Dress the kids in easily recognizable shirts

- When you have more than one kid to keep track of at the playground and everyone is running in different directions it is good to be able to locate your kids from far away with a quick glance. Bright colors and unique prints are a great way to do this.

Teach your kids who can help them besides Mom and Dad

- From a very young age we've taught our children about people whose job it is to protect us: policemen and firemen, security officers at stores, and even employees with specific badges. When we enter a new location for the first time we point out who is "safe"� to ask for help. Don't forget to add mothers with children to this list.

Teach your kids what to say if they ever get lost

- This is important because it gives them some control in a scary situation. We've taught our kids to find a "safe"� person and say "Hi, my name is Sophie Stone, my mom's name is Liz. I'm lost can you help me find her?"� As soon as they are old enough to memorize (around 4 or 5) we also have them repeat mom's cell number.

Use the buddy system

- When my kids were smaller we'd assign a big buddy to a little buddy; now that they are a little older we let them pick. They know that they are responsible to not only stick with their buddy but to also keep track of the buddy. This helps mom with four (or more) kids in tow have more than one pair of eyes on each child.

When on vacation, take a picture of what your child looks like each morning with your cell phone

- We haven't had to use these pictures yet, but if one of the kids is lost long enough for you to bring in security or other employees, you will have a record of exactly what they look like that day.

These rules are great and were working for us. But I was spending so much time worrying about keeping track of everyone, I was missing out on the fun. One day I was inspired and our family now has 3 rules that we repeat anytime we are out for a day of fun.

Listen to Mom and Dad

- or any other adult we are with that day.

Don't Run Off

- Even if you see something interesting, you must stay with the group so we can all see it together. You must be able to see Mom, Dad, and your buddy at all times.

Have Fun

- When we listen and stay together we can all have fun.

Remember when you are trying to keep track of your kids, you are their parent. You know them better than anyone else. Create rules that work for your unique situation and you too will be able to have fun.

The post How to keep track of your kids appeared first on FamilyToday.

As a young mother with four kids, all ages four and under, I was suffering from lack of sleep and lack of patience, and I in desperate need of practical parenting advice. Here are 10 tips that I know now, because of what I learned then. Hopefully you'll find them helpful too.

1. Think before you speak

Take a deep breath and a few seconds before you react to whatever has happened. Remember once said you can't take the words back. Are you going to use words that are cruel or unkind?

2. Remember stuff is replaceable, your child isn't

You never want your child to think your stuff is more important to you than he is. Walls, carpet, and furniture can be cleaned, broken ceramic can be pieced back together but a broken child is much harder to repair.

3. You must be willing to carry out the punishment you give

Many times I've been caught in the trap of "If you don't improve your behavior, you won't be able to do x."� When the behavior doesn't improve, I'm the one staying home with the disobedient child. Or the entire family misses the activity. Neither one is ideal. Before you make the punishment make sure it is something that you are actually willing to carry out.

4. Their disobedience is not a personal attack against you

Most of the time your child has not hit someone, broken something, lied to you, or found any other number of ways to be naughty in order to hurt you. They might not have liked what you said, or a punishment you gave, but if you take the personal attack out of the action, some of the anger will leave as well.

5. Smaller eyes may be watching and small mouths will repeat anything you say at completely inconvenient times. If you have younger children, everything you do is open for discussion with neighbors, teachers or even a stranger at the grocery store. Be aware that what you say while disciplining one child may be repeated by another.

6. Sometimes you need to leave the room and cool off

When emotions are running high and you can't seem to calm yourself or your child down, it's OK to take a time out. Separate yourself from the child and the situation. Once separate, say a prayer, call your spouse, count to 100 or do anything else to enable yourself to return and calmly speak with the child and resolve the situation.

7. Focus on the behavior that needs to change

Anytime you are disciplining your child, the message you want heard is that behavior needs to change, not that the child is a bad person. When discussing the incident and deciding on the punishment, you need to make sure both are focusing on the behavior that needs to change.

8. Learn what is age appropriate

Are you expecting your 4-year-old to be as responsible as his 10-year-old brother? Are you expecting your 8-year-old to be 16? Do some research to learn not only what to expect from your child that is age appropriate but what behaviors are common for his/her age group.

9. Even if it isn't funny now, it will be later

If you can learn to laugh at it, the situation won't become a tragedy. That time the lasagna spilled all over the kitchen, or when the twins tried to climb into the dishwasher, will someday be a funny story that once happened in your life. This moment that seems so awful will not last forever.

10. You love them

This is by far the most important thing to remember. I hope to always say that I love my children, but when they've colored all over the new car (inside and out) with permanent marker or accidently been left alone at nap time with safety scissors, it's hard to remember. It is good to take a deep breath and remember how much you love them. When I check on my sleeping angel children each night I can't help but filled with love for them, regardless of what they've done that day. It is this image I try to recall when I'm dealing with their disobedience.

The post 10 things tor remember when your child misbehaves appeared first on FamilyToday.

Know where you are going and how to get there

Our family isn't very good without directions; we've even managed to get lost following our very reliable GPS. On one trip we spent over an hour trying to find the entrance to the freeway. The longer it took to find the entrance, the more frustrated and cranky the passengers became. It wasn't a great way to start a ten hour drive.

Know when to turn around

Sometimes even the best laid plans can be foiled. When one of the children exhibits signs of a "stomach bug" less than a mile from the start of your journey, don't continue to drive. Turn around and make other plans. Otherwise by the end of your trip, everyone will have a "stomach bug" and your car will be a very unpleasant place to be.

Know your passengers

Does someone suffer from motion sickness and need to be placed up front? Do certain children need assigned seats away from each other? What is the best distraction for someone who has become whiny and bored? Preparation can help you avoid headaches down the road.

Know when to stop

Everyone needs to stretch their legs, get a snack, or use the restroom once in a while. Make sure to know places where you can do these things along the way. Have backups in case of an emergency. Be willing to listen to the needs of the passengers and be able to deviate from the plan in order to accommodate them.

Know how to make it fun

It's great if your vehicle has onboard entertainment and you can pick music and movies to help occupy everyone during your journey. But if you don't have those things, it's not the end of the world. There are other ways to keep everyone entertained:

Long road trips can be bearable if you're prepared. Find what works for your family and you'll enjoy your next trip much more. Happy Traveling.

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There are some things that aren't that different: potty training, learning to dress yourself, shoe tying, etc., are pretty much the same from child to child. The method that works for one child might not work as well for another but the basic concepts are the same for everybody. For twins, you just get to do it twice. Some choose to double up. Others do one at a time; the method will vary with your personality and that of your children.

There are other things that are very different.

• Strangers feel free to critique you. You will hear all sorts of strange comments from people you know and many you don't. Some will be obnoxious, some will be kind, some will be painful, some will be ridiculous, and some won't leave you alone and follow you through the store to make their point. You'll need to develop a tough skin and maybe even have some preplanned comebacks for those who are extra inquisitive.

• At first parenting twins is REALLY REALLY HARD. It gets easier, and better, and more fun, and is really really worth it. With more than one newborn in the house everyone will have less sleep, and less time to eat, shower, or even think. These first few months are exceptionally difficult. Do whatever you can to keep your sanity. Accept offers of help. Remember, no matter how awful it gets, after a few months, the babies will sleep more at night and you'll find a routine of feeding, rocking, sleeping, and bathing that works for your family. You'll again notice that the sun rises in the east. Those few months of terror will start to be forgotten in the adventure that lies ahead.

• Never underestimate what two minds put together can accomplish. Two can outsmart any child-proofing measure doubly fast. At a very young age my twins could climb out of and into each other's cribs, unlock any childproof doors, climb high enough to reach items placed far out of reach, and many other feats of naughtiness that my singleton children could only dream of.

Once you have survived the terrible two's and threes, life throws new curveballs at you. You have to decide when and where to separate your twins. Do you want them in different classes at church? At school? To have individual parties and events and friends? Do you want them together as much as possible to take care of each other? There is no universal rule that fits everyone. Are your twins boys, girls, or boy/girl? Do they work well together, rely on each other, or do they want their own friends, parties, etc.?

Each new stage has its own learning curve. You need to be willing to ask for help, talk to your family, and make decisions about what is best together. Parenting twins is a blessing. One of the hardest blessings I've ever had, but when two sit on your lap and say "I love you mom."� It is oh so very worth it.

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