Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing wonderfully!Are you a multitasker? If you are a parent, the answer is a resounding “YES”. I have found myself doing two jobs at once, cooking dinner and having a conversation with my kids. Well, sort of. I was definitely doing the two jobs and cooking dinner, but my daughter thought my conversational skills at the time were the pits.She was right.

I’m not sure where it came from or why modern parents spend so much time at it, but multitasking our lives away is for the birds. For some reason, if I’m not doing two things at once, I think I’m getting behind. This weekend, my wife said, “Enough”. She wanted to just be a family for the whole day, take time to actually look at the kids when they talked to us (something I desperately try to do all the time), go for a walk and watch “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” (aka Chitty Chitty Bang Bang).

I realized talking to my kids and doing some small chores is unavoidable. But, when they really need me, it is time to slow my life down, look them in the eye and enjoy being their dad. See you later Mr. Multitasker.

All my best

Brett A Johnston
closekids.com

Hello all, can you believe summer is over and school is back? Unbelievable. After taking August off, I’m ready to get back in the saddle.

You may have seen a Visa commercial which aired this summer of a family on a vacation together. It was a depiction of something I talk about in Close Kids Forever concerning modern technology. While it is pointless to rail on technological advances, it is useful to look at how they can affect your family. In the commercial, something interesting happens as the family is in the car together. One child is listening to an MP3 player, one child is playing a handheld video game (with headphones on) and one was watching a movie (also with headphones on). The father is driving in complete silence. Several times he turns to say something and stops because no one will hear him.

Of course at the end, everyone takes a swim together and the commercial has a happy ending. But in terms of “connecting kids”, this could (and I emphasize could) be a problem. Here is why

It is now possible to take a 10 hour road trip with the family and never even speak to each other.

Technology today is trying to create “isolation zones”. Whether it is I-pods, personal game players or mounted TVs in cars, they all do the same thing. They free people from the outside world. While some relaxation and alone time is certainly good and necessary, parents can’t let it get out of control if your goal is for your kids to be as close as possible.

I’m not saying get rid of anything, but remember these points:

1. Limit personal technology when better options for communication and playtime are available
2. Don’t underestimate the value of short trips and their ability to help bond your kids. If the TV comes on every time you are in the car, you might consider if that is right for your family
3. Have fun together! I hope this helps you and your family have a “Close” month!

My very best,
Brett A Johnston
Author, Close Kids Forever

PS. If you are interested in having the Close Kids Principles shared in your next group meeting or church function, please use the contact tab and get on our schedule!

Good July to all. I hope everyone has a great 4th (one of my favorite holidays)! An inpriring holiday for sure.

As we have discussed before, getting kids involved with charitable work is one of my big things. I’m always looking for new (and easy) ways to get mine busy doing for others. For some reason, my schemes are always elaborate. But a friend just hit me with a great thought.

Hey Brett, you don’t need an organization or special day to take your kids to the park with a garbage bag and pick up trash…

Duhh.

OK, thought I’d pass this along to you all. She was right, no one needs to help me plan a 15 minute park, church, school, library or community center pick-up. Just as long as the kids don’t pick up something too gross:) I guess we can always just leave it. So next time we go to the park, I will give it a try. We will throw in a garbage bag, pick up a few things and start playing. Sounds easy to me.

Have a great month. More CloseKids stuff next time!

My very best,

Brett A Johnston

Hello everyone! I hope your summer is kicking into full gear. As you probably know by now, one of the things I really enjoy with the kids is getting them involved helping others. I came across several more websites that specifically help kids help other kids. And you do not have to be in any certain location to help. They will be added to the “Your Child’s Soul” page of the website as well.

Here are some highlights of the list (with links provided):

The Peter Pan Children’s Fund – You can sign up for the Peter Pan Birthday Club and help raise money for a local children’s hospital.

Special Olympics – These were just in town and I realized after it was over that even my youngest could help do something. I plan on making this a family volunteer outing next year. Most kids can easily pick up trash, deliver water, or be a cheering section!

Pinwheel Project – An idea right out of the Close Kids Forever book. You can collect and donate art supplies, books, DVDs and videos to children’s hospitals easily with their help.

If none of these are your cup of tea, check out the “Your Child’s Soul” tab for more fun stuff you can do together.
June’s book of the month – 77 Creative Ways Kids Can Serve (click for more)

My very best!

Brett A Johnston

Greetings to everyone. Can it really be May already? School is almost out and summer is almost here. I think I love summer more than the kids. Who would know by the weather though, it has been cold…

Anyway as I wrote the Newsletter Update last month I realized there might be an omission of a Close Kids factor from the book. So you wouldn’t miss it, I will include it today. The factor? Sharing a room together.

While it may or may not be practical in your situation, kids who share a room together do have a better chance to grow up as close adults. But with the progress of our culture providing most kids with their own rooms, this practice is becoming more and more rare. To compensate, we have Friday night “sleep togethers”. It is amazing how much they talk about Friday night and how much they enjoy being together. Towards the end of every week we hear, “Is it Friday night yet?”

What amazes their mother and I the most though is not the fact they stay up way to late and talk way too much, it is that they don’t fight. Most days we get a good dose of bickering, but when Friday night rolls around, it magically ends. I can’t explain it, but I can’t recall ever breaking up an argument…ever.

We also let them choose where they want to sleep. They can go campout style with sleeping bags (a word to the parents, this usually provides a late night) or pick a sister’s room and we make due. Most of the time all three of them end up in a twin bed with two of them at one end and one on the other. Try it out and see if the magic works for you and let me know.

PS. Upcoming Speaking Engagements – I will start to post these on the “Book Brett” page of the website, for now I will let you know I will be speaking on having Close Kids in Oklahoma City at St. Luke’s Methodist Church on June 29th at 9:40 in the Chapel.

PPS. From Jessica Bridges article I talked about last month. Things to do with your kids this month – Bottle up Lightning bugs (great time of year for that), Make a Bird Feeder, Spin in a Circle Together, Climb a Tree or Attract Butterflies (How to Attract Butterflies).

All my best,

Brett A Johnston

Greetings all, I hope this note finds you having a blast doing something!!

I was on an airplane to Dallas the other day and found one of the best articles on fun stuff to do with your kids that I’ve ever seen.  The entire article can be see here but I will tell you about some of my favorites.

Do Lunch at School – That is pretty cool and simple.  Just pick a day and either bring lunch to school and have lunch with them or take them out to a nearby shop.

Vote – With the upcoming election, you can take your child/ren into the voting booth with you and show them what being an American is all about.

Make your own taffy – Sounds fun and I think we will give it a try.  The complete directions are at exploratorium.edu.

“Go guerrilla” – Which means do a random act of kindness.  We have a huge rose bush in the front yard and plan on cutting the first blooms and putting them in our neighbor’s mail boxes.  My girls can’t wait, they are looking at the bush every day wondering why it takes so long for flowers to come out.

These are just a few for now and I’m sure there will be more coming in the future.  Thank you to Jessica Bridges and Southwest Airlines for publishing such a neat story.

All my best,

Brett A Johnston
closekids.com

Greetings everyone.  Since having children doing charitable work with the family is a big thing for me, I want to share a book I found with you.  Sometimes it is hard to find age appropriate ways for children to help others.  That is where The Kid’s Guide to Service Projects: Over 500 Service Ideas for Young People Who Want to Make a Difference comes in (quite a title isn’t it?).

This book is full of easy and fun ideas for our kids to get involved in the community and learn what helping others is all about!  For those of you not interested in a book, reach out to your local Habitat for Humanity.  They also have projects aimed at getting young people involved.  No matter which direction you go, the weather is turning right to get outside and make a difference in someone’s life! 

Hope you liked these quick ideas, see you next time!

My very best,
Brett A Johnston

Hello all I hope this note finds you well.  First a quick Close Kids Forever book update.  It looks like we are in final edit and hoping to get a galley (last printed copy before going to press) soon.  It never seems to be fast enough for a writer.

Have you ever wondered if some severe family trauma will bring your kids together or separate them?  During my research, I discovered it can do either.  A death in the family, parent’s divorce or separation can make kids closer to each other and it can wedge them apart forever.  The significance of this finding is that parents and their parenting skills still have a say in whether or not the kids grow up to be friends.  They are not destined to become separated, so never give up.

Hang in there through hard times and make sure to “bunker down” with your family and fight for them.  The data clearly suggests it will help them and you!

My very best,

Brett A Johnston
www.closekids.com

Hello and greetings on the day before the night before Christmas! If you are like me, you constantly remind your children to be “grateful” for what they have. But until this week, I knew they didn’t really understand what I meant. So, what happened this week? They did their first real charity work for some underprivileged kids!

They not only gathered and paid for some toys, they actually got to deliver them. It was an absolute blast. We saw where they lived, watched them open their gifts and had breakfast with a few of them. Being in their world certainly made a difference in ours this season. My oldest certainly got more out of it than the younger ones from a learning perspective, but I guess we have to start somewhere with all of them. Even the smallest still had fun.

It reminded me of a famous businessman, Robert G Allen, when he was learning to be successful. He said most people wanted to tell him how to “find gold”. Which really means “be a success” in business. But he wasn’t looking for someone to tell him how to mine gold, he wanted someone to take him to the gold!

I hope we took the kids where the real gold was this Christmas. In the joyous eyes of others.

My very best this Holiday Season!

Brett A Johnston
www.closekids.com

Hello all. Had a thought last night over dinner.

What if when we did something for one of our children and then let another take the credit for it?  Maybe an example would make my point better.  Just last night, my wife and I made some cookies.  We called in our oldest to help us serve her sisters.  When she did, both of them thanked her profusely and gave her a hug.  The fact that we made them never even entered their mind (a point neither of us minded in the least).

To them, the cookies came from Big Sister.  The smallest one even offered Big Sis her blankie to hold for a while.  THAT is a big deal around here.  Any way, I just thought it was a great way to help them learn to do things for each other.

As always, feel free to leave your ideas and comments!

My very best,

Brett A Johnston
www.closekids.com