Please keep in mind the content rating of games when buying for nieces, nephews and children in general this Christmas. I am constantly amazed at the number of parents out there who will buy games like Grand Theft Auto or Spiderman etc, that are rated for over 13 year olds and then hand them to a 6 year old not understanding that the content contained within the game is high in violence, language and adult themes.

The majority of ‘trouble’ children on TV’s Supernanny, display outburst of violence, bad language and more. That is not to say that they got this exclusively from video games, however keep in mind that if they receive a gift that shows them how to behave violently, then it is conceivable that this will have some negative effect on their behavior either now or in the future.

Keep in mind that sometimes it is not the sole fault of the parent, just last week I was in a video games store and I ‘overheard’ a parent buying a Nintendo Wii console for their child. There was an extreme rush on and a long queue, the parent then asked the shop assistant what game they should get for their child - a 5 year old boy. The shop assistant (probably no more than 19 herself), recommended Simpsons Hit and Run! I could not believe what I heard, the parent bought the game and happily left the shop. Now what kind of message will that send to the child? go ahead and run people over any chance you get - it’s fun?

In that case, the shop assistant was in the wrong, but the parent should have checked the rating and made the proper decision. So keep it safe this Christmas and if you are faced with a tricky decision over what game to buy, just ask yourself the question ‘What game would Santa Claus give?’

1. Buy a childrens book and make a video of your kid(s) reading it  - I bought ‘Little Miss Christmas‘ from the Mister Men series of books, they produced a very entertaining and respectful story about Santa Claus.  My 8year old and 5 year old really loved the story and enjoyed making the video.  If you have more than one child consider one to read and one to make actions that go along with the story on the video.  Mine is in the post now Grandad - I promise!
2. Get a new family portrait photo -  It’s amazing how fast the years pass by and it never seems like the right time to get a family portrait done.  Maybe this is the driver you need to get this moving and it will be really treasured by your family when they receive it, especially if that is at a time when they are missing your family.
3. Telephone calls are an old favorite - however don’t forget that lots of people make calls coming up to Christmas and the International phone network can get pretty jammed, this goes doubly so for Skype etc.  Consider making a few calls earlier this year so that if you can’t get through closer to the big day, it’s not like your own personal nightmare before Christmas.
4. Post off coloring in drawings - coloring in is a great developmental tool for children, it can be a fun family activity, it keeps the little tikes quiet for a while and it is really fantastic to receive something that the kids have worked so hard on.  Santa’s Rules can provide you with personalized drawings with your kids names and wish list on for free, just click here.

I hope that gives you some ideas,  the main thing is to savor your time at home this Christmas, mostly children will respond well to extra attention, you do not have to be supernanny with a reward chart to know this.  If anyone else has some ideas they want to share, feel free to reply to this post.

Wishing you good behavior this Christmas,
Geoff Grice

Santa’s Rules

Click on this, and you can choose from 10 full page drawings (some samples below) that come out with your child’s Name, Behavior stars, Wishes and Rules. Kids love to see their name printed on there and you can stick it on the fridge or wall as a reminder to behave well - they’re also great for giving to Grandparents/family. Please note that you have to be logged in to the site to see the drawings icon because the site has security enabled, even if you see the icon on another page, only you or your child can print out drawings with your child’s name on them.

and more at Santa’s Rules…

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Source:
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
2007-11-21 08:39:14 -
Actor VINCE VAUGHN has an unusual favourite pastime - watching reality TV show SUPERNANNY.
The Wedding Crashers star claims he has picked up useful parenting tips from British child expert Jo Frost’s programme, and puts them into practice when he babysits his three nieces and nephew. He says, “You watch the show, these kids are terrors. They’re hopped up, they’ve been eating candy. The nanny comes in. Naughty step, boundaries, everyone hugs each other, the chauffeur drives her away. It’s an amazing thing.”

A newly launched website is designed to level the psychological battlefield between children and parents across the globe this holiday season. Santa’s Rules (http://www.santasrules.com) is an easy 3-step method that all parents can use to help encourage their kids to improve behavior and guarantee that Christmas will be a happy one.

Dublin, Ireland (PRWeb) November, 2007 — At last, parents have been provided with an invaluable tool to help motivate the young Internet generation this Christmas. On his new website, Santa’s Rules (http://www.santasrules.com), Geoff Grice has made it possible for parents and children to improve their relationship together. It’s a simple 3-step process: parents post behavior rules and the kids post their Christmas wish lists for family, friends and (Santa of course) to see. Parents then add or remove points from the ‘star power’ rating on their child’s page, according to current behavior, thereby giving an ongoing incentive for children to improve.

“In parenthood, let’s face it, there is no handbook. I am a parent of three great, but ‘spirited’ young kids,” says site creator Geoff Grice. “The best way I have found to motivate little people is by giving them boundaries to work within and incentives to perform or behave well. I set up Santa’s Rules to motivate them toward better behavior and it worked, so I made the site open for other parents I know to join. They loved it and it just sort of took off from there.”Although the site is aimed at parenting, it has been tastefully designed in a real white Christmas spirit. The kids who use the site love it. They like to see what other kids want for Christmas and to see their own name up in lights. The site is not only great for kids however, it’s even better for parents. Claire Midgley, a parent of two and early site user, says, “I think Santa’s Rules is a wonderful idea. We were having tantrum problems at home, but since Santa has made him some rules, my 6 year old has been a little Angel!”.

The site also has activities. For example: kids can print out Christmas drawings with their own name, behavior stars and what they want for Christmas. Grice says that this is a real plus. “My kids were so much more interested in spending hours of quiet time coloring in pictures when their own name and stars were printed on them.” Another bonus is that Santa’s Rules is a great tool for relatives living far away. They can just log in and see what the child wants for Christmas and see how they are doing.

About the site:
Santa’s Rules is a site made by parents for parents. For kids, Santa’s Rules gives them a better chance of getting exactly what they want for Christmas. And, Santa keeps track of who’s being naughty or nice. Santa’s Rules has child safety features in place to ensure that no child can be approached or contacted through the site. For more information or to register for an account, please visit www.santasrules.com.

About the creator:
Geoff Grice is a father of 3 living in Dublin, Ireland. Grice is studying for a Masters Degree in I.T. with Dublin City University and cites among his influences, popular parenting TV shows like Supernanny (Jo Frost), Child of our Times (Professor Robert Winston) and ‘A Dublin Christmas,’ a children’s book authored by Dan Boyd. Another important motivation in creating the website is the fact that Grice’s home is in Australia, where family and friends still reside. Santa’s Rules is a great way for him and his wife and kids to keep in touch with family around the world.