Recent Tips

Shotgun Rules

Everyone wants to ride next to the driver, but little ones need to wait. To keep everyone safe, only kids 13 and up should be sitting in the passenger seat.

Quilted Tees

What to do with all those T-shirts from plays, sports teams and camps? Turn them into a keepsake quilt. Just cut squares from the shirts and sew them together in a patchwork pattern.

DIY Mini Pizzas

For a fun afternoon snack, set out some sauce, cheese and crusty bread so kids can make their own pizza pies. Help them spread the toppings, then stick the pies in the oven, and you’ll have a tasty snack in no time!

The Boredom-banishing Box

Sick of hearing the old “but there’s nothing to do” routine? Next time, send your kids to the “Boredom Box,” which you can fill with games, crafts and more fun stuff.

Protect Kids’ Peepers

Since sports are the leading cause of eye injuries and blindness in children, be sure your kids wear safety glasses when they’re on the field or court.

Avoid Intervening in Arguments

Kids quickly learn they can get parental attention by picking fights with one another. Instead of meddling, let them develop their own conflict-resolution skills.

Adopt a Penguin

You can adopt a penguin, lemur, panda or one of 40 other animals when you make a donation to the World Wildlife Fund at the organization’s Web site.

Hold a Treasure Hunt

Try geocaching, a high-tech scavenger hunt that uses a GPS unit. Go to the geocaching Web site to review coordinates and clues with your kids, and then head out for a hike outdoors.

Keep Bugs at Bay

Avoid using scented soaps and lotions, and wearing bright colors or flower prints, which encourage insects to bite. Apply repellents containing 10 to 30 percent DEET, safe for children over 2 months old.

Make a Trip out of Public Transit

Ditch the car and hop on a bus, train, trolley or boat. Any mode that's out of the ordinary will become a big part of your kids' vacation memories.

Destroy Dust Mites

Even if you use a mattress cover and pad, protect your family from allergy-causing critters by stripping your bed and vacuuming your mattress twice a month.

Try Bangs, Not Botox

A flirty fringe is perfect for hiding forehead lines and can make you look instantly younger -- no injections required.

Don’t Be Bothered by Boredom

This summer, resist the urge to schedule every moment of your child’s time, even if he or she complains, “Mom, I’m bored!” Boredom often motivates kids to create interesting things to do all on their own.

Take a Bath to Sleep Better

Having trouble falling asleep? Fill your tub. Studies show that a 45-minute hot bath taken two hours before bedtime beats prescription medications.

Phone a Friend, Lower Your Blood Pressure

Gabbing to a pal immediately lowers blood pressure as well as stress hormones. Research shows that maintaining friendships can positively affect your health over time, as can being active.

Let Your Kids Choose Their Chores

Present your kids options for doing chores, such as tidying up the playroom or cleaning their room.

Stifle the Sniffles

Frequent trips to the sink will kill cold germs -- even if you don’t use hot water. The key: suds up for at least 15 seconds (sing “Happy Birthday” twice).

Make an Adventure out of Exercise

Calculate the "longcut" when walking to school, the store or a friend's house. Add a few hills, stairways or secret paths through the woods too.

Turn the TV off During Dinner

Talk as a family instead. Research shows that eating together actually helps improve kids’ achievement scores and reduce behavioral problems.

Prep Once, Eat Twice

Fix chicken breasts tonight and use the extra to prepare enchiladas for tomorrow. Or make meatloaf and stow extra chopped onions and browned meat in the fridge for chili night.

Make a Terrarium

Cut a 2-liter plastic bottle in half. Then layer pebbles, activated charcoal, Spanish moss, soil and an easy-to-maintain houseplant like a Begonia. Your kids will see life grow before their eyes!

Find a Substitute for Soda

One can of cola a day can add up to 1050 empty calories by the end of the week, so save soda for an occasional restaurant treat.

Have a Plastic Parade

Repurpose empty plastic bottles by washing, drying and filling with dried beans to make easy musical instruments. Encourage your kids to parade around the house or block with their instruments.

Make Old Magazines Into New Clothes

Cut clothes or figures from old magazines and catalogs, and glue them to construction paper or cardboard. You can stick the clothes on the dolls with either taped paper tabs or paper clips.

Forget About Floaties

When introducing young children to swimming, don’t use those inflatable arm rings. They give kids and parents a false sense of security, since they can easily fall off or leak air.

Set Aside Self-Serve Snacks

Monitor your kid’s snacks without having to serve them by filling one cabinet with healthy snack foods that he or she is allowed to eat after school.

Make Money ‘Chalk’

Kids can get two chalk colors -- one light shade, one dark -- for the price of one by dipping one end of the chalk in water before drawing.

Write It Down for Posterity

Want to keep a journal but don’t have the time? Put together some quick lists, such as places you’ve seen or hope to visit. Get ideas at the Listography Web site.

Create a Child Care Co-op

Save money by creating a child care co-op with friends or neighbors. Take turns watching the kids or share a baby sitter’s weekly time and fee.

Test a Sitter

Administer a “take home test” by interviewing prospective sitters in your home and letting the sitter watch the children while you clean another room in the house.

Add Value to Your Family Vacation

Turn your trip into a map-reading lesson: Before you leave, have the kids map out the route you're planning to take. Then, they can let you know when you’ve arrived.

Pack a Stay-at-home Lunch

Help your stay-at-home preschooler adjust when siblings return to school by planning school-related routines such as packing a lunch box to open at lunchtime, just like his or her older siblings.

Say No

It’s OK -- and downright healthy -- to nicely say no to requests for favors. If you must say yes, make it a qualified yes: “Sure, if you can take over next week.”

Compete to Complete Chores

Hang a list of chores on the fridge and encourage your kids to compete to get them done. Whoever finishes the most gets first dibs on choosing the next family outing.

Crown a ‘Cook of the Day’

Let your child revel in royalty by putting him or her in charge of planning a menu with four of the five food groups (review them at the MyPyramid Web site).

Skip the Sunglasses on the Way to Work

Exposing your eyes to morning sunlight resets your body clock, telling your brain it’s time to wake up and boosting your energy.

Create a Healthy, Kid-friendly Salad

Ambrosia salad is a hit with kids: Just mix mandarin oranges, pineapples, apples, coconut and mini-marshmallows with plain yogurt for a healthy snack or side dish they’ll love.

Make a Fun Snack With Cookie Cutters

Add some pizzazz to snack time: Toast a few pieces of wheat bread, then use cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes (teddy bears, stars, hearts -- anything your kids like!). Serve with hummus dip for a healthy treat.

Make a Frozen Banana Treat

Put a peeled banana on a wooden craft stick, dip it in chocolate syrup, roll it in chopped nuts and put it on wax paper. Freeze for three hours, and your kids will have a frozen chocolate banana treat.

Let Kids Make Dessert

Before dinner, ask your kids if they want to cook the dessert in an Easy-Bake Oven. They’ll be so proud to have contributed to the meal -- especially when everyone “ooh”s and “ahh”s over their creation.

Use up Leftovers

Are you left with a lot of cooked meat after a big dinner? Whether it’s chicken, turkey or pork, it’ll make great burritos: Just add cheese, salsa, refried beans and sour cream. Ole!

Make a Rainbow Dessert

For a special treat, put stripes of red, yellow, blue and green food coloring in vanilla pudding. Your kids will love the new twist on an old favorite!

Sneak in Some Veggies

Lasagna is a great way to add some healthy vegetables to kids’ diet. Put some pureed carrots and broccoli in your favorite recipe, and they’ll never suspect a thing.

Never Run out of Meal Ideas

Not sure what to make for dinner? Post a list of your kids’ favorite foods on the refrigerator, and you’ll always have ideas on hand -- no thinking required.

Add a Healthy Twist to Pizza

Pass the peas, please: Top a frozen cheese pizza with fresh or canned peas for a nutritious “peas-za” surprise kids are sure to love.

Gather a Treat Stash

Ready for a bunch of no-bake desserts? When your kids get oodles of candy at holidays or special events, let them have a few pieces, then save the rest for desserts and special rewards.

Hold the Salt

Prepackaged noodles make a great go-to dinner, but they’re not always healthy. Next time, use only half the seasoning packet to cut back on the sky-high sodium content.

Get Kids in the Kitchen

Buy a kid-friendly cookbook and whip up one dish a week with your kids. You’ll have some family fun (and good food!) in the kitchen, plus kids will love eating their creations.

Get Kids to Eat Their Veggies

Do your kids hate eating anything green? Slip some vegetables into a hearty shepherd’s pie, and they’ll never know the difference.

Stock up on Go-to Meals

Does your kid love a certain variety of soup? Buy lots of it (more than you think you need!), and you’ll always have a healthy meal on hand in a pinch.

Choose Low-fat Snacks

To reduce your kids’ fat intake, seek out low-fat alternatives to their favorite treats. Choose pretzels instead of potato chips and frozen yogurt instead of ice cream.

Get Creative With Cookies

Why not serve fortune cookies instead of the more traditional variety? Young readers will love deciphering the little notes inside.

Ditch the Sandwich at Lunchtime

Sick of putting sandwiches day after day in your kid’s lunch box? Add a little variety with a healthy turkey wrap that’s just as easy and kid-friendly as the sandwich standby.

Make a Quick, Healthy Meal

Moms and dads are sometimes too swamped to whip up a full-on meal. For a quick, nutritious dish, serve tomato soup or stew with crackers.

Fertilize Your Brain

Harvard Medical School researchers have dubbed aerobic exercise “Miracle-Gro for the brain,” since engaging in it several times a week makes brain cells bigger, better and more resilient.

Burn a Candle for a Better Workout

According to research, the smell of a strawberry candle can motivate exercisers to work harder, boosting their calorie burn by as much as 19 percent.

Get the Most From Your Multi

Never take your multivitamin on an empty stomach. You need food to best absorb the nutrients -- and prevent an upset stomach.

Give Your Gums Some TLC

After brushing, use your toothbrush to massage your gums in a gentle circular motion. This will promote better circulation, which helps prevent gum disease and bone loss.

Live Longer

A Yale University study found that optimists -- regardless of gender, health and money -- live at least seven and a half years longer.

Work out at Work

Instead of sitting around the conference table, hold walk-and-talk meetings to burn some calories with your co-workers.

Don’t Forget Your Feet

When using sunscreen, people often overlook their feet. Apply protection generously and often to the tops of your feet -- and lather up the bottoms too if they’re exposed.

Get Grandma and Grandpa Moving

According to a new review of more than 100 studies, exercises that increase strength, flexibility and balance are the best way to prevent seniors from taking dangerous falls.

Make Meat Dishes Healthier

Cook with 95 percent lean ground beef instead of ground round, to cut saturated fat and calories. Your family won’t even notice the difference.