Football 101 – A Girl’s Guide to Football – What’s In It For You

by: Jessica Hardwick

Can I tell you how tired I am of single women complaining about how hard it is to meet a decent man? The problem is not a dearth of quality men. In fact, I know quite a few single gems. The problem exists where the ladies are looking. You aren’t going to find the right man in a sleazy bar or pick-up joint. If you want a man who values integrity, honor, and good sportsmanship, then you have go where the real men are. In the fall, that means your local sports bar.

Football is the all-American game. If you can’t get into the game, you are shunning some of the best guys in town. Here you will find men that truly believe in honor, both on and off the field. Football players aren’t stereotypical big dumb jocks. They have had to work incredibly hard to get where they are, and there are no NFL players who haven’t made a true commitment to the game. The fans are equally committed to the game and their teams. So much for the common complaint that “it’s impossible to find a man who can make a commitment”!

Personally, I’m hooked on the game itself. I love the strategy, the element of surprise, and the emotion (and I’m not terribly opposed to cute butts in tight football pants, either). You may or may not develop your own passion for the game, but you need to garner a basic understanding of how it works if you don’t want to come off like a fool. Guys can spot a fraud miles away, so it’s better to admit your ignorance and ask questions, rather than try to pretend you know the game. Of course, this only works for so long and you need to bone-up on football if you want to hang with the boys. Start with the basics – you need to know what teams are playing, and it really helps to have a favorite. I’m a tried-and-true Raiders fan myself, but they aren’t for the weak-hearted, being the only team in the NFL that has to play against both the opposing team and the selectively-blind referees (personal quibbles aside, of course).

If you don’t have a favorite team in mind, you could simply go with your hometown team. Be it the town you live in now, or the one from which you came. If that doesn’t work for you, then you probably come from Cincinnati or Cleveland, and should pick a random team. I know women who made their selection based on which jersey color looked best on them, which logo they liked best, or which team their despised ex-boyfriend hated the most. However, you make your selection, choose your team, and stay with them through the good times and the bad.

Start reading the sports page. You need to understand what is going on in the football world. At first, very little might make sense, but keep reading and you’ll be surprised at how much you can actually learn. For a high level overview, listen to the sports segment on your local network news. ESPN has a great web site where you can always find the latest stats on all the teams. At the very least, try to know the latest disputed calls, injuries and controversies.

Get a good pal to tutor you in the basics of the game. I recommend choosing a male friend, not boyfriend, who is a patient soul. Also, you are best learning from a taped game, so that he already knows the outcome and won’t mind stopping the tape to explain what just happened. I was totally anti-football until a good friend sat me down with a taped game and a few brews. Thanks to his patience and understanding of the game I’m now a regular Sunday inhabitant of the sports bar. Don’t forget to check among your gal pals; you may have a hidden football fan in your midst. The bonus is not just a great lesson, but also a buddy to join you in your foray into NFL Sundays at the sports bar and football fandom!

I will also be following up with a series on the basics of my favorite game.

The Importance of Toddler Routines

by: Rachel Paxton

Routines are very important for toddlers. Routines give structure to their day and help to reduce temper tantrums and crankiness that result from irregular sleeping and eating schedules.

Daily routines are great for moms too, whether you stay at home or you work outside of the home.

The effectiveness of a daily routine isn't so much what time you do something, but that you do something at the same time every day. Setting a time that works for your family allows flexibility for individual family schedules and needs.

Getting enough sleep is very important for young children. Many toddlers need up to 12 hours of sleep at night and at least a 2 hour nap every afternoon. The times that your toddlers sleep will be partly dependent on your family's schedule. Our boys are in bed by 7 p.m. every night, but that time wouldn't work as well for parents who don't get home until later in the evening. Just make sure your children have a regular bed time and a regular nap time. Their bodies adjust to these times and they anticipate those times to sleep every day, even if they don't act like they want to go to sleep. Lack of sleep makes them very cranky and irritable.

A regular eating schedule is also very important for toddlers.

You know what I mean if you've ever been away from home at lunch time! Children's bodies also become accustomed to eating at certain times, even if we as parents don't always have our own eating schedules. Your toddler's mood will also improve if he or she eats at regular times. Don't forget to schedule times for snacks also. If you let them snack too much during the day they won't want to eat at meal time.

Whatever else you want to schedule into your toddler's day is up to you. I take my boys for a walk every morning, and they really look forward to this time every day. It is good exercise for me and they enjoy the fresh air.

Nighttime routines are also important for children of any age.

Toddlers transition to bedtime much more easily when they know what to expect every night. A common bedtime routine is a bath and reading a story before bed. It is also a good time to occasionally sit down and watch one of your toddler's favorite videos with them.

I have found that having a basic schedule for the entire day makes my day go by more smoothly and I don't have to think much about what I'm doing to do during the day. That's really nice when you're chasing more than one toddler around the house.

Regardless of how much time you spend at home with your children during the day, anyone can benefit from scheduling family activities. It also helps you to not forget to get anything done!

Here is my toddlers' daily schedule:

7:00 a.m. - wake up
7:30 a.m. - get up, get dressed, have breakfast
8:30 a.m. - go for a walk
9:00 a.m. - play
10:00 a.m. - morning snack
12:00 p.m. - lunch
1:00 p.m. - afternoon nap
3:30 p.m. - afternoon snack
5:00 p.m. - dinner
6:30 p.m. - bath, stories
7:00 p.m. - bed

I do most of my housework or grocery shopping in the evenings after the boys are in bed. During play times is when we occasionally go to the park or have grandma or grandpa come over to visit. There is just enough flexibility, while the boys also know what to expect every day.

If you don't already have your toddlers into a daily routine, start slow. Regular eating times are the easiest for them to adjust to, new sleeping times may be harder. If you are changing your child's sleeping schedule vary their sleeping time by 10 minutes a day until they are sleeping at the desired time. Make sure your child is getting up at the same time every morning.

This will help them adjust to set nap and bed times.

Good luck! Setting a daily routine for you and your toddler just might save your sanity!