Bang! Bang! You're Dead!
Fashioning and playing with toy weapons seems a natural, nearly instinctive activity for some children. How can we teach nonviolence and respect for weapons while still allowing war play? Author, Jenny Knuth, discusses how playing with weapons within a context of constructive adult attention can actually help kids work through their aggressive impulses. Check out helpful parenting tips "Alternatives to Forbidding," "Redirecting Weapons Play," and "Things to Watch For," which outlines both positive and negative signs.
Chess Is Child's Play
If you want your children to improve their memory and verbal skills, teach them one of the world's oldest board games. Deborah Mitchell, writer, mother, and chess coach, explains that learning to play the game helps children visualize, analyze, concentrate, recognize patterns, learn self-control, and understand the concepts of cause and effect.
Fly Me to the Moon... might very well be on your child's wish list this season. If so, we've got the rocket ship you need—along with a castle in the sky, a dream tree house, and more of the most imagination-stirring, timeless, and natural toys out there, conscientiously created and traded.
For these and other inspiring articles for parents, ask for Mothering magazine's November - December 2006 issue at your local bookstore, newsstand, or natural food store. Check out www.mothering.com.
Mothering is a bimonthly magazine that reports on natural family living. Articles cover pregnancy, natural childbirth, breastfeeding, education alternatives, and family health issues. Mothering's editors can serve as trusted resources and spokespeople for any stories involving birth and families.
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