Wednesday, February 29, 2012

How to Choose Office Chairs London

By Jayanti Vekaria on February 13, 2012
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Office chairs London are more than a piece of furniture. They are responsible for providing comfort to the employees while working in the office premises. Office chairs determine the quality of work and the productivity of the employees. To a large extent, the mood and emotions of the employees also depends on the office chairs. Whereas uncomfortable office chairs can make a person irritable and impatient, comfortable chairs can make him happy and contented.

In addition to this, the chairs in the office play an important role in creating the professional ambience and in impressing the clients. This makes it exceedingly important to choose the right kind of chairs.

When buying the office chairs London, the first thing that one should keep in mind is the back support. The chairs must have proper cushion at the back so as to support the person and prevent him from straining his back. If the chairs have a good back support, back aches can be prevented and the productivity of the employees can be improved to a large extent. Chairs with soft cushioned backs and soft cushioned seats promise unparalleled comfort to the users.

The next important thing to be kept in mind is the arm rest. Arm rest allows the person to relax his arms while sitting and prevents fatigue. Usually office chairs London that do not have proper arm rest cause pain in the arms, shoulders, and neck.

Office chairs London should be flexible. Since a person can not sit in one position for 7-8 hours, the chairs must be able to tilt, glide, and swivel. Such chairs allow a person to change positions while sitting. Also, it helps break the monotony and allows one to enjoy his work.

The width of the office chairs London must also be considered. An office chair should be such that it can be easily adjusted in the allocated area and also, it should be able to accommodate the employees easily. It is advisable to invest in office chairs London with standard width for accommodating people with varied sizes and body types.

Finally, the professional theme of the workplace should also be taken into account when buying the office chairs London. The colour of the chairs, their design, as well as the style should complement the overall interior decor of the office for creating an attractive and impressive ambience.

Those of you, who are keen to avail professional advice and services for selecting the office chairs London, office filing cabinets, office partitions, office partitioning, or for office refurbishment, may log on to gxigroup.com

Real Gucci Handbags and Cheap Gucci Bag

There are two types of cheap Gucci bag, the first type are discounted Gucci handbags, they are original. Discounted Gucci handbags are usually sold at affordable prices you can find it at Eurohandbag. They are actually last pieces of Gucci bags, classic design, in different colors and sizes.

A discounted original cheap Gucci bag can be tested in its zipper, check if it follows the uniqueness of the design, check for snags and snippets of thread. Look for the Gucci tag leather design. Authentic Gucci handbags contain in its interior a cheap Gucci bag tag leather design with a clear serial number. Stretch the bag a little bit, and you will see the uniqueness of the sound of the leather, not too much, lest you damage the bag and you will have to pay for it. If it still contains the customer care card with its minimum of three languages, attach to it, the better. Usually it starts with Italian followed by French, English, and Chinese. Some contains two eastern languages, and one of them is the Hindu language. Gucci Handbags, besides being sold at discounted rate can also be found in its affordable price if you have a chance in buying them on the country where they are manufactured like Italy, China, Mexico, or United States. Good news is Gucci handbags can be bought on line via Eurohandbag. You can choose the design you want via on line and pay it at an affordable price. It will even be delivered at the convenience of your home at your doorstep.  

The second type is a fake cheap Gucci bag. This type of Gucci handbags are low in quality and are replicated. It is easily damaged and is manufactured hurriedly. You can check on the interior and observe the snags of threads inside, which are not according to the sleek, cheek design usual for an original Gucci bag. There are now leather tags and is made of cheap materials. Check on the spelling of Gucci, sometimes it is spelled with one C, Guci. Some replica are almost the same as the original, but it is good to know what makes the difference in case you decide to invest large amounts of cash over a Gucci bag, consider A hysteria Gucci Crocodile Hobo bag which costs a whooping $25,000.00.

Fake cheap Gucci bag is all over the world, in streets, sidewalks and stores, you have to be very discerning in buying a Gucci handbag, or you will be wasting dollars.

When buying for an original cheap Gucci bag, via on line Eurohandbag has a wide variety of collection of different Gucci handbags with stylish designs which can fit your wardrobe of different seasons, from winter to summer.

There are some tips where to get the best cheap Gucci bag, first read Eurohandbag on line internet site, for an announcement of seasonal sales. If you are the type who is not season conscious, because you travel a lot or your home country has only two seasons, it is good to take advantage of season sales via the net. It is when the winter season closes to give way to summer line products. Usually, Gucci handbags are sold at a discounted price, and you can get the best buy.

If you happen to find yourself in Italy, there is a market place where they sell original timeless Gucci handbags, at reasonable prices.  They are cheap Gucci handbags but an original.  These are last pieces of stocks which it inched its way to the market. Some Gucci handbags used for a one day affair by fashion shows and fashion designers are also sold on this market.  All you have to do is know exactly when it hits the market.

The easiest way find a cheap Gucci bag is by navigating for a Gucci bag via the net, you can also check on the designs and check on the latest so when they are on sale you can grab the best price. Actually, a cheap Gucci bag can make a come back again and again. Consider the classic Jackie O Gucci hobo handbag. It is timeless.

, , , Tips To Choose Web Hosting Services


The number of companies delegating web hosting services to professional providers an expectation to receive absolutely reliabile online services is increasing daily. Therefore, you must choose a provider who guarantees to provide the best services and tackle future problems. Here is a list of some do's while choosing web hosting services in India:

1. Rely on specialized company: Leaving the technical aspects of web hosting in the hands of professionals is the best option, if you want to avoid wasting time and resources and focus on your work. The outsourcing of the web hosting services eliminates the need to have your own server and also saves the costs of server, data and telecommunication, and personnel.

2. Think solutions: Most hosting companies offer shared hosting services, shared hosting, or simply web hosting. Go for shared hosting, the most desirable and best option opted by 99% companies. However, the type of web hosting service in India you choose depends on the services you need. Know what you need and then choose the suitable hosting plan.

3. The price: Plan your budget and choose the service provider wisely. There are various companies offering very cheap or even free hosting services, but they may not prove to be a good deal in the long run. Bear in mind that these free web hosting services are minus technical support or customer support.

4. Beware companies with automated processes: To avoid unpleasant surprises, avoid providers who have automated Internet processes, such as discharge or service management. Try to manage the resources of your website and email accounts by yourself. You will save costs and also avoid problems because of automated Internet processes.

5. Technology: Confirm if the hosting company is offering you the latest high technology services, such as webmail or access of Internet via FTP. You'll need to have the best partners and suppliers. Find companies that are accredited by government agencies or servers using brand names.

6. Manuals: Ask your web hosting company to incorporate a manual on frequently asked questions and online support systems available to customers. This will be helpful both for customers and online control panel. 7. Traffic: Keep an approximate data of the daily footfalls on your website together with the average number of downloads, and choose a hosting plan based on that data.

The chief aim of having web hosting services is to generate greater traffic and higher revenue. Excellent web hosting services ensure that you satisfy your customers needs and a create a win-win situation for both your cleinets as well as for yourself.

, , , Los Angeles City Vacation, Your Work From Home

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By krista denes

Visit temecula wine tour bus, los angeles cruise terminal shuttle

Los Angeles City Vacation

Everybody in this world likes to spend his/her vacation in enjoyment. If you are also going to enjoy and celebrate, your vacations in Los Angeles then keep following easy steps in mind to have more enjoyment and happiness during vacation visit of this city.First thing is about travel and airfare for this city. There are three closest airports in Los Angeles City, which are EWR, JFK, and LGA. When you will search online by typing NYC in search engines you will find many boxes through which you can choose airline to any of the above airport along with return fare and discounts. Benefit of this city visit is that you can come and return from two different airports if you are getting benefits financially.Second thing is cheap and affordable hotel. Best and cheap hotel in this city is Military Personnel, which has discounts for spouses and dependents.

This hotel has great locations and you can stay here with rates just 25$ per person per night while rate for VIP room is 125$ per night.Important place to visit in Los Angeles is, Statue of Liberty. There is only one-way for entering into Statue of Liberty, so do not worry or never reserve a ticket for the Museum of Statue of Liberty. There is no tour passes or discounts for entering into Museum. Reservation for Statue of Liberty is acceptable which you have done three months ago and even you can book it one year in advance.There are some tickets, which you can get or book, in advance same like other people of this city. There are some tickets as well for which New Yorkers go everyday and these tickets have discounts like tickets for TV Shows, Broadways Shows, Giants Football, and Yankees Baseball. Here are some exclusive tickets as well which not everybody can buy. Now need is to know that how would you buy these rickets with discounts. For example, you must have knowledge that how would you get half price ticket for Broadway Shows.

There are many city bus services in this city, which offer their services only for tourists. Although these bus services have some advantages and disadvantages however many tourists like these services and enjoy tour in them. These services charge from tourist’s attractions and sighting along with their fare as well. Therefore, it is better that you take tour of the city through these buses instead of taking tour though taxi or any other mean.You can get passes on discount rates in this city, which are for beautiful sights and sceneries. You can also check some other places for tours, visits, enjoyment like museums, events, attractive sights. These additional sites include Top of the Rock and Empire States Building. You can go to any good and affordable restaurant like Fashion or Spa. You can visit different TV shows and Radio City Music Hall. You can also visit many museums in their free days along with Lincoln Center and Madison Square.


Doing business relies on trust and it is no different for your work from home online business. In fact, it is even more important on the internet as you are not in direct contact with prospects and customers and therefore you have to make the extra efforts to eradicate any doubts that they may have for undertaking business with you. By ensuring you are doing the little things, you will be able to overcome this.

It is therefore so very important to undertake everything in a professional manner. That is the magic word that you should always adhere to, be professional in every thing that you do. The greater amount of trust that prospects and customers have in you to deliver a quality experience, the more likely they will be to place an order with you. A big part of building that trust is presenting a professional first impression for the visitor to your website or blog. Nothing screams more amateur than a dodgy looking website with poor graphics and copy which is littered with spelling and grammatical mistakes.

Everything that the customer sees should have that professional look about it. In addition to the website and blog, any advert or sales copy needs to look the business, the packing or the product requires to have a professional look and feel and don't forget to include a thank you letter when sending out physical products. This does not just make a good impression, it will also give the opportunity to make the customer aware of any further products that they might be interested in.

A major reason that sales don't materialise for a work from home online business is often due to a failure to deliver the first impression of professionalism. If prospects and customers get the impression that you are second rate or appear a bit shady, then they will not do business with you. Don't lose the fact that the internet is still mostly a faceless medium where there is no face to face transcation between businesses and customers. And whilst this can be overcome with the use of video and of building a relationship with prospects through email marketing, first impressions will always count for a major degree of success for your online business.

There is no excuse for anything less than quality graphics, good webcopy and a professional appearance for your website and blog. Superb free tools are available to use and if services require to be bought, these can often be acquired for low cost from websites where people will bid to do the work for you.

You must appreciate that it is very important to make the extra effort to ensure your work from home online business exudes the sheen of professionalism, not just from the image that the website or blog portrays, but also the buying process, the quality of the product and how it is delivered. And when a customer is satisfied with their experience, there is a high probability that they will wish to conduct some more business with you sometime in the future.

Monday, February 27, 2012

hermes belt, hermes bags, , The court to force men, 8 late moth

The court to perform the site

(Reporter Yang Changping) home rental to make money in the railway system in the work of Mr. Qiao, a person lives in a small house of the mother's home, resulting in 82-year-old mother renting living. Yesterday, Fengtai Court Qiao judicial custody. Morning, bailiffs escorted Mr. Qiao to their present residence, a forced Tengfang.

Qiao age is not small, he was born in 1958. 9:30, his hands handcuffed, taken into custody,hermes bags, the residence of the Fengtai District,hermes handbags, Han Chuang Tzu was the bailiff. Reporters see that this is an age-old six-story building, the Qiao live in five layers. The room facilities are obsolete, more dirty.

In Qiao old mother to court, Fengtai Court held that this room is Joe parent lifetime benefit housing ownership certificates for the name of the mother of Joe, then the judgment of Mr Qiao to vacate the house to his mother living.

was handcuffed served soft, but not the case the Qiao previously attitude. , According to the judge to enforce, the judges have to find the Qiao Xiansheng the unit leadership to coordinate the matter, but Qiao claimed to find the leadership to no avail, and refusing to implement the judgment.

why the 82-year-old mother was referred to such an extent? Qiao told reporters that 12 years ago, its parent unit in this suite is out more than 30,000 yuan of money for the room, the brothers have a protocol, agreed parents hundred years later, the house belong to him. In addition, he is still yuegezhuang area to buy a house loan of 100,000 yuan, in order to repay the loan, his suites rented out a monthly rent of more than 3000 yuan. His family with his mother to live with,hermes belt, but also support for the elderly. But after the death of his father, mother, age big brothers get in the way, when the mother was ill in hospital, the mother picked up, and later he received his mother to report the indictment of its seizure of the housing.

However, more than 30,hermes bags,000 yuan accounted for a suite, too cheap? Mr. Qiao to answer a reporter's question, admit that this is welfare housing, the housing fund, including their father's length of service of the fold.

Chengning She

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Monday, February 20, 2012

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By Barry Summers

If you are looking for algarve holidays or algarve villas then visit algarve apartment holidays today.

The Algarve's Favourite Resort

The Algarve is a well-known tourist hotspot situated on the southern coast of Portugal. Frequented mainly by the British, Irish, German and Dutch tourists looking for a warmer climate than that of their homelands, Algarve holidays are for of the main sources of income for Portugal. The Algarve is home to a number of popular destinations such as Praia da Luz, Tavira, Silves and Vilamoura. The latter being a purpose built resort and marina. Covering some twenty square kilometres, Vilamoura is one of the largest tourist beach resorts in Europe.

The villas in Vilamoura are one of the more recent additions to the area, supplying the growing popularity of self-catering holidays in Portugal. More often than not, Vilamoura villas feature all modern conveniences such as dishwasher, microwave oven, washing machine and a TV and DVD player. Many are also equipped with either a shared or private swimming pool, making them perfect for young families where the children may be too young to play in the sea. Being a relatively new resort, the villas in Vilamoura tend to have higher specifications than many other Algarve villas, although it could be argued that they lack some of the charm some of the older villas or apartment have.

The marina is the heart of the resort as has berthings capable of holding a thousand yachts and boats. Surrounded by a number of luxury hotels, villas and apartments, as well as a large casino, bars and plenty of restaurants, it's not surprising that many tourists head for the marina after a day soaking up the sun or splashing around in the Atlantic Ocean. A variety of boat trips can be taken from the marina which can take visitor up or down the stunning coastline which features endless sandy beaches as well as a myriad of caves and rocky caverns.

A stones throw from the marina can be found the ancient Roman remains of Cello Da Vila which dates back to 27 BC and is most likely one of the oldest villas in Vilamoura. However dating back even further are the bronze age graves, proving that this region has been a hive of human activity from pre-historic times. The nearest airport to Vilamoura is located just outside the city of Faro; Portugal's southernmost city. Being a short journey of only 14 miles is one of the reasons this resort is one of the most popular destinations for those seeking Algarve holidays.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Select Rogue Suede Breezy Hat

By Rahul Kumar Verma on May 08, 2011
0

The main wear parts to improve entertaining and also will produce components astonishing 50 per cent of entertaining sportswear on his head. You can be aware of the special Mad Hatter and also despite the fact that every character relatively curious, there is certainly a single function; you cannot not be interested simply entertaining and even less difficult than when finished. In less difficult, they are particularly busy will your clothing and also supply of oxygen on improvisation. Less difficult is normally known to be unique characteristic of your type of guy. Gents less difficulty, but never happened thereafter.

Although the type of steady progress, there is no time to port boss, it's really stable, is simply used more worldwide. Gents trend focuses on high quality, and also less difficult is usually just not different. Several reasons can be mentioned as the reasons why a person should use a head wear. But often the guys are generally confused account at any time and where there is a good idea worthy use of head wear Knight's trend focuses on superior quality, and less difficult are often simply is no different. Quality is generally less difficult to compare, and you can also pay large sums of money for many children. This is not the particular brand you can invest in: Dejean, of course, also do not realize the huge brand names including headgear, and yet the talent and the design in which each bit entering. Upon completion of any top with a relationship difficult to choose a hair will be completely baffling to the uninitiated. Location of head wear, fill the top, in particular, to shape the face and the shadow of his hair. Because nothing is going to be total or may be quantifiable, perfecting the art, especially in regard to fine hat research search within several retailers and also to all reflection. Something like all of Fedora, which could be far better to create a larger proportionate relationship?

Jogging so hard: people extramarital affair, using pinned on a glass to make the magic when it is particularly important to meet well-defined beak in the second nostril. In general, it can be the most reliable merely complement the clothes on the model of the head to see your face. Small, porkpie limited, for example, will almost certainly work well the brain light. If you are interested in something that should be able to keep the sun has just been put on the face, and also keep your spirit high, even outside the house, next you need some head wear. If you are interested in investing in Guy hairstyles you see less difficult for your best choice to buy a head of men's clothing online. After that comes when selecting colors, layout, and also elegant feel. The following selection of head wears solo for many types of rare cases, such as summer, winter, meet and so on. For good value and experience as completely safe to use.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Discover Article Marketing Tips That Really WorkIdeas for Halloween Suite101.com


Every business in the world started from a simple idea, and the same will be true with any business you start. Even an internet business takes a great idea. In fact, you will need to have a slew of great ideas in order to drive a successful article marketing campaign, and we will tell you how to handle the duty of marketing in the article below.

Consider using an online tool that gives out your articles to different websites automatically. The more people that see your article, the more potential business you will generate when those readers click on the links in your blog. This will also make you look popular to the search engines.

To write compelling articles, you have to know compelling writing techniques. A successful copywriter uses interesting or amusing stories to engage his readers. He writes vibrant descriptions that stimulate all of the senses. He tells his prospective buyers exactly how his product is going to benefit them, and he does so using powerful words that deliver an impact, a conversational tone and, above all, honesty.

Keep your paragraphs short when writing articles for marketing purposes. Feeding information to the reader in small bites helps them digest what you've written in an easier manner, keeping them engaged throughout the article. If you overwhelm your reader with huge chunks of text, they might get bored and give up.

Marketing through articles may seem like a difficult undertaking, but once you have a system set up, it can be a very lucrative business. The key to doing this is finding a way to get good, high quality articles for a cheap price in order to keep your profit margin high.

When it comes to article marketing, you need to promote your articles. Writing your content and posting it is only half of the work you need to put into each one. You have to make your readers aware of it's existence. Try using social networking sites to inform your loyal readers and potential readers whenever you can.

Article Marketing

When writing an article which you plan to use for article marketing, make sure you pay particular attention to the body of this written piece. You should place the most important information at the top of the body. Also, it is wise to keep your sentences and paragraphs short. On average, a marketing article should be between 250 to 500 words in length.

Writing a series of related articles can be a great way to get the most out of your article marketing efforts. Of course every article should encourage your readers to find more of your writing, but a series has its own particular kind of powerful cross-promotion. Each installment of an article series acts as an advertisement for the series as a whole.

Article Writing

As you gain confidence with the article marketing process, set a realistic but challenging goal for your pace of article production. There is no golden figure that you must achieve. Balance your available time, your writing prowess and your other commitments to settle on a article-writing schedule you can maintain without sacrificing article quality.

If you are using article marketing to further your business, you will be writing a lot of articles. Write articles faster by writing a few sets of introductions and conclusions first. Make them somewhat general. Then, write out several tips, so that you have about three tips per article. Batching work this way, instead of writing each article from start to finish, can dramatically increase your article-writing speed.

As long as you can keep churning out the articles, you can be a success and drive people to your website or to your affiliate products. It all depends on what you're willing to put in and also on what type of information you're using to help build your campaign.

Juliana Montgomery - Juliana Montgomery has over 15 years of experience writing.

Ideas for Halloween - David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Are you stuck for an idea of what to do this Halloween? Just can’t seem to get into the spirit of it? There are a lot of fun and exciting ideas for Halloween that can get you excited about Halloween again.

Pumpkin Picking and Carving

The pumpkin patches start opening in early October in many places. Rather than just picking out a pumpkin from the store, find a local pumpkin patch where you can pick your own. Many of these also have other fun games or amusements. If you can find one that allows you to pick directly from the field, that can even be more fun since you have to search for your perfect pumpkin. And don’t forget the carving. Find a pattern or create your own design and have fun carving your pumpkin’s face.

Haunted House or Corn Maze

If you like being scared for Halloween, a haunted house is the perfect answer. Some haunted houses are more fun or scarier than others so read reviews to see if the one you are planning to go to is right for you. If you’d rather not be scared, a corn maze is a good alternative and a good way to test your puzzle solving skills. Some corn mazes do have people chasing you or popping out of the corn stalks so be sure to check what type of maze it is before you pay.

Halloween Events

When you are looking for ideas for Halloween, you might not need to look further than your local newspaper or website. Most major metropolitan areas will have Halloween events geared towards both kids and adults. Many are the weekend before Halloween but sometimes they are even earlier. Some events have costume contests so be sure to find a fun and original costume or make one yourself.

Make a Special Halloween Dinner

Have everything that you make be Halloween related. Getting the whole family involved makes this a lot more fun and can be a great new tradition that you start. Get recipes for an appetizer, side dishes, main dish, and dessert. Try choosing a theme like pumpkins and get only recipes that either use pumpkin or have pumpkin shapes.

Halloween Movie Night

If scary movies are your thing, rent several scary horror movies and bake up some fun Halloween snacks. If you prefer not-so-scary movies, find ones that are still in keeping with a Halloween theme but are more along the funny or silly side. “Little Shop of Horrors” is a funny classic that’s perfect for Halloween.

More ideas to get you into the spirit of the holiday can also be found in magazines and online. Just be sure that the fun you decide on keeps you and everyone around you safe. Have a fun, safe, and happy Halloween!

Choosing Childcare Suite101.comLet's Talk About School Suite101.com

Erica Loop - I am a mother and a professional Arts Educator, teaching visual arts programs to children ages three and up in both museum and school ...

Infant smiling - photostock

The decision to enroll your precious little one in child care is never taken lightly. Although you may hear tidbits on centers from other moms, read up on the local programs or even know a staff member or two at the local preschool, it can be difficult to feel safe and secure in your final choice.

Choosing the ‘right’ program or arrangement can make the difference between your child’s safety and happiness (as well as your own peace of mind) and an outright educational disaster. Whether you are a first or fourth time parent, there are some simple things to look for when making your selection.

Look for an Arrangement that Meets Your Family’s Needs

While daycare centers and preschools may be the most prevalent forms of child care, your work or family situation may not call for such as full time arrangement. Whether you are a work at home mom looking for a little extra help or simply need a day to yourself here or there, an occasional or flexible child care arrangement may be the perfect match.

These include:

neighborhood babysittersrelative or family friend caresummer or holiday campsneighborhood care exchanges with other momsAsk About Licensing and Accreditation

If daycare or a center based program is the route you choose, look to see if the school is accredited, licensed or approved. Licensing requirements will vary by state, but include standards that range from adult-child ratios to staff educational and experiential requirements or even allowable room sizes. These standards aim to keep your child safe and give her the most caring environment.

Licensing is a must for the legal operation of most centers, but accreditation is not. The main accreditation agency in the U.S. is the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Choosing a NAEYC accredited school means that you child will:

Engage daily in developmentally appropriate activities that foster growth in all areas such as cognitive, social, emotional and physical development.Be treated as unique and individual in respect to his learning and developmental abilities.Be respected for her cultural and/or social background.Have professional early childhood educators who have training and expertise working with young children.Have a safe physical environment.Build caring relationships with the center staff and other children.Ask Other Parents

Been there, done that. That is the motto of many a parent. Why start your search from scratch when your best friend or insightful neighbor has already put three kids through various preschool programs?

Ask your friends, relatives, moms on the block, co-workers or anyone who will listen where their kids went.

Instead of asking for generalizations such as, “Was the center good?” “Did you like the teachers?" or “What are your thoughts on the programs?” get specific and look for answers that match your needs. Ask about day-to-day experiences, what the parent saw or heard during drop off and pick up times, how the school really handled sick kids (even though the policy may say that a child can’t attend some centers won’t think twice before letting a strep infected toddler start a daycare plague) or if the teachers/workers were really available to answer their questions.

Visit the Center

You know what you are looking for, you’ve done your research, the school is accredited, and your neighbor just can’t stop glowing as she talks about the brilliant teachers and fabulous field trips that the local early childhood center has to offer. But, is this enough? Simply stated, no. You need to check it out for yourself.

Just like you knew that the ‘perfect date’ your cousin’s friend set you up with just was not the one, you can also get a feeling about a center on the very first meeting. Think of it as a blind date where you have heard some things, but need to make a decision for yourself. During your trip you will most likely talk to the center director, some staff members and take a brief tour. Come prepared with a list of questions that speak directly to your family’s needs and what kind of care you are looking for. Make sure to look for:

smiling faces (on both children and staff)safe practices such as hand washinga safe, comfortable environment that is baby/child proofed and free from dangerconstant supervisiona variety of age appropriate learning materials such as books and toys

Getting ready to place your little one in any child care arrangement takes time and planning. Find the right fit for your family as well as your child. Ask your potential sites for their accreditation credentials and take a tour before making your big decision.

Kathy Schlossmacher - I am a former teacher and social worker with degrees in psychology, social work and theology. I have many personal interests including ...

communication is the key - Super stock clip art

Conversations with kids about school often lead to frustration. Kids will sometimes respond to parental inquiries with one word answers, excuses and complaints. Adults often only bring up a school discussion when a problem becomes apparent and sometimes kids go on the defensive simply because the conversation is school-related. If, however, school-related conversations can become the norm instead of just a defensive tactic, parents and kids can benefit in a variety of ways.

Open The Door

Check in everyday with a student about school. Ask open ended questions that require specific responses. Ask specifically what books kids are reading in Language Arts or what topic is being covered in Math. Invite kids to share what they had for lunch, what art projects are being worked on or what was the funniest thing that happened during the day. This conversation should happen outside of the daily homework check. Engaging in this manner is positive and encouraging for the student.

Remember that it is almost always how something is said, more than what is said that causes conflict. If parents approach every conversation surrounding school, homework or grades in an accusatory or problematic manner, kids will respond defensively. The question, did you do your homework, is better replaced by how much homework do you have this evening? Do you need help completing your homework is a question that invites a discussion about the homework rather than a wrestling match over it.

Using Conflict Positively

Even in the best of situations conflicts will arise. Parents, students and teachers will not always agree on issues. When conflict does arise, however it is possible to use it for positive outcomes.

Remember to use "I" statements in discussions. Saying, "I am concerned because your teacher suggested that your test grades are not as good as they could be," is a more positive approach than "your teacher said you are not working hard enough." The first approach suggests concern, and asks for a response. The second approach is accusatory, and both suggests and invites blame, excuses and further conflict.

During discussions avoid threats in both word and body language. Don't start out by taking away privileges, yelling and finger pointing. Taking a softer approach, being mindful of voice and tone while taking the time to listen to the students' responses can lead to a solution rather than an argument.

If and when the dreaded teacher parent conference arises, bring the child into the discussion. Since it is the child's school work or behavior that is being questioned, only the child can change it. Adults can provide the resources to make that happen, but the child needs to own their own behavior and work and should thus be included in all conversations.

School Talk

Effective daily communication about school will have far reaching results as students get older. These basic communication skills will teach them a vocabulary to explore aspects of their lives with others. They will learn that problems do not have to lead to conflict. They will begin to understand that problems require strategies and that not all strategies work. This will help them to understand that sometimes life is trial and error and that continual effort has its own rewards.

In addition, school talk will bring parents and kids closer together and maybe even add some peace to the house.