Rexanne's Web Review - Issue #12

Shopping

This has been a crazy and fun weekend. The prerequisite barbecue Monday (at my dad's) and swimming until we were water logged. Weather is warming up and we'll soon be rotting in the 100 plus degree heat. Ugh! Reader Naomi reports that in Arizona, the temperature has already reached 110 and rising. Stay cool, Naomi! Remember to offer the kids plenty of water and healthy liquids all summer. They tend to forget ... ;-)

Kind of babbled on in the Parenting section of the newsletter this week. Children and manners is one of my big "issues" and I have pretty strong beliefs on the subject. Did I ever mention that I am NOT a child care expert? Nor am I a professional child counselor or parenting specialist. Just been there (mostly) and done it. I do have a rather strong desire to fling my opinions about though ... ;-)

We have a few new advertisers this week! Please have a look and let them know you found them through Rexanne's Web Review!

Happiness does not depend on outward things, but on the way we see them. (Leo Tolstoy)

This Week's Web Review is Sponsored By: Bargainchildrensclothing.com
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Last week I mentioned that my children knew how to behave in nice restaurants because they'd been exposed to the atmosphere at an early age. Well, my idea of well-behaved might be different from yours but I think there are certain basics that are important and universal.

When my daughters were small babies, we would take them wherever we went. If they began to fuss or cry, one of us would promptly remove them from the room/restaurant/market/wherever. Not because we felt their crying or fussing was a bad thing. No, it's a perfectly normal occurrence for infants and toddlers. We removed them as a courtesy to others that we felt didn't need to be as tolerant as we were with our children's noise. In consequence, my daughters know that other people are not as wildly in love with their racket or with them as we are. Nor should they be expected to be.

As our children grew older, they were always told the rules of our outings, how to behave and to always speak softly if other adults were present. Sometimes, it's fine to let them get a little crazy ... just know your audience! If it's at a 5 star restaurant where many other diners have come to enjoy a gracious and expensive meal, would we really expect everyone there to be enthralled with junior's vocal or behavioral outbursts? Would we really expect them to care if our child is having a bout with walking pneumonia and coughing uncontrollably? Nope. It's rude. And rudeness is basically nothing more than bad manners. If there is an emergency with your child, by all means don't give a flying flamingo about what others think but this is the exception.

Last night, my girls and I were in a department store. There was a toddler carrying on and screaming for more than 15 minutes when my younger daughter said: "Now his mommy is going to tell him to stop because there are other people in here that don't want to hear it!" Well, unfortunately, his mommy didn't tell him any such thing. She let him wail and scream and cry, much to the chagrin and annoyance of everyone else in the store. Ya know what? As much as I love kids and can't bear to see or hear them "suffering," I disliked this kid immensely!

My reasoning is this: if our kids learn that they are free to trample on the peace, space or rose garden of others, they will develop into spoiled and inconsiderate brats. And then who will like them? Who will want to spend time with them? Who, besides their forgiving parents, will be able to tolerate their lack of social graces and good manners? No one. Maybe another ill-mannered person who feels at home with a similarly clueless individual but do we really want our children reduced to such horrible options? I think not.

We teach our children not to steal, lie or punch their brother in the nose. Shouldn't we teach them respect for others at the same time? That their whining and out-of-control behavior is something no one really wants to hear or witness, especially strangers who have no vested interest in their developing minds or self-esteem? A simple reminder of the rules, consistently, works wonders ... eventually. ;-)

Here's a link to a great article about children's behavior in public: Rude and Wild Kids

Good luck. Kids need to learn manners and social graces. They will go farther in life if we teach them well.

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Rexanne Mancini is the mother of two daughters, Justice and Liberty. She is a novelist, freelance writer and maintains an extensive yet informal parenting and family web site, Rexanne.com – http://www.rexanne.com -Visit her site for good advice, award-winning Internet holiday pages and some humor to help you cope. Subscribe to her free newsletter, Rexanne’s Web Review, for a monthly dose of Rexanne: http://www.rexanne.com/rwr-archives.html

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This article is available for reprint at no charge providing the resource box with the writer's information is included and remains intact.

OH, OH, OMG! Just looking at the awesome cakes on this dazzling site will add tonnage, I swear! So what, I say! Life is short ... we need to indulge every now and again, huh? ;-)

Web master Janet Stringfellow has created a site around her passion for gorgeous and delicious desserts. Each recipe is inspiring and beautiful. One of the cake recipes I will definitely print out is the Fresh Peach Cake on the recipes page. Absolutely luscious, especially with peaches coming into season. Whether I get a chance to actually make it is another story! I'll let you know how it turns out if and when I do. If anyone DOES make the time to try any of these great desserts, please let us all know!

The Kidz Page is a lot more than a page. There are many wonderful pages filled with fun, educational and interesting things for children to do. In the game room, you'll find super online versions of Connect Four, connect the dots for the littler adventurers, word games and more. There is a separate section for educational games, an online coloring book and pages to print out and color.

The Kidz Page is loads of fun entertainment for kids of all ages, including Mom and Dad! :-)

I always have the staples for quick and easy chicken soup in my fridge and freezer. This makes life easy when I don't have time to cook. Here's what you'll need on hand to whip up a batch of healthy and fast chicken soup. Yeah ... for the soul! ;-)

4 boned, skinless chicken tenders or 2 boned, skinless chicken breasts.
6 cups water
6 chicken bouillon cubes
1 carrot, sliced into bite size pieces.
1 stalk celery, preferably an inner stalk with the leaves.
1 cup shells or any mini pasta
1/2 cup fresh, chopped broccoli or any other green veggie gathering dust in the fridge. (Optional)

Combine above ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Let simmer for half an hour. Before serving, cook pasta in salted water until firm but cooked through. Add 2 TBS cooked pasta to each soup bowl after you've portioned it out.

Got a tip or trick your fellow readers would enjoy or could use? Please send it here for possible publication in one of the next issues: Tips

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Weekly Time Waster: Daily Crossword
(Because life is supposed to be fun!)

Ready to test your gray matter? This crossword puzzle will have you scrambling for the dictionary more than once! Unless you're a brain-trust, in which case, you'll get to feel superior. ;-) This is one of the easier-to-maneuver crosswords online. Just hit the space bar to switch between across and down, then add the letters to solve the puzzle.

Did you know that working crossword puzzles is a great way to exercise your brain muscle? Yep, the old thinker is actually a muscle that responds well to exercise. So, get on in there and work your word skills.

This family's web site is ... well, just about the four (er, five) of them and what they do, their hobbies and personalities.

The Boyte-Whites are your average American family, but about as clever as I can stand and very funny. I about lost my sip of coffee on "The Boy's" page ... LOL! Each family member has their own page, with a few interesting links.

This site is good for a great giggle. Do drop them an email ... they're really very nice people!

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The fine print: This newsletter is copyright - 2000 - in its entirety. Please pass it on, but also please leave it intact. :-)

You are receiving this email because you sent a specific message asking to be placed on the mailing list for this newsletter. If you wish to be removed from this list, see the unsubscribe notice above. This is NOT SPAM, nor will you ever see a recipe featuring SPAM in this newsletter! ;-)

I have personally checked out the links provided here but they could possibly lead you to any number of bizarre and/or offensive sites. Surf at your own risk. The DIRECT links on this page are all family friendly unless stated otherwise. While this newsletter is family friendly, it is not necessarily intended to be read by children. Parents should always monitor their children while they are on the Internet.