My Precious Kid® - Precious Kids Newsletter
February 2003

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Subjects: Homeschool / Adoption / Parenting / Work at Home
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Feel free to pass this on to friends and family in its entirety.
Subscribe to this newsletter at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/preciouskids/ 
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Author: Kay Green
http://www.MyPreciousKid.com
Family Safety ID Products
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FREE Home Business Resources
http://www.KayGreen.com
Kay's personal pages
http://www.PreciousKids.org
FREE Adoption & Homeschool Resources

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Chore Chart Success

We started the Dime-a-chore system as taught by our pastor many years ago. I had tried several other systems over the years and none has worked as well as this one. I hope it works well for you too.

Each child has a chart with 6-12 chores/activities I want them to do every day. It might include hygiene, music, pets, and homework, whatever I am trying to get them to accomplish each day. Each child vacuums one room in the house every day and has one kitchen chore each day. I pay 10 cents for each chore.

Each child does 2 large chores a week. We call them Friday chores. One is their room complete (sheets, laundry away, toys, vacuum, etc) and the second is another room in the house (their bathroom mopped & scrubbed, or kitchen scrubbed & mopped) I pay $1 each for these weekly chores.

Now I am hearing you say "That is a lot of money!" Well think of all the times you give them $1 here and $5 there to go somewhere (McDonald’s, the ice cream truck, etc). Now I don't! They use their money for tithe first, then outings, music, friend’s birthday gifts, and other wants. I still pay for needs, and they pay for wants!

It gives me the perfect opportunity to teach them about budgeting and I get less hassle about chores. They even have an "extra" category for anything else I ask them to do or when they have to do a siblings chore! I do not hear anymore “That is not my job”.

We use the Wipe Off Chore Charts at http://www.mypreciouskid.com/child-safety-products.html  Use a Sharpy permanent marker to write in the chores (fingernail polish remover will take it off when you want to change chores) Then use a dry erase marker for the charting! I pay every week or every 2 weeks when daddy gets paid.

Then I help them figure out their tithe, put money in savings and budget for the next 2 weeks. After years with this system I have teenagers who can budget and plan wisely. I also have kids who know how to clean and how to do laundry. I want them to be self-sufficient when they leave my home. They all cook regularly too. I hope these tips will help your family as much as they have helped mine. Blessings to you and your family.

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Potty Training 101

I have had the wonderful privilege of potty training 4 children. The first in 1983 and the last one in February of 2002! All were completed by their 2nd birthday, even my son. So I often have people ask what my secret is.

First secret is get and read the book "Toilet Training in less than a day". We use the system over the course of a week with good success. You must get the wetting doll and have the child train the doll to succeed.

Second is wait until YOU are ready to do it and stay with it. Never start and stop!!! You must be ready to stay with it until complete.

Third is to be sure you child can follow simple instructions: come, go, pick this up, put that down. From 18-22 months I work on this. Preparing them for following instructions and practicing taking their pants up and down.

Fourth is I start BEFORE their 2nd birthday, before the major struggles of the will occur. 20-23 months works best!

Fifth I put them into CLOTH training pants with plastic pants over the top and never go back to diapers or paper pull-ups. I deal with every accident immediately, calmly, firmly. Going back to diapers will set you back. Keep them in cloth panties until they get it. Some kids can do it in a day or so, some a couple weeks.

This system has not failed me yet. The book will tell you that any child not trained by age 3 (unless a physical medical problem) is a will issue not a skill issue. I have found that to be true. We use the Wipe Off Potty Chart at http://www.mypreciouskid.com/products.html  for a reward system.

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Is Your Child’s Car Seat Safe?

We keep hearing about how 4 out of 5 car seats are installed incorrectly. How can you be sure your child’s is installed correctly? One way is to read the instruction manual that came with your child’s car seat and your car’s owner’s manual. That will give you some good clues. You can also have it checked by your local fire station or car seat safety clinic.

Parent’s January Magazine tells us the 8 most often made mistakes? Have you made any of them? http://www.parents.com/articles/health/5198.jsp
Mistake #1: Seat Too Loose
Mistake #2: Harness Too Loose
Mistake #3: Facing Wrong Way
Mistake #4: Wrong Angle
Mistake #5: Retainer Clip Wrong
Mistake #6: Wrong Slots
Mistake #7: No Booster Seat
Mistake #8: Recalled Seat

Another mistake I see often is taking kids out of the 5-point harness too soon. The child needs to stay in the harness until they are tall enough that the car’s seat belt crosses them at the correct position at their shoulder in the booster and they are over 40 pounds. When you switch to a booster with no harness remember to belt the booster seat into the car even when your child is not in it. If not the booster seat can become a flyer projectile in a wreck.

Additionally your child’s car seat should have emergency contact info attached. In a car accident professional’s need to be able to reach dad at work or grandma if you are not able to help your child. A car seat ID card with a medical release signature will protect your child in a car accident giving medical professionals all the information they need to treat your child immediately.

Safety Pillows for car seats and booster seats also can protect your child. Some car seats come with them. I found one that connects thru the booster seat strap slots. It allows it to protect her neck, gives her neck added support when napping, and allows her to push it up out of the way when she does not need it. It does not end up on the floor either. My almost 3 year old loves hers and tells me “Thanks You Mommy” when I slide it into place for her.

Most state rules now require that children’s stay in the booster seat until 6 years AND 60 pounds. This means safer kids and fewer fatalities for children in car wrecks. I am glad to keep my child in her comfortable car seat. She is happier and healthier every time we go in the car. I also use it for every plane trip. Since she is so comfortable in her favorite booster seat she travels much better.

Please take the time to be sure that your car seat is installed correctly, fits your child, has emergency contact information, and a safety pillow for their neck. If the event of a wreck you will be glad you covered all the bases.

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What Makes A Mother?


A mother can come in may forms:
~A mother can be a woman who conceives, births, and raises a child given to her by God. She is what we as a society see as a mother.

~A mother can be a young woman who finds herself pregnant, unable to parent, who chooses life for her child by placing him for adoption. In choosing life for her child she becomes a mother. She will not be that baby’s parent but she is his birth mother.

~A mother can be the one who prays for a baby she does not carry in her womb. She becomes the mother and parent to a child given in adoption. She is there in the night, in sickness, in health, in joy, and in sadness. She is her mother.

~A mother can be a woman who takes on the care of another’s children through foster care or guardianship. She gives her life to loving them. They see her as mother.

I read the story of a man who parented a little boy that he believe to be his biological son. At age 10 he found out he may not be his biological parent and considered leaving the child. I thought how sad. He is the only Father that child knows. He IS his father. Blood alone does not make you more of a father or not.

I am a blessed woman. God has blessed me by allowing me to be a mother to 4 wonderful children. Three of them I gave birth to. One we adopted. Yet I am mother to all of them. There is no difference. My love them will last a lifetime and is unconditional. I am their mother!

What a blessing from God to be called mother. It is my highest calling!

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20 Ways to Increase Your Web Site Traffic


Make your web site inviting with enough information and resources to keep your traffic coming back. Do not have too many gadgets or distracting things on the opening page. Add the following to bring them back:
Contests http://www.mypreciouskid.com/contest.html  
Free downloads  
Freebies http://www.mypreciouskid.com/free.html  
Newsletter
Resources http://www.123homebusinessguide.com  
FREE e-books to download. Write it yourself or get mine http://www.mypreciouskid.com/downloads/50tips.pdf  
Put meta tags in the web page code. Use the wizard at http://www.bravenet.com/search2/metatagwizard.php  to create them. You can view yours by right clicking on your page and selecting view source.

Meta tags include:
Description: tell us what your site is about. This will be included by some search engine listings (under 60 words).
Title: Describe what you are (5-8 words) include a key word or two.
Key words: the words people would use in a search engine to find your products (1-3 word phrases) Do not use the same word more than 6 times as a part of whole of a phrase.
Author: so they can find you by name
Copyright

Submit to the search engines at http://www.mypreciouskid.com/search-engines.html   
Make the text in your meta tags part of the text of your web page. You get extra search points for this. They want to see at least 200 words of copy there.
Make meta tags current and correct for each page on your site. Each page should have its own title, description, and key words.
Do link exchanges with other web sites that have similar customers.

Offer an free affiliate program thru the mtracker at http://www.mals-e.com  See mine at http://www.mypreciouskid.com/affiliate.html  
Do banner exchanges with other sites.
Do browser open exchanges like http://www.wahmhits.com  
Use your URL email for all correspondence. People will remember what my url is when I use Kay@mypreciouskid.com  rather than kay@yahoo.com  

Get your own domain name URL. http://www.mypreciouskid.com  is more easily remembered than http://members.hypermart.net/mypreciouskid.com/index.htm  Domains are only $8 a year and hosting only $6 a month at http://www.wahmshoppes.com  
Use your advertising dollars wisely. Be sure you are reaching your targeted audience. Get listed in directories with high traffic and targeted markets.

Find your niche and stay with it. Become an expert on one topic rather than every topic. Expert of one is better than mediocre of many. Do what you do well!!
Make sure your web site directs your traffic to where you want them to go. Is it easy to navigate? Do they know where to go to find what you sell? Have you given them reasons to buy from you? Do they know how? Have your contact info on EVERY page including an email link.

Add customer comments that give new customers a peace of mind in buying from you. Include the comment maker’s web address or email if possible so they can verify them.
Write articles on your subject of expertise. Offer them to newsletters, web sites, and ezines. Your bio line at the end will include your web site and bring added traffic and increase your notoriety as an expert in your field. Mine are at http://www.mypreciouskid.com/articles/index.html   

Write a press release or have it written. Submit it to all your state radio, TV and newspapers. Post it on your site. Mine is at http://www.mypreciouskid.com/press.html  
Create web links on the bottom of your page from your keywords in your meta tags. Each key word should link to that subject on your web page.  
Remember that you are competing with 3 million other web sites. All these things work but take time. Online marketing is about those who stay with it, work diligently and consistently and build there business both online and offline by creating community with others. What you do today may make an impact 4, 6 or 8 weeks from now!

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Copyright 2003 Kay Green

Subscribe to this newsletter at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/preciouskids/ 
Read past Newsletters http://www.mypreciouskid.com/articles/index.html

Articles written by Kay Green, Christian homeschool mom to Melissa 21,
Jordan 18, Allison 16, Haley 3. Her and her husband of 24 years live in
rural Oregon with the kids, 2 dogs, and 1 cats. 

Kay owns http://www.MyPreciousKid.com children's ID products and home
business program. Kay loves helping others have a successful home business
too. http://www.PreciousKids.org Adoption & Homeschool Resources,
http://www.123HomeBusinessGuide.com and
http://www.KayGreen.com 

COPYRIGHT 2003 My Precious Kid®, Kay Green
All rights reserved. Reprinting is only with permission and with this
author's box and copyright intact.

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