In my last blog post, I explained the 5 signs of the fear of cooking that many people suffer from in deciding that they would like to learn to cook. Because the kitchen plays a particularly important emotional role in many people’s lives, not knowing how to cook can have devastating effects. Some people that have come to me to learn to cook have told me stories that not only explain their fear of cooking but have made it almost impossible for them to learn how to cook.

One of the ways that fear of cooking is intensified is through smells. Your sense of smell has a powerful links to your memories. In fact, I’m sure that most of you have memories that come flooding into your mind when you smell cookies baking or a pot roast. I have strong memories when I smell the chlorine from a pool that remind me of swimming and snack bar hamburgers.

Memories are not always positive. For example, I had one woman that came to my cooking school and told me that she can’t cook. Later in the evening as she was learning how to cook (funny how well cooking by method works), she explained to me that as a child, every time she went into the kitchen, her mother would scream, “Get out of the kitchen. You’re going to mess everything up. You’re going to ruin things. This is not a place for children.” No wonder she had a fear of cooking!

Let’s look a little more deeply into the 10 ways that the fear of cooking may affect your life

1. Anxiety – this can come from the thought of the “impending” meal and not knowing what to cook or how to cook.
2. Depression - eating the same things over and over again can cause depression and place a person in a lull where they lose the desire to learn to cook.
3. Lethargy - most often this comes from eating foods that aren’t good for us. In particular, eating empty calories or fast food over and over again.
4. Embarrassment - are you the person that always brings napkins to the pot luck? Not knowing how to cook can cause embarrassment when you never bring a meal to gatherings.
5. Loneliness - eating home cooked meals has the potential to bring families together. Without home cooked meals, there may be a sense of loneliness because so much conversation and socializing occurs over a cooked meal.
6. Non-Reciprocation – Have you been invited to dinner by your friends multiple times and never returned the favor? This can cause a feeling of being a “deadbeat”.
7. Poor provider – Not knowing how to cook can lead to a lack of variety for your family and feeling guilty from not feeding your children healthy foods.
8. Taker/not giver – Always depending on your spouse or partner to cook for you can make you feel like a taker and never being able to give back to the cook in the family.
9. Spend-thrift - Do you have kitchen gadget that were gifts or purchased that you don’t know how to use? Do you have a multi-thousand dollar range that makes popcorn? This type of guilt can intensify the fear of cooking.
10. Money stress – When one has a fear of cooking and doesn’t learn how to cook, there is a tendency to spend more money on take-out foods which can cause anxiety around money and cooking

You don’t have to suffer these effects of the fear of cooking! These are exactly the types of feelings and thoughts that drive me to continue to help people to understand how easy it is to learn to cook using simple cooking method. Having an understanding of how foods go together without using a recipe can not only make the fear of cooking go away, but will enable you to cook anytime anywhere with confidence. You will not only know how to cook but will never suffer from the devastating effects of the fear of cooking again!

Chef Todd Mohr is a classically trained chef, entrepreneur, cooking educator and founder of WebCookingClasses. You CAN learn to cook without written recipes by taking his FREE cooking class that will change the way you think about cooking forever!

Dog-child interaction is the single most important issue to deal with if you have a child and a dog. Children love dogs but dogs don’t always love children. When you bring home a new puppy, your child should be trained together with your dog. Dog owners need to remember that it takes two to tango. Children aren’t often taught how to treat a new doggy which can make his life a living hell. This is not only torment for your dog but can be dangerous to your child. Never trust your child alone with ANY dog, regardless of how gentle that dog is known to be. A child tends to know just which buttons to press to turn the gentlest animal into a dangerous beast. Most dogs initially feel threatened by a child because they are at eye level, they have high-pitched voices and make vigorous movements. The dog senses that the child is somewhat unpredictable. Dog-child interaction should be monitored in order to make sure that child and your dog are getting along.

What you should teach your child

• Do not let your child hug the dog until the dog-child relationship has developed and they’ve become comfortable with each other.
• Children are accustomed to showing their affection with a hug, but some dogs will tolerate it while others will not.
• Never approach a strange dog without asking the owner if it is o.k. to do so.
• Allow the dog to sniff you before you try to pat him.
• Stay away from stray dogs. A stray dog may carry disease or try to attack.
• Never scream or run away from a dog. This will only start a chase.
• Never run towards a dog or around a dog.
• Never approach a dog face to face. This is threatening to them. Always approach a dog from the side. This will allow the dog-child relationship to develop.
• Never look a dog square in the eyes.
• Never tease or hit a dog whether he’s loose, tied up, behind a fence or in a crate.
• Never play rough games with a dog, such as tug-of-war. This will encourage a dog to become aggressive.
• Never pat a dog on the head. Always approach him under the chin or on his back.
• Never bother a sleeping dog.
• Never bother the dog while he’s eating or chewing his favorite bone.
• A dog is not a toy. Never yank on his ears or pull his tail.
• If a dog poses a threat, teach your child to stay perfectly still with arms at the side, avoid eye contact, don’t scream. If there is no one around who can pull the dog away, have your child use a jacket, schoolbag, garbage can cover, or anything he can find as a shield while backing away from the dog slowly.
• If a dog has knocked your child to the ground, he should curl up into a ball with his hands behind his head to protect his face.
• Never give the dog table food.
• Always play with your dog under adult supervision.
• Always be kind to your dog. This will help develop a dog-child friendship.
• Always protect your dog from harm.

What you should know as a dog owner

• Begin obedience training your dog as soon as possible. Don’t wait til he gets older, it’ll only get harder.
• Never leave your child alone with the dog.
• Never let your child walk the dog alone.
• Never tie up your dog. Provide your dog with a fenced-in space instead.
• Socialize your dog. Get him acquainted with other dogs as early as possible. You should also get him familiar with everything in his environment, both indoors and outdoors. This is key in attempting to establish a great dog-child relationship.
• Reward your dog for good behavior with praise and a treat.
• If you leave your dog in the yard, make sure your fence does not have spaces large enough for a child to stick their hands through.
• Never allow your child to abuse the dog in any way. This will never enable a dog-child relationship to flourish.
• Give your dog a space to call his own to which he can retreat to if he is feeling bothered (such as a crate).
• Do not allow your child to invade your dog’s space especially while your dog is eating.
• Get your dog used to being touched on all body parts. This will make him more comfortable around children.
• Teach your dog to maintain a good temperment in the case of having his food bowl taken away while he’s eating or removing a chew toy from his mouth. This will allow your dog to be more comfortable having a child around when he’s eating or chewing on his favorite toy.
• Teach your child how to properly handle the dog/puppy.
• Walk your dog on a leash. Do not allow him to roam free.
• Keep in mind that just because your dog is wonderful around your own children doesn’t mean he will tolerate other children the same way.
• Spay/neuter your dog.

If you have a dog and are expecting a baby

First off, if you haven’t read the information above this subhead, go up and do so now. The above information will provide you with all the do’s and dont’s in preparing your dog for an addition to the family. If your dog has never been around a child for a long period of time, you will have the next nine months to get him used to it. Dog-child interaction is crucial at this stage.

Invite a niece, nephew, cousin, neighbor, etc. over for a few hours a week (Preferably a child who still wears a diaper. This will get the dog used to baby smell as well).

This idea satisfies two objectives: it will get your dog used to having a child around; and will develop your dog’s behavior in such a way which allows him to have a dog-child relationship with almost any child. Teach your dog how to behave around a child using much of the information discussed above.

Do not wait until the baby is born in order to make adjustments. Try to make as many adjustments as you can before the baby arrives, this way he won’t be hit with all these changes at once. For instance, if you will have to move furniture around to accommodate a high chair or a playpen, this may affect the placement of your dog’s bed and bowl. If so, make this move before the baby arrives. This will lessen the impact it will have on your dog and is less likely to affect the dog-child relationship.

Once you have the nursery set up for the baby, teach your dog that he will not be allowed in the room, at all. If he learns this before the baby comes, it will lessen the dog’s resentment towards the baby.

Get your dog used to the sounds a baby makes by playing a recording of a baby cooing and crying. Play this recording in the nursery in order to indicate to your dog where exactly he can expect these sounds to be coming from.

Make accommodations for your dog for the day you go into labor. He may have to spend hours alone before daddy’s comes home from the hospital.

When it’s time to bring the baby home, have someone go into another room with the dog while you put the baby down and get settled. Then bring the baby out and introduce the dog to the baby. The dog will probably give the baby a sniff or two and seek your attention. After all, he hasn’t seen you in days. At this point, it would be a good idea to put the baby down and spend some time playing with the dog. Show him he’s still loved. This will aid in the development of the dog-child relationship.

Your dog may require some extra attention in the first days of welcoming the baby. This will keep him from resenting the baby for stealing all the attention. Give him your undivided attention.

Allow your dog to be present when changing or feeding the baby.

Never yell at your dog for getting too close to the baby. Allow him to sniff the baby in order to get used to his scent. Make sure this is done under strict supervision. This will help nourish the dog-child relationship.

As the baby gets older, you will teach him to respect the dog and be gentle towards him.

Get your child to help you with dog chores, such as feeding and walking the dog.

Before your know it, a natural dog-child bond will form which will give them a long-lasting friendship for years to come.

Help your child and your dog live in perfect harmony by adhering to these simple rules. Once a good dog-child relationship has been established, this bond will last a lifetime.

If you have trouble controlling your dog, you should bring your dog (and your child) to an obedience class to help you get started.

Nancy Settecasi, Owner of Happy K-9 Dog Care Proud owner of Cookie and Skippy, Cocker Spaniels, Dog lover http://www.happyk-9.com

There are times where a pet sitter may be a good choice for you and your pets when you travel without them. Unlike a boarding facility or kennel, your animals stay at home and the pet sitter comes to your house (usually once or twice a day). If you have a single pet or a highly social animal, such as a dog, it is better to board them at a facility where they will have lots of attention. However, if you have several cats, horses, birds or an animal not suited for a boarding facility, a reliable pet sitter may be the best choice for your pets. Multi-pet households often benefit from pet sitting services because it’s usually less expensive and less stressful to hire a pet sitter rather than transporting and boarding all your animals. The following suggestions are designed to help you find a good and reliable pet sitter.

Ask friends or veterinarian for a pet sitter referral.

Even if you are new in a neighborhood, or don’t know your neighbors well, it’s pretty easy to identify people who value their pet. Ask several neighbors for recommendations. Try to find a little bit about your neighbors pet and their pet sitter experience. This will give you a good indication as to the level of care you can expect from the people they recommend. Many veterinarians, in addition to having boarding facilities, may have a veterinary technician on staff that also provides pet sitting service, or they may know of a high quality pet sitter.

Research your pet sitter.

As you call potential pet sitters ask them the type of animals they like to work with, how long they’ve been in business, how they got started in business, and specific questions about your pet’s needs. People who have some experience as vet techs, animal shelter employees, or veterinary students often supplement their income by pet sitting. Some excellent animal care workers start a pet sitting service if they’ve suffered from career burnout. Pet sitters with these type of credentials can offer the best type of service because they are more likely to recognize illness in your pet, and may be more experienced with administering medications or tending special needs. However, the most important thing is to find someone who will be attentive, reliable and responsible with your pet. Once you feel a level of comfort with a pet sitter, ask for three client referrals. Follow up with the referrals, and use your intuition before you provide the pet sitter a key to your home. If you are not able to get a pet sitter referral in your area and you cold-call a potential pet sitter, I’d recommend a criminal background check on your pet sitter. A quality sitter won’t mind your concerns for safety.

Shop around for services and fees.

Most pet sitters charge a per visit fee, regardless of the number of animals you have. However, if you have more than three animals or an animal that needs medication, it’s normal to expect a slightly higher fee per visit. Ask the pet sitter how much time they will spend with the pet, and what they charge per visit. Some pet sitters give a break if they are doing two visits a day, or if you are taking a long trip. A few pet sitters offer overnight visits-where they sleep at your home. If your trip is long, ask them if they will call or email you every few days.

Meet your pet sitter.

Several weeks prior to your trip, have the pet sitter stop by so she can be introduced to your animals. Watch how they are with your pets. Are they gentle, and non-invasive? If the pet sitter breezes in and out of their first visit with you, most likely that’s what they’ll do when you are paying them to care for the pet. If you have any negative feelings or thoughts, do not give them a key-trust your instincts. However, if you feel comfortable, provide them with a key, and show them around your house; pet food storage, where pets are feed, how to administer medicine, toys, alarm system, and anything else that will make them comfortable. I always encourage my pet sitter to feel free to watch t.v. or take a nap at my house. The more time they spend with the animals, the better.

Final Tips

The day before your trip, call the pet sitter and confirm your travel plans. Inform them of your expected return, but ask them to continue pet care until you call them to say you’ve returned. Leave a note on your kitchen table or refrigerator that has a brief description of each pet, your veterinarian’s name and phone number, unique habits or medical needs, how to reach you, where you will be staying, expected return date, and who to call in case of an emergency-such as your trip being severely delayed or if you have a health emergency. I typically check do a quick check in with my pet sitter every two to three days. This gives me peace of mind. If you require a daily call from your pet sitter, please be respectful of their time and give them a generous tip upon your return. Pay all pet sitting fees promptly. When you consider gas, travel time, and the initial and post visit key exchange, you’ll realize most pet sitter charge a low fee for their time. Also, let your closest neighbors know what your pet sitter looks like, so they won’t be concerned when they see a stranger going in and out of your house or apartment.

If your travel plans are more than 10 days, or if you travel frequently, you may want to consider whether or not you should have a pet, or you may want to find a roommate who loves animals and does not mind taking care of them for you as you travel. Having a pet and finding quality care is similar to being a parent. A reliable pet sitter can make travel plans fun and relaxing.

Kate Garvey is a former Vet Tech and animal rights supporter. She teaches Sound Healing Workshops (throughout the US) and treats clients by appointment in the San Diego area. For more information on how you can use sound for optimal health please visit http://www.InstituteOfSoundHealing.com

Kate is also a freelance writer, published author, and the author of several books; “Aging, Death and Euthanasia-A Guide for People with Pets”, “Summer Pet Care Tips”, and “The Low Risk Guide for Real Estate Investment.”

Are you planning to revamp your child’s room? Are you looking out for things which will make your child’s room bright and trendy? Have you ever given a thought for children’s furniture, kids’ toy boxes? Not much, right?

Furniture and toys will be the best option to start with the renovation of your kid’s bedroom. Always look out for things which are going to help your child to learn faster, bring those toys which will encourage them, which will fire their imagination and every creative aspect of their life. The first thing you can to do is to plan out the things and then start working on it. Make sure how you are going to do it, what things are you going to place in their rooms, which colors you are going to put on their walls, and the color of the children’s furniture. Have you ever thought from where you are going purchase all these things and what will be the expense?

Try to make your child’s room special by using decorative things like cartoon print bed sheet, colorful flowers, etc. Many parents want to give the best to their children no matter if it is little expensive. A variety of kids furniture are available in the market like tea party tables, rocking toys, wooden toys, educational toys, art activity desk, bookshelf, toy box etc. These things not only make their room attractive but also help them to learn lot of things for example; tea table will be helpful in learning table manner, bookshelf will help them to keep their books in an organized way, after playing children put their toys all over the room so don’t you think toy box will be helpful to them to keep their toys back after playing. Toys are the best thing which will help your child to learn lot of things in their day to day life.

Now this is not all about making your child’s room look special but it’s also about what quality kids furniture and kids toy boxes are you using. Parents look out for those kids furniture which are not harmful to their children. Lots of toys are made of plastic which contains toxins in it and those are harmful for the health of the children. These toys and kids furniture should be of better quality and try to use wooden furniture in their rooms which will last for long time and will not prove harmful to their health.

You can find this furniture in well known shops of wooden kids furniture where you will get lot of varieties. Try not to buy inferior quality things due to lesser cost. If not possible, use a few things in the room but of good quality. There are number of stores dealing with children’s furniture in the internet market so just enter your search and purchase appropriate furniture for your child’s bedroom.

Bart Albert is the author of this article on Childrens furniture [http://www.oldfashionedtoyshop.co.uk/component/virtuemart/?page=shop.browse&category_id=8].

Find more information about Childrens toy boxes [http://www.oldfashionedtoyshop.co.uk/component/virtuemart/?page=shop.browse&category_id=12] here.

Standard furniture is unsuitable for young children; it can be uncomfortable and even dangerous so if you have a baby or a young child around the house you will definitely want to invest in some purpose built children’s furniture. 

There are many pieces of furniture available on the market for children. Here is a brief rundown of the main things you should purchase to cater for your child.

 

A cot and mattress is one of the first things you’ll need. It is essential that your baby or small child gets a sound night’s sleep and you’ll want to ensure that they are safe at night. Cots provide a contained environment and prevent your child from accidentally rolling out of bed or wandering around the house at night.

 

It’s best to purchase a new cot so that you can be sure it conforms to the latest safety standards. Mattresses come separately and you’ll want a comfortable spring mattress which should fit into the cot snugly. We offer a range of cots and a quality mattress to fit.

 

You’ll want your baby or toddler to sit at the dinner table with the rest of the family and the best way to cater for them when they are very young is to purchase a good quality high chair. We offer a range of high chairs which have a crotch strap to ensure your child doesn’t slip out and rounded corners and edges for safety. We also offer adjustable high chairs which you allow you to adjust the height of the seat and foot rests to make your child comfortable and extend the life of the highchair as they grow.

 

When your child gets too old for a high chair but they aren’t yet big enough to sit at the table with the adults then a child size table and chairs can be a great solution. These can also provide a great play surface for your children and save your good table from becoming messy or damaged. We offer a wide range of high quality, durable tables and chairs which wipe clean easily and come in a variety of materials and colours. 

 

For child safety when playing around the house you should consider purchasing safety gates for doorways to restrict their access and also playpens which you can use to make sure they are safe when you have to leave the room briefly. We offer a wide range of playpens in various materials and colours and we also offer safety gates.

 

Children’s furniture isn’t all about functionality and practicality though and you may want to consider investing in some play furniture for your kids to spark their creative minds. We offer a fantastic hexagonal sand pit, am activity pond for water play and an easel which will aid the development of your budding Picasso.

 

Whatever your children’s furniture needs at our site you can find a wide range of products to order online. Delivered direct to your door these easy to assemble pieces offer terrific value for money and conform to safety standards so your child can eat, rest and play in safety.

childrens furniture

nursery furniture

Camping outdoor is one of the oldest activity a man can do for man has been sleeping out under the stars or in hand made shelters as a way of living. Camping outdoor can be a lot of fun when you have everything you need or want. When you shop have a checklist with everything you will need. Camping outdoor can be comfortable and luxurious as you would like it to be. Your camping vacation and activities may very well be the best time you have ever had outdoors.

Camping

For a lot of people camping is much more than just recreation. Camping outdoor can be one of those activities that can be enjoyed throughout the year and is an activity for all ages, but can very popular with the kids. When you take the rustic approach, you can enjoy camping by using what nature provides. There is the fresh air, going on nature hikes, fishing, making nature crafts, studying nature itself and many other activities, camping can be fun for anyone. A memorable camping trip relies on choosing a great place and being prepared.

Equipment

If this is your go first camping trip, I recommend having the most basic camping equipment and camping food that you can. Buying quality camping supplies and equipment is something you will never regret. Quality camping equipment is vital if you are planning to venturing into the woods or the mountains. Your outdoor camping equipment and supplies is only as good as the conditions they are designed for. If you are shopping for discount camping equipment, it is very important that you shop with a reputable dealer. So if you love to camp or just beginning to go camping in style, remember to look first for high quality equipment and supplies. Remember, to get the full benefit from your outdoor camping equipment and supplies is to keep them clean and serviced. When looking after your outdoor camping equipment and supplies then they will serve you over a great number of camping fun.

Tents

It is very important to know what kind of camping tent that will be best suited for the kind conditions you will most likely find yourself in. Camping tents have are ever more complicated in designs and it is important that you get one made for the environment you will be using it in. The tent is the most invaluable piece of equipment that you will take on any camping vacation, it is important that you choose your tent very carefully from the wide selection of tents. Camping tents can be classified by their size, that is, the number of people they can accommodate. From the one man tent and larger family tents, such as our 4 up to an 8 man tent ranges to cutting edge, extreme weather geodesic tents and sleeping bags to suit all conditions. One to two person tents are designed to comfortably fit one to two people, they are lightweight and generally easy to assemble.

Tents for three persons and up are designed to accommodate more people. These larger tents come not only in dome shapes but also in marquee dome style. If you planning on a family camping vacation, there are camping tents that will fit up to 12 comfortably . Most camping tents come with a fly (or ronfle) cover, which is a waterproof, custom-made to stop rain from getting in your camping tent while allowing plenty of ventilation. The four-season camping tents are usually domed. This domed shape helps snow to slip off them easily, many come with a vestibule which is an additional buffer against the rain and wind. Some of the four-season camping tents contain two walls, this helps to keep you warmer in colder climates. The dome Tents are fast becoming a very popular tent to use in most places and conditions.

Supplies

If this is your first time camping and you have never been out camping anywhere before, it will be hard to know what camping supplies you are going to need. The first important supplies to look at are your survival supplies these can very well save your life. You can select from a wide range of camping supplies including tents, sleeping bags and other sleeping gear, backpacks, cookware, stoves, lanterns and flashlights, screen houses, shelters, first aid kits, water purification systems and hydration packs plus other miscellaneous camping gear such as tent fittings. Remember to buy the best camping equipment supplies that you can afford and then look after it.

Conclusion

A camping trip can be a very eventful and fun experience, hopefully one of many that will have you camping over and over again. May all your camping vacations and outdoor activities be successful.

If you want to explore the many possibilities there are in camping visit http://campingoutdoor.net Make your first or your last camping vacation a great one.

No novice cook can consider themselves a gourmet cook. Achieving that status comes only at the end of a long road of cooking. Like any other art …. it takes practice, practice, practice to become a gourmet cook.

Perhaps it comes after long years of schooling where cooking, cooking, cooking is the word of the day and the end result is working in a top notch A – list restaurant in New York or Paris.

Then again. . ….. maybe the mother at home cooking meals every day for her family one day finds herself spending hours in the kitchen preparing one meal.. just because .. and loving it.

Could there possibly be a working mother who one time found preparing meals at the end of a long work day extremely tedious … finding herself looking for that extra special recipe for her husband’s birthday meal?

However achieved ….. it is after years of study and practice or years of doing everyday meals that one becomes a part of the “gourmet cooking world”.. suddenly opening up to the fact that not all recipes are the same .. and that cooking food has suddenly become an exciting challenge and fun.

Suddenly you can tell by just looking at a recipe whether it will taste good or not., how healthy it is, how appropriate to fill a “mood” …… simply by the combination of ingredients and spices and herbs and flavorings.

Those recipes that in the past seemed way too complicated or intricate now beckon you enticingly and family and friends begin looking forward to each and every meal you serve.

Your table settings become more simply elegant.

You find yourself looking more and more at kitchen “gadgets”.

In response to comments such as “that must have taken you forever to make” you honestly answer.. “oh not at all.. it really was simple!!”

To you .. the gourmet cook … it didn’t take long at all and it was simple.

To the novice cook .. it would take an eternity … far far from simple… and if you stop to think… that was you not all that long ago.

You have become a gourmet cook without even trying.

Your life cooking will never ever be the same as it was.

No longer will you be satisfied to make those “meat, potatoes and gravy” meals without that extra “something” in it.

No longer will you be satisfied to set your table without having candles on it.

No longer will you be able to let anyone leave the table without that one taste of sweetness that is dessert to balance the meal.

Perhaps you have recognized that in yourself … perhaps you haven’t … even though it is there.

Gourmet Cook.

It is not just the well schooled in France who achieve that status.

Congratulations!

You are an achiever!

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In my last blog post, I explained the 5 signs of the fear of cooking that many people suffer from in deciding that they would like to learn to cook. Because the kitchen plays a particularly important emotional role in many people’s lives, not knowing how to cook can have devastating effects. Some people that have come to me to learn to cook have told me stories that not only explain their fear of cooking but have made it almost impossible for them to learn how to cook.

One of the ways that fear of cooking is intensified is through smells. Your sense of smell has a powerful links to your memories. In fact, I’m sure that most of you have memories that come flooding into your mind when you smell cookies baking or a pot roast. I have strong memories when I smell the chlorine from a pool that remind me of swimming and snack bar hamburgers.

Memories are not always positive. For example, I had one woman that came to my cooking school and told me that she can’t cook. Later in the evening as she was learning how to cook (funny how well cooking by method works), she explained to me that as a child, every time she went into the kitchen, her mother would scream, “Get out of the kitchen. You’re going to mess everything up. You’re going to ruin things. This is not a place for children.” No wonder she had a fear of cooking!

Let’s look a little more deeply into the 10 ways that the fear of cooking may affect your life

1. Anxiety – this can come from the thought of the “impending” meal and not knowing what to cook or how to cook.
2. Depression - eating the same things over and over again can cause depression and place a person in a lull where they lose the desire to learn to cook.
3. Lethargy - most often this comes from eating foods that aren’t good for us. In particular, eating empty calories or fast food over and over again.
4. Embarrassment - are you the person that always brings napkins to the pot luck? Not knowing how to cook can cause embarrassment when you never bring a meal to gatherings.
5. Loneliness - eating home cooked meals has the potential to bring families together. Without home cooked meals, there may be a sense of loneliness because so much conversation and socializing occurs over a cooked meal.
6. Non-Reciprocation – Have you been invited to dinner by your friends multiple times and never returned the favor? This can cause a feeling of being a “deadbeat”.
7. Poor provider – Not knowing how to cook can lead to a lack of variety for your family and feeling guilty from not feeding your children healthy foods.
8. Taker/not giver – Always depending on your spouse or partner to cook for you can make you feel like a taker and never being able to give back to the cook in the family.
9. Spend-thrift - Do you have kitchen gadget that were gifts or purchased that you don’t know how to use? Do you have a multi-thousand dollar range that makes popcorn? This type of guilt can intensify the fear of cooking.
10. Money stress – When one has a fear of cooking and doesn’t learn how to cook, there is a tendency to spend more money on take-out foods which can cause anxiety around money and cooking

You don’t have to suffer these effects of the fear of cooking! These are exactly the types of feelings and thoughts that drive me to continue to help people to understand how easy it is to learn to cook using simple cooking method. Having an understanding of how foods go together without using a recipe can not only make the fear of cooking go away, but will enable you to cook anytime anywhere with confidence. You will not only know how to cook but will never suffer from the devastating effects of the fear of cooking again!

Chef Todd Mohr is a classically trained chef, entrepreneur, cooking educator and founder of WebCookingClasses. You CAN learn to cook without written recipes by taking his FREE cooking class that will change the way you think about cooking forever!

Are you afraid to speak in the public? Do you want to overcome your fear of public speaking? If your answer to the two questions above is yes, then read on as I share with you my own personal experience on how I overcame my fear of public speaking.

If you think you are alone with this fear of public speaking; then think again. I also had the same fears and many people all over the world also share your fears to speak in public. I recall several incidents that occurred while I was growing up. As a child, I often got punished with the rest of my classmates for failing to answer the teacher’s question; even though I had the right answer within me.

I preferred to be punished with others than raise my hand to answer a question; my fear of public speaking was so strong that I would rather risked being punished in school than to see myself being exempted from punishment, simply because I answered a question.

If there was anything I hated most, it was standing out from the crowd; and public speaking was one thing I hate. I often missed school feigning illness just to avoid the debate classes organized by the school management. Now how did I overcome my fear of public speaking? That’s what I am going to share with you now.

In this article, I am going to share with you my step by step strategy to overcoming my fear of public speaking. If you are willing to learn and take some actions, then below is my ten step guide to overcoming your fear of public speaking.

1. I acknowledged my fears

The first step I took to overcome my fear of public speaking was to acknowledge my fears. I wasn’t shy about it; I openly admitted that I was afraid to speak publicly. One of the mistakes people make is that they hide their fears; and this fear eats them up silently. They feign boldness on the outside but inside; they pray that the earth should open and swallow them.

The positive side of openly admitting your fears is that you will become more challenged to overcome it. Openly admitting your fears means you are facing your fears head on. It might earn you some mockery but it’s a way to go especially if you can use that mockery as leverage to boost your determination.

2. I traced the root cause of this fear

The next step I took to overcome my fear of public speaking was to trace the root cause of the fear. I came to understand that the root cause of this fear was the mentality I grew up with. During my primary school days, I recall coming first in class term after term. I was happy and my parents were, but it put a strain between me and some of my childhood friends.

My friends began to pull back from me because they felt they were out of my league academically and it hurt me. I wanted to be like everyone else; that was where I developed the attitude to avoid “standing out.” If being outstanding was going to single me out of the crowd, then I didn’t want it.

Now having understood the cause of my fears, I decided to attack the root cause. I began to be me, regardless of what people said. I began to take on challenges, not because I loved challenges but I just wanted people to talk. This attitude pitched me against people who felt I was showing off but I didn’t care; I just wanted to be me.

3. I developed a strong desire to overcome my fear of public speaking

To be sincere, I don’t think you can overcome your fear of public speaking if you don’t desire it strongly. I was able to overcome mine because I desired it. I wanted to express myself in public without an iota of fear and I was prepared to do whatever it takes to bring such desire into reality.

4. I prepared my mindset to take whatever comes

I had a strong desire to overcome my fear of public speaking and also develop my public speaking skills. But deep down in me, I knew it wasn’t going to come easy; I knew there has to be a price and I was willing to pay it.

I prepared my mind to accept whatever comes; I knew the worst may come so I prepared to meet it in advance. I prepared to take the booing, mockery and rejection that may arise in the process of learning to speak confidently in public. So if you really want to overcome your fear of public speaking, then you must be prepared to take whatever comes.

5. I kept an open mind

To overcome my fears, I kept an open mind. I knew I had to learn and learn real fast. Learning in this case is not the classroom kind of learning; it’s a type of lesson that can come in the form of suggestion, advice or even criticism.

6. I learned from the masters

The next step I took to overcome my fear of public speaking was to seek advice from the masters. I began to read books and listen to tapes authored by people such as Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, Dale Carnegie, etc. By reading the materials published by these great public speakers, I tapped into their wisdom and gained inspiration from them.

7. I harnessed the power of positive affirmation

Another step I took to enhance my public speaking ability was to use positive affirmations. You might think it’s not effective but I stand to tell you that it works like magic. By using positive affirmations such as “I can do it” or “I know I am destined for this”, you will unconsciously boost your self esteem. Remember the bible says that the power of life and death is in the tongue, so learn to use the power of spoken words to your advantage.

8. I developed the passion to teach

Public speaking is more or less teaching. Most great public speakers are teachers so if I am going to excel as a public speaker; if I am to overcome my fear of public speaking, then I have to develop the passion to teach. That was how I became a teacher; sharing information over the web, on platforms and through hard copy materials.

9. I started small

Today, I speak on platforms; hold seminars and engage in one on one consultations but it was not so few years ago. I started small. I started out by practicing in front of a mirror; imagining myself standing on a stage. I worked on my body language and movement in my closet and from there; I proceeded to speaking for free. I also engaged in positive discussions and I wasn’t afraid to take a stand. I began to accept the crowd as a group of friends; never again was I to be scared of speaking in front of an audience.

10. I became a confident speaker

After taking the nine simple steps above, I became a confident speaker. I can now speak to any capacity of audience provided I am well grounded on the subject. But I want you to know that I didn’t develop my public speaking skills overnight; I underwent a process that was triggered off by my desire to overcome my fear of public speaking.

As a final note, these are the exact steps I took to overcome my fear of public speaking. If you take a close observation, you will notice that they are very simple steps. Well, overcoming your fear of public speaking will not occur by just reading this article. It will only happen if you take action just as I took action. I wish you good luck.

And just before i drop my pen, if you really want to learn How to Start a Business from scratch; please feel free to visit our blog. In addition, you can also get quality information on How to Become a Millionaire in less than a year

If you are seeking automotive training, then a technical or vocational school may be the right place for you to get your start in an interesting and challenging career in automotive technology!

Whether you’re interested in becoming an auto mechanic, technician, service advisor, manager, or auto parts worker, automotive training can be your key to obtaining an automotive education and professional certification in automotive know-how.

In the modern world, automobiles are operated by electronic systems and complex computers, measuring performance and efficiency as the machines move down the road. Students in automotive training schools must develop skills as technicians to become high-tech diagnosticians, using electronic equipment and computer-based reference materials. Diagnosing the sources of problems quickly and accurately can be the most challenging and most rewarding part of a good automotive training program.

Students who would like to enroll in vocational automotive training should have well-developed math skills and physical science acumen prior to enrollment. As with all educational courses, it is important to review the automotive training curriculum to be certain that your school will offer Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification training. Furthermore, potential automotive technicians should understand that most employers pay their service techs based on productivity. Upon graduation, you may wish to consider the option of becoming an independent business professional.

In addition to their initial vocational automotive training, students can return for continuing education courses and credits to remain updated on ever-changing computerized diagnostic systems, tools, and other automotive-related technologies. Training in automotive technology often leads to an interest in other related areas such as auto body repair or automotive and diesel repair. The job seeker will find that diesel mechanic training is particularly valued.

If you would like to know more about Vocational Automotive Training, or even Online Automotive Training, we urge you to search our site for more in-depth information and resources.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Copyright 2007 – All rights reserved by SchoolsGalore.com, in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc.

Notice: Publishers are free to use this article on an ezine or website, provided the article is reprinted in its entirety, including copyright and disclaimer, and ALL links remain intact and active.

Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with SchoolsGalore.com. Find Automotive Training Schools, Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools, and Online Schools at SchoolsGalore.com, your educational resource to locate schools.

Imagine this! You are walking down the market place checking out the variety of rates for a box of apples. You scout the market on foot, personally checking with all vendors who have apple carts on display. The entire process takes you roughly about an hour as the market is spread out over a large area. You pass by those that quote a high rate and mentally check those that offer the sum that’s nearest to what you can pay. At the end of the exercise you zoom in to the vendor who offers the best quote for the best quality as well. And then you pick your lot. Something similar happens when you shop around for the best free quote in car insurance.

Let us first understand what insurance is. Answer: Insurance is basically an agreement you make with an insurance company to secure yourself or your belongings in case of any eventuality. The insurance is payable in cash, the amount which is pre-decided between the insurance company and the insured. The insured pays a premium to the insurance company regularly towards this insurance cover.

Car insurance is insuring the car that you or your family/ employees would drive. All car insurance companies provide quotes for your cars on request and you can get free quotes by spending some time looking around yourself. Unlike going about the car insurance market on foot as described, there are easier ways to obtain some good free quotes.

Obtaining free quotes for your car insurance is something like this. All vehicles by law are required to have insurance. If your car is not insured you cannot drive it. Therefore you need to get a car insurance done at the earliest.

Now, how do you go about getting your quotes?

In today’s internet savvy generation, car insurance quotes can be obtained free over the net. You can also find loads of information about numerous car insurance companies that operate in your district and those car insurance companies, which offer the best and free quotes as well. This helps cut any costs that may be associated in obtaining car insurance quotes from several car insurance agencies.

Let’s assume you need a car insurance free quote today. What do you do? Simple, as a first step you log on to the net and run a search for car insurance free quote in your district. This will throw up several web links. You have to click on them to read and understand what the car insurance agencies offer, their free quote requirements, their policy and procedures and such information.

When you are scouting around for the relevant car insurance free quote information you will need some specific information regarding your car. To start with you need to provide your personal contact information which would include name, contact numbers, email address, car driving license number and since when you have it etc.

Then you will need to fill in details about your car like the any current car insurance policies you are holding and their term. This section will probe your car history (any accidents, tickets or violations), the car make and model (4 Wheel drive or sedan), your specific use of the car (to work/ cross-country), and details like if the car has airbags, security alarm system etc etc.

You will also need to clearly mention in your quote requirements what is the coverage amount you need like a full cover or liability only. Also required by the car insurance companies is the bodily limit injury amount you are seeking. Once you submit these details related to car insurance, your quote will be on its way.

All you need to do is await a number of free quotes from several car insurance companies. Once you have shopped around among the best car insurance companies in your district to get the best free quote, select one. You have to try to get the maximum car insurance benefits for your free quote. If you find that you are not happy with the rates in the free quotes that the first lot of car insurance companies have sent you, there are ways to get even better free quotes.

Free quotes depend on the information you put in on the car insurance websites. You can reduce the premium amounts mentioned in the free quotes drastically if you do any of the following and mention the same in your free quote request. You park your car inside a garage. This eliminates damage and theft. You set a ‘break in warning alarm system in your car. You alone drive your car instead of several persons. You don’t have a history of self-caused accidents or violations. You don’t need a car hire clause when your car is taken by the insurance agency for any repairs and many such important points.

So you see, you can get fantastic free quotes from reputed car insurance agencies for your car without moving out of your home.

Scott is a consultant at Car Insurance Free Quote [http://www.lespillets.com/Car_Insurance_Free_Quote.html], a directory listing site with all your car insurance information needs. If you have any other car insurance questions please visit [http://www.lespillets.com/Car_Insurance_Free_Quote.html]

Public speaking and presentation skills are skills that we all need at some time in our lives. Many people have a deep fear of public speaking and fear it more than even death.

“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

Jerry Seinfeld

While you can’t cheat death, anyone can learn to master public speaking and making presentations. Surely it would be better to master these skills than to quiver with mortal fear anytime you were asked to make a presentation? Wouldn’t it be great to see such requests as a great opportunity to sell yourself, your products and or services?

Now selling is one of the most loathed professions but everyone is in the business of selling whether you want to believe it or not. Nothing happens without a sale. Robert Louis Stevenson said “Everyone lives by selling something” and one of the world’s greatest orators said:

“Half my lifetime I have earned my living by selling words, and I hope thoughts.”

Sir Winston Churchill

Fundamentally, when you are engaged in public speaking or making a presentation you are selling words but it is your ability to organise and deliver words in a coherent, congruent and compelling manner that counts. To be able to sell effectively you must have great communication skills.

Topher Morrison, master NLP Trainer and speaker said that a friend of his wanted to buy a Rolex watch. They visited a local shop in Tampa, Florida but because the salesman lacked good presentation skills his friend left without making a purchase. When you are about to spend thousands of dollars you want to be served in a particular manner. In fact, his friend took a trip to the Bahamas just to purchase his Rolex watch justifying the trip by saying the savings he made by buying the watch duty-free paid for the trip.

How much money are you losing every day because you lack public speaking and presentation skills?

John Childers, described as the “millionaire maker” and who teaches one of the world’s most expensive public speaking training courses describes public speaking as “the world’s most profitable skill.” He has trained some of the biggest names in the public speaking arena – individuals such as Alex Mandossian, Armand Morin, Mark Victor Hansen, Mike Filsaime, Debra Johnson and the list goes on and on. They all know the value of using public speaking to grow their businesses. Irrespective of the different products and services they offer, they all use their public speaking skills to promote their products and services as well as those of others.

Through public speaking and making presentations you increase your visibility and the visibility of your company or organisation. You cannot achieve success if no one knows about you. Public speaking is one of the best ways to gain visibility and build your business. Arvee Robinson who describes herself as a “Persuasive Speech Coach” says that every time she speaks she get new clients.

How much is a new client worth to you?

Don’t think that these skills are limited to standing on a stage in front of scores or even hundreds of people. Don’t think that a presentation has to be hours long. It can be mere minutes. Christine Comaford-Lynch, author of “Rules for Renegades” said that she once camped out in the reception area of a company for six hours to get the opportunity to meet with its CEO. She wanted him to join the board of directors of one of her companies. If she was successful in her mission it would’ve have added enormous value to the perceived financial value of her company. Millions of dollars were literally at stake. After waiting for hours for a chance to speak to this CEO she had minutes to persuade to get on board. Can you see how critical presentation skills would be in a situation like this?

When you introduce yourself you use these skills. Do you want to make an immediate impact? Do you want to be a person that people gravitate towards and want to get to know? Or do you want to be the person that no one remembers. An introduction can last mere seconds and yet leave a lasting impression. You want that impression to be a favourable one.

Some people are natural orators but even they have to practice. The best professional public speakers spend years honing their craft. Dave Lakhani, speaker and author of “Persuasion: The Art of Getting What You Want” says:

“Speaking is a business and a process and processes are built on the back of education.”

Through mastering public speaking and presentation skills you can build a career that will serve you a lifetime and can provide you with an income anywhere in the world. Even if you don’t want to become a professional speaker through mastering your public speaking and presentation skills you can vastly improve your business profit margins and enhance the quality of your life.

Discover how you can master your public speaking skills and leverage public speaking to grow your business. Visit Public Speaking Mastery [http://speaking.megabusinessevents.com] for more details.

==========The Scoop on Premium Dog Food========

If you’re interested in premium dog food, then I probably don’t have to tell you about the importance of diet in keeping your dog active and healthy. You already know you want something better than “average” for your furry friend.

But how much do you really know about what’s in a premium food and what your particular pet’s needs are? I’m no veterinarian but I do know a thing or two about health and nutrition. (As a family dentist who practiced for twenty years, I saw first hand the effects of poor dietary habits on human health — and particularly on human teeth!!).

Like you, your dog has to deal with the effects of stress, age, exertion, a polluted environment, and foods grown in nutrient-depleted soils. Unlike you, he has to get practically all of his nutrition from a single food. Sure, you may give him a few treats or the occasional table scrap (not too many I hope!), but otherwise he’s eating out of the same bag or can day in and day out. You want him to get complete nutrition out of that one food.

===========Complete Nutrition?===============

Even the experts seem to disagree on exactly what complete nutrition is. Maybe this explains why there are so many formulas for premium dog food out there. There’s one thing they do agree on, though: premium dog food is better for your pet than economy and grocery store brands. Although you’ll pay more, it usually holds true that you get what you pay for.

Experts also agree that, because premium foods are more nutritionally dense and easier to digest, your dog won’t need to eat as much. One study even concluded that if you fed your dog the recommended amounts on each package, you’d end up saving money on the premium formulas. That’s because your dog needs to eat a lot less of it. (You’ll save on pooper scoopers too!)

Another way to know if your dog is getting a proper diet is simply to observe him. Are his eyes bright, his coat silky and shiny, and his skin free from dryness and itching? Is he at a healthy weight? How about his energy level? This may vary from one animal to another, but as you get to know yours, you’ll know when your dog isn’t feeling up to par.

Of course, any persistent health problems should be looked into by your vet, and the same goes for any special dietary needs. But in general you’ll know if your friend is doing well on the diet you’re feeding him. If you see signs that he isn’t, try a different formula or another brand of premium dog food.

Introduce new foods gradually, especially if you have a picky eater. And while we’re on that subject, it’s always nice if your dog enjoys eating his food. This has a lot less to do with taste than it does with smell. Dogs have fewer taste buds than we do, but about 40 times as many scent receptors. So make sure he eats with gusto, and doesn’t just pick at his food.
Here are some basic guidelines you can follow:

============Essential Nutrients=============

Every dog needs the right amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. Your dog must have all these in correct proportions to stay healthy. Needs vary with life stage, breed and activity level. Dog food companies make premium dog food for all life stages, from puppy to senior. An average adult dog needs a daily intake of about five ounces for every ten pounds of weight, with essential nutrients in the following proportions:

Protein –23% of total intake

Fats –5% of total intake

Carbohydrates –65% of total intake

Additional vitamins and minerals your dog needs are: Vitamins A, D, E, B-complex, Niacin, Biotin, Folic Acid, Choline, and Pantothenic Acid; Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium Chloride, Magnesium, Iron, Copper, Manganese, Zinc, Iodine, and Selenium.

It’s generally agreed that dogs do better on a protein source that’s primarily meat rather than soybeans and grains. Check the label. All US food labels must list ingredients in order of their quantity. If meat by-products are listed, they should come after the real meat, not before it. Meat by products are an inferior source of protein, and are basically what remains after the good quality meat has been removed. “Crude protein” can be a similarly poor source, since it may include parts of the animal that can’t even be digested or absorbed by the average dog (hair, beaks, etc.).

Omega fatty acids are a hot topic in human nutrition these days, and have been found to be just as important in the canine diet. Both should be present, and in the right ratio. Most premium dog food companies have done the research on this and adjusted the ratios, but as usual, ask your vet if your uncertain.

===========Wet vs. Dry============

You can buy premium dog food in just about any form, but which one is best? Again, most experts seem to agree. Dry food is less likely to allow plaque to accumulate on the teeth, less likely to harbor bacteria if left out too long, and results in firmer, more compact stools. Semi-moist foods are convenient but for some reason (I’m not sure what) don’t offer the same nutritional benefits as premium kibble or canned foods.

That said, I have also heard arguments suggesting that a diet of exclusively dry food can be a strain on a dog’s kidneys. So, to be on the safe side, check with your vet.

===========Life Stages============

Puppies need more calories and essential nutrients than adult dogs. They need up to twice as many calories per ounce of body weight and should get 25% to 30% of their energy from protein depending on the breed.

Most premium dog food brands take this into account in their puppy formulas, but it doesn’t hurt to check the label. By six to eight weeks of age a puppy should be fully weaned and eating his dry food consistently. After that, different breeds reach their mature weight at different rates, by anywhere from 9 months to 24 months old. So it’s hard to give an age or weight by which you should take your pet off puppy food. Again, your vet can help out here.

Also, remember not to try to “rush” the growing process by overfeeding. If she grows too fast, a dog can develop bone growth diseases. A puppy should get three to four meals a day because he’s growing fast but still has a small tummy, but don’t overdo it with portions size.

Adult dogs need to eat according to their size and energy requirements and should be fed two meals a day. This is frequently referred to by the premium dog food companies as a “maintenance diet”.

Unlike cats, dogs are not strictly meat eaters. In fact, a dog is more like an omnivore and will eat just about anything, whether it’s good for him or not! A certain amount of vegetable matter is part of a dog’s natural diet. Dogs love vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, zucchini, peas, and beans, and fruits such as bananas, apples, and melon. These make great low-calorie treats, too!

One thing you should never feed your dog is chocolate–it contains a chemical called theobromine which is toxic to dogs.

Senior dogs need a premium dog food that will help head off and manage the effects of aging. Since different breeds vary so much, it’s hard to give an age by which you should switch to a senior diet. The ASPCA recommends using weight as a guideline, and offers the following:

Small breeds or dogs weighing less than 20 pounds:7 years of age

Medium breeds or dogs weighing 21 to 50 pounds:7 years of age

Large breeds or dogs weighing 51 to 90 pounds:6 years of age

Giant breeds or dogs weighing 91 pounds or more:5 years of age

The ASPCA recommends that you begin dealing with the symptoms of old age before they’re obvious. Just like us, dogs will begin to accumulate more body fat as they age even as they consume fewer calories. (At least we’re not alone!). Muscle mass will tend to decrease, but this doesn’t mean you should lower your older dog’s protein intake. If anything, protein is more important than ever to help maintain muscle mass, so avoid senior dog food formulas with reduced protein.

One thing you will want to feed him less of is calories. Obesity is a real problem with adult dogs, and many owners don’t even realize their dog is overweight. Aside from portion size and calorie content, one way to avoid an overweight dog is to resist giving him table scraps. Most human food isn’t good for your dog.

===========How Much to Feed============

How’s your dog’s weight? You should be able to feel your dog’s backbone and ribs with light finger pressure, but not actually see them. If you have to “dig” to find them, your dog is overweight and if you can actually see her ribs, she’s underweight.

If you’re not sure how much to feed, you’ll love the interactive Dog Food Calculator on PetsMart’s home page! It’s the result of considerable research that has been published in scientific journals and accepted by industry experts. You can determine the right amount of food to feed your dog and find out how long that 40-lb bag will last!

===========Supplements============

If you’re all ready feeding a nutritionally complete premium dog food, do you still need supplements? This is another hotly debated topic. As a rule, it seems that most dogs do just fine without supplements. For certain dogs and certain conditions supplements can make a differenced. For example, a dog who isn’t thriving and there’s no other medical explanation for it might improve with supplements. Or, dogs with certain skin conditions have been known to improve on supplements. Since there’s a danger of doing more harm than good, you should definitely discuss supplements with your vet.

If you do decide to use one, pick one that’s made from natural sources and is designed as a multivitamin formulated specifically for dogs. That way she’ll get everything in the right amounts and ratios. Add it to the diet twice weekly so you won’t overwhelm or suppress your dog’s own internal regulating mechanisms.

=======Special Diets==========

There are many reasons why a dog might be put on a special diet. Some dogs are very sensitive to certain ingredients in commercial dog foods. Even if you’re feeding her the best of premium dog food, if your dog isn’t thriving, it’s possible her diet is a problem for her. Owners have resorted to alternative diets — holistic, raw foods, even kosher — to optimize their pet’s health. Some choose these diets simply because they believe they’re better, not because their dog is having any issues.

We’ll discuss special diets in a future article. For now, I hope you’ve gained some useful insights about the benefits of premium dog food over and above economy brands.

© 2004, Carolyn Schweitzer. Lifelong dog-lover, power-shopper, and family dentist Carolyn Schweitzer is owner and editor of DevotedToDogs.org where she offers information on a wide range of topics near and dear to a dog owner’s heart.

Visit the site to learn about human foods that are hazardous to your dogs health

You can reach Carolyn by email at carolyn@netbrainer.com.

The cage was small, but the people were nice and Tiger felt safe. He was fed, petted and regularly groomed. Still, it wasn’t home. Tiger had been ‘home’, and still had vague memories of the woman who had cared for him and the other cats who lived with her.

Then he had been taken to this place, and had been here so long he had almost forgotten ‘home’, and the woman.

There was uneasiness here, though, and Tiger felt it. Something was about to happen. Something bad.

Then two humans came in. He was put in a cage with them. He jumped up in the woman’s lap. He was put in a dark place that bumped and jostled him. He heard strange, scary noises. He howled, and a male voice answered with noises he couldn’t understand.

Then there was light. And TERROR!

A small hand reached for him and tried to grab him. There were people he didn’t know; they all approached him. There was another cat that arched and spat.

Then, horror of horrors…

There was a dog!

Tiger fled. He fled down a long corridor and bolted through the first open door he found. He hid in the darkest place he could find…among soft and hard things he didn’t recognized. He heard voices. He heard the dog bark, and he shuddered. He heard the child’s high pitched voice, and a woman’s voice…which were easier to bear.

He hunkered down and remained as invisible and silent as he could.

Adoption in Haste

The staff of animal shelters greet people looking for new pets with both joy and misgiving. People walk between the cages, looking over each cat, and the staff hope they will select a cat that has been there for a long time.

But they know what the people are looking for; they are looking for kittens, not adult cats.

If there are no kittens, the customers will sometimes reluctantly choose an adult cat as a “consolation prize”, pay the adoption fees and cart him or her off…

Only to return the cat two or three days later.

“I’m sorry, but this cat just didn’t work out. We couldn’t fit it into the family.”

Or…

“This cat is just too wild. We need something tamer, something that will fit in.”

“What happened?” The staff member asks.

“The cat bolted and hid. It took us three days to find it, and when we finally did, we had to chase it all over the house before we caught it. We need something tamer; something that will fit in better.”

So go the sad tales of the returnees… but wait, it can be worse for cats adopted in other ways.

“The landlord won’t let me keep her, could you please take her in?”

People who adopt strays off the street, or a friend’s cat, many times don’t realize the full extent of the things they need to do for their new cat:

o Prepare their house to receive their cat

o Take care of their cat’s medical needs

o Make sure their other cats have protection from disease

o Take care of their cat’s physical needs

o Properly introduce their cat to their live-in companions, children and other pets

And perhaps most importantly:

o Prepare themselves for a good relationship with their new cat

People who have never owned cats before don’t really realize what a cat is: A highly intelligent, independent animal which needs love and affection daily – but is not a dog.

Cats will bond with people, just as dogs do, but they don’t always bond with the person who has adopted them. They will choose whom they like, much to the consternation of the person who “picked them up” hoping to have acquired a new friend.

This is one very good reason why the first 24 hours is so important. It is in during that period that your cat will decide whom she wants to bond with.

Unless you know what you are doing, it might not be with you.

Time

A cat needs time spent with her. One of the big mistakes busy people make is to fail to realize that they have busy schedules that don’t allow them to spend enough time with their newly adopted cat.

This could ultimately result in your cat running off. If you have no time to spend with your cat, she will not choose your house as “her den”. She will go out searching for another one, and you could be soon reporting a “lost cat”.

Or, to your consternation, you will find that the cat you thought would be a loving companion has bonded with another member of your household…somebody who did have the time to spend.

Money

A lot of people don’t count the cost of pet ownership. In their exuberance to adopt a cat, they forget that they don’t have the budget to keep her. Belatedly, they discover they don’t have the cash on hand to buy their new feline’s basic necessities or give her the medical attention she is most certainly going to need.

Many people shun pet medical insurance, not realizing that the same things that happen to people happen to cats, and can cost large sums of money to cure. This can result in losing their beloved pet because the price to save her is “just too high”.

Medical Needs

Some people who adopt strays or cats owned by friends don’t realize the full extent of the medical attention their new cat needs:

o A complete physical examination

o A complete vaccination regimen

o Spaying or neutering

In particular, that cute kitten you brought home from a friend’s litter will need a long series of vaccinations (along with boosters) that will extend over a period of a couple of years. You can’t do it all in one day.

To fail in this will almost assuredly mean tragedy down the line. I know. I failed to give one of my kittens its vaccinations. I made it an outdoor cat, and it died of feline leukemia. The story definitely had a very sad ending…

Your cat’s physical needs

When your cat climbs out of the carrier box for the first time, will you be equipped with the essentials?

Or, will you discover that you need these things later…and bring them in one at a time, after your cat has defecated in the corner, started scratching the furniture, or begun some other unauthorized behavior you are not prepared for? (And, be advised, a cat is a very obsessed animal…once she starts doing something, it is very hard to change it).

Making sure you have what you need to receive your new cat is vital…and you must have the basics on hand before you bring her home.

First introductions

So, when your cat first climbs out of her carrier, is she going to be set upon by every member of your household all at once? And when she does, will she flee in terror, trying to find the safest and darkest corner she can find?

Or will you introduce her gradually… to try to reduce the trauma as much as possible so she can adapt to and feel at home in her new situation?

Your technique for doing that can be a deciding factor in whether or not your cat adapts to your home immediately, by the next day or the next month, or flees the house altogether.

The days to follow

Do you know how to take care of your new cat in the days to come, assuming you handled your first introductions well? Do you know about allergies, special foods, bathing, grooming, hair balls, removing urine, training and teaching without frightening and alienating her, and a multitude of other situations cat owners wrestle with on a daily basis? Do you know the hazards involved in letting her become an outdoor cat?

Be prepared

As you’ve often heard, ‘preparation is the key to success’, and nowhere does that apply more appropriately than to cat ownership. If you are prepared, your adoption will probably go very smoothly.

I say probably because every cat is different. Even with the best preparation by a knowledgeable owner, a cat may still want to hide for awhile. And if you discover that’s the case…

You need to know what to do.

The Key

So, that’s why I wrote my book, “Your New Cat’s First 24 Hours”, http://www.yourcatsecrets.com, to give you everything you need to know and have, not only to get ready for your new cat and introduce her to your household, but to understand and care for her in the days to follow.

I’ve got to say it again: preparation…and knowledge… is the key. When you decide to adopt, I hope you won’t do it in haste.

I hope you will do it knowledgeably and with understanding.

John Young is a writer and a cat lover, having owned one cat or another since he was four, and that was over 57 years ago. He is the author of the E-book: “Your New Cat’s First 24 Hours”, which is filled with information to help you introduce your new cat to your household and care for it from then on. John’s book is available on-line at: http://www.yourcatsecrets.com. He also has a free newsletter: “Your Cat’s 9 Secrets” which you can subscribe to from his Web site.

Cars – they are your passion, necessity, luxury, earning member. They have speed, they have music, they have curves, they have comfort, they have security, they have safety – they have something for everyone. Secured car loans can realize your car plans especially if your budget is stringent. Secured car loans options are stretched far and wide along the loan market. Buying a used car or a new car can be a pleasant ride with secured car loans.

According to National Statistics’ annual research, more people in Britain have more than two cars rather than no car at all. With such a transformation in the present condition the need for cars has become a precondition. To find a secured car loans is as easy as it is tricky. With such a huge pile of secured car loans alternative, you might want to pick the one that shines the brightest. But all that glitters is not gold. It is very true with secured car loans. They may look all attractive and advertised with 0% APR the bottom line is, it still may not prove to be your secured car loan type.

Secured car loan would mean you need to pledge your home or your property as an assurance. Having prepared yourself for that, you are all set to hear the good news. Secured car loans are in fact very easily available to homeowners. Secured car loans are a great opportunity to finance a car on your own terms. Am I getting too loud with my claims of the goodwill of secured car loans? You need to hear this. Secured car loans are flexible enough to mould in the financial requirement of any kind of loan borrower. With secured car loans you can get into your car and make your first payment after thirty days.

Getting a good secured car loan can save your money to a great extent. Sort out the car you would like to buy and how much it would cost you. This will enable you to figure out how much you need for your secured car loan. After you have set your budget you can go on to see the top secured car loan site. You can ask for a free quote and compare secured car loan rates online.

Secured car loans are a better option than car dealership. Car dealership may seem convenient round the clock service. They will be charging you more for your car finance. It is important to learn about your credit score before you go ahead with your secured car loans. Your credit report or your credit history would have important information about your payment history, mortgages, loans, inquiries from business when you have requested for loan, public records and collection information. Bad credit score would not prevent you from getting secured car loan, though it would increase the interest rate. Some loan lenders specially deal with cases of secured car loan with bad credit. Screen them and work out with them in case you have bad credit.

Car loans are considered precarious as loan types for car loans are for a possession that loses its value easily. Research, browse, study – you would certainly find a secured car loan deal. They are so many options. Read the fine print. Many of the additional costs are hidden in the fine print. Don’t accept secured car loans on impulse. Otherwise ask questions. Clear your doubts especially about monthly management fees, ongoing bank fees, redemption penalties, is the loan daily reducible, extra payments of any amount to be made, and at any time.

Secured car loans are short term loans ranging from 36 to 72 months. According to Automobile finance Study, 82% of the new vehicle loans are over four years while 31% of them are over five years. When you agree to more than 72 car payments, it means that you are overburdening your monthly budget. Car is a possession which depreciates rapidly so in case you intend to sell it, it is not a good idea to sell a car which already has a loan on it. Secured car loans are to be paid back even though you are driving the car you bought through them.

Secured car loans are celebrated for many reasons. Secured car loans mean better car and lesser payments. You are pledging your home or valuable asset and in return on it you get benefits in the likes of lower interest rate, flexible loan terms, varied repayment options so on and so forth. Secured car loan can also be bought with car insurance to protect against misfortune like illness or job loss. I know this car is special and you have been waiting for it for so long. But let us be a little practical and take an objective view while taking car loan. We can write our car legend when we own one. Till then let us write the specification of taking a secured car loan.

After having herself gone through the ordeal of loan borrowing, Natasha Anderson understands the need for good quality loan advice. Her articles endeavor to provide you the wise counsel in the most elementary way for the benefit of the readers. She hopes that this will help them to locate the loan that beseems their expectations. She works for the UK secured loan web site uk finance world.

To find a Secured or unsecured loan that best suits your needs visit http://www.ukfinanceworld.co.uk

Making money because of affiliate company internet marketing, aka “affiliate marketing” can be one of the uttermost gratifying endeavors you could ever begin. What’s great about this endeavor is that men and women can join and build their way to massive profits. Affiliate company internet marketing has been known to be an inexpensive, assessable system of achieving long-term profits. In reality, you can begin even with a limited budget. And with affiliate company internet marketing, you possess the advantage of working at home and experiencing the liberty and power of working for yourself.

But there are also various people who failed in this type of business. It could be because they lack understanding and tactics. If you are a web site owner and you desire to join in an affiliate company internet marketing business, you have to understand where to find great programs.

Clickbank, The Premier Affiliate Company Internet Marketing Program

Clickbank is a model site to begin. Here, you can discover one of the largest affiliate company internet marketing programs in the world. You simply need to visit their site, CLICKBANK and obtain a Clickbank ID. From Clickbank’s home page, advance to “Earn Commissions” and scan for the products and services that completely fit your goals. These products are normally positioned according to their reputation.

Clickbank is one of the affiliate company internet marketing programs that assists as a 3rd party between the web merchants and the affiliate company internet marketing associates. It is accountable in providing the technology to deliver the vendor’s offers and campaigns. The affiliate company internet marketing manager also does the job of gathering commission fees from the vendor and giving it to the associates involved in the program.

Clickbank provides you a large and successful organization of publishers or affiliates to tap into. To be more definite, Clickbank has more than 100,000 affiliate company internet marketing associates who are experts in locating targeted clients for your associate program. The explanation for why a large number of affiliates are becoming a part of Clickbank is probably because gaining commissions in this organization is absolutely fair and clear.

Becoming a Clickbank Affiliate Company Internet Marketing Vendor

For most people, applying for an account with Clickbank is so simple. All you have to do is sign up at their site for free and they will begin to sell your products. Maintain a web site that provides your potential customers detailed information about your offered product or services. At your website, you must also maintain a comprehensive technical support pages for your product. In return, Clickbank will promote and sell your product, give customer service for your product, allow their affiliates to pass on traffic to your web site, enable you to encourage new affiliates to advertise your web site, furnish real-time sales reporting for you and the affiliates and send you and all affiliates a paycheck twice a month.

Becoming a Clickbank Affiliate Company Internet Marketing Associate

If you’re a future affiliate company internet marketing superstar, you definitely will not have a problem becoming a participant of this network. First, you will need to place their link on your website and if you don’t possess a Clickbank account, you will want to complete the extremely simple affiliate company internet marketing registration form and create your own Clickbank account. Then, after you have created your username, you are at liberty to select whatever merchandising tools you desire to use in order to bring in more clicks and create more sales. After selecting business tools, you can now get your associate link.

That’s how easy it is to join Clickbank. But becoming a Clickbank super affiliate is no minor achievement. It means you need to possess the power to sell lots of affiliate merchandise. You also want to have knowledge in search engine optimization, email marketing, ezine marketing, reciprocal linkage, link exchanges and other systems of promoting your affiliate company internet marketing program.

Becoming an Affiliate Company Internet Marketing Superstar

Amidst the secrets to become affluent in affiliate company internet marketing is to come up with great content based website and put your associate links in all your content. Your primary objective here is to present your visitors with great quality content concerning the things they are engrossed in. Set aside the job of selling. It should be done by the sales letter page you are directing them to.

Promote multiple affiliate programs in your website but don’t promote everything the planet has to sell. Just select the affiliate company internet marketing programs that fit your site and concentrate on them. Then, it is smart to automate the entire process, giving you ample time for different ventures. Yes, automation is another key to becoming a top affiliate company internet marketing associate.

Of course, you have to expend more time in reading, learning and taking up the changes in affiliate company internet marketing business. Because of this, you’ll stay on top of the trends. If you are familiar with online marketing, you’ll realize how critical it is to stay up-to-date. In this type of business, what worked and what was accepted few months ago may not work at present-day. So always see to it that you comprehend what’s new in affiliate company internet marketing day-to-day.

Affiliate Company Internet Marketing Can Be Your Financial Vehicle

Even though it can genuinely be hard work becoming a super affiliate, you shouldn’t give thought to quitting. Keep in mind that in affiliate company internet marketing business, you want to develop perseverance, self-control and knowledge. These traits will enlighten you to carry on no matter how difficult the job is. Also, check your affiliate company internet marketing statistics. This will help you find out what is working and what is not. Make important changes if required but do it one at a time and be patient.

Don’t forget that in affiliate company internet marketing, everything won’t take place immediately. And it will not occur without blood, sweat and substantial time commitment. Again, simply encompass patience, persistence and knowledge; then do above mentioned tactics. Once you know it, you will begin gaining profits. Trust me, the benefit of all your efforts here in affiliate company internet marketing shall be way too sweet.

Richard Trice has been marketing online since 1999 and has sold millions of dollars worth of products. You can Discover the #1 Weapon that is responsible for his success at The Real Secret to Massive Online Success! [http://www.guerillamarketingtool.com/affiliate2]

One great way to enjoy fair competition, know where your culinary skills and knowledge stand and to make money online is to join a cooking contest website by a simple sign up procedure. You get to enjoy food related news and views and the simpler ones call for writing in your favorite recipe to qualify for a chance to win something while other cooking contests require you to go through the activity of preparing a meal yourself to be in the running for a prize. Depending on your preferences, you can enter the cooking contest of your choice on many websites sponsoring these.

1. One such website promoting food related competitions online is Cooking Contest Central, a website dedicated to storing info on cooking contests and where to find them; it also has calls for submission of recipes. At times, some of these websites come with a minimal subscription fee and Cooking Contest Central has annual charges of $25! This fee is in lieu of the information and alerts it sends the way of its members, such as contest news, with details on deadlines for upcoming ones and reminders about them through e-mail, including those held for cooking professionals and those meant for kids.

Acting as a news directory in this specialized domain, Cooking Contest Central gives basic information about contests and links to other websites for additional info members may find useful while also providing a common platform for interaction online for the subscribers.

2. Another great website related to cooking contests is Food Reference, which also has a remarkable listing of various cuisine competitions on a single web page reserved solely for this type of info; there are no charges for the info stored here, including a short explanation of the contest requirements and its deadline. Recipe submissions are the most popular category here though there are cooking contests details also mentioned such as preparing the perfect menu for a block party, how to encourage better fruit and veggie eating habits for the family and tips on making an advert!

3. The third new website, Contest Cook, comes on the lines of the first (Cooking Contest Central) and charges a subscription fee of $25 a year to enable members to access information about various cooking competitions, including additional details, last dates, prizes applicable (if any) and the rules for the contests.

This is a useful site for the foodies that love to cook because there’s something for every kind here: be it a professional cook, the state-level food fair, other thematic contests or archived ones, there’s really no dearth of information about ongoing cooking contests and those coming up! Past competition winners chat with members on a message board that facilitates communication about cookery news and views and best recipes get a separate page so aspirants get a better idea of the judging style. A section on forms allows entrants to keep a record of recipes submitted while the web master gives members handy hints on how to compete too!

4. Proof Positive is a website offering cooking contest listings free of charge and has 2 main segments to it: ongoing contest listings and deadline based ones, with newer competition listing being added frequently. They give comprehensive details so are a good bet to try for cooking contest links, rules, prizes and more!

Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report “Master Chef Secrets” and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.Cooking-Guru.com

When it comes to vehicles, classic cars are absolutely at the top of the pyramid, with their amazing features setting them far apart from the rest of the crowd. Unfortunately, as is typical for anything that attracts attention, classic cars tend to attract a decent share of thieves and vandals. Additionally, because classic cars are rare and tend to be expensive, many large “major player” insurance companies and agents will not even offer insurance for them. But just because it can be mildly difficult to find the right kind of insurance for your classic car, that does not mean that you can simply drive around without any insurance. Many states require that your vehicle be insured, and you can face serious fines if you are caught driving without adequate insurance coverage.

Finding the right kind of insurance for your classic car is going to take a little bit of time, and a lot of research. Even more research will be involved if you are set out to find the cheapest available antique and classic car insurance available. There are car insurance companies out there which specialize in insurance options for antique and classic cars. Additionally, there are large automobile insurance companies which offer specialized insurance including antique and classic car insurance, but you will have to do a decent bit of searching in order to find them. A good place to start is with insurance companies like Hagerty, Leland west and Norwich Union which all specialize in antique and classic car insurance. It is important that you weigh a lot of different options, because the costs associated with antique and classic car insurance can vary wildly depending on which automobile insurance provider you go with. It is also important that you determine what each insurance company will value your classic car at, in order to make sure that you are going to be insured for the full value of your car. Traditional car insurance values the car at the cost to replace it, minus any depreciation that it has experienced. This is what sets antique and classic car insurance apart from traditional car insurance. With antique and classic car insurance, the value of your vehicle is typically an agreement made between you and the insurance provider. This way, you will not lose a serious investment in the event that your vehicle is ever totaled in an accident, or stolen and never recovered.

The absolute best option for you to pursue when it comes to automobile insurance for your classic car is called an agreed value policy. Before this type of policy is purchased, you are required to sit down with an agent with the insurance company in order to come to a concrete agreement for the value of your vehicle. If your vehicle is ever totaled or lost, this is the amount that will be paid by the insurance company. This is also the point where you will receive a quote for the monthly payment. Another thing that sets antique and classic car insurance apart from traditional car insurance is the fact that antique and classic car insurance premiums are typically significantly smaller than what you will pay for traditional car insurance. However, not just anyone can acquire antique and classic car insurance, so before applying you should make sure you qualify for all of the following criteria:

o Many antique and classic car insurance policies require that you meet a specific age limit. This is to insure that the driver(s) on the policy have adequate driving experience and are not in jeopardy of causing an accident. This makes it difficult for young and new drivers to acquire automobile insurance, even if they are driving an antique or classic vehicle.

o Many antique and classic car insurance policies have also imposed a minimum age limit for your vehicle, in order to determine whether or not it can be considered an antique car. The typical limit is fifteen years old, so if your vehicle is less than fifteen years old you may have difficulty securing antique car insurance for it.

o In order to qualify for classic car insurance, there are certain limits on how your classic car can be used. For example, you must have a garage or some other form of protective storage to park the vehicle in. Additionally, you cannot use your classic car for any business purposes. Finally, there is a limit on the number of miles that you can put on your vehicle every month or year. If you go over the mileage limit you can but your vehicle in danger of losing its protective insurance. Because of the imposed mileage limit, you must also be able to prove that you have another vehicle which is used for normal driving.

Antique and classic car insurance is by far the best option if the vehicle that you are driving can be considered a collectible. This form of insurance is designed to protect cars that appreciate in value over time rather than depreciating. Most insurance companies will allow you to insure your classic car traditionally if you cannot find adequate antique car insurance, but you should expect to pay more in monthly premiums, and to receive significantly less in a pay out settlement if your vehicle is ever totaled. What this means is that if you are driving an antique or classic car, and specialized insurance is available to you on a local level, you should absolutely take the offer in order to protect your vehicle inexpensively without losing out on the serious investment that went into your prized possession.

For more information about Cheap Antique and Classic Car Insurance visit http://www.InsuranceSalesman.comwhere we also have comprehensive guides to Antique Car Insurance USA and Classic Car Insurance for Young Drivers in the USA

ABSTRACT

The importance of parental involvement as an accelerating and motivating factor in their children’s education is a worldwide-accepted fact. This research project provides an in depth explanation along with specific reasons, the importance of parents’ involvement in their children’s education. It also discusses the parenting techniques, their types and their consequences if neglected. It also describes the ways to measure the outcome of the positive parental involvement. Furthermore, it mentions the teachers involvement and the difficulties faced by the teachers in getting parents involved in their children’s (this is further supported by the examples of two teachers who with their deliberate efforts won the parents over to devote their maximum attention towards their children), single-parent involvement, children’s own efforts to improve their academic levels and joint home-school based interventions. A detailed analysis of the different main ideas is given, based on the findings from other research surveys and projects.

INTRODUCTION:

Parental involvement can be seen to fall into three types: 1) Behavioral, 2) Intellectual and 3) Personal. The research explores the effect of multi-dimensional participation of parents and the resulting progress of children in their studies when different parental resources were dedicated to them. Actively participating parents help their children in their academic development by going to schools and participating in open houses. By keenly observing the behavior of their children they can rightly judge the kind of behavior or the allocation of resources required by their children. Such caring parents can also motivate teachers to become more attentive towards a particular student, thus maintaining the cycle of parent-teacher involvement. Encourage Building up cognitive and perception abilities in a child is a major concern in the upbringing of the child. The way the parents involve their children in cognitive learning is by exposing them to different cognitively stimulating activities and materials such as books, electronic media and current events at home. This helps the child to practice all sorts of language comprehending skills at the school. The results show a remarkably positive behavior at the school and with peers.

Two parenting processes namely the Supportive Parenting (SP) and Harsh Parenting (HP) helped a lot in the research of parental involvement in their children’s education. By adjusting the levels of supportive parenting, different levels of successful outcomes were observed. Supportive parenting in even kindergarten students yielded positive results. Four measures of supportive parenting were used in the study, they were:

1. Proactive teaching.

2. Calm discussion in disciplinary encounters.

3. Warmth.

4. Interest and involvement in peer activities.

The assessments were conducted when children entered kindergarten and when they reached grade 6. There was a factor noted to hinder children’s development: family adversity. It was the result of a multipurpose negative process that included the risk of low socio-economic status, single-parenting and family stress. Child maladjustments were found to be more common in families with such adversities. No matter how much negative impacts were cast, SP was found to overcome the risks associated with family adversity. SP was strongly related to adjustment procedures in grade 6 children who had single parent family or experienced low socio-economic status (SES) in their early childhood.

In a way to socialize their children, parents adopted the techniques of calm discussion and proactive teaching. They helped lessen the behavioral problems by carrying long discussions with their children, cultivating in them a sense of respect, calmness and peace of mind. Mothers also participated actively in reducing the peer stress among their children. It is also a widely accepted fact that supportive parenting plays an important role in the children’s development of empathy, prosocial behavior and emotional competence. On the negative side, the absence of supportive parenting may be related to the development of internal problems such as anxiety and depression.

Lack of the necessary parental care and attention is the main factor for the subsequent rise in the percentage of juvenile delinquency (crime among children). The absence of parental instructions causes children to develop irreversible behavioral and emotional problems. They in order to seek attention, resort to crimes thinking that in this way they could fulfill their wishes. They may revert to uncontrolled violence if not kept an eye upon. Such criminal activities cannot be brought to a halt until their distressing symptoms of low self-esteem, depression, dysphonic mood, tension and worries, and other disturbances are relieved. And the importance of parents’ role in this regard cannot be over-emphasized.

In an effort to describe parental involvement, many researchers use a term “Transition”(Lombardi, Joan). “Transition” is used to describe the time period in which children move from home to school, from school to after school activities, from one activity to another within a pre-school, or from pre-school to kindergarten. The untiring endeavors of teachers in the phenomenon of transition cannot be ignored. They prepared the children and their parents to face the problems of adjusting to elementary school programs that had different psychology, teaching styles and structure than the programs offered at the kindergarten level. In the elementary level schools the teachers had to face serious challenges in motivating the parents to take interest in their children’s activities. The teachers adopted different methods to involve the parents in day-to-day classroom and home activities. They used to send notes, invitation of parent-teacher meetings, invitation of parental guidance sessions and training sessions, continuously directing the parent’s attention towards their children. Patricia Brown Clark suggests that it is very important to keep the line of communication between teachers and parents open, so that the parents can interact with the teachers and get up to date information of their children’s school activities. One way to involve parents is to schedule school events and arranging classroom activities such as volunteering for libraries, acting as classroom aides or efficiently organizing lunch breaks. The teachers also opt for making phone calls at the children’s houses to keep in touch with the parents and getting to know the extent to which they are contributing towards the welfare of their children. Apart from the above activities, the teachers also assign home activities for both the parents and their children so that the parents remain indulged in their children and the children get to study at home. However, it was a bad and disappointing experience for the teachers when many of the parents failed to respond as expected. Many of the parents were so overwhelmed with their official work that they could hardly take out some time for their beloved children.

Moreover, for some parents their schoolings were not positive and character-boosting experiences, therefore they preferred to keep a distance from their children’s school as well. This made it really difficult and at times impossible for teachers to bring the parental involvement to the desired level. Nevertheless, the activities of two teachers proved greatly fruitful in making parents involved in their children. They were Carlos Valdez, an art teacher and 8th grade class sponsor, and Mike Hogan, the school’s band director. They did it by involving parents in music festivals and other school ceremonies. They proved to be great examples for the future teachers to come.

If the children’s academic development programs are to prove successful they must share two characteristics:

1) Developmentally appropriate practice:

A child’s academic progress is clearly reflected by the appropriate practice he/she administers while in school life. During transitions from pre-school to kindergarten, a child if given the exact developmentally appropriate practice tends to learn a great deal of language and playing skills. He develops a keen interest in exploring his environments and interacting (without hesitation) with his adults.

2) Supportive services:

These include the assistance that the school provides to low-income family students. The services include health care, childcare and community care. This strengthens the relation between school and children and creates a sense of security and confidence among the children. They get to learn that their communities are a part of their school since the school’s supportive services strive to help community development.

It is commonly believed that children are good self-teachers. Their self-initiated strategies help improve their expression, creativity, intellectual capabilities and extra-curricular skills. This idea is proved by the documentation of young children’s work provided by Reggio Emilia :

“The Reggio Emilia educators highlight young children’s amazing capabilities and indicate that it is through the unity of thinking and feeling that young children can explore their world, represent their ideas, and communicate with others at their highest level.”(Edwards, Pope. C, Springate, Wright.K)

The climax rests in the fact that how the parents would know that their sincere involvements are really proving worthwhile for their children. The answer lies in the attitude of the children. The degree of parental involvement can be judged by a child’s attitude towards his school subjects, his academic desires and achievements. There is a direct relationship between academic achievements and the attitude towards school. Schunk in 1981 had the following idea of aspiration or academic desires:

“Level of aspiration is defined as one’s subjective probability that he or she will reach a certain level of education.”(Abu, H. & Maher, M)

As a result children who received adequate parental concern were found to be much more confident in their academic desires and achievements than those who could not get the right amount of parental concern.

The individual involvement of mothers and fathers also plays a vital role in the behavioral development of a child. Students from one-parent household were observed to show less positive attitude towards schools and studies as compared to students from two-parent households. One study aimed at investigating parental concern showed that despite mothers’ sincere endeavors, the role of fathers could not be ignored and both served as an important foundation for the future progress of the child. This can be proved from the following fact:

According to a recent report from the National Center for Educational Statistics (1997), compared to their counterparts, children with involved fathers are more likely to have participated in educational activities with their parents (e.g., to have visited a museum or a historical site with their parents in the past month), and are more likely to have access to multiple types of resources at home as well (as measured by the proportion of parents who belong to community or professional organizations, or regularly volunteer in the community). (Flouri, E. And Buchanan, A, Pg.142)

Also, the parental involvement has been discussed and implemented in terms of interventions or prevention programs, which are nothing but safety measures taken to assure healthy and perfect upbringing of the child. The study uses school-based and home-only intervention programs to find out the extent of intellectual capabilities found in children from different family backgrounds. The success of one school-based interventions can be proved from the following fact, which was a part of “Education Service Improvement Plan 2001-2005” of Edinburgh:

—-The Scottish Executive Discipline Task Force, which studied the causes of poor behavior among pupils in schools produced a report of ‘Better Behavior – Better Learning’ in June 2001. The report included 36 recommendations for action, which were then turned into an Action Plan in 2002. Many of these have implications for the Education Authority. (Craig Millar Instep Project)

References

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Angoff, W.H. (1988). The nature-nurture debate, aptitudes and group differences. American Psychologist, 43, 713-720

Berger, D. (2003). The Developing Person, Worth Publishers

Brown, P. C. (1989). Involving Parents in the Education of Their Children. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education Urbana IL.

“Craig Millar Instep Project” [http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/CEC/Recreation/Libraries/] Local_Organisations/local_Craigmillar_Instep_Project.html&

http://www.inspire.edin.org/pages/paperA.htm – context

DeKlyen, M., Speltz, M.L., & Greenberg, M.T. (1998).

Fathering and early onset conduct problems: Positive and negative parenting, father-son attachment, and the marital context. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 1, 3-21.

Edwards, Carolyn Pope; Springate, Kay Wright (1995), Encouraging Creativity in Early Childhood Classrooms, Eric Digest.

Flouri, E. & Buchanan, A. (2004). Early father’s and mothers involvement and child’s later educational outcomes. Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of Oxford, UK, British Journal of Educational Psychology 74, 141-153

Fortier, M.S., Vallerand, R.J., & Guay, F. (1995). Academic motivation and school performance: Toward a structural model. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 20, 257-274.

Ganzach, Y. (2000). Parents’ education, cognitive ability, educational expectations and educational attainment: Interactive effects. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 70, 419-441.

Georgiou, S. (1999). Parental attributions as predictors of involvement and influences on child achievement. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 69, 409-429.

Grolnick, W.S., & Slowiaczek, M.L. (1994). Parents’ involvement in children’s schooling: A multidimensional conceptualization and motivational model. Child Development, 65, 237-252.

Halsey, P. (2004). Nurturing the Parent Involvement, Two middle Level Teachers Share their Secrets. Assistant Professor in the College of Education at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Vol 77, No. 4, pages 135-137 WN: 04062038590002

Lombardi, Joan (1992), Beyond Transition: Ensuring Continuity in Early Childhood Services, Eric Digest.

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Have you heard of the waterless cooking method? It is a relatively new method of cooking that has many advantages. In the past, a lot of household cooking has involved cooking food with water. When cooked in water, however, a lot of the food’s nutritional value, not to mention the flavor, is taken away. Waterless cooking allows you to cook food in it own juices, retaining all the vitamins and minerals as well as most of the original flavor. There is no need to add water to foods (especially vegetables) because the natural moisture in the food is released and the steam created helps the cooking process. The steam is circulated throughout the pot and falls back into the food allowing it to stay moist and juicy.

So what are the advantages to waterless cooking? First of all, it is an easy way to cook. Many times you can use a one-pan cooking method so that all the food (meat, veggies and potatoes) is cooked together. This also allows for easier clean up with only one pan to wash up. And the new waterless cookware, with its superior heat distribution, tends to have less chance of food burning or sticking.

Waterless cooking also tends to cook food a lot faster. With the new waterless cookware available now the heat is evenly distributed along the bottom of the pot or pan. Because of this, there are no ‘hot-spots’ that may tend to burn your food. The lid of the pot forms a seal, which locks in the heat (as well as the moisture) so the cooking time is decreased.

As mentioned, waterless cooking is a healthy way to cook. None of the nutrients are lost during cooking, and you don’t need to add oil to stop the food from sticking to the pan, which also makes it healthier. The natural color and texture of the food is also retained which makes the food more appealing. Foods that are supposed to be crisp tend to keep their crunchy texture as well.

The features of waterless cookware that allow this cooking method to work include a flat bottom on the pots and pans which allow the most efficient means of heat transfer. The flat bottom connects with your stove element better, whether it be the coils of an electric stove or a gas unit, so that the heat transfer is more efficient. The cookware also has an iron core and an aluminum or copper base plate built into it that helps to retain a continuous, constant cooking temperature even after the heating element has been turned off.

Waterless cookware is typically made of high-grade stainless steel, which is better than other traditional pans in a couple of different ways. The stainless steel does not allow the taste of the metal to transfer to your food, as may be the case with aluminum or Teflon-coated cookware. Some companies use surgical stainless steel, which is the highest grade you can get for a real quality product. The stainless steel is easy to clean, durable (enabling it to last an extremely long time) and it allows you to keep your cookware sterilized.

One of the main features of waterless cookware is the special lid that keeps the natural moisture in the food from escaping. The lid forms a seal with the pot and lets the natural juices form into steam so the food cooks in its own natural juices, retaining all the nutrients and original flavors. There is a steam valve that whistles and tells you when you should turn off the heat (once the juices have created sufficient steam). In this way you save energy when cooking and the food is always cooked at a constant temperature.

Although it is referred to as waterless cooking, one thing you should do before cooking with this method is to rinse your food in water and then drain it before cooking. This ensures there will be enough water clinging to the food to create enough steam, mixed with foods natural juices, to cook it properly.

Cooking times with the waterless cooking method is generally a little less than traditional cooking times, depending on personal tastes for doneness. You should always cook your food at medium to low temperatures because the special waterless cookware construction allows the unit to conduct heat in the most efficient manner. You must also resist the urge to lift the lid during the cooking process as this will lengthen the cooking time and may even allow the food to dry out when the steam escapes.

The steam valve will tell you when you should turn off your stove element-when the correct temperature has been reached to allow the food to cook itself. When the steam valve whistles, turn off your stove, but do not lift the lid until the specified cooking time has elapsed-then you can open the lid and serve out your hot food. As a tip, put warm water into the unit after the food has been removed and let it sit while you eat so clean-up will be a snap afterwards.

Most recipes can be adapted (with a few alterations) to using the waterless cooking method as well. You will discover that old favorites will taste better and new recipes will be simple to master. The waterless cooking method is a new and healthier way to cook. It is more energy efficient, allows the food to retain its own juices, texture and color, and is an easy way to cook.

For more cooking articles, recipes, and cookware guides please visit my website at http://www.potsandpanscity.com/blog