Spotlight on: Thanksgiving

Rexanne's Web Review 
Web Sites & Insights

--- Issue #91 - September 1, 2005

--- Brought to You By: Rexanne.com

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Find subscribe, removal and advertising information at the bottom of this newsletter.
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Welcome all newcomers and faithful readers! 

Did you miss me? I missed you! Although it's been a great summer and taking a break from "this chair" was pretty sweet. Not that I remained 
too idle ... These are the latest pages added to Rexanne.com:

Clothes Hooks, Pegs & Racks

Tooth Fairy Pillows

Developmental Toys for Babies

Hello Kitty Store

I would love feedback on the above pages. Let me know if you like them, if they're what you've been looking for and if you have ideas for new 
pages. And please pass them on! I will be incorporating the above pages into a "shopping for parents" page so go ahead and lay your ideas on me. These pages are created with you in mind. I will be running a poll of some kind in the next newsletter to better identify your needs and wants both for this newsletter and my web site so stay tuned. 

If you can't wait for Halloween fun, browse my Halloween site for all the goodies: Rexanne's Halloween

My heart is breaking for the many readers and Rexanne.com visitors who live in the areas that have been hard hit by hurricane Katrina. As I 
write this, I'm still waiting to hear from our sponsor, Big Chuck, who is in Mobile, Ala. When you visit his site, drop him a line for moral support. Please send in your own stories if you live in the areas most hard hit! We want to know you're all OK and how you managed in Katrina's fury. Peace be with all of you who have been affected by this unprecedented disaster. 

To help the victims of hurricane Katrina, you can easily donate to the American Red Cross online: Katrina Relief Fund

Finally, it is with great pleasure that I introduce a new writer to the parenting front: Meet Anne Beaty who writes about communication in the 
parenting topic of the month this issue. Anne will be a regular contributor to our newsletter and to my site. She's wise, wonderful and happens to be a very close friend. I trust her advice more than my own sometimes and she has played a big part in keeping me a sane parent. I think you will all love her as much as I do! 
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Reader's Comments:

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Jessica sent this:

"Pathways feels it is imperative to arm parents with information that will help them become proactive in tracking their child’s development from birth to fifteen months. Many times parents are not knowledgeable about what to watch for when their child is developing and therefore are hesitant to share their concerns with a health care professional. Pathways Awareness Foundation is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to raising community awareness of the benefits of early detection and early therapy for children with physical differences.Access our web site at Pathways Awareness for more information."

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Dennis wrote:

"Bailey Ann Anderson was born on August 17, at 6:21 AM, my new granddaughter!"

Welcome to the world, Princess Baily. :-) Enjoy her, Dennis! If you'd like to congratulate Dennis on the birth of his new granddaughter, visit him here: Boogie Jack


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Donna wrote:

"I am beginning to dislike the summer months because you stop writing your newsletter then! I look forward to every issue and wish you would publish more, not less, but I know you need time off, too. Just saying I miss your newsletter!"

Thank you for such kind words, Donna! I miss you all, too when I take my little summer break.
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OK, here's the scoop:
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Quote of the Month: Behind the need to communicate is the need to share. Behind the need to share is the need to be understood. (Leo 
Rosten)
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Supporting the sponsors and advertisers in Rexanne's Web Review keeps this newsletter alive and a portion of revenue is donated to various charities. Each advertiser has Rexanne's Seal of Approval. Please visit them today.
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This Month's Web Review Sponsored By: Big Chuck's Free Stuff

Big Chuck wants the biggest and best free stuff site on the WWW, and he doesn't mess around! Find free samples, coupons, free trial offers, online games and more!
Big Chuck has a comprehensive bargain board, highlighting weekly specials and up-to-date coupon codes to all your favorite online department stores in several categories. Also be sure to visit Big Chuck's frugal tips and advice forum to find great tips and to add your own. This is definitely a site to book mark! 
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Parenting & Family Topic of the Month: Communication
by Anne Beaty

At its most basic, communication is the exchange of thoughts, ideas, stories, etc., between two or more people. It is the key to understanding another person; it is the balm that soothes all wounds.

So here you are with a screaming baby or preverbal toddler: where’s the communication? It’s right there; you just have to learn to speak their  language before they can speak yours.

My youngest sister had her first baby in December. She and her husband noticed that there were times the baby just wouldn’t stop fussing. So 
Chris would sweep him up and say “hey buddy, there are just too many women around, we need a little guy time” and march off with the baby. 
It worked every time! He was communicating with a 3 week old.

This kind of communication relies almost entirely on empathy: how YOU might feel in that situation. If the child is fed and dry and still unhappy, s/he is telling you something, and the challenge of parenting small children is to figure out what it is. Offering ‘solutions’ (do you want to go to the park? would you like to play horsy?) usually just sends the child into greater distress. Yelling and threatening, smacks, time-outs: would any of that make you feel better if you were upset? 

Almost always, a small child needs calm and love (besides food). Hold the child, if s/he will let you, otherwise, sit down near them and radiate peacefulness and love. As they start to calm down, offer a banana, and to read them a story. 

When my niece was 2 1/2, she stayed with my son and me while her parents went to Hawaii for a belated honeymoon. I wish I had known 
one-tenth of what I’ve since learned, but I botched our communication so badly that she wouldn’t speak to me except through my son. It was 5 days of “Julian, please ask Danielle if she would like red sauce or butter on her pasta,” in every possible situation. It was awful!

As they grow, the most important thing you can do is listen, actively listen. An uncommunicative child can be helped along, even if it feels like an interrogation. The point is: they want to communicate, but sometimes they just can’t. Maybe they don’t know how. Maybe it’s not in their nature to be very open (we’ve all known adolescent boys, especially, who just grunt). So we have to teach them: we have to ask, and then ask again: what happened at basketball today? How did you feel about that? Teaching them to think about how they feel is one of our most important tasks, and will serve both them and us well in their older years.

Without communication, everything falls by the wayside, and you will be blind-sided. This is when the police show up at your door because your 
son has 2 speeding tickets he never took care of (this happened to someone I know). This is when you don’t find out your child is failing math until the report cards come in. There is no discipline without communication, but that’s another story.

Listen to your child: even when s/he is silent.
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Anne Beaty is the single mother of one son, who graduated from Vassar college in 2005. She was a Special Education T.A. for the Los Angeles 
Unified School District for 10 years, middle and high school, where she dealt with learning and behaviorally challenged inner-city, minority, and immigrant students, most of whom wouldn't have known a manner if it bit them on the leg. At the moment, she is raising her 16 year old niece. Email Anne at: Anne Beaty
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Know of a good parenting or family site your fellow readers might enjoy or do you have a topic you'd like to see covered in this section? Please send your ideas in for possible publication in an upcoming issue: Parenting Site
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Food & Cooking Site of the Month: Single Parent Cook

You do not need to be a single parent to take advantage of the terrific recipes and food preparation tips on this site, although it was designed for single parents trying to find healthful, interesting and cost-effective meals and recipes for their families. There are pictures so you can see and salivate over the food and nothing is too difficult that you'll feel you can't do it. Kid friendly recipes include main meals, side dishes, sandwiches, breads & muffins, drinks, lunch box goodies, meatless meals, desserts and a lot more to inspire your creative culinary side.

Bon Appetit!
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Kid's Site of the Month: What's Inside a Computer

For our little future engineers, this site offers a nifty feature where kids can learn all about what's inside the computer. Each click will explain what the components are, what they're used for and other techie information to fill children's brains with computer knowledge. The kids might be able to fix the machine for you after this lesson!:-) 
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Freebie of the Month: Fatherville is offering a free 76 page e-book for new dads: 25 Must Know, Time Saving, Stress Reducing 
Secrets for the new dad. Additionally, as a bonus you'll also receive a free 10 Week (one a week) e-course for new dads.
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Advertisement: Buy Costumes.com

Time to start thinking about Halloween, parents! Get ready to rumble and make sure the kids have the costume they really want this year. You can find every type of costume imaginable at BuyCostumes.com: infants, kids, teens, adults and pet costumes. Let the kids browse and pick their costume now. You'll have one less worry when Halloween creeps up on you. 
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Tip or Trick of the Month: Clothes Dryer Tip

Evidently, fabric softener sheets cause a film to develop on mesh dryer lint screens. Jill sent this useful tip:

"The best way to keep your dryer working well for a long time (and to lower your electric bill) is to remove the lint filter and wash it with hot soapy water & an old toothbrush (or other sturdy brush) at least every six months. Water will not run through the screen before you wash it but after you do, it will!"

Thank you, Jill!

Have a tip or trick your fellow readers would enjoy or could use? Please send it in for possible publication in one of the next issues: Tips
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Time Waster of the Month: Caption This
(Because life is supposed to be fun!)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Can you keep it under twenty? Test your wit and come up with your own caption for the photos 
on this site.

Feed the kids first ...
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Featured Site of the Month: Kids Celebrate Soldiers

"Our objective: Have kids (and adults too) around the country make thank-you cards and notes for our soldiers to show how much we appreciate them. It will take everyone young and old to participate."

These kids have undertaken an enormous task and are succeeding beautifully. Visit their site for some really wonderful and inspiring stories and read letters from soldiers who've responded. WTG kids! 
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Advertisement: Earth Tribe

Earth Tribe is dedicated to providing people with personal care products that contain no harsh synthetic preservatives, alcohols, mineral oils, dyes, or emulsifiers. 

Based on formulas used by many tribes and cultures for centuries, our products can easily be incorporated into the beauty, health and fitness  regimens of your family. Most importantly, using Earth Tribe products allows you to eliminate toxic products from your home environment. 
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