection Coach, is creator of the “The Joyful Parenting Program.” For over 20 years, Linda has helped coach mothers and fathers overcome their parenting challenges, and turn those challenges into a more livable, more workable, and more enjoyable family life. Subscribe to her FREE better-parenting newsletter at http://www.empoweringparentsnow.com

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AaArrange all of the clothes in your child’s closet by color, from lights to darks or to resemble a rainbow. Not only will you be teaching your child about colors and matching, it’ll give you a chance to weed out those clothes that are too small or no longer worn.

BbBuild a playhouse out of assorted boxes. Cake boxes stacked on top of a bigger box makes for a great roof. Get creative and help your child decorate the outside of the main box with crayons, markers, or glue and bits of fabric.

CcColor a picture with your child. Make sure both of you sign the beautiful masterpiece before you hang it up. Be differentMaybe a purple cloud or a blue horse. Let your imagination equal your child’s.

DdDonate old toys and clothing to a local charity or shelter. A child is generally very giving. Let them pick out things to donate. You’ll probably be surprised at all of the items your child will gather up. Let your child know where the things are going and who will benefit from them.

EeEat a meal that your child has created the menu for. One night of Spaghetti-O’s and ice cream won’t hurt. The next night, you can get silly! For example, you must eat all of your dessert before you can have any dinner. That will bring a grin to your special little one’s face.

FfFlowers make great collages. Collect flowers, grass and other growing pretties with your child. Then, let him/her glue them to paper or press them in a book.

GgGuessing games are fun and can be as imaginative as you like. Guess how many cans are in the cupboardHow many cups of water can fit into a pitcherHow many socks are in a drawer. Let your child decide what guessing game to play.

HhHelp your child make a card or picture for someone special. Use everyday items like buttons, magazine cut outs, and bits of thread.

IiIce cream sundaes can be messy, but they are always fun to make. Add a little food coloring to vanilla to create different colors. Raisins and oatmeal sprinkles make unusual toppings with a tasty flair.

JjJumping rope is something not all of us have a talent for; however, there are a lot of games that you can play using a jump rope. Lay the rope on the ground and see what letters and shapes you can make with it. Maybe it’s a tightrope that you have to carefully walk across.

KkKeep a jar with a cover. Let your child put all the “treasures” that she/he finds into the jar. “Junk Jars” are wonderful mementos of a childhood. When it gets full just start another one. Add to it little things that you findEarrings with no match, marbles, key chainsAnything that will fit into the jar. When your child is older, she/he will love going through it and looking at all the things that have been collected over the years.

LlLove your child every single day! A hug or a kiss can bring a lot of security to a child. Write a love note and put it in his/her lunch. Leave a valentine on the fridge, even if it’s not Valentine’s Day. You’ll get so much back in return.

MmMake a dream list with your child. Things that you and your child would like to see change, things you both want to accomplish in your lifetimes, anything that you can think of. Look at this list often with your child and see if anything has changed or been accomplished.

NnNotebooks are a great way to keep memories. Set aside one day each month to recap all the things that have happened. Write them down and decorate the page with a sticker or picture. The next month, look at what happened the month before and update with current happenings. Make sure you have your child’s input and point of view.

OoOpen a savings account with your child. Many banks offer children a no fee account. Usually, there is only a one dollar opener required. When the statement comes each month, teach your child how the interest works. Go to the library and learn about it with your child if you are not sure or make an appointment to speak with a bank representative. Bank representatives will sit down with you and your child to explain the whole savings account process. Your child will learn about saving and money management. Let your child do odd jobs around the house to earn a little to put into their account. Let them do the transaction, if they are old enough to write.

PpPretend that you are the child and that the child is the parent. Don’t be a perfect child though. Let your child make disciplinary decisions for something done wrong. You can learn a lot about your child when the roles are reversed.

QqQuiet time is wonderful! Lay down with your child and share a story or a special event from the day. Children love to talk and always want someone to listen.

RrRelive your childhood by telling your child stories about when you were young. Maybe you tried to dig a hole to the other side of the earthOr maybe you thought that penguins lived in the fridge to turn out the light when you closed the door. Children love to hear stories about when their parents were young. Something you thought was devastating as a child may be hilarious to your child. Shared laughter is a special kind of love.

SsSilly day is a favorite with children. Start the day off by putting on clean pajamas. Do only silly things for the whole day! Have dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner. Have dessert for lunch. Put on your regular clothes for bedtime. Let your child come up with some silly ideas too.

TtTeach your child a trick. Can you pull a quarter out of someone’s ear? Maybe you can touch your feet to your head. Anything that a child might be able to do is a wonderful and often funny experience. Then, let your child teach you how to do something that they know how to do. Even if you already know how to do it, let them instruct you because it will help build confidence and leadership in your child.

UuUse spoons to eat with all day. No matter what it is, use a spoon. A spoonful of spaghetti is a riot! Try not to serve things that are normally eaten with a spoon though. Also, make sure all items are cooled down because they are more than likely going to be dropped and spilled.

VvVegetables are a great art medium. What can you make out of veggies? Carrot and celery sticks with peanut butter glue can be put together to create wonderful designs. What else can you think of to use? Ask your child what vegetables they would like to create with.

WwWater is great! Let your child take a plastic fireman’s helmet into the shower. It’s like playing in the rain. During the summer, a little bubble bath in a plastic wading pool makes for a great outdoor bath. Bubbles will be all over everything, much to the child’s delight.

XxX-ray drawings are easy to do. Some call them ’shadow’ or ’silhouette’ drawings. Tape a piece of paper to a wall. Then, face a lamp so that it shines on the paper. Sit in a position that puts your shadow onto the paper. Have your child trace your shadow. When the tracing is finished, have your child remove the paper from the wall and color it in. It will always be a perfect portrait when it’s done with the love and creativity of a child.

YyYelling contests are a great way to let off steam and relieve stress. Stand in the back yard with your child and just scream about all the things that are really bugging you. “I don’t like having to clean my room!” can make a child feel great. “I don’t like having to pay bills!” will take the edge off of this tedious chore. This is also a way of opening up the lines of communication. Listen to what your child is yelling. Don’t lecture during a yelling contest. This is just a way of expression.

ZzZippers, shoelaces, snaps and buttons all help your child to develop fine motor skills. It will take practice, but your child will learn and know the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction in the end. Do not let your child get to the point of frustration. If your child starts to get aggravated, take a break! You could suggest doing something else or tell your child a story about how it took you a long time to learn a certain skill. Let your child know that you’re not perfect either and that most things take a lot of practice. Make sure you point something out that they have learned because they didn’t give up.
There are so many things that we can do with our children if we make the time. A lot of parents time is spent on important things, but five minutes here and there isn’t going to break anyone’s schedule.

Until next time

Stay busy and hug your precious little one!

Kimie Bringle
Children’s Author
FourPoint Moms
http://kimie.fourpointmoms.com

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