Move over, Gangnam Style. The Harlem Shake has become the Internet's most viral dance. While there are thousands of versions (and all funny), this one by the Shaytards family is by far the best. Why? Because it truly shows the two extremes of family life; boring and mundane one moment, and a crazy, chaotic mess the next. We love it because they took a trend and used it as a fun quality time activity with their kids.
Click below and enjoy their hilarious video. We dare you not to get a helmet and start dancing yourself "Con los terroristas!"
Keep love alive with your family by practicing these tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP):
Use plenty of positive words with your child. Try to avoid
using sarcasm. Children often don’t understand it, and if they do, it
creates a negative interaction.
Respond promptly and lovingly to your child's physical and emotional needs and banish put-downs from your parenting vocabulary. Be available to listen to your child when he/she want to talk with you even if it’s an inconvenient time.
Make an extra effort to set a good example at home and in public. Use words like "I'm sorry," "please," and "thank you."
When your child is angry, argumentative or in a bad mood,
give him a hug, cuddle, pat, secret sign or other gesture of affection
he favors and then talk with him about it when he’s feeling better.
Use non-violent forms of discipline. Parents should institute both rewards and restrictions many years before adolescence to help prevent trouble during the teenage years.
Allowing children of any age to constantly break important rules
without being disciplined only encourages more rule violations.
Make plans to spend time alone with your young child or teen doing
something she enjoys. Send a Valentine’s Day card to your older child or
teen. Make Valentine’s Day cards together with your preschool or younger school age child.
Mark family game nights on your calendar so the entire family can be
together. Put a different family member's name under each date, and
have that person choose which game will be played that evening.
One of the best ways to familiarize your child with good food choices is to encourage him to cook with you. Let him get involved in the entire process, from planning the menus to shopping
for ingredients to the actual food preparation and its serving. It is
wonderful when families eat together as much as possible. Good food,
good conversations.
As your child grows up, she'll spend most of her time developing and
refining a variety of skills and abilities in all areas of her life.
You should help her as much as possible by encouraging her and providing
the equipment and instruction she needs. Start reading to your child beginning at six months. Avoid TV
in the first two years, monitor and watch TV with your older children
and use TV time as conversation time with your children. Limit computer and video games.
Your child's health depends significantly on the care and guidance
you offer during his early years. By taking your child to the doctor
regularly for preventive health care visits, keeping him safe from accidents, providing a nutritious diet, and encouraging exercise throughout childhood, you help protect and strengthen his body.
Help your child foster positive relationships with friends, siblings and members of the community.
One of your most important gifts as a parent is to help your child develop self-esteem.
Your child needs your steady support and encouragement to discover his
strengths. He needs you to believe in him as he learns to believe in
himself. Loving him, spending time with him, listening to him and
praising his accomplishments are all part of this process.
Don't forget to say, "I love you" to children of all ages!
Combine old school play with today's technology with the super fun Insta Etch A Sketch app. Capable of transforming your iPhone, iTouch or iPad photos into realistic Etch images, the app can also take a new picture too with your on-board camera. The app supports social sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, or simply email to your cool new images to far-flung relatives. It even includes the "shake to erase" function to delete your image. Suddenly, your Etch A Sketch skills have gone from simple lines to simply fabulous photos (99 cents, itunes.com).
"What do you feel like doing today?" Sometimes it's hard for parents to match their kids' energy levels with a spur-of-the-moment activity. Feelday.com, um, feels your pain and has created a super cool way to find local activities based on your mood. With the help of Maya the Bee, just select how you're feeling, when you're free, and where you're located, and tons of events will come up that are a great fit for your day. You'll have a "field day" with feelday.com.
As if SeaWorld and Busch Gardens weren't already amazing, the family fun attractions in Orlando, FL have designed some great new exhibitions! Even if you've already been to these action parks, you'll want to go again--and again.
