So, how do you do it? How do you carve out time to be with the family, in the middle of all your deadlines at work?

Learn the art of time management.   Make a to do list and stick to it.  Prioritize the important things.  Do the difficult tasks first, then move on to the easier ones.

Whatever you do, never bring home work with you.  Leave it in the office.  Devote your time at home to your kids.  If it’s almost their bedtime when you get home, you can sneak in a bedtime story to read to them.

Try not to think that there are not enough hours in the day.  With the proper mindset, you should be able to successfully set aside some time with your family.

As parents, it is but normal for us to be concerned about our children’s TV viewing habits.  When they start skipping meals or bathroom breaks just to catch their favorite show, then we know there is a problem.    This red flag means your kid is turning into a much-dreaded couch potato.  What can you do to help curb this bad habit?

Reintroduce your kids to other activities.  Remind them of how fun it used to be to play Frisbee out in the backyard.  Start going on trips to the park with them.  If they are showing signs of inclination to music or the arts, support that by enrolling them in classes.

Watch TV with them.  If you watch television with your kids, you are better able to monitor how much time they spend in front of the boob tube.

The TV isn’t called an idiot box for nothing.  It does dull one’s brain, and accounts for the increasing number of obesity cases.  Make your child idiot-proof, and cut down his TV viewing time.

credit to: parentingteens.about.com

Aside from minimizing your teen’s boredom, this is also an opportunity for you to get to know your teen’s friends. If you want to take your teenager’s friend on your family vacation, here are some useful tips that will help you to be comfortable about it:

• Make sure that you meet with the parents of your teenager’s friend. Allow the parents to decide whether or not their teenager can come to your family vacation.
• Once the other teen’s parents agreed, then you can bring your child’s friend on family discussions regarding the plans of your family vacation. You can talk about the places that you will go and set rules on what is allowed to do and those which are not.
• Let it be clear with your teen’s friends as well as his/her family about the expected behaviour, funds, packing and other stuff regarding your vacation.
• Provide itinerary to the parents of the other teen and make sure that you exchange contact information so that they can get in touch with you in case of emergency and vice-versa.

Image source: aboutpixel.de / Sofa-office © Rainer Sturm

We are all too familiar with the scenario: groups of gray-haired, slightly hunched back senior citizens in their high-waisted trousers flock to bingo halls to try their luck at the game.  Although bingo has long been associated with old people, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s meant solely for that age group.   Bingo is an enjoyable game which can give the entire family a reason to stay home on a weekend.   And with the advent of online bingo sites such as Gala Bingo, playing bingo at home has never been more convenient.

Why should you and your family play bingo, then?  Bingo is an excellent way to bond with your kids.  It’s a simple game which even a preschooler can understand and play.  If little Nate often feels left out when the rest of the family plays Monopoly, he’ll no longer feel that way with bingo.  The little ones will have just as much fun as everyone else.

Online bingo likewise acts as a bridge between families from all over the world.  If you have relatives from overseas, you can chat as you play Mecca Bingo online- together!  It gives you the opportunity to play together, as if they were just a stone’s throw away from you.  Since online bingo is accessible 24/7, you can play with anyone from any time zone whenever you feel like it.

What’s great about online bingo is that it doesn’t have to cost you anything.  All you may need to heighten the experience are a bag of chips, a large cheese pizza, and a few drinks.  The fact that you play it at home means you don’t have to spend on gas just to get to the bingo hall.

Other than naming your pet Bingo, why not try playing the game online?  The whole family is sure to have hours of endless fun.

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Getting your child the best education is a challenge that every parent is willing to take.
As a parent, you have big dreams for your children and you know that their future depends on the quality of education they receive today. This is why, in the midst of growing financial worries, parents work doubly hard to prepare for their children’s future educational needs.

But with school expenses increasing every year, your savings may not be enough to cover college tuition fees and other expenses. Aside from regularly saving money, one can also prepare by getting profitable investments that offer better returns. Invest in companies which have made a mark and have a proven track record in the industry, like Insular Life.

Celebrating 101 years of unparalleled and continuous service to old and new generation of Filipinos, Insular Life remains to be the largest Filipino life insurance company. With its Direct Marketing plans College Provider and Sure Cash for Kids, you are assured of a secure future for your child.

College Provider is a 5-pay educational plan that provides a college cash fund for your child at age 17. It also provides a life insurance benefit for your child equivalent to the college fund until he reaches age 21. On top of this, College Provider has a built-in waiver of premium payments, wherein the policy will be considered fully paid should the parents or the payor meet an untimely death or suffers from total and permanent disability. The policy will then provide a pre-college cash allowance equivalent to 10% of the face amount until age 16 to finance for your child’s elementary and high school education.

On the other hand, Sure Cash for Kids is a 5-pay, 15-year savings and investment plan for your child that offers guaranteed yearly cash payouts and lump sum cash benefit with built-in life insurance protection. Yearly cash payouts equivalent to 10% of the maturity value will be given from the end of the 5^th policy year to the end of the 14^th policy year amounting to 100% of the maturity value. A lump sum cash benefit equivalent to 100% of the maturity value will also be given at the end of the 15^th policy year. Your child is also covered with a life insurance protection for 15 years with the face amount increasing to 200% on the 4^th policy year up to the 15^th policy year.

Saving for your child’s education is a top priority, so preparing for it now can save you from possible financial troubles in the future.  Address your child’s needs today. Call Insular Direct at 878-1818 local 5403 or 892-3171 or email us at idirect@insular.com.ph for more details on College Provider and Sure Cash for Kids.

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For work at home moms though, it’s not as simple as it seems.  As a matter of fact, it’s even harder to work at home when your five-year old is simply clamoring for your undivided attention.  As much as you’d like to drop everything, and just play catch with the kids in the backyard, you do have to work.

Balance is the key, but the task of juggling so many things in the air is just so daunting.  Makes you almost think that it’s a talent, not a skill.  If you are one such mom who works at home but would like to make her kids feel that they are not at all neglected, you could try doing the following:

Work while they’re at school.  Although your preschooler may spend only a few hours in school, you could use those precious moments to get some work done.  You do have a clearer mind and come up with better ideas when it’s quiet around the house.

Look for ways to store files online.  If you have easy accessibility to your work files, you can pretty much work wherever you are.  That’s why I love Egnyte.com cloud storage ,you can finish up that article as you wait to pick up your kid from his karate class.

Keep them busy.  You’re lucky if you have more than one kid.  She can play with her brothers or sisters while you meet that deadline set by your boss.  If you have a solo kid though, you can give her some crafts to do- by herself- and ask her to surprise you once she’s finished her masterpiece.  That’ll help free you up even for a short while.

Being a work at home mom isn’t easy.  But with a little creativity, you will and should manage to pull it off.

Listen and respond.  Sure you may be up to your neck in paperwork, but if you can, try to take a break and listen to your kid.  To you, what he has to say may not be as important as the deadline you have to meet, but to him, it means the world.  A child feels important when listened to, and you’re the best person to give him the attention he needs.

Be a role model.  How can a child believe in himself when he sees his mom stuffing herself with fat-burning apidexin pills?  If you manifest a positive attitude about yourself, that behavior will inevitably rub off on your kids.  If they see you having a healthy sense of self-worth, they will model that after you.

Being armed with a positive self-image is an essential tool in making it as an adult.  Start your kids off early, and they’ll fearlessly face every challenge that may come their way.

1. Check Price Comparison Sites

Price comparison websites are available for just about any subject a person could think of. Whether a person wishes to learn about Life insurance over 50s companies or the prices for local restaurant dishes, they will not come up short with results. Some sites may also offer reviews from customers that can warn others about whether a certain location or company is one to be avoided.

2. Go to the Library

This cheap option does not occur to many people, but the library is still something to place under consideration. A local library can offer many things to keep a family of any age or size busy. They can browse through the large book selection and find something to read at a table; they can sign in to use a computer and play games or check their email depending on the time allowed. In a number of cases a person may also be able to rent DVDs that they can take home for an evening or a few days.

3. Attend Local Events

Cheap and fun activities for the outside of a home can be easily found when a person checks their local newspaper. Communities, particularly large ones, frequently hold events for people that live in or around the area. Sometimes this may come in the form of a snow sculpture festival, a special display of local artist work, or a play held in an open area. Attendance costs for these events may be free or affordable, and a family on a budget can find something that works for them. It is important to be vigilant in checking for these events, however. A person could miss out if they are not careful.

4. Check out Flea Markets and Garage Sales

If an individual or family wishes to go out shopping, but they do not want to do so at a mall or other place with expensive items, they can look for garage sales. Garage sales and flea markets are events that allow people to get rid of excess items from their home. These items are usually priced very low, and just about anybody can find something to appeal to them without spending more than a dollar during their trip. Checking the local paper or online can alert a family about these events.

5. Arrange a Picnic at the Local Park

During the warmer months of the year it is not uncommon for people to hold picnics. Picnics allow a group of people to come together and enjoy a small meal while taking in the outdoors. Because local parks do not usually require a fee in order to use them, the only costs involve making food to eat and the car gas to get there. A family of any size can simply sit and talk to each other, or they can play games in the open space around them. This cheap option is one to consider when it comes to having fun and saving money at the same time.

Image source: aboutpixel.de / easter © Franziska Krause

In a month’s time, the animal of the hour will once again be the Easter bunny.  The spotlight will again be on this furry, long-eared mammal as kids of all ages eagerly hunt for those elusive Easter eggs, and Mom and Dad are only too excited to capture the festivities with their Slr canon cameras.  It’s too easy to be swayed by all the merrymaking of Easter Sunday, that’s it’s almost forgivable to forget the real meaning behind this day.  What can we parents do to help instill in our kids the true essence of Easter?

If you plan on decorating Easter eggs with the kids, you can shop around for some religious Easter stickers from a local Christian store.   As you stick these on the eggs, remind your little one about the fact that Easter means the resurrection of Christ.

At bedtime, read picture books on the Easter story to your kids.  Read it as you would any other picture book.  Encourage them to ask questions in the end, or to even retell in their own words the story of Easter.

Try to get in touch with a charitable institution before Easter day, and ask if you can drop by to quickly hand out some Easter treats.  You can visit a shelter for old people, for instance, and give them some cookies you baked yourself.

Show your kids that sharing can also be fun.  What better occasion for that than Easter Sunday?