Posted by drozzell on November 24, 2008
There are always errands to take care of, but you can turn these into a parent-child activity by bringing your child along. Going to the hardware store, the drug store, the grocery, the newsstand—your child will enjoy accompanying you while you do all of these types of things. You meet people together, talk to people, buy a few items that you need, and while you are taking care of your errands you have the opportunity to look around the stores and talk about things that you see. Hardware stores are especially good places to go with young boys because of the variety of items on display. Tools, nails, nuts and bolts, light fixtures, gardening needs—you may get a lot of questions about what these thing are for, and this is your chance to talk to your child about them. Tell him about what you see and watch his eyes sparkle! For a daughter, let her join you to shop for a few items at the drug store or grocery. Explain why you choose one product over another. Running errands with your child is both educational and relationship-building.
Posted by drozzell on November 23, 2008
For the cost of a first class stamp you can treat your child to a very simple pleasure. Have your son or daughter write a letter or enclose a picture or drawing and mail it to himself/herself. If your son or daughter cannot yet write, help him or her draw or color a picture and enclose it in an envelope. Then, help your child address it to himself/herself. The final step is a trip to the post office or nearest mail box together to put the envelope in the mail. This simple activity is fun twice—first when the letter is sent, and then again when the letter is delivered. Another idea is to have your child send a letter to his/her grandparents (or the opposite parent) as a surprise.
Posted by drozzell on November 22, 2008
Most people over the age of 50 have been to a farm at some point in their lives. If you know a farmer, or know someone who knows a farmer well enough to arrange a visit, I highly recommend this as an outing. Farms are great places to see another way of life and to spend time around horses, cows, chickens, pigs, and other animals. Most farms have dogs and cats as well. There is a lot to see and talk about. Getting a chance to look at tractors and farm equipment up close is a great experience. Talking about the different kinds of crops and how they are harvested, picking vegetables, feeding the animals—all these are interesting for young boys to see and learn about. Kids can watch and sometimes take part in the feeding of animals. I will never forget the smile on the face of my son as I watched him feed an apple to a horse for the first time.
Posted by drozzell on November 21, 2008
Trails for hiking exist almost everywhere. Depending on the part of the country you live in, the scenery will vary, but the reward is the same—an opportunity to walk in natural surroundings, look at nature, and talk about what you see. The hikes don’t have to be strenuous. In fact, it is better if they are not too difficult or too long in distance. Take along a couple of water bottles and some food and stop along the way to have a snack. This is a great way to develop in your child a love of nature and being outdoors.
Posted by drozzell on November 20, 2008
Fishing is perhaps the classical father-son or grandfather-son activity, but girls like it as well. Teaching a young child to fish is one of the quintessential times for bonding and relationship building. It can be very simple. Just fishing from the bank at a local pond or lake with a bamboo pole and worms is easy, inexpensive, and usually yields results in the form of some caught fish. Opportunities are plentiful in most parts of the country. There are farm ponds, lakes, and rivers in every state. The specific type of fishing will vary from place to place, but the basics are the same. If available, trout farms and catfish farms offer a near certainty that fish will be caught and can be taken home for dinner that same evening. My daughter’s first fishing trip was a success, catching bluegill which I prepared for dinner–yummy! I encourage every parent to go fishing with his or her child, boy or girl.
Posted by drozzell on November 19, 2008
Yes, I’m serious! This is obviously predicated on your liking sushi, but if you do, going to a Japanese sushi restaurant is a blast. Sit at the sushi bar, talk to the sushi chef, and let the chef recommend things that your child can try. Your child will get a chance to experience a very different kind of restaurant from the usual places children go for lunch or dinner. The variety is amazing, and everything is fresh and healthy. If your child is adventuresome, a variety of different fish, eel, octopus, squid, shrimp can be sampled. Things can get pretty exotic if you like, with delicacies like roe and sea urchin. And if you must have cooked fare, that’s always available, too. Teriyaki chicken, beef or salmon are standards. Just order what your mind and stomach can handle, and enjoy the experience. I guarantee that your child will be talking about this for a while!
Posted by drozzell on
As places to buy fresh produce and get something to eat, farmers markets have really caught on in recent years. Many towns now designate one day of the week for a downtown farmers market, and just going and walking around the stalls to look at all that is offered makes for a great outing. Grab a snack while there, or even get a fresh grilled sausage, hot dog or burger and have a fresh-squeezed fruit juice. Fresh strawberries or a watermelon brought home from a farmers market seem to be more special, and somehow often taste better, compared to something bought from the supermarket.
Posted by drozzell on November 18, 2008
Here is another simple, yet fun idea: visit a pet store, not to buy, but to browse.
Pet stores can be a lot of fun as a quick, easy-to-do activity. There are pet stores located in almost every town, and most have a variety of animals on display, which change from week to week depending on what animals have been sold and what new animals the pet-store owners have recently brought in.
For example, near where I live, the closest pet store has puppies, kittens, rabbits, colorful birds of all kinds, and a wide range of fish. The shop parrot (not for sale, the parrot is the owner’s pet) will often respond “Hello!” to your hello!” when you walk in. What a nice treat for any young boy or girl. Just going in and looking around is a lot of fun, and you can talk with your child about each animal that you see. And not to be overlooked—going to a pet store is free!
Special Offer! ”Mr. Buddy and Grandy” describe many simple activities that adults and children can do together, told in short stories. At $12.95, ”Mr. Buddy and Grandy” is a wonderful value. And if you order direct from Rozzell Books and pay with Paypal, you receiveFree Shipping and a Free Pamphlet ”25 Things To Do with Your Child: Things That Are Fun To Do and Won’t Break the Bank.” Pay only $12.95 total including first class shipping and also get the free pamphlet. To order click the Buy Now button below and pay through Paypal using your credit card or electronic funds transfer.
Posted by drozzell on November 16, 2008
Ok, this can be a bit messy, but it sure is fun—and tasty! Pancake mixes and recipes that yield a pancake batter in less than 10 minutes are readily available. I like the Bisquick recipe myself, but many others give similar results. Let your child or children help with the cooking. You can have your son or daughter mix the batter and ladle the batter onto the griddle. Show him or her how and when to turn the pancakes with a spatula. The best part is eating the results. Try different kinds of toppings on the pancakes and talk about which you like the best. My favorites are maple syrup (or regular syrup), powdered sugar, different flavors of jam, honey, cinnamon-sugar. YUM!
Posted by drozzell on September 28, 2008
New Book “Mr. Buddy and Grandy” Both Informs and Entertains
Creating Great Relationships With Children Through Activities That Cost Little or Nothing To Do
Burbank, California — November 17, 2008
A new book by Dr. David Rozzell chronicling experiences the author had as a young boy with his grandfather has just been published. In short story format, the author illustrates how grandparents, or indeed any adults, can enrich both their lives and the lives of children by engaging them in simple, every day activities that cost little or nothing to do.
“Mr. Buddy and Grandy” is a compilation of short stories about a grandfather and his grandson and the things they did together. The overarching theme of this book is that just doing simple things together with a child pays big long-term benefits in building a strong relationship. Although the stories focus on a grandfather and his grandson, many of the same activities would translate equally well to things that any adult could do with children, boys or girls. Fully illustrated, “Mr. Buddy and Grandy” was written in a style for reading to children, yet also enjoyable for adults.
“This book was a labor of love to memorialize what my grandfather did for me, and also to offer ideas to other adults of the things they can do with their children or grandchildren,” said the author David Rozzell. “I believe that the more time adults and children can spend together exploring the world around them, just doing simple activities, the stronger their family bonds will be and the better prepared for adolescence and adulthood the children will be.”
Along with the book, a pamphlet “25 Things To Do With Your Grandson: Things That Are Fun To Do and Won’t Break the Bank” will be offered free of charge with every book purchased. “Given the financial pressure that everyone is now facing, it is especially important to find inexpensive ways to build and maintain good relationships with children,” Dr. Rozzell added. “The message of ‘Mr. Buddy and Grandy’ is that building a great relationship with a child doesn’t have to cost much. ‘Mr. Buddy and Grandy’ promotes better adult-child relationships through the ideas described in the stories, and the pamphlet supplements those ideas with more examples of simple, inexpensive things that adults can do with children or grandchildren.”
“Mr. Buddy and Grandy” is published by Lulu.com, the online marketplace for books and related digital content, and is also available directly from the author at his Web Site http://www.rozzell.com. The author can be contacted by e-mail at david@rozzell.com.
(60 pages) Perfect-Bound Paperback, fully-illustrated
Special Offer! ”Mr. Buddy and Grandy” is an ideal book to read to young children. The stories describe simple activities that adults and children can do together. At $12.95, ”Mr. Buddy and Grandy” is a wonderful value. And if you order direct from Rozzell Books and pay with Paypal, you receive Free Shipping and a Free Pamphlet ”25 Things To Do with Your Grandson: Things That Are Fun To Do and Won’t Break the Bank.” Pay only $12.95 total including first class shipping and also get the free pamphlet. To order click the Buy Now button below and pay through Paypal using your credit card or electronic funds transfer.
Or order from Lulu.com
Special offer: E-Mail proof of purchase to mrbuddy@rozzell.com and receive free bonus: “25 Things To Do With Your Grandson: Things That Are Fun To Do and Won’t Break the Bank”
