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Helpful Hints for Single Fathers
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Have a life and fun with your kids
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Tip#1:
Plan a weekend trip.
This will allow the kids to have a break and as a bonus you won't have to clean up the house when your done.
Step 1: Buy a local map and choose a destination that is within a short drive. Start out by getting a map drawing a circle that represents your drive time allowance (the picture is of my children and I going to San Antonio for a weekend).
Step2: let the children pick the place. It is easy to plan, make an adventure out of it. (Remember this should be a low maintenance trip, so don't bring nice clothes, let the kids pick what they want to wear).
Step 3: Relax, have fun like try having a meal backwards, (start with dessert first then work your way to the begining). Have a finger food night (fried chicken, pizza, etc..).
Step 4: always make backup plans incase of rain or some other acts of nature (in the summer go hiking and if it starts to rain, make mud angles(like snow angles but with mud)).
Key Items to Remember:
make it stress free and fun. If your stressed, then the kids will be to.
This is a trip that you planned together so include everyone in the planning no matter how old.
Relax and have fun.
*In the future I will have ideas of places to go, that are low cost and low maintenance. Check back often.
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Running late and need a quick dinner? Try this quick idea.
Make a box of macaroni and cheese (follow the instruction on the box)While you are making the macaroni and cheese, put four (4) hotdogs into the microwave and heat for 1.5 min.(make sure to cover with a paper towel to keep them from making a mess while heating).
Once macaroni and hotdogs are done, cut hotdogs into small cubes and add to the macaroni and cheese.
That is it, your done.
Your kids while like the taste and you will have very little to clean up.
Look for more ideas in the future.
http://www.fortunecity.com/
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Quick and Easy food Ideas
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Helpful Hints/Books/News
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The following was written by Rabbi Kalman regarding divorce and children:
G_d gave us freewill and understands that not everyone will choose well -- or that not everyone will follow through on the commitment to work things out or make the best of the situation. Therefore, the Almighty includes a commandment to get divorced when it becomes a necessity.
Anyone who thinks about it will agree that parents love their children more than each other. A couple will divorce, but they will not divorce their children. As a matter of fact, most of the bitter fights in divorce are over the children. And ironically, it is the children -- who the parent loves more than their spouce -- who suffer most. Perhaps the parent really loves himself more than their child -- or, quite possibly, the parent is not really focussing on their priorities.
It infuriates me seeing children slaughtered on the alter of divorce! What can be done to help parents rise to their roles as parents at this very difficult time? Dade County (Florida) mandates that families attend the Sandcastles Divorce Therapy Program created by rabbi and psychologist, M. Gary Neuman. Fortunately Rabbi Neuman has shared his wisdom with a wider audience in his book Helping Your Kids Cope with Divorce the Sandcastles Way. (The book is available at better bookstores everywhere)
The book is a guide for parents to understand their children and to communicate with them the realities of divorce. Chapters include: Parenting After Divorce, How Children Experience Divorce, Understanding Children's Play and Art, How to tell your Child, When Parents Fight, When a Parent Moves Away, Custody and Visitation, Dealing with Divorce-Related Change, Your New Significant Other, The Stepfamily. There are chapters specifically regarding each child's age group.
There are also activities to help understand one's child and what's troubling him/her. For instance: Ask your child to create his/her own city where he/she make all the rules. What would the rules be? Have the child name and design the city. The purpose of this imagination game is to allow children to rule their worlds and offer parents insight into what the child feels is wrong or should be different. Often in the context of play, childern will voice wishes and requests that they would never state directly. (In reading this book, I realized that one does not have to be divorced to benefit from many of the parent-child communication activities).
We must love our children and give them every assistance towards self-esteem! Here's a beautiful summation I recently came across.
What you think of me,
I'll think of me.
And what I think of me.....
I'll be.
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Favorite Links
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