Christmas Crafts for You and the Kids

If you like Christmas crafts there is no shortage of directions for how-to projects both on and online. On the internet you will find do it yourself projects for every type of Christmas craft imaginable. Women's magazines are also full of ideas for Christmas crafts at this time of the year.

If you are stuck for inspiration as to what types of Christmas crafts you could make this year here are some ideas –

Try baking your own shortbread cookies, decorating them with colored icing and decorative silver balls and stringing them on shiny ribbon or fish line. One good shortbread recipe can provide you with scores of cheap and creative looking cookie Christmas tree decorations. You can cut the shapes of common Christmas motifs out of dough with a knife or you can buy shapes like Christmas trees, Christmas balls, snowmen and angels as cookie cutters from a store. Perhaps the easiest shape to make out of shortbread is the Christmas ball. Simply cut the ball shape out of the dough with the rim of a glass and lavishly decorate it with candy glitter.

You can also make your own Christmas tree garlands. This is one of those ancient Christmas crafts that can be a group activity for you and your family. Simply stringing popcorn on a string makes very attractive garlands. You can also try stringing nuts or cranberries for an unusual effect. Garlands can also be made out of gold or aluminum foil that is cut up and twisted in loops that hook into each other.

It is also fun to make your own Christmas tree decorations. These types of Christmas crafts can be made from almost anything including Styrofoam, play dough, cooking' crystals and ribbons. One clever idea is to buy a box of plain glass balls and then make patterns with glue on their sides. The idea is that you then roll them in glitter to create a sparkling yet merry pattern.

If you are really ambitious you can also try making your own Christmas candles. One of the simplest ways is to buy sheets of beeswax and then roll them up to create unique one of a kind candle centerpieces. You can also melt wax in a double boiler and make your own candles. There are commercial scents such as pine and cinnamon available on the market that is specifically created for making these types of Christmas crafts smell nice. You can also buy candle molds in the shapes of popular holiday motifs such as evergreen trees, snowmen and stars.

Sitting around with your family to make xmas crafts together, even it if it is as simple as handmade Christmas cards is a great way to strengthen your loving bonds with each other at holiday time.

Parenting Tips
, , , , , ,

How to Check A Babysitter’s References

It's all too sad but true but some parent's do not check out a babysitter's references because they consider it time consuming or simply because they are not sure what to ask. This is not a good idea because you do not want a stranger looking after your child – God knows who this person is and what was in their past.

Of course it is important to look at a potential references record because that is the only way you can find out information about your babysitter's competence.

Generally it is recommended that you get a minimum of three references (unless your babysitter is quite young and you are aware that you are part of the learning curve!)

Below is the minimum amount of information that you need to get from the babysitter.

Name of Parents _______________________

Name(s)/Age(s) of Child/Children _______________________

Dates Worked _______________________

Phone number/email address _______________________

Here are the questions that you should ask each reference.
How long have you known this babysitter?
Does this babysitter currently taking care of your child?
How long did the babysitter care for your child/children?
How old were your children at the time?
How many hours did the babysitter work? If regular, what was the schedule?
Why did babysitting arrangement end?
Did the babysitting experience with this person hold any disappointments for you?
What would you say is this babysitter's greatest strength?
Was the babysitter good at interacting with your children?
Did the babysitter participate in activities with your children.
How did the babysitter discipline your children?
Did the babysitter return calls promptly?
Was the babysitter on time for babysitting gigs?
Did the babysitter handle any emergencies for you and if so what happened?
How would you compare this babysitter to other babysitters you have hired?
If you needed a babysitter tomorrow would you hire this person again? If no, why not?
Not every single one of the suggested questions above may apply to your situation but the more thorough you are about asking questions of your babysitter's references the more you will know about his or her capabilities and the quicker you will be able to build up a trusting worker/employer relationship.

Many moms skip this step thinking they just have good intuition. However the trickiest people are the most charming. If your kids are important to you I highly advise you not to make the mistake of judging a book by its cover.

Parenting Tips
, , , , , ,