Know Your Family Health History

If your great grandchild asked you if you could make him or her better, would you? Of course you would.

See this opportunity as a way of protecting those you love. Knowing your family's genetic health history may save you suffering from, or preventing, undiagnosed yet predisposed diseases. Pay it forward a few generations by creating a Family Health History Tree.

By knowing your family's health history you will be pro-active in discovering possible health problems earlier than later. Imagine if you found out there was a history of breast cancer in your family. Just think about how you would feel if your husband had developed prostate cancer at a relatively early age. But it could have been monitored early and possibly prevented had he known that his uncle had passed away from it.

A safe place to keep your Family Health History Tree would be with your will. Amendments to the Tree could be made as various medical facts are revealed about current and past family members.
The more everyone knows about a family's genetic history, the better.Imagine being adopted and simply not knowing this lineage? Some of us are a little guarded or shy in sharing our own health history, even with family members. Here are a few ways to go about it.

At the next family function or reunion, have any older children present the concept of a Family Health History Tree as a "School Project". It's hard to turn down a possible life-saving health project such as this, especially when they want to do well in School.

Add a few pages into your child's baby-book. But first send out the info page you need filled out to every adult person in your family.

Start the gift of giving for everyone's future. Detail your own family history and give it inside a Christmas, anniversary or birthday card, as a sign of how much you love them and how easy it can be. There are even better occasions to start the trend, such as when a baby is born or at a wedding.

For example here are a few sample questions to ask to get the ball rolling:

Since we know many cancers can be passed on from generation to generation, do you know of any pre-existing conditions that could possibly be passed down such as cancer? Or schizophrenia? Or spinal muscular atrophy? Or Huntington's Disease? Or Systic Fibrosis?

Can you remember if you have had all of your adult vaccines or childhood immunizations?

Can you remember every one's history in your family as far back as records will show?

If you are the only one remaining in your family here are some places to start to generate some answers:

Funeral Home Records. These records can go back into the late 1900s, and often the Funeral Home keeps the records as they were originally kept "for public health purposes- to alert officials of diseases or trends of concern, especially in cities and populated areas".

Obituaries. From the late 1800s, the obituaries section of newspapers are a very popular section. Earlier on they even detailed the cause of death; however, today's era masks them or omits them completely.

At your next family gathering, make things fun and interesting by awarding prizes to the 'team' that comes up with the most inherited medical disease facts. Congratulations in then taking the preventative steps necessary and thinking ahead for your family's future.

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Family Easter Tradition in France - A Table in Normandy

Though, Gérald and I, as empty nesters, will dine tête a tête this Sunday, our hearts are filled with memories of holidays past when our children were younger and we were surrounded by family. As with every celebration in France, Easter begins and ends à table.

Normandy is appreciated the most at mealtime when land and sea are perfectly marinated. Mamie cooks the traditional Easter favorite, leg of lamb. At the head of the table, Papie carves the tender meat fresh from a newborn romping on the rolling green hillside only days before. But back up, each course is an event worth savoring.

First a toast of champagne and a light amuse bouche aperitif. Next act is naturally an egg based, a soufflé as light as cotton candy, followed by a platter of seafood: shrimp, crab legs, clams, oysters, bullot, something for everyone's palate.

The main lamb course is always served with flageolet, a mini lima bean, that reminds me of the word flatulence and of course, bean jokes inevitably enter the conversation, sending the children into gales of laughter. Mamie always has a special dish for every family member, so a garden of vegetables -beans, broccoli, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes - also grows out of the linen tablecloth.

The children eat with the adults where they risk being reprimanded to sit up straight. However, I never notice table manners; my fork and knife are usually in the wrong hands. Softhearted Mamie excuses the grandkids early and they scamper upstairs to read Lucky Luke or Astérix comic books until called for dessert.

Each course is accompanied by wine, a light white Burgundy for the seafood starters and then a heavier Bordeaux for the meat and cheese. Every big meal is followed by a green salad and cheese platter with triangles of creamy local cheeses like Camembert and Pont L'Evêque.

Dessert always includes seasonal fruits, which in the spring means luscious strawberries. Like little elves, the children reappear to gobble up berries dipped in fresh cream. The kids magically disappear again when they smell the coffee brewing. Papie ceremoniously opens the antique Normand hutch and pulls out his bottle of Calvados offering, "a little taste." True Normands swear that the fiery apple brandy aids the digestion. During weddings and christenings, the "trou Normand," a shot served on sorbet in the middle of the feast, is customary.

Throughout each course a lively repartee of sarcasm, word play and arguments ensue that to a soft-spoken Norwegian American sounds like verbal abuse, but is only part of the French art de vivre and their love of language and debate.

Just when you think your belly will burst, Mamie rings a bell and the children race downstairs, for in France, bells, not bunnies, deliver eggs. As a token of mourning for crucified Christ, church bells remain silent from Good Friday until Easter Sunday. On Easter, when the chimes ring again, children rush outside to see the bells fly home to Rome, after dropping chocolate Easter eggs from the sky.

The children crowd onto the wrought iron balcony to find eggs tucked behind the potted geraniums and tulips. While they devour the chocolate figurines, the adults, too, savor a delicacy from the local chocolatier. Everyone moans of stomachaches and swears they will never eat again, but a few hours later after a stroll by the sea, we are à table again discussing the favorite French topic, food.

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Family Happiness - How to Promote Happiness Throughout Your Family

If you're a parent, you definitely want nothing more than a successful, happy family. Great, that's the first step! Desiring to make your family work is the key to having "the best family in the world." My family is 10 years old with kids both under the age of nine. Over the years, we discovered what works to keep our family happy. Here's what we learned:

Accept and respect that each individual is unique - Whether dad is not a handy-man kind of guy, or mom's passion is not cooking, it's okay if we are not like most parents out there. The same way goes to our kids. No matter how much we try to understand why they are completely opposite of each other despite the fact that they are from the same parents. Accepting and respecting each person's uniqueness is important.
Have dinner together - There's something about sitting together as a family for dinner. It's a time for everyone to share their low's and high's of the day - a simple game to encourage communication and sharing. As a parents, we love hearing what makes our kids happy and sad. So innocent and pure.
Try Humor Therapy - You don't have to be sick to do therapy. Research shows that laughing releases our brain's feel-good chemicals, reduces stress, improves our immune system among its many therapeutic benefits. I still have a tickle time with my kids everyday. And when I am feeling off-beat myself, my husband just knows how to make me laugh. It works and laughter is the sweetest sound of all.
Play together - Enjoy your family by doing activities together. Read a book, play board games, bake cookies. Go outdoors and teach your kids to fly a kite or climb a tree more than just doing electronic games together. Playing promotes bonding time and plus kids respond well to it!
Schedule date nights - Having a family can be overwhelming and it's easy to get stuck in that routine. Taking time off from parent duty can sometimes be the smartest thing to do. Start with few hours to spend with your spouse, kids-free. Watch a movie, go to a restaurant, do something you both enjoy. If you don't have a babysitter, have your date at home. Put the kids early to bed, and have the rest of the night together. Fall in love and get excited with each other again. Realize that you are husband and wife first before your were parents.
Never fight in front of the kids - Kids learn love and affection through their parents. Any misunderstanding or argument is healthy in any marriage as long as it's resolved and not done in front of the kids.
Honor and celebrate family traditions, culture and religion - Traditions can be cultural or family-specific. They bring the family closer together because they are repeated over time. If you're big on birthdays, family movie nights, or Friday night pizza, go ahead. Create your own family traditions. Honor cultural rituals in your family. Respect each other if you have religious differences.
Communicate - Make sure mom does not become the messenger for the whole family. A happy family must keep communication open. In the same way, everybody should be free to express how they feel.

Each of these tips can help you promote happiness in your family. Issues, arguments, financial stress, messy house at times will be present. Remember, a happy family doesn't mean it's perfect. But it's your family so treasure it and enjoy the journey of growing deeper, closer together.

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Candle Scents for the Whole Family

My wife is nuts about candles. We have candles in every room of the house and in our doghouse. "They add ambience and give off a lovely scent" is her explanation for her fixation. Well, so do I, but you don't have to light me to get the effect. And some of these candles are so pricey, I'm going to need a second job to pay for them!

I do agree with her about the aromas. Have you ever wandered about the candle shops at the mall and marveled at the variety? The combination of all the scents from all those candles must be what Heaven smells like, or some old lady's closet.

Who can resist the delightful "Black Cherries and Buttermilk" scent? Or my favorite, "Cinnamon and Black Forest Watermelon"? Whoever thinks up these flavors has got one fine tuned nose. Who would have thought of "MacIntosh apple pie and Cilantro"? Not Me!

No, if I were running one of these Hoi Polloi candle companies, the scents would be more manly, like "Leather wallet on a hot humid Day", "This is the laundry detergent that gives you a rash on your butt", or my personal favorite, "Running over Dog Poo with the Lawnmower".

In the kitchen, you would find a whole row of candles with names like "This is roast beef, not Hamburger Helper" or "This candle, like your coffee, smells better than it tastes". Less popular scents might be "Burnt Pizza Cheese in your oven" or "Nasty Garbage Disposal".

You know about teenagers. Their rooms can stink. Simply light a "Spilled soda and soggy Doritos" candle to cover that odor right up! I understand that the popular "Skittles and Iced Tea" candles have been discontinued. I can remember several instances where a "This is incense, not Mary Jane you are smelling" would have come in handy for the boys.

My trio of cats would just adore a "Little Friskies and Bologna" candle near their litter box. They have been complaining about cat box odor of late, and that would shut them up. I just know the dog is lying there dreaming about "Kibble and Cat Crap", two of his favorite foods.

The point is, the scented candle market is big business these days, with a scent to fill every wish. I just wish I didn't need to get a paper route before work to pay for them all.

longwoodmarkets.com is an online store that specializes in items that bring back memories of days gone by. Aside from a large selection of candles and lanterns for both indoors and outdoors, we have birdhouses, planters, hammocks and whimsical figurines to decorate your patio and garden. Visit us at http://longwoodmarkets.com/

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Awesomely Fun Backyard Games For The Whole Family

As summer approaches, everyone in the family wants to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. It's time to grab everyone up and head out to the fresh air where the sun is shining and there's no television. There are a lot of fun backyard games that can be enjoyed for the whole family. Research shows that kids are more likely to be active when the parents are active. This means you need to get out there with your kids and show them how to have a ridiculously good time.

When the weather gets especially hot, there is always the swimming pool. Regardless of whether you've got an in-ground pool or an above-ground pool, there are tons of fun games that are a blast to play in the pool. This includes such things as:

- Diving sticks
- Marco polo

Water balloons are also a guaranteed way for everyone to have a lot of fun outside. Whether it's an out and out battle of tag or a friendly balloon toss, everything can be more fun with water balloons. Fill up dozens of them, run around and try to stay dry.

Slip and slides are some of the most fun backyard games you could possibly ask for. These don't require a lot of space in the yard and a simple garden hose attached to it will provide all the necessary water. With a strong running start, flop down on your belly and see who can get down the path the furthest. Everyone will have a blast seeing who can make it the farthest.

Not a lot of props are needed and water isn't even necessary to have a good time. Sometimes it is just about being together and being a little athletic. With a hop ball for everyone and a good amount of space in the backyard, more games can be made up as well. With a little imagination, a variety of games can be implemented including:

- Hop races
- Human checkers

All it takes is a few props and a strong imagination to make some fun backyard games for the whole family to participate in. Whether everyone's jumping into the pool or hopping around on a ball, the important thing is that everyone is outside together, enjoying each other's company. With some liquid chalk or streamers, you can create boundaries, tic tac toe boards and lots of other things to create some competitions and other fun games. Add a little water and you can have fun and stay cool at the same time, too.

Bianca Bowman found great beach and outdoor kid's toys and games that turned their backyard into a magical playground. Lillian Vernon has a variety of personalized toys and gifts including kids flip flops, water bottles and much more.

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How To Stop Back Talk In Your Family

Alexa's copper colored hair sparkled with fiery, beautiful, highlights. Sweetly she asks her Mother, "Hey Mom, can I go over to Sandy's for Dinner tonight? "Not tonight, honey", Her Mother replies."Grandma is coming over for dinner and I want everyone home". Alexa glared at her Mother. With a toss of her head, Alexa says to her Mother, "I am going over to dinner at Sandy's and then to a movie And I am not going to be home until late. Now give me the keys to the car!" So the above is the perfect example of disrespect and back talk. So how Does a frustrated parent deal with it? The following will outline a step By step method. Most parents want to have peace in the family, and respect.

Step one: recognize what back talk is. Here's how. If it hurts you, it is rude, disrespects you, annoys you, embarrasses you or leaves you feeling helpless, it is back talk!

Step two: choose the best consequence for the behavior. In the above example, Alexa would not be Allowed to go to her friend's house that night. Any back talk or rude behavior would automatically Mean that the child or teenager would not be allowed to do what they had planned!

Step three: enact the consequence! How do you actually do this? In the above example, Alexa's Mother would tell her that she cannot go to the girls house. In a calm voice she should tell Alexa that her behavior Amounts to back talk. Her Mother should also tell Alexa that her back talk is taking up her time, energy, And good will, that her behavior is not acceptable, and that Alexa would not be going to her friend's house. But what if Alexa reacts badly? Well, if the child is accustomed to be allowed to back talk, the child or teen will Probably react badly. You must be prepared for this and be prepared for how you will react to this Should it happen.

Step four: disengage with the struggle from a back talker! How do you do this? Initially, ignore the behavior. If the back talk continues, take the child to his/her room and tell them they must stay in their room. If the child is a teenager, and you cannot physically take them to their room, disengage yourself, and leave their presence.

Remember, a consequence must be logical and fit the crime, so to speak. Another example might be a ten year old saying something disrespectful or rude at dinner such as. How gross! This dinner is inedible and I

Will not eat it! A logical consequence of this behavior is that the rude child is told to leave the table immediately, And also would not be allowed to go with the family to get ice-cream after dinner. Well, you get the idea! Another example would be if a child or teen says in an imperious tone that they are spending the night With their friend and says "I don't care what you say!". In this example, in a calm voice you should tell The child to be prepared to be picked up in a half hour. When you arrive, (if you are married take your spouse), and tell the friend's parents what you are doing and why. Take your child and go home. In the rare event you would need police back up, such as in the case of a rebellious teen, don't hesitate to call right then and there. When you show you have this kind of support, your rebellious child and or uncooperative parents of the child your teen is visiting, will have greater respect for you in the future and will not want to tangle with the police at the door in the future.

If you do not put up with back talk, you will have a peaceful home and children will not grow up to be rude, irresponsible, disrespectful, and essentially terrors. Important tips to remember are the following: Back talk is about attitude and rudeness. Do not discourage honest communication as long as it is polite, respectful and done with good manners.

Once you decide on the consequence, do not negotiate, even if it means the child will miss something that they perceive or you perceive as being very important. Do not give in. If you stand by your decision, you will

Be surprised at the level of respect you will be given, and the politeness, next time around.

Wishing you happy and peaceful days!

Kind regards,

Susan Farmer

Hi! My name is Susan Farmer. On the site are relationship articles that are free and just meant to help others deal with their family or love relationships. Through many years and many struggles I have finally learned a few pearls of wisdom that I would like to share. There are relationship articles such as dealing with how to stop fighting, how to say I'm sorry, how to rebuild relationships, how to deal with outcasts, how to help other families, how to start again, marriage, parenting, teenagers and children, etc. To me a happy family is so important and it is what is most worth fighting for, working toward and learning how to accomplish. Sometimes it is the most difficult thing we will ever have to tackle, but also the most fulfilling and worthwhile. Please visit my website for lots of family articles at http://thesweetinfo.com/family or my main page at http://thesweetinfo.com/ Look on Sundays for a new article to be posted.

I hope you have a happy and sunny day, and many more ahead.
And Kind Regards!
Susan Farmer

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The Affects of the Global Financial Crisis on the Family Dynamic

The economy as a whole isn't the only thing that got drastically affected by the global financial crisis, everyday families are also fighting the pinch also. All too often a losing battle, there are a couple of specific situations that are occurring all too often now that go completely against how most families have run for the longest time.

Children and Staying Home Longer

In the previous decades parents have seen their children marrying early and moving out in the late teens and early twenties. Now it is not uncommon for grown children to continue living at their parents well into their late twenties - and even when they are first married.

This is due to an increasing rental market and sky rocketing house prices. Children are staying home rent free (in the years that their parents should be enjoying their freedom), in an effort to save money to pursue the dream of owning their own home.

Elderly Parents are Returning For Care

The second change to the family dynamic that can be blamed on the GFC is the return of elderly parents into your home.

With a lot of people's superannuation being cut with the dip in the share market, there is not as much money in the kitty as their used to be and this has affected a lot of the elderly - who do not have time to wait around for the market to pick back up.

So what we are seeing is a lot of middle aged parents who have finally seen their grown children move out of home, having to make room for their aging parents that no longer have the funds to enter a retirement home.

So What Are The Options?

While you can't really say no to family (whether that be children or parents), there are things that you can do to give everyone their own privacy.

Build a Granny FlatYour best option is to build a granny flat. Whether it is built attached to the house or you organise a pre-built granny flat to be shipped onto your block of land, it will give each party their own personal space (and their sanity).

The only other option if your elderly parents cannot afford aged care, is that you share the responsibility around with your siblings. However, this is never really a good option as you want to be able to give your parents a stable environment in the retirement years.

The GFC could be seen as having a negative effect on the family dynamic, but if approached positively, you start to realise that family is what matters and having them around is something that should be cherished.

Thomas Sinfield runs Granny-Flats, and Australian on-line resource for people who are looking at purchasing or building a granny flat.

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Top Outdoor Activities That You Can Enjoy With Your Family

Family vacations can become too boring. You may be outdoors and in a loose environment but there can be no new activity that you can do. Fortunately, here are some ideas that can help you spend some quality time with your family.

Obstacle courses can be the easiest to do. You can look for a wide enough space to play your game. You just have to choose what types of obstacles you are going to use. The most common will be using old tires and laying several of them on the floor. Making the participants crawl on the ground while trying to move through an obstacle made from strings. These obstacles may be appropriate for older persons. But for kids, you may also use these types of activities. You can just adjust the level of difficult. Getting down and dirty on the ground can be fun to do. A carefree attitude can make your activities even more fun. But if you are worried about the difficulty and safety of such obstacles for really young kids, you can modify the activities. You can make use of something like trying to shoot or hit balls into a goal. You do not need to install the obstacle for every team. Letting one team go at a time can make use of less resources. You can just fight for who has the least time used when completing the whole obstacle.

A game that can be related to an obstacle course is a relay game. This activity is not only fun, it might also be able to foster teamwork among the participants. The things that they can do in the relay can range from moving eggs with a spoon from one teammate to another to activities that challenge the physical fitness of the participants. Again, you have to consider the age as well as the capabilities of those who will enter the game. The level of difficulty which you are going to have in your game should be based on what you expect the participants can complete.

Incorporating water into your games can provide a lot of fun. Activities like this can be best to conduct during the summer months. Getting wet can reduce the amount of heat that anyone is experiencing. A playful fight in the pool can be a good idea. If you don't have a swimming pool at home, you may make use of a large enough kiddie pool. Water balloon fights may be possible as well. Just make sure that you do not have really young kids playing with you. A seemingly harmless bag of water balloon can already cause some harm to a small child who doesn't know how to protect himself or herself from it. Also, when inside the swimming pool, make sure that everyone knows how to swim. If not, choose a pool that is not too deep.

There are tons of activities that you can do. Aside from the things that are listed on this article, you may also be able to try to conduct games that you made up completely by yourself. As long as it works, it may be fun to do especially if you are doing it with your family.

William G. Steinmetz enjoys writing for Targettossgames.com which sells cornhole game and all weather bean bags as well as a host of additional products.

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