American Parents Are Worried About How To Pay for Children's College Education

More and more parents are being stung by the bad economy. The house they depended on to pay for their children's education is no more. It is waiting for foreclosure. Even the bank is not willing to pursue the foreclosure. Just like most financial institutions, it is in trouble.

With massive layoffs, parents do not know where to turn. They do not know where to turn to for help. Yet, the kids are already signed up for the next semester starting in January. The long-ago promise made to susie and Robert can no longer go on. These kids are compelled to work two jobs to make ends meet. So far, they are praying for good health. If they become sick, then most of the money will be gone. More of it will be needed.

Susie and Robert come from an intact family that is not touched by divorce yet. How about the thousands of kids who have seen their parents divorced in the last few years. The situation is dire and bleak for them. So few resources to share and go a long way!

Parents are complaining. They want to work while employers are letting workers go.

What are they to do now?

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Shirtless Obama: Obama-Shirtless Postcard from Hawaii Vacation: Bodysurfing Reigns

Having fun is not costly at all for the president elect. He is just taking advantage of the natural resources or what is available there. Lots of water, great waves and a great attitude!

A great example for all parents to follow. Bodysurfing is brought to the spotlight. It is for the natural, organic man and woman! Exercising does not have to cost much.

The List of Fit and Unfit Presidents: Hunk Barack Obama Shirtless Continues Fitness Display of Past Presidents

Bill Clinton did it. Gerald Ford did it. So did Ronald Reagan, past Mexican president, Vincente Fox and former Russian President Vladimir Putin. Going shirtless is the new way for presidents to show their fitness and muscles. After all, they are macho men with a little sense of ego. They think highly of their self. Otherwise, they would not be where they are. Among all of them, the one with the least body fat is our president-elect Obama. Barack stands for "blessed." He is truly blessed for a good physique.

His wife and other ladies admit that he is pleasing to the eyes. Well, his good looks and physique did not come without hard work. It has been said that Mr. Obama is known to exercise religiously to maintain this great body. After all, he has a surfer body.

It is time for him to reconnect with his past and youth on the island where he grew up. There is nothing better than going to your native place.

Obama and the other presidents like to vacation where they can forget about the daily routines of life. It is a good example for other parents. There is a time for everything, a time to work, a time to play and a time to reconnect!

Open Letters to Santa Claus in a Bad Economy: Many Will Be Left Unopened, What Are Parents to Do?

The nationwide credit crunch, foreclosures and wiping out of fortunes seems to claim new victims day after day. Children will go without receiving foods, toys and a blanket to keep them warm this holiday season.

In letters sent to Santa Claus, many kids write about their reality in these tough economic times. No matter what, they still have faith in the North Pole. In those letters, they write about their parents' layoff, lost jobs, home foreclosures, friends who move away from their school and neighborhoods, the lack of foods, the lack of money to pay rent and heating bills etc.

So far, the post offices across the country have been able to display some of these letters so that Good Samaritan may help. A friend of mine and I went down to our local post office to look at some of these letters. After reading a few ones, each one of us picked one letter so that we can discreetly contact the parents to make a gesture.

I will invite you to do the same today. There are many kids who want your help.

If you want to help sponsor a kid, go to http://sponsorandfeedachild.blogspot.com
or make a donation at http://onenationdonation.blogspot.com

The Twilight Series is to Young Women What the Harry Potter's Series was to Young Men: The First Book

Twilight is the first book of the series that piqued the curiosity of most young women. It also introduces the world of reading to many girls who would not make time time read a book. Through the pages of this book, Ms. Meyer worked her craft so well that girls and young women are turning the pages so much that they refuse to eat dinner and leave the house. They want to finish reading the book from cover to cover. They want to go on to the next book in the series.

Just this past weekend, I witnessed the power of these books when my daughter convinced me to buy it for her. In one sitting, she had already read more than 100 pages. Sitting next to us at the bookstore was another girl who was reading the new release of the series. She was so excited about the book that she started talking to us. Between Saturday and Sunday, my daughter had already read more than half of the book. The story is captivating and well-written.

Here is what you can find out about this book at http://oprahbookclubfan.blogspot.com

"Bookstores to Host "Twilight" Parties for "Breaking Dawn" Release

After the Harry Potter series comes the Twilight series which has also grapped teen and adult fans' attention. The fourth and final book in the series, "Breaking Dawn" is scheduled to be released, bookstores across the nation are hosting Twilight parties. In case you did not know about it, here is the scoop about the books.

Conceived by a Mormon housewife living outside Phoenix with her husband and children, the Twilight series started with Twilight. The second one is called "New Moon." The third book is called Eclipse which has taken the New York Bestseller list from a Harry Potter book.

What is it about?

The book is a contemporary tale of love, fantasy and horror about a smart but awkward teenager named Bella and a handsome vampire named Edward. There is also another guy named Jacob who has supernatural issues. It is the story of a love in conflict.

What are the numbers on this series?

The first three books have sold more than 5.3 million copies in the U.S. alone since "Twilight" debuted in 2005. Thanks to the romantic story the books contain, they become popular. they have lots of mushy writing and dialogue."

Doctors Trained to Prescribe Drugs, but not Exercise

Doctors Trained to Prescribe Drugs, but not Exercise

Various studies show that most western doctors are not trained or do not the incentives to prescribe exercise to their patients. Yet, they should regularly prescribe it as a way to lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease and diabetes, according to the American Heart Association on Monday June 23, 2003.

Exercise often works well as drugs, yet doctors fail to advise patients to get off their sofas and walk, cycle or run, the group said, citing data from 44 different studies. The American Heart Association and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among other groups, recommend 30 minutes or more of the moderate exercise such as brisk walking on most or all days of the week.

One problem is that doctors are not trained in preventing disease, but only in treating it, said the director of preventive cardiology and cardiovascular research at Hartford Hospital in connecticut, who led the study leading to this report.

"That is not the whole story here because a lot of stuff we are talking about here is not about prevention -it is about sick patients and making people feel better. Doctors do not urge exercise because they are not reimbursed by insurers for exercise training. And drug companies spend millions to promote medicines and train doctors in their use, but no one does the same thing for exercise."

Physicians can help patients improve cholesterol levels and blood pressure just by prescribing an exercise regimen.

American Parents Are Spending Less This Christmas Season

The hottest toy of the season remains the Wii. It has gotten many parents to think about whether to spend this much money on a toy this year. No matter what, some parents are pleasing their parents despite the economic downturn.

Adults as well as children want to receive this toy this year. More and more women are buying it too. They exercise with it. Stores such as BestBuy and Cirtcuit City can not keep them on the shelves long enough.

Now, the question to ask is whether it is really worth buying when everybody is complaining about money issues. In Canada, iPod users are falling victim all over the streets because thieves want their wear. It is true that many Wii users are not going to take their prized possession out into the streets, but the wisdom of spending so much money like that is still questionable.

Thanksgiving Poetry Found in "The Long Lost Garden of Eden and "Young Man, Go West Books"

If you are interested in reading these poems, check the books at http://bestsellerpicks.blogspot.com and http://justpublished4you.blogspot.com

AmericanParent Recommends, "I Want My Kids To Be Happy..." By Aaron Cooper and Eric Kertel for These Tough Economic Times

Parents need not worry about giving gifts to their children this year. The economic problems that our nation is going through can be used a learning tool for many of them.

Psychologist Aaron Cooper has never approved the trendy mentality espoused by many parents, "I just want them to be happy." He is encouraging us to change our attitude.

"There's a once-in-a-lifetime silver lining here," says psychologist Aaron Cooper, Ph.D., an expert on child and family relations with The Family Institute at Northwestern University. "These tough times, especially at the holidays, offer kids four long-term benefits if parents play it right." Plus welcome reassurance to parents who understand the upside.

Cooper has been an outspoken critic of the widespread "I just want them to be happy" mentality, claiming that it handicaps our youth for life and feeds the rising rates of depression, anxiety, and worry.

"We shield youngsters from so much adversity trying to keep them happy," he explains, "that we deprive them of the practice they need navigating rough waters. There's no other way to develop resilience except by facing adversity.


It's a paradox that the first benefit of holiday belt-tightening is the valuable practice kids will have coping with disappointment. Believe it or not, that's exactly the sort of adversity-practice they need." "Less is more" is how Cooper describes the second benefit. "Research shows that children who grow up receiving a never-ending stream of stuff are less grateful for what they have. My hope is that scaled-down holiday spending will stimulate the development of appreciation and thankfulness, especially if cutbacks continue into the new year. After all, do kids really need an average of 70 gifts a year?" How to explain it to the children? Cooper suggests that parents acknowledge honestly the family's reduced resources, saying that what's available has to be shared among everyone at home. He sees this message as the third benefit of the economic downturn.

"After years of hearing us say that their personal happiness is our fondest wish, kids naturally conclude that their needs and wants matter more than anything-more than the needs of family or community or nation," Cooper says. In I Just Want My Kids To Be Happy: Why You Shouldn't Say It, Why You Shouldn't Think It, What You Should Embrace Instead (Late August Press, 2008), he cites excessive self-focus as one of the five reasons parents "shouldn't say it." What will children do without those new iPods or cell phones or videogames? "It's an opportunity to connect more around the holidays, instead of everyone in separate corners with their latest toy or gadget," he says. "How about some family time? Watching movies or baking cookies together, exploring a new neighborhood or an afternoon at the skating rink for a fraction of what some of the gifts would cost." Cooper calls enhanced family closeness-the fourth benefit -- the true and greatest blessing during this economic turmoil.

Get more more book reviews at Oprahbookclubfan.blogspot.com

American Parents' Pursuit of Happiness: "I Just Want My Kids To Be Happy." Should You Care About Kids' Happiness?

In I Want My Kids to Be Happy by Aaron Cooper and Eric Kertel,, you will read about a current epidemic that his afflicting many parents. They want their kids' happiness above all other benefits. The authors state that this kind of parenting mentality is detrimental to the the very kids they thought about helping. Parents have been focusing too much energy on things that they can not control. Toys, plastic surgery and money can not buy happiness. Parents must know that there some limits. All they have to do is lay the groundwork, the foundation on which the kids can build in the years ahead.

It has been shown that many parents are obsessing over their kids' happiness. They tend to let them do whatever they want. It is complete license under the guise of happiness. There is nothing wrong with wanting one's kids to be happy within the right parameters. When it comes to sacrificing everything else in an unstoppable effort to reach that nirvana, many parents have failed. These parents have clearly twisted Thomas Jefferson's "The Pursuit of Happiness."

These days, many parents want to be their kids' best friends. They care less about parenting. All they want to be is to be buddies with their own kids who never hesitate to abuse this type of relationship. Popular and destructive trends as "parents as bestfriends" damage the right balance of power. These parents tend to give into whims, demands and tantrums. Kids can pout and go off for a while. All throughout the ages, kids have been doing the same thing for ever. After a while, they will get back to their senses. We, Americans, have become victims of our own success. We think we can shower kids with presents and money in order to make them happy. Happiness is something from within. It is not an external quality. Surely money can make life easier, but it is not all about it. In the past few years, we have seen that the happiness trend is reinforced by the media, advertising industry and, in general, the consumer culture. "Who has amassed more toys ends up being happy" goes the saying. The marketplace tends to sell shortcuts to happiness by directly advertising some pills and practices to you, consumers.

How about more parents wishing their kids got a solid education which is a sure way of assuring their future employment? Emphasis on education should be primary. Instead of thinking about making kids happy, we need to think about raising them with good moral values, compassionate hearts, great work ethics, respect for others and a willingness to take responsibility for their own actions.

In this book, you will read about happiness from the child and parents' perspective .

"Today's children are unhappy, worried, anxious and depressed in a staggering degree previously unheard of. In a mind-opening study referred to several times throughout the book, over 50% of ninth grade students, when asked about their degree of happiness, responded that they felt "unhappy, sad or depressed" (pg. 3). Clearly these children have been raised on the "I want my kids to be happy" platform where happiness from the parent's perspective is not genuine or of any real benefit to the kids.

Cooper and Keitel present three happiness myths, which can be viewed as the backbone for the lessons of happiness our children are familiar with:

Money and happiness are directly proportionate, Achievement and happiness are directly proportionate, Options are proportionate to happiness."

In the book, you will find these key principles:
I Just Want My Kids To Be Happy! explains it all:

"Here are eight key ingredients that have been found to be an integral part of the lives of happy people (and how you can plant the seeds of these eight ingredients beginning while your children are young).
five aspects of CHILDHOOD that lay a foundation for happy lives (and what you can do to establish that foundation before the kids are grown).
one early life experience that serves as a safety net when life causes us to stumble (and how you can provide that all-important experience for your son or daughter).
HOBBIES, CLUBS & INTERESTS that best promote your child's happiness today and into the future (and how you can identify the ones that are right for your child).
ONE FAMILY ACTIVITY that helps protect kids and teens from some of the biggest problems—sources of unhappiness—affecting young people today (and how you can make this activity part of your family's life).
THE single attribute IN YOUR CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT that matters most—for your child's welfare, and for the welfare of the world."


The book connection ccm has a great review of the book too. Find at The Book Connection ccm

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