Teach your children to be safe at any age

Parents worry about their children; it’s a fact of life. Teaching them to be safe as they grow and explore is one of your most important jobs. But with so many potential threats to worry about, the task can seem overwhelming.

Here are a few basics to concentrate on:

• Discuss safety calmly. You want your children to be careful, not terrified. When you talk about safety matters, emphasize that your main concern is their welfare. Listen to their concerns, and answer their questions as clearly and honestly as you can.

• Highlight important information. Be sure your younger children know their home phone number and address, as well as contact information for another relative or trusted adult.

• Don’t just talk about strangers. Attacks or abductions by total strangers are (thankfully) very rare. Let children know they should tell you anytime they’re made uncomfortable by someone’s behavior, even if they know the person well.

• Play “what if?” Rules and advice can be too abstract for young minds to understand. Make it real by asking children what they would do in certain situations: If a stranger tried to get them into a car, for example, or if they got lost in a shopping mall.

• Discuss body issues. Let your children know that no one should be allowed to touch them in personal areas. Teach them what areas you’re talking about, with the proper names, so they can tell you accurately if something happens. 

Commit to making time for family and friends

If you value your relationships with family and friends outside of work, you probably should put some work into maintaining them. That means evaluating your priorities and scheduling your activities the same as you do on the job. Follow these tips for sustaining healthy relations with the people who are most important to you:

• Have a mission statement. You have career goals and aspirations, don’t you? It’s just as important to establish what kind of relationship you want with your family and friends. A clear mission statement can help keep you focused on your personal life goals, especially when your schedule gets demanding.

• Use a time management system. Keep all your commitments with family and friends on one calendar, planner, or smartphone so nothing falls through the cracks. Keep your time-management tool with you for ready access to addresses, phone numbers, etc.

• Spend some time planning your personal time. Take 20 minutes a week to write down your most important activities and goals before the week begins. Share those plans with your friends and family so they can help you, give feedback, and adjust their own schedules.

• Stick to your plans. When you must choose between events with friends or family, ask which is more in line with your mission, values, and goals. Then decide.

Not-So-Obvious Family Fun!

Most people don’t realize just how many inexpensive family entertainment ideas there are. Sure – you can have family movie or game night and those are great. But what happens when you can’t agree on which movie to watch or which game to play? That’s when it’s time to start getting creative and here are a few ideas to help get the creative juices flowing.

·         Try building a rock garden: True, this isn’t a spontaneous activity, you’ll need to do a little previous planning and then do the groundwork: mark the area in your yard, clear away weeds and debris and place black plastic down to help prevent the re-growth of weeds. Once you have all the prep work done, get a bucket or wheelbarrow and go get your rocks. Creeks and streams are a great place to start and remember to put the pretty rocks on top.

·         Switch places: This is a fun one to do – especially if you have teenagers. Take a Saturday morning and have a role reversal – you be the teen, let your teen be the parent. Yes, the kids get to give the orders – at least for a little while!

·         Become a fan of local sports: This is another one that works with kids of any age: if you have teens, go watch the little ones play, if you have little ones go watch the local high school teams. And if you happen to live in or near a city with some kind of a minor league team, it’s a great cheap afternoon.

·         Hit the flea markets, yard sales or craft shows. These types of events are carried on all year around and there’s usually at least one of them happening every weekend or so. This can even work with younger children, just give them a little change to keep in their pocket and they can buy their own stuff.

·         Try putting on a play. It doesn’t have to be Broadway-worthy. No one has to memorize their lines and you can use old clothes for costumes.

Not everybody is going to like to do the same things but if you all put your heads together you can come up with some good, old-fashioned, inexpensive family fun! 

Great Birthday Party Review!

Louis performed for my nephew's 1st birthday party last Saturday. He was just AWESOME and let me enumerate why:
1. He communicated well. I found him online so I wasn't sure if he'd actually show up but he made me at ease by confirming through email, calling on the day of the party to confirm we're all set, and sending me updates before arriving that everything's on schedule. 
2. The kids loved him! They were laughing and eagerly participating all throughout the show. He really has a way with kids. 
3. He has a great sense of humor. Yes, the tricks were all cool but I was really impressed by the way he could entertain both kids and adults! He had hilarious jokes that kept the grown-ups laughing!
4. He's a flawless performer. You can tell he's very experienced. He brought plenty of props for his show and there was never a dull moment. 
5. He completes the party. He gives out magic trick sets that the kids can take home and makes animal balloons for each of the kids (we had around 15). Because of all this, we didn't have to prepare games or any other activities for the kids. 
The party was described as "perfect" by some of our guests and I'm sure Louis is one of the reasons why! Thank you so much!
I just have 1 suggestion for Louis the Magician: please bring business cards because there were so many parents asking for your details!!!

-Karen, Accokeek, MD

Can You Have Your Own Birthday Party Magic Show?

When you have a children’s party you want to be sure you offer them some entertainment for the afternoon. Children get bored and restless very easily and they need something to keep them occupied, otherwise they get outright irritated. Keeping children occupied can also keep them from fighting or feeling lonely for their parents when they’re at the party.

A birthday party magic show is a good choice, and you may think you can put on one yourself. There are kits you can purchase from party supply stores and instructions to follow online to put on a magic show, but it’s good to consider a few important tips for making your party a success.

1. Keep it age-appropriate.

If you’re putting on a birthday party magic show for a very young audience, remember that they may get frightened at the idea of someone being locked in a box or sawed in half. These are not good tricks for your young crowd! It’s best to stick with simple card tricks or sleight of hand. For older children, they will want something more complicated and more difficult to follow as they will easily figure out the simple tricks and in turn, they’ll get bored. Keep a show age-appropriate for the most success.

2. Keep it safe.

It’s more dangerous than you may realize to work with fire, even for a simple trick. Avoid using flash paper or any tricks that involve flames or anything else that’s dangerous. Most trained magicians have years and years of practice and experience in working with open fires or other dangerous tricks, so don’t think you can learn them in just a few weeks leading up to a party. Keep yourself, the children, and your home safe by finding other tricks you can do.

3. Rehearse and then rehearse some more.

Professional magicians are good at what they do because they work hard at their craft, and rehearse many hours every day. To make your birthday party magic show a success, you need to do the same. Don’t assume you can take home a magic kit and pull it out of the box and learn it in front of the kids.

It may also be worth your time to simply hire a professional. This will ensure you get a good show and one that is age-appropriate and safe as well.

Have a Birthday Party Magic Show and Other Party Themes

When planning a kid’s party it’s good to think about a theme for the event. This can help you to pull the whole party together and make all your decorations and everything else stand out. A good idea is to have a birthday party magic show, but consider why this is a good choice and some other themes you might think about for a good time for everyone.

1. Try a magic show.

One reason you want to try a magic show is that it’s good for kids and adults of all age. Everyone loves a magician and they can keep your party entertained and occupied. If you’re having a party with children of different ages you need to consider what activities you’re going to plan that will keep them all entertained, and a birthday party magic show is the perfect choice. You can choose admission tickets for invitations and invite everyone to dress up as a magician to make it even more festive.

2. Have a carnival.

A carnival is a good theme for a party because there are so many ways you can decorate. Try red and white stripes for all your decorations, just like an old-time carnival. You can also use admission tickets for invitations. Serve carnival food such as cotton candy and caramel popcorn. You can also rent carnival games for the party and give away token gifts to the winners. This makes the party more fun and entertaining for everyone.

3. Create a rainbow theme.

A rainbow theme is a great choice for younger children as they appreciate the strong, bold colors. You can decorate with red, yellow and blue and these will catch their eyes easily. This also makes it easier to choose all the details you need for your party as you aren’t restricted as to the type of invitations or streamers you can choose, but only need to opt for the right colors. You can choose any type of invitation that’s in a bold color no matter the characters on it or other decorative elements.

4. Opt for their favorite superhero.

Choose your child’s favorite superhero and you can build an entire party around that. You can then also have a birthday party magic

Why have a Magician for an Adult Birthday Party?

When you think of a magician for a party you probably think of a kid’s party. It’s true that kids love to have a magician entertain them and it keeps them occupied, but there are some great reasons to think about a birthday party magician even when you’re planning a party for adults. Consider some reasons why they’re a fun touch no matter the ages of the guests or of the guest of honor.

1. They’re simple to follow and understand.

If you plan on games for adults it can be overwhelming for them if something is complicated and difficult to understand. For example, you may want to plan a poker party but if there are guests who have never played poker, they may not have much fun. The same is true if you have a Vegas-style gambling party; guests who have never played blackjack or baccarat may have a hard time following the rules and may not have a good time if they find themselves on the losing side of the table.

A birthday party magician however doesn’t require any complicated rules or involvement or understanding of the show. Guests can sit back and be entertained very easily, so they’re likely to have a good time.

2. They’re as engaging as is comfortable for guests.

When you have a party for a number of people you know you’re going to have some guests who want to get up and be part of the party and some who want to sit back and watch the festivities. This is another advantage of hiring a birthday party magician as they are as engaging as is comfortable for guests. They may ask for assistance and one of the guests can participate if he or she wants, while others can sit back and watch. This doesn’t put pressure on any guest to participate as you may see when you have a card party but gives them a chance to be part of the fun, as some would prefer.

3. They can add a sense of whimsy.

A party for adults often needs a touch of fun and of whimsy, and a birthday party magician can add both. They’re entertaining without being overly serious and can keep everyone guessing and laughing. This makes them a perfect choice for any grownup party no matter the occasion or guest of honor.

Of course, Louis the Magician and ChildTime Magic only perform for children but we could definitely give you some referrals for the best adult magicians in the area!