How precious is that? Now, Charlie doesn’t know what he’s doing but his brother does and, of course, the parent does. I forsee a dentist in the future for one of the members of this family.

Okay – that’s very cute, but again – isn’t this just a parent A) Exploiting her child and B) Pointing out her bad parenting?

Enjoy!

They’re even selling tshirts!

Is it cool that this father is obviously exploiting his own child for humor?

Click on Images to Enlarge and see more details on the celebs!

Click On Images to Enlarge

Never in a million years did I think I would say this, but this is one adorable Raccoon! This curious raccoon is from the Zoo of Memleben in Germany. He loves to put on a show for the visitors… and if people are willing interact with them.

What could be better than to have Daredevil and Elektra for parents? Baby Violet and Seraphina are seen hanging with the parents visiting a local farmers market. Rumors have been floating around the internet that Ben is an absentee father, but I think the pictures show otherwise!

This laugh out loud funny actor is also a fantastic father. After the birth of his first daughter, Sadie, Adam was seen all around town with her. He was also seen on set with daddies little girl between takes. Adam and his wife recently had their second daughter Sunny Madeline (How cute is that name) and it’s great to see nothing has changed!

There’s nothing sweeter than seeing a Dad with his little girl. Jason Bateman takes time while on the set of ‘The Baster‘ to be with his daughter Francesca Nora Bateman in New York City. Does it make you fall for Bait-man, hook line and sinker? (Sorry, couldn’t help myself!)

Beautifully colored and decorated Hot-air balloons are seen flying toward the Qiongzhou Strait during the China Hot-air Ballooning Competition 2009 in Haikou city, south Chinas Hainan province. Eleven hot-air balloons successfully crossed the Qiongzhou Strait between Guangdong and Hainan provinces in south China on Monday June 15th, setting a new record in the annual Competition . The balloons flew for 10 miles of the shortest distance that the Strait stretches. The Competition was first held in 2007 during which altogether 10 balloons finished the flight.

Will Smith does it all, from rapping to acting and directing, but most importantly taking his kids along for the ride. Will is able to keep a steady balance between him and wife Jada Pinkett-Smith by pitching in around the house and even casting the kids in some of his projects. You will always see pictures of the family showing up to events together and hanging around the set together. This family is super cute!

Ryan Philippe started his acting career with roles on “Days of our Lives,”  “Cruel Intentions,” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” before going on to more meaty roles in films such as “Flags of our Fathers.”

He’s also well-known for his previous marriage to uber-successful actress Reese Witherspoon with whom he has a daughter named Ava and a son named Deacon.  Though this couple may have parted ways, Philippe has always proved to be a doting dad to Deacon and the adorable little Ava. (who happens to look like a spitting image of her mother)

These days, Philippe has been in the gossip rags for his relationship with actress Abbie Cornish, whom he met on the set of “Stop Loss.”  Cornish is reportedly pregnant with Philippe’s child.

Looks like Philippe will be having an eventful Father’s Day.

In a recent interview Hugh revealed his son, Oscar’s growing interest in girls. He’s not afraid to use his dads celeb status to make his moves.

“Oscar proceeded to approach the group of girls, and what he said next left Hugh floored. “I could hear him go, ‘Hi, how are you? I just wanted you to know my dad is Wolverine,” Hugh recalled. “He brings them over, and goes, ‘Dad, give them an autograph, will ya?’”

Hugh’s advice on parenting? He’s a big fan of getting a work out by making his kids work out, which also gets them good and tired for bedtime. He also says that him and his wife are a big fan of good cheap strollers, because no amount of working out readies your arms for the dead weight of a sleeping child. Good advice daddio!

Keep an eye for more Celeb Parenting stories and tips!

A South African Labrador is about to become world famous on The Oprah Winfrey Show for her unique mothering skills. Although she’s never raised her own pups, amazingly, Lisha, from Oudtshoorn’s Cango Wildlife Ranch has done is mother a menagerie of wildlife as if it were second nature!

To date nine year old Lisha’s foster brood includes about 30 orphans from the African and Asian wilds including cheetah and tiger cubs, potbelly pigs, a pigmy hippopotamus, a water mongoose, a porcupine, a bush pig, a striped weasel and even a barn owl!

Oudtshoorn’s Cango Wildlife Ranch manages to keep their doors open by offering tourist really close encounters with all sorts of wild animals including the cheetas ad tigers.

That’s where Lisha’s kissing, cuddling and playing comes in. Her chief role is to domesticate the animals while they are being hand reared so that they retain their animal instincts yet safely interact with tourists. She does this in the home of her owner Rob Hall, a Cango Wildlife Ranch director.

‘Lisha is like a bridge between the wild animals and humans,’ explains Hall.

‘They adjust more easily to her and when they see that she trusts us, they are more at ease around us.’ According to Rob Hall hand-reared animals usually become imprinted with the behaviour of humans.

Check out some of the photos of Lisha and the cubs!

By the time a child reaches the age of 3, their diet may be similar to your own. Healthy choices for children should be respective of the fact that children are smaller and do not require as much food. This is called portion control and involves making sure that your child is eating the correct portion size. If you are unsure, check with the label of the product you’re serving. Often a serving size of cereal is ½ cup.

Fast food can be an additively unhealthy choice for children. Although many fast food restaurants have expanded their kid’s meal choices to include fresh fruit, it is still important to consider the salt and fat content in most fast food burgers, chicken, and fries. Try to reserve fast food as a special or rare occasion food choice.

Who wants to cook every night, right? Who has the time may be an even more important question. Dining at home serves many purposes however. It provides an opportunity to spend time with your child. A home cooked meal typically provides more nutrition than fast food such as pizza, burgers or chicken. Try preparing a few simple meals with your child and store them in the freezer until the day they’re needed.

Most children go through a picky phase. It’s okay. When you offer your child a vegetable or anything else that they refuse to eat, don’t force them. Try introducing the food again later. Consider using a different variety, especially when it comes to vegetables. If your child simple will not eat vegetables, consider an alternative vegetable source such as V8 Splash that has both fruit and vegetables in a serving.

Every meal doesn’t have to be at home or fast food. Many dine-in restaurants offer nutritional choices for children and also practice proper portion control. Bob Evans treats the eating experience for children like fun. French fries are baked into smiley face shapes and children who don’t mind eating vegetables can usually choose from green beans or salad.

Snack time is often the highlight of a child’s day. Snacks can be an excellent way to boost your child’s energy level and provide them with something enjoyable to eat. Raisins, carrots, celery and apples are all great snack choices. Remember to keep eating ideas creative and fun. Kids love food that’s fun to eat.

Usually when children first go back to school, the weather is changing and the common cold takes hold and moves from child to child due to the close quarters the children share all day. Younger children sometimes have trouble remembering to cover their mouths, which can make the common cold spread quicker than usual due to germs being sprayed into the air. Try to start teaching the practice of covering a sneeze or cough to toddler-aged children or young so that the habit can be well formed by the time they reach school age.

The most common symptoms of a common cold are fever, coughing, runny nose, and watery eyes. Some children, particularly smaller children who have less body fat, may become lethargic when a common cold attacks their immune system. Many cold remedies have been removed from the shelves as they had never been proven safe for children less than 6 years of age. Consult with your child’s pediatrician for medicinal remedies to ease your child’s cold symptoms.

It is a good practice to ensure that your child takes a multi-vitamin regularly. If you are not sure what type of vitamin, your child’s pediatrician can make a recommendation. In addition, make sure your child is up to date on their immunizations. Although there is no immunization for the common cold, there is also a flu shot that your child can receive annual which can help protect against catching the flu.

Unlike the common cold, flu symptoms are much more treacherous on children and can require hospitalization. Fever, shortness of breath, chest pains during coughing, body aches and chills and loss of appetite are some flu symptoms. If you suspect your child has the flu, take him or her to the hospital immediately. Small children, in particular, can reach a critical status quickly because of the rapid pace of their metabolisms.

Whether it is a common cold or the flu, any time your child’s temperature reaches the 100-101 mark, be sure to take them directly to the hospital as this is a critically high temperature that requires medical attention right away.

With both the common cold and the flu, offer your child plenty of fluids so that fever does not cause dehydration. Manufacturers like Pedia-Lyte now also make their products in popsicles for small children who may want something like ice instead of drinking from a cup. Likewise, there are grape-flavored cough lollipops for children who are not old enough to have mentholated cough drops.

The first thing you need to do is determine an approximate cost of the party. Is your budget $30 or $300? This alone can determine how many you should invite. Will you have them at your house, or will you need to rent a space? Often, local parks have picnic tables under pavilions that you can reserve for the asking, or a minimal fee, where everyone can gather and be more comfortable if the group wouldn’t easily fit into your home or yard. If there is a cost associated with the party’s location, include that in your budget so you don’t overspend.

Don’t forget the basics! Certain parties give people certain expectations. Birthday parties, for instance, have birthday cakes while Halloween parties need ghoulish snacks or activities like apple bobbing. Christmas parties can be made unique by going beyond the usual games and using activities like letting the kids make and decorate dough ornaments they can take home. If you need some ideas for these traditional types of parties, the library or the Internet can provide you with long lists of ideas to choose from.

Sometimes you can decorate your party space, if much decoration is needed at all, in non-traditional ways that are much cheaper than standard decorations. While you can purchase pre-packaged or pre-made decorations for a seaside or Hawaiian-themed party or luau, for instance, you can purchase some items inexpensively that aren’t intended to be decorations. Dollar stores often have bags of seashells in a craft section—scattered on tables or in bowls these make a neat “sea-side” decoration. Use your imagination when shopping dollar and discount stores and you’ll find things that fit your theme for less money than you’d spend in a specialty party store.

Food is important at parties, and a good way to have fun with your theme without spending a lot of money on decorations. A luau-themed party can offer up pineapple chunks on toothpicks as a snack, with one whole pineapple or two decorating the food tables, doubling as decoration. Halloween parties can be made more spooky by cookies shaped like fingers, or blood-red punch. Again, use your imagination and resources like the Internet to find great theme-food ideas and recipes. If the food, which is usually the most expensive part of the party, can double as a decoration, you’ll spend less money and probably enjoy the experience more.

When getting ready to shop for back to school clothing, prepare early. A few weeks before you need to actually make the purchases, budget some time to go through each child’s drawers and closet. Have the child handy to try on clothes you’re unsure about, so you know exactly what fits and what doesn’t. Now’s the time, too, to ask about that shirt or skirt you love but you never see your child wear. If he or she really doesn’t like it and doesn’t want to wear it, get rid of it to make room for clothes that will be worth the money spent on them.

Once you’ve determined the clothes that the child has to start school with, you can make a list of the item each child needs. Chances are it will be very different for each child. Not all of them will need several pairs of jeans or shoes, for instance. Just knowing where the gaps in their wardrobes are can make shopping feel less overwhelming. And it’ll make it easier to stick to a plan if you know what you need.

Watch back to school clothing sales that are everywhere at the end of summer, and shop those extensively. Be prepared to have less choice in your child’s clothing as they age. While it’s your prerogative as a parent to choose the clothes your child wears, allowing a teenager the freedom to choose clothes within reason is a good thing to do. In fact, a child that age can be given a budget. Tell them how much you are going to spend, maximum, on back to school clothes, and let them make choices that will fit within that budget. It’s a good lesson in money management.

If your budget’s really tight or you just can’t see spending what it appears you’ll need to spend, try yard sales and places like the Salvation Army thrift store where you can find gently used back to school clothing. If you’ve never been to a yard sale before, it’s not as bad as you’re thinking. And very often you can find great clothes, especially for younger children, at prices you’ll never find even in a thrift store. While yard sales are great for smaller children’s clothes, older kids can be set free to discover finds for themselves, and may even have a great time.

Compulsive eating occurs when there is no control over the quantity or the occasion that food is consumed. This type of eating is often followed by feelings of guilt and shame. Compulsive eaters may use laxatives or exercising afterwards in an attempt to offset their eating. Compulsive eaters may also eat in secret to avoid criticism from those around them.

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by an unhealthy preoccupation with losing weight and being thin. Those who suffer from anorexia nervosa have an acute fear of being fat and may resort to vomiting to purge food out of their stomach to avoid gaining weight. Those suffering from this disorder perceive themselves as larger than actual size and often deny being hungry even when starving. Left untreated, Anorexia nervosa can cause hair loss, dry skin and poor circulation in hands and feet.

Closely related to Anorexia nervosa is Bulimia. Bulimia is an eating disorder where there is a tendency to consume large amounts of food quickly and subsequently attempt to purge by regurgitating the food before it is digested into the system. Bulimia can also cause mood swings and depression.

Young females and males who are pre-adolescent to young adult make up the greatest number of individuals who suffer from eating disorders. Often, peer pressure and celebrity idols help to form the mis-impression that being beautiful or socially acceptable is linked to being extremely thin.

It is important to recognize if your child has an eating disorder. But it is even more important to seek help for the disorder. In the early stages, encourage healthy eating habits by providing calorie-conscious meal choices that have nutritional content and are wholesome and satisfying. Try to avoid foods and beverages with refined sugar, saturated fat and caffeine. Maintain an awareness of what your child views on television and be sure to explain and reinforce the difference between healthy and unhealthy weight losses and gains. Encourage moderation in all things.

If you suspect that your child is suffering from an eating disorder, try talking to them. There may be other factors such as stress, depression or peer pressure aiding their eating disorder. One thing you should not do, however, is attempt to monitor their food intake as this will create a feeling of distrust. Instead, seek professional advice. Many times, a few counseling sessions may be enough to offset eating disorders caught in the early stages. More advanced eating disorders may require more counseling and possibly other forms of treatment to help restore healthy eating habits.

Whatever the eating disorder may be, understand that you are not alone and seek out resources and support groups who are experienced in helping you cope and have members who are going through the same thing.

Ringworm is a common infection that can affect any child. Ringworm appears on the skin as a scaly red patch that is circular. It can appear on any part of the body but is usually marked by the near perfect shape of the outer circle. Ringworm is contagious for the first 48 hours so avoid coming in direct contact with the affected and personal belongings during that time.

Hand foot and mouth disease is as displeasing as it sounds. Children infected are plagued by ulcers of the mouth, which are the contagious factor for the first week, along with blisters on the hands and feet and a rash on the child’s buttocks. This infection, ironically enough, has no medical prescription treatment available and must be allowed to go away on its own.

Pink eye is recognizable by its name. Children who have pink eye have marked pink condition around one or both eyes. Usually pink eye is contracted in only one eye, making it even more noticeable. Pink eye can occur in quite a few ways and all of the ways are contagious except if pink eye results from an injury or allergy. Pink eye can be contagious for the first 48 hours.

As a child you may have had chicken pox. If so, you know that this infection is characterized by a highly visible rash that has blisters and causes the infected child to scratch because it itches. Chicken pox is very highly contagious and can be contracted from the infected child not only by contact but through the air around the infected child as well because the chicken pox virus can be airborne.

You may or may not have heard of cryptosporidium, crypto for short. Crypto can sometimes be ignored as a side effect from a stomach virus but is actually something different. Symptoms of crypto include vomiting and diarrhea. One of the main ways to contract crypto is by swallowing contaminated water in a public pool. Crypto can be particularly hazardous to children who may be receiving chemotherapy or have HIV. What is not common knowledge is that there is treatment available from your pediatrician for crypto.

Chances are, even a child who has to struggle to remember the work will remember it once it’s presented in a certain way, or repeated a certain number of times. Struggling in school has much less to do with intelligence than with the school’s style of teaching, and your child’s best method of learning. Tutors can help determine what’s holding your child back and overcome those obstacles with different methods of explaining things, and different approaches to the material.

And even if your child aces every subject, there’s always the possibility that a particularly subject or class will come along one day that’s going to prove more difficult for some reason. Crowded classes and overworked teachers make it more likely that a subject or lesson won’t be explained in a way that every child understands. Lack of individual attention can make it harder on those kids who do need extra help to understand the subject matter. Tutors bridge the gap that often appears between students and teachers in full classrooms, answering questions that didn’t get answered in class, and using different ways of explaining the material to be sure the child understands.

Tutors are a great option for helping kids do better in school, especially if you’ve already sat down with your child during homework time and tried to explain the subject matter. You might think you’re the best teacher for your child—and you maybe be, at any other time. But occasionally a block to learning is something a parent might not be able to see. Maybe the student isn’t remembering what’s read, but if someone reads it to him, he gets the material. Conversely, many kids won’t remember a lecture, but after reading a textbook or careful notes, they’ll retain the information. Good tutors can uncover your child’s learning style and work with it to help your child understand the material.

Once school or even one class becomes a struggle, school can quickly become something to dread. It’s easy to get discouraged when you don’t understand something, after all. Kids might start to feel that they’re the only ones who don’t “get it” and that they must be dumb. Talking to your child’s teachers can give you some insight. If the problem is difficulty with schoolwork, tutors can help your child get past his or her learning barriers, overcome that feeling of inadequacy from not understanding the material, and can make school more enjoyable again.

Educational Toys

These are some of the most popular types of toys. Every parent wants their kid to grow up to be smart, so they can excel at school and eventually find a great job. More and more, parents are realizing they need to start young and engage their children’s minds actively. Educational toys are the perfect way to do this. They take a wide variety of forms: games (both board games and video games), building blocks, interactive books, simple writing and drawing toys, and many more. Always keep in mind that forcing a child to play isn’t usually very helpful ‘ you should try to find a balance between fun and education that will ensure the child feels that they are playing, not working.

Outdoor Toys

Spending time in the outdoors is highly recommended for children and adults alike. Fresh air and good old-fashioned exercise are a great complement to learning. Outdoor play is also a great place for children to express their imagination and develop teamwork skills playing with other kids. There are many outdoor toys that can help out and give children something to focus on. Sports items, such as balls, Frisbees and the like are an easy choice. Teaching your child the basic rules of common sports games is a good way to interact and bond with him or her. Other, larger scale outdoor toys include sandboxes, playhouses, and swing sets.

Video Games

Many parents try to stray away from video games, as they have developed a reputation as being a negative form of entertainment. That is mostly an undeserved reputation, however, as there are many educational games that can be great in helping the development of kids of all ages. Even games that aren’t specifically designed with education in mind can aid in simple problem solving and decision making skills.

These are just a few broad examples of the types of kids’ toys that are out there. Always remember that the best source of advice for which toys to buy is your child him or herself. They know better than anyone just what kind of toys they want ‘ you shouldn’t always rely on marketing hype.

The good thing about coming up with unique fundraising ideas is that you will be able to attract more supporters for your organization. Each year when the fundraisers start rolling around, most avoid them as much as possible or order minimally out of obligation. This is because they are always the same old over priced boring fundraiser events. You should constantly update your knowledge when it comes to fundraising ideas for charities.

Do fundraisers that attract people and make them want to order? Support for your cause will increase and you will be nearer to your goal. Some people do stumble upon some unique fundraising ideas for charities every now and then. But for the most part, people are bewildered when it comes to finding unique fundraising ideas for charities that they end up doing the same things over and over again to generate funds.

Even the weak and unattractive fundraisers will always deliver some money into the organization but nothing like you could imagine if you conduct a fundraiser that everyone loves. Fundraisers need to change once they are worn out.

Can you recall when the cookie dough fundraiser first originated; it was a huge success because it was new and different. More important, it was something that showed a benefit to people. Who doesn’t want fresh baked cookies without any effort?

If you have noticed that your fundraising activities are no longer as effective as they used to be, it is now time for you to switch to another form of raising funds for the organization. Evaluate the viability of some fundraising activities so that you will be able to gauge which of these fundraising activities will be able to bring in some good results for your organization.

Can you remember the days of selling gift wrap and candy door-to-door for the local school fundraiser, unsure if you were going to be able to raise enough money and get the “prize” you wanted so bad? Those days have come and gone. Fundraisers have moved away from those types and more towards non-traditional methods that prove to be more effective, efficient and successful.

The internet has played a huge role with fundraising shopping sites. These shopping sites allow parents and students to raise money for their school by making purchases online. The shopping site passes a portion of the commission to the shopper’s school of choice and allows parents, faculty, students, alumni and family to make online donations when purchasing items from their online student web store. These donations can be easily collected and tracked using the web or some type of school fundraising software.

With today’s technologies, fundraising can be easier and more organized than ever before. It is also more attractive as well. Explore different web and school administration software programs, communicate with parents, encourage community involvement and talk to your local grocers about rewards programs. With all of these options, your next fundraiser is sure to be a success!