Atlanta Kids' Directory Articles
Planning Your Child's Birthday Party
by Low Jeremy PDF
Perhaps you've been to or seen one too many themed children's birthday
parties that you're bent on doing the same or topping them for your kid's next
one. Themed birthday parties, at first glance, look difficult to pull off
successfully, because they seem so intricately done. However, this should not
deter you from planning one for
your baby. Children's birthday parties can be very easy and fun to organize.
There are two ways you can celebrate a themed party. You either hire a professional planner or you can do it yourself. This article is about DIY children's birthday parties.
When is the best time to have a party?
Since kids cannot stay out and up late, birthday parties are best held in the
afternoon, when they are all up and awake and energized. But if you are hosting
one for the younger children, you can circumvent the usual nap time by having it
at between 10:00 and 11:30 AM.
What should I serve?
Children do not really bother much with the food you serve at a party; at least
not in the same way they give attention to the activities you have prepared. You
can serve finger food, like hotdogs, marshmallows, and cupcakes - something
that's not messy so they do not cut the kids' fun by soiling their clothes.
What's the best theme?
This is relative. It all depends on what's hot as of the moment or what your
child is interested in. For instance, if your kid's a girl, you may want a fairy
party or a Bratz party; or if a boy, a sports-themed or animal or farmhouse
party. These themes aren't always gender exclusive, of course. Your girl baby
can have an
animal party if she wants to. Again, it all boils down to what would make it
more memorable for your child.
Who do I invite?
The kid's friends, naturally, family members, and children of friends whose ages
are nearer to your child's. But, hey, it's really your decision. Also, if you're
trying to keep only a certain number of guests, it wouldn't hurt to ask for an
RSVP or a confirmation.
In sum, the key goal of child birthday party planning is enjoyment. As long as your child is happy and the young guests are having fun, you can say that your efforts are a success. You don't need to go all out to come up with terrific party. Keep it simple, but memorable. Don't break the bank!
Chlidren's Summer Camps -
Frequently Asked Questions
by Oliver Turner PDF
Summer camp programs can be a wonderful experience for all children if you
chose the right camp for them. If you follow certain guidelines, you can help
your child
have the best experience possible. These steps involve 'choosing the right type
of camp', checking out the 'facilities and staff', and preparing your child for
the upcoming children's summer camp.
The idea of a youth summer camp can induce strong emotions on the part of parents and children. These sensations run the gamut from 'excitement and fun' to 'fear and anxiety'. In many social circles it is a status symbol or a family tradition. The correct reason for providing the camp experience is if it is 'in the best interest of the child'.
Deciding to camp or not to camp--How does a parent determine what is 'in the best interest of the child?' Some questions parents should ask themselves are:
Are the summer camp activities being used to solve a childcare problem?
Is this an opportunity for my child to learn, grow and experience life in a
unique way?
Is my child a risk taker?
Does my child enjoy new experiences even before I am ready to provide them?
Has my child enjoyed overnight experiences with family or friends?
Does my child have friends who attend camp?
Will camp provide prospects for my child to enjoy 'favorite activities'?
What will be the expenditure for a moderate or super 'kids summer camp'?
Can I bear the burden?
If you answered 'yes' to questions two through eight you have it made. If you answered 'yes' to question one only, the odds of success are slim. If you answered 'yes' to at least four of questions two through eight, the odds are optimal for a successful traditional summer camp experience.
Selecting the right camp to support the interests of your child should be your main aim. Your child wants to camp, but you may have concerns
Overnight Summer Camps
by Dean Kmel PDF
During the summer there are many different activities in which you could have your kid signed up for, but we highly recommend you to consider about overnight summer camps, it is one of the most popular choices since not only will your kid be having a wonderful time in company of other kids his age, but also he will be learning about many different things of life including friendship and support. Overnight summercamps are fun and exciting experiences that will also teach your kid to interact with other people; he will be making a lot of friends and will have a great time that he will never forget if you allow him to visit an overnight summer camp.
It is also very important for you to understand that during overnight summer camps your kids will be practicing several different sports and activities. An overnight summer camp is the perfect opportunity for your kid to be part of a community in which he will not only have a lot of fun but will also work on his skills both in sports and communication. When he comes back you will learn of all of his activities and you will be pleased to note the joy reflected in his face. One of the most interesting and pleasurable aspects of overnight summercamps is when your kid looks forward to reunite with his friends of the camp in the next year.
Most overnight summer camps will have within its range of activities a lot of different options from sports to arts, and most of them even learning activities in different topics such as mathematics or geography. Many overnight summercamps also feature other kinds of learning for your kids, there are some overnight summercamps that will allow your kid to be more in touch with nature and will teach him how to interact with his surroundings, and this will help him build up his self-esteem and self-confidence. So make sure to have enough research in order of being able to take the most proper decisions.
An overnight summer camp is the best choice if you want your kid to participate in many different activities during the summer, it is a wonderful experience that he will never forget and in which he will learn a lot of things about life and people. But before you send him to an overnight summer camp you will need to make sure that enough research has been conducted both by yourself and by your kid so that you are able to choose from all of the overnight summer camps the one in which he would feel the most comfortable in.
Corn syrup seen as contributor to obesity epidemic
by Maria C. Hunt
We're eating too much, and it's making us fat.
Many of these extra calories are coming from
sugar. Sometimes it's obvious in Twinkies and
soda. Other times it's hidden in low-fat salad
dressing and yogurt.
Nutritionists and health advocates are focusing
attention on high-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS,
the sweetheart of the processed foods industry.
It's used in a wide range of foods, from baked
goods and jam to salad dressings and drinks.
It's nearly ubiquitous in ketchup, soft drinks and
barbecue sauce.
The criticisms of high-fructose corn syrup range
from the fact that most of it is made from genetically
modified corn, to the way it's hidden in foods that
appear healthy, to scientific concerns over the way it
affects appetite and blood triglyceride levels.
"Corn syrup is in everything; it's in crackers, in
fruit juice and soda, and the reason for that is
because it has become incredibly cheap," said
Michelle Murphy Zive, a registered dietitian and
executive director of the Network for a Healthy
California at the University of California San Diego.
Just one can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of
sugar - the recommended daily sugar intake from all
sources.
PLENTIFUL PRODUCT
It turns up in many soft and gooey foods such as
Gerber Graduates Cereal Bars with apple filling,
Smucker's Jam, Bubble Yum gum and Pepperidge
Farm Puff Pastry.
"It's sweet and light, so you have to use less of it
than sugar," said Dr. John La Puma, a nutrition
expert who co-authored "Cooking the RealAge Way"
with Roizen. "From a manufacturer's standpoint ...
it's cheaper than cane or beet sugar."
Most of the corn turned into high-fructose corn
syrup is genetically modified, said Andrew Kimbrell,
executive director of the Center for Food Safety in
Washington, D.C. The corn may be modified to
tolerate the herbicide Roundup or to contain a
natural soil bacterium called Bt (bacillus thuringiensis)
that kills pests when they nibble on the corn
plant.
"If you avoid processed food, you go a long way
to avoiding GMO (genetically modified organism)
foods," Kimbrell said. "And the good news is, you
have a healthier diet because you don't need foods
like high-fructose corn syrup anyway."
"When you hear corn syrup, you think you
squeeze corn and get syrup," CSPI spokesman Jeff
Cronin said. "But it's not even close to being natural."
Other companies are hoping to attract buyers by
noting on the labels that their product doesn't contain
high-fructose corn syrup. Both Juicy Juice and
Crayons - a colorful new line of fruit-juice drinks - list
the lack of the sweetener on their labels. (But a
12-ounce bottle of strawberry-kiwi Crayons has 7
teaspoons of sugar; 8 ounces of Juicy Juice contain
nearly the same amount.)
CONSUMER AWARENESS
With the line between healthy and not-so-healthy
foods becoming blurred, it's important for consumers
to know what they're putting in their mouths.
"People don't realize that low-fat salad dressings
are high in high-fructose corn syrup," Roizen said.
"You've got to read the labels."
Even small changes can make a difference. As
director of UCSD's Cancer Prevention and Control
Program, Vicky Newman designs strategies to
motivate people to eat more healthfully. When
researchers taught women to scan labels for hidden
sugars and cut down on sugars and white flour
during a recent study, the women all lost weight -
without any more exercise.
Zive, of UCSD, recommended watching sugar
intake from all sources, including raw sugar, honey
and even juices that say they're 100 percent apple or
grape juice - both of which are high in sugar.
"We're saying, let's make a shift so it's easier
for parents to go to a store and find healthy
alternatives," Zive said. "With balance and moderation,
we can have our cake and eat it, too."
Foreclosure's black mark makes renting more difficult
by Emmet Pierce
Some displaced homeowners are getting
a cool reception as the surge in real estate
foreclosures sends them back to the rental
market in search of shelter.
Although landlords welcome the business,
they are carefully screening applicants to
make sure they remain creditworthy.
Nevel DeHart of First Advantage
SafeRent, a national tenant-screening
company, warns that homeowners often are
deeply in debt by the time a foreclosure
occurs. With no financial reserves to fall back
on, they sometimes make poor rental risks,
he said. "There is just no margin for error."
"As they reach the brink of foreclosure, their
credit reports have suffered tremendously," he said.
"We have to do a co-signer or large deposits to get
them into apartments."
Smaller, locally owned rental firms generally are
more willing to work with people who've had financial
problems, he added. Large, corporate-owned
complexes, which often have more amenities and
higher rental rates, are less flexible.
At a locally owned complex, "you have a much
better shot of being able to tell a story that is going to
get some sympathy," said John Cleary, a San Diego
attorney who specializes in real estate law.
With the housing boom over, there are plenty of
people who could use a sympathetic ear.
Ed Byczynski, chief executive officer of the
National Tenant Network renter-screening company,
said deciding who should be allowed to rent requires
good judgment.
"There are some landlords who will say, 'Oops,
you are losing your property, you are subject to
foreclosure, that violates our acceptance criteria,'" he
said. "We always emphasize the need to be more
judicious than that."
NO SECRETS
Sonya Fitzgerald, 41, lost her El Cajon, Calif.,
condominium conversion unit to foreclosure in June,
more than a year after she and her husband
separated. A customer service worker for a cell
phone company, she said she couldn't afford to keep
up the payments on her own, even after taking a
second job in a gift shop.
"I couldn't do it anymore," she said. "I used all my
savings."
Fitzgerald recently moved into an apartment with
a roommate. She said she disclosed her financial
problems to the property manager, who did a
background check before agreeing to allow her to
become a tenant.
"It was embarrassing," Fitzgerald recalled. "I
had to put it in my paperwork. She gave me an
application. She said she would get back to me and
she did. That was that. She gave me my parking
sticker. She allowed me to stay here."
Property supervisor Christine La Marca said she
approved Fitzgerald, in part, because her roommate
was an established tenant. Aside from the
foreclosure, "the rest of her credit looked pretty darn
good."
Robert Pinnegar, executive director of the San
Diego County Apartment Association, said Fitzgerald
was correct to disclose her foreclosure. There is
no way to hide a mortgage default from the
computerized tenant screening process, he added.
"There is no anonymity," he said. "Everything
about us is knowable."
A NEW POPULATION
With foreclosures mounting, the rental market is
experiencing growing demand. Mortgage defaults
are "creating a new population of tenants," said
attorney Steven Kellman, director of the Tenants
Legal Center of San Diego.
There are many local landlords who are willing to
consider renting to creditworthy tenants who have
gone through hard times, Pinnegar said. If the
economy slows and vacancy rates rise, property
managers will be more willing to "accept applicants
with greater risks and overlook.
