5 Dynamite Ways to Generate Ideas for Parenting Articles

The key to selling reprints to parenting publications is the creation of dynamite ideas followed through with professional writing. Here, Im focusing only on finding those lucrative topics.

Most topics in regional parenting publications are straightforward: finance, parenting tips, health, sports, and education. The trick is to twist them in an unusual way.

1. If youre a parent, what do you wish you knew about a topic? Write down questions that you have as you go through the day. When I was driving the other day, I complained to myself about bad teenage drivers. Then I wondered, What can parents do to encourage good driving? If you already know the answer to the question, it wont make a good article unless youre an expert on the subject.

2. Take a generic topic and make it seasonal. Choose a season about four months away, because the lead-time for parenting publications is 2 to 6 months. Four months from now is April. What happens in April (or would be published in April) that I can combine with a topic like health? In April, parenting publications start printing their summer guides to camps. What can parents do to make sure their children stay healthy at camp? What are the traits of a safe camp? Change to camping plus another topic like education or finance to create unique articles.

3. Who do you know who has an unusual or remarkable story something that affected children? What did the parents learn? Write an article using the anecdote as an introduction to the information you want to give. A great anecdote can sell a story.

4. Visit online parenting forums and read the questions people ask. Use some of these as a basis for your article ideas.

5. When you research a piece and talk to experts, look for what you dont know. Joe says insurance is important for families, wont make an article interesting. Too many people know that insurance is important. But a quote like, Joe says disability insurance is the most neglected area of insurance, but it protects young families from the biggest threat to their security, will make parents keep reading.

If you give editors timely articles that readers will want to read, youll sell your work over and over again.

Terri Pilcher edits a FREE weekly e-zine for writers, Writers Guidelines Magazine, that provides 10 writers guidelines. She recently published MONEY Markets 2005: 101 Publishers That Pay in 6 Weeks or Less. Her website contains the writers guidelines for almost 200 parenting publications. http://www.powerpenmarketsearch.com.

Parenting Starts Before Pregnancy

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While it may seem farfetched to some people, many of my clients remember what they felt and experienced while still in the womb. Comments such as these are not unusual:

I knew even before I was born that my mother didnt want me.

I could feel my mothers fear and anxiety even before I was born.

Parenting does not start once the child is born. Good parenting starts even before getting pregnant. It starts by caring about what you eat, how much exercise and sleep you get, and by making sure that you are taking responsibility for your feelings of anxiety and stress. Your baby will feel what you feel, so learning how to be in peace and joy before getting pregnant is part of good parenting.

I loved being pregnant. I had always wanted children so I was thrilled to be pregnant. I loved feeling the baby moving within me, awed by the very fact of creating new life. I loved feeling an elbow or a knee slide across my stomach. I loved that my body could be a receptacle for bringing through this soul, this angel from heaven. I could not think of anything more profound, more worth doing. Who was this unique little person growing in my body?

I read every book I could on parenting and thought endlessly how I wanted to be a different parent than my parents were.

The problem was that I have never thought about how much my relationship with myself and with my husband might affect this child.

My husband was angry, distant and withdrawn during my pregnancy and the first three months after giving birth to our son. He was a person who wanted control and he was not happy that I got pregnant six months before we had planned. He didnt open his heart until our son smiled at him at three months of age.

Being young, I had no idea how to handle the loneliness I felt at not having my husband joyfully involved in the hugest event of my life. Had I known then what I know now, I would have done anything I could to get the help we needed to bring our relationship back into caring. We cant go back, but Im sure that my son felt the lack of joy that existed between my husband and me. Im sure he felt the depth of my loneliness. I wish I knew then what I know now about taking responsibility for my own feelings.

Being pregnant and giving birth are enormous events in a womans life, especially the first child, which changes your life so dramatically. If you do not know how to take responsibility for your own feelings of anger, hurt, anxiety, depression and loneliness, things will only get worse after giving birth. A child does not solve problems for you.

Its hard to imagine before having a child what it is like to be responsible for another life 24/7. If you have not learned how to lovingly parent yourself before giving birth, you might find yourself getting lost as parent your baby. Good parenting starts before getting pregnant, with learning how to take loving care of yourself.

If you have a desire to be a good parent, here are steps you can take before getting pregnant:

1. Physical health: make sure that you are in good physical shape by eliminating sugar and artificial sweeteners. Start to shop in health food stores and buy only organic products. Eliminating pesticides and food additives is essential for good health. Also be sure to get enough exercise and sleep.

2. Emotional health: instead of having your eyes on your partner, turn your eyes inward and begin to compassionately notice your own feelings. Start to treat your own feelings in the same way you are planning on treating your future childs feelings - with caring and understanding. In addition, start to practice taking loving action in your own behalf - standing up for yourself, speaking your truth, taking time for yourself. Practice taking loving care of your own feelings instead of making your partner responsible for how you feel. Begin to notice what you think and do that may be causing you stress. Changing thoughts and behavior that cause your stress before getting pregnant is essential for good parenting.

3. Spiritual health: practice opening to a higher source of guidance, wisdom, strength and comfort. This can be your own highest, wisest self within you, or a Higher Power outside of you. You will find that being able to turn a source of wisdom and comfort within or without will go a long way in helping you stay loving and stress-free with yourself, your partner, and your baby. In addition, this will help you know what to do in different challenging situations with your baby.

If you are planning on having a baby, start today in becoming a good parent!

Parenting Success

At a Womens Bar Association lunch one of the attorneys ordered a diet soda and then explained to the rest of us that her children were doing a healthy living program so she stopped buying diet soda to drink at home. She said having this diet soda was a real treat for her.

She then confided in us that the real difficulty her kids were having with their healthy living was eating 5 fruits and vegetables a day. The topic for the day was marketing and it seemed to me that she had just displayed a couple of marketing principles even though the topic hadnt come up yet!

First of all the woman was trying very hard to model to her children the behavior she was encouraging. As a child I always pointed out to my mother when her actions did not reflect her directives she told me not to smoke for example. Her response was Do as I say not as I do. Sorry Mom it doesnt work. It just made me all the more curious about smoking. I did try it but fortunately for me I didnt like it.

No matter what your profession or business if you dont use your product or service you are not a model of what you offer. A lawyer who doesnt have a will, doesnt pay taxes, or signs a business agreement with a handshake doesnt advertise her own service very well.

Second the attorney and her children were measuring their success in eating healthy. The only place she wasnt complying was with the requirement of 5 vegetables a day. Tracking results is an important part of a marketing campaign. How can you tell if you are successful if you dont track your results?

Another way this mother was helping her children was with support. Trying to eat and live in a healthy way can be hard for children. Having their mothers support, the support of each other and that of their school is a really great way to get encouragement.

So too when you market a law practice the attorney needs to have support. The Bar Association is one place to get that support. Other places might be through a coach, a mastermind group, or other attorneys.

Just the other day I was listening to a teleclass on parenting with Jack Canfield, the author of the Chicken Soup books. He has written a book called The Success Principles. Even as I listened to his discussion I thought how many of these Principles we use in our daily lives without knowing it. Lets give ourselves credit for being successes in our own world! Here are a few that mother and her children used in that healthy living program:

• Success Principle 13: Take Action
• Success Principle 20: Commit to Constant and Never-Ending Improvement
• Success Principle 21: Keep Score for Success
• Success Principle 41: Build a powerful Support team

Canfield will be speaking on a telephone discussion group on parenting again on May 17th at 9PM ET. This time his focus will be his book Chicken Soup for the Fathers Soul. Jack Canfield adds wonderful stories to a rich parenting discussion. To learn more about it click here: http://tinyurl.com/4t7uy

Alvah Parker is a Business and Career Coach as well as publisher of Parkers Points, an email tip list and Road to Success, an ezine. Parker works with high potential professionals who want to make their work fun, fulfilling and profitable. Her clients are managers, business owners, sole practioners, attorneys and people in transition. Alvah is found on the web at www.asparker.com. She may also be reached at 781-598-0388.

asparker@asparker.com

 

Parenting Strategies !! 6 Simple Strategies that Will Aid Your Home Business !!

Copyright 2002 (c) Dave Hertner, All rights Reserved. Permission is granted to electronically reprint the following article, in your publication, e-book or web site, as long as there are no changes made to the copyright info and the resource box is included with the article.

Please contact the author at: mailto:effectus@cyberwealth-institute.com if this article is used. Please include publication location information.

"Parenting Strategies !!
6 Simple Strategies that Will Aid Your Home Business !!"

by Dave Hertner
Copyright 2002
All Rights Reserved

Let's face it. The biggest problem that we all share in being home based business people is working at home. Specifically, working in an environment where you are unsure of the availability of uninterrupted work time.

I was in the very same situation when I decided to start my own information marketing business. I had the drive to succeed, the great idea and the support of my wonderful wife. The problem I ran into though, was my inability to secure the uninterrupted time I needed to concentrate on the business. Does this sound familiar?

I am going to save you a great deal of grief by letting you in on the 6 strategies that my wife and I developed to allow me the time I needed for the business.

The first strategy is by far the most important. It is the bedtime ritual. You have to get the kids to bed at the same time, day in and day out!! What we did was probably the hardest thing for any parent to do. We put the kids to bed, closed the door and went down stairs. If you go back in they win!!

This WILL be hard on you for the couple of nights that it takes to implement but once you are through it you're home free!! You are the one who controls when they have to go to bed. You therefor, have control over how much time you make for yourself.

The second strategy revolves around playtime. We all know that your kids require a certain amount of your undivided attention to simply play with them. Children are creatures of habit as well. Marry this into the establishment of a defined playtime. Pick a block of time and make yourself available. They are happy that they have exclusive time with you and you are able to schedule with confidence.

The third strategy is to take an evening per week off. You will need this time to be with your spouse. I picked Wednesday night as our night out. We have a babysitter that comes over at 6:30pm each week. She gets paid very well and as a result she is never late. My wife and I will go shopping, go for coffee or whatever suits our fancy but most of all we spend time talking to each other. This is very important!! You need this time to avoid the resentment that can build when your home based business becomes more of a going concern.

The fourth strategy is to eat your meals with your family. There isn't a single good reason why you cannot eat with your family. It is critical that you are there to hear what is going on with your children and your spouse. Your business will mean nothing to you when you run into the problems that result from inattention paid to your family.

The fifth strategy is a simple way to get your kids started into the bedtime routine. My wife and I found that if we had the kids watching a video just prior to their bedtime we could use the end of the video as a tool. At the end of the video are the credits. Whenever they came across the screen we would say "There are the words. It's time for bed." The kids then started to equate the credits with bedtime and the credits became to blame for their misfortune in having to go to bed. Not their parents!! This has proved to be a great tool.

The last strategy I'll share with you today has to do with the philosophy of parenting. I have noted in many families of friends where the parent tries to be the child's best friend. I personally feel that you have to be a parent to your child first and a friend second. Children thrive on structure and routine and they need to be constantly reminded of the family hierarchy.

These are the strategies that have led to the success of my information marketing business. I hope that they help you to be successful as well.

To Your Wealth!!!

Dave Hertner

5 Millionaire Information Marketers Teach You How They Pull $10,000 Or More A Month! FREE Report shows you how and tells who these "Super" Marketers are and how they can help you reach your dreams! Your FREE information packed report is at: http://www.cyberwealth-institute.com

Step Parenting Power Tool: Using Family Rituals and Traditions to Create Identit

If you are in a step family and struggling for some sense of family identity, don't despair. You can enhance your feeling of togetherness with the use of family rituals and traditions.
Step Parenting Power Tool: Using Family Rituals and Traditions to Create Identity

by Ron Huxley, LMT http://parentingtoolbox.com

If you are in a step family and struggling for some sense of family identity, don't despair. You can enhance your feeling of togetherness with the use of family rituals and traditions.

Rituals allow nontraditional and traditional families to form collective identities, facilitate healing, celebrate life changes, and pass on expressions of beliefs. Rituals include daily activities, even if they are taken for granted, such as getting ready for bed, eating at the table, and watching a television program. They can also be much more elaborate, although not necessarily more symbolic, such as weddings, funerals, bar mitzvahs, graduations, and religious ceremonies.

Regardless of their format, rituals are an important aspect of our social lives, and parents can utilize this hidden resource in developing more intimate families. Family therapists have used the concept of rituals to help families that have been hurt by past actions toward on another or by an unexpected traumatic situation. Wedding vows have been restated by stepfamilies and have included all family members, including the children. Letters of anger and sadness have been written to unknown mothers and fathers and then ceremonially burned or destroyed as an act of saying good-bye. Marriage bands have been melted down or thrown into the middle of lakes to break emotional ties and symbolize the need for an emotional divorce, even after families have already been legally divorced. Again, how one performs these valuable tools is not as important as finding a way to signify a gain, loss, or both in the lives of families.

Often the most powerful rituals and traditions are the ones that come up naturally in a family. Forcing a tradition, in a step family especially, is a guaranteed way to create more disharmony. Keep an eye for routines and activities that bio and nonbio family members seem to enjoy. What causes anxiety and frustration to leave the home and fosters a fun, creative, or relaxed atmosphere? Do more of those things.

If you still are unable to come up with a family ritual or tradition, have a family meeting or kitchen table discussion about what members of the family would like to do on a regular basis. You might be surprised what ideas come up. If reasonable, try these suggestions until you find one (or two) that fit your newly formed family.

As children get older and situations change, rituals and traditions may leave or no longer be of interest. If they are not related to deep spiritual values, allow them to pass and look for new ones to arrive. Rituals and traditions are there to serve your family and not the other way around.

Get more ideas on how to create richer, more peaceful step families when you become a member of the ParentingToolbox.com website. We have hundreds of power parenting tools guaranteed to fit your families needs. Get exclusive charts, articles, presentations, blueprints, and expert consultation all for one low lifetime membership fee. Get the answers you need now at http://parentingtoolbox.com

Ron Huxley is the author of the book "Love & Limits: Achieving a Balance in Parenting." Visit his website at http://parentingtoolbox.com and get expert advice on anger management, mental health, and parenting issues.

The Woes of Coparenting

Co-parenting and joint custody can be tricky, but it's really all in the way you look at it.
Teri Worten is a freelance writer and the founder of the inspirational website for women and single moms called Gotta Be Me, Girl.Com. Visit Gotta Be Me Girl at http://www.gottabemegirl.com or http://www.teriworten.com. She has been featured on various television and radio shows as well as numerous publications in the metropolitan Kansas City area. Her passion is motivating and inspiring other women to reach their fullest potential.

Ms. Worten's interest also includes writing, public speaking and internet inspiration ministries. She has been featured on various Kansas City television shows, radio shows and featured in several of Kansas City's major and ethnic publications. Her hobbies include attending her church and creating and facilitating, fun, interactive workshops for women's groups. Visit her on the web at http://www.gottabemegirl.com or http://www.teriworten.com!

Parenting Teens: The Future

A look at a possible alternative for our future.

In the future, parents won't send their teenagers off to summer camp or junior high. The states came up with a better plan. On a child's 12 1/2 birthday, Mom and Dad would help him pack his bag and take him to the local Adolescent Processing Center. I am not sure why they had to pack a bag, perhaps it was a comfort fact dealing more with feeling like they were just going away for a few days.

At the processing center, Mom would sit with a social worker and fill out papers. What kind of music does he like? What is his cats name? What is his career choice? For an extra fee, would you like to interface weekly family reports?

At the same time, Dad accompanies Son to a cubicle where two medical professional meet them. Son is given a physical, says good-bye to Dad and is taken from the room. Dad waits. Later, a woman in a pink jacket leads him down a hall to a viewing window. On the other side of the window are dozens of teen-agers, each cocooned in what resembled a large vial. Some wearing headphones, others had electrodes attached to their arms and legs. Their limbs would jump as an electrical current rushed through their bodies in an attempt to keep them from atrophying.

The woman points toward a vial to his left. There is Son, resting comfortably in his vial--his home for the next 6 1/2 years.

While there, Son would be fed an education, memories of the football games that he has won, although he never leaves his vial. He dates, has birthday parties, goes on family vacations, only these things are just memories.

In the meantime, Mom and Dad don't have to worry about sexual promiscuity, failing grades, beer bashes, early pregnancy, college fees. Stasis is more cost effective than a traditional education.

The school system saves billions by only hiring teachers for grades 1-6, no extracurricular activities, no building maintenance for upper grade school buildings. In fact, those buildings were sold years ago.

Police forces are reduced, colleges are non-existent, unwanted pregnancies and abortions are down.

Health insurance rates go down, as parents are relieved of the stresses of raising teen-agers. Cases of high blood pressure have dropped by 75%, along with that is a reduction in heart problems, the use of tranquilizers, and hair lose.

When the adolescents have grown past that stage, they are brought out of stasis. They awaken with a full set of memories and a college diploma. Corporate recruiters meet them in the lobby; many will leave with a job. This was only a dream, but still, it all seems too logical. Is it a possible alternative for our future?

Betsy Gallup is a full-time mother to an 11-year-old son, and infant twins. She has had several articles, essays, and short stories published. She is now writing a non-fiction book under contract for publication, and she has recently procured an agent to represent her first novel, Destiny, a suspense/romance delving into the world of a renown psychic. With what time she has left, she operates www.whimsplace.com, a showcase for the work of talented writers.