Parents are not issued an instruction manual to guide them on their journey. They must fumble through each and every day and do the best they can to care for, love and guide the little lives they’ve been entrusted with. Grandparents, too, often find they must fly by the seat of their pants to develop a relationship that is strong, lasting and truly special. Grandparents, however, do have a leg up on the wonderful, rewarding task at hand. They bring experience to the relationship.

So, how can grandparents make sure a strong bond is formed without running the risk of stepping on their own children’s toes along the way? There are some fantastic ideas that can assist to help make this most rewarding task pay off for the benefit of the children and grandchildren both. These ideas can help you on your journey to become the best grandparent you can be:

Remember your boundaries – Grandparents bring experience, wisdom and knowledge to the relationship, but they are not the parents of the little ones in question. Remember the rules of the road your children set for their own children and respect their decisions. While you can still guide your children and offer advice, do keep the boundaries in mind. This will simply make for a much more enjoyable relationship with your children and your grandchildren, too.

Make yourself available – Make time for your grandchildren and always lend them an ear. Even if you live all the way across the country, half way around the world or work 60-hour weeks, you can still remain in close contact with them by calling on the phone, sending cards and letters and even by engaging in e-mail or computer-facilitated conversations. Let them know you are always thinking of them.

Make your time together special – It doesn’t matter if you live next door or around the world, time with your grandchildren should be special. This doesn’t mean you need to spend a fortune on elaborate activities if you cannot afford to do so either. Teach a grandchild how to bake cookies or take a fishing trip to the neighborhood lake for fun and rewarding activities your grandchildren will appreciate. It’s the simple things grandparents can do that often create the most special and lasting of memories. This tends to hold true for young grandchildren as well as teens, too. They will benefit more from your time and undivided attention than anything else you can give them.

Celebrate your time together – Perhaps the best gift you can give your grandchildren is letting them know how much you cherish your time together. Parents, as has been the case since the beginning of time, don’t often have the luxury to take pause and celebrate the little moments. Grandparents, however, do. Create scrapbooks of your activities, write or record little story books about your grandchildren’s visits or just thank them for being them. They will remember this and love you for it.

Just like parents, grandparents are not issued manuals to describe their jobs in detail. To make the most of this experience and ensure that grandchildren know they are valued and loved, give with your heart and spend your time creating the little memories that will last. Unconditional love and undivided attention are the greatest gifts a grandparent can give.

Veronica Scott
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/tips-for-being-the-best-grandparent-you-can-be-719741.html

There’s an epidemic sweeping the world in today’s technologically enhanced world. And it is affecting our children at an alarming rate.

Kids just do not get outdoors anymore. The Nature Conservancy and other organizations have produced studies that show that all of us, and especially children, are drastically reducing the amount of time spent with outside activities in favor of television, movies, Net surfing and video games.

A Kaiser Family Foundation study said that children spend 6.5 hours of quality time daily with electronic equipment. Another study put children aged 6 to 11 in front of the TV or a computer screen 30 hours a week on average.

While some time with electronic gadgets isn’t so bad, consider this: if children do not make a connection with nature at an early age, they may never do so. And that is a frightening fact that can have major implications for our environment as the younger set grows into adulthood.

There is no denying that a Wii, Playstation or cool cell phone will certainly be drooled over gifts this Christmas, but it might be a good idea to balance those desires with gifts designed to get children introduced to the outdoors. Here are a few ideas to jump start that thinking:

Something with wheels. A new bike, rollerblades, scooter, skateboard, wheeled shoes. The outdoors doesn’t have to be the deep woods or a quiet pasture. Cruising down the sidewalk or up the road is a good start.

Binoculars. A good set is not very expensive and opens up a new world outside.

Telescope. Also fairly inexpensive for a starter set and one look at the surface of the Moon, the rings of Saturn or Jupiter’s moons may just be enough to get them interested for a long time to come.

Fishing rod and some tackle. Fishing gear comes in all different sizes, even kid-sized. Throw in some tackle, lures and a box to hold it all and you could introduce those children to a lifelong passion.

Kites. Name your price range and you are likely to find a kite to match. Remember how much fun it was to catch a breeze running and feel the tug of the wind on your string? What child could resist?

Night vision goggles. Believe it or not, they are available for under fifty bucks at some large department stores and they let kids see up to fifty feet in total darkness. How awesome is that?

A sled. It won’t take much snow to make a sled go. They come in all kinds of shapes and sizes and there are few kids on the planet who wouldn’t jump at the chance to fly down a hill on a sled.

Inexpensive digital camera. Some of the lower megapixel models have gotten very affordable as higher end models saturate the market. It’s an electronic device, but one that can be used outside to capture all kinds of bugs, birds, or maybe you sledding down a hill. All right, so they will have to upload the pictures to MySpace or Facebook later on, but at least they spent time outside taking the shots.

A canteen. Hiking, biking or just walking to a friend’s house can work up a thirst and it’s good to stay hydrated.

Backpack. Great for stuffing a take along lunch, snacks and gear for a long hike outdoors.

Net and a bug jar. For the younger ones, but a great way for kids to find out about bugs and stuff.

So put down the remote, turn off the computer, step away from the couch and get outdoors. Explore. Breathe. Relax. And feel good about introducing children to nature and to their own backyards.

Robert J. Korpella
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/great-outdoors-gift-ideas-for-kids-690300.html

Leaning how to choose the right fishing rod and reel is the first step in discovering a fun and relaxing new hobby. Fishing tackle is the term used to describe the equipment fishermen use to catch fish. The pole is the simplest piece of fishing tackle and may be made of inexpensive materials like cane and bamboo, or more expensive materials like fiberglass.

When you choose the right fishing rod and reel to use, you need to consider what type of fisherman you want to be and what type of water you will be fishing in. Equipment failure when you are about to land the big one is not fun.

Saltwater Fishing

Fishing tackle for saltwater fishing cannot be made with any aluminum, steel or iron parts because the saltwater will corrode them. They must be stainless steel or nickel. If you are saltwater fishing inshore, use ultra-light equipment. For deep-sea fishing, much larger and heavier tackle is necessary.

Ice Fishing

Ice fishing requires specialized equipment. Rods between onef oot and three feet in length are used. Simple reels hold the line. Some ice fishermen choose to use tip-ups which fit over the hole they have cut in the ice, and when a fish hits a lever releases and a flag tips up and alerts the fisherman.

Other Types

Other type of fishing include still fishing, drift fishing, bait casting and fly fishing to name a few. There are four types of rods and reels to be considered when choosing the right fishing rod and reel for any of these types of fishing.

Spincasting

Spincasting is great for beginners . The rod has a straight handle and small line guides. The reel is attached to the top of the handle and the line comes out of a small hole in the cover on the front of the reel.

Spinning Rods and Reels

Spinning rods have a straight handle also, but the line guides are larger and on the bottom of the rod. The spool is not covered allowing the fishing line to release faster so it casts farther.

Baitcasting

A baitcasting rod can have either a straight handle or a grip like a pistol. The reel and line guides are mounted on top of the rod. line spool turns as you cast and must be controlled properly to avoid snarls. This is probably not the right fishing rod and reel for a beginner.

Flyfishing

Flyfishing tackle is different from all other types. The reel is used only to store the line. Rods are chosen by weight. A rod with a smaller number will cast a shorter distance. How far you want to cast depends on where you are fishing.

Martin Brinkmann