Monitor you and your husband's behavior, and at the first sign of a problem, nip it in the bud before it escalates. Your children will be the better for it.

Let's face it, taking care of a family, the house, and working full time can deplete your energy. This can have a direct affect on how you deal with your children. Sometimes, you just need to get away from it all with your husband and spend some quality time together. If you are becoming more irritable, snapping at the kids, or losing sleep, here are some suggestions on how couple time benefits the kids.

We all work hard to support our families, but in doing so we can become increasingly irritated over the small stuff. When it comes to kids, they can push buttons like no one can, right? If you and your husband are overworked and extremely tired from all you have to deal with on a daily basis, and you begin taking it out on the kids, it's time to stop, take a breath, and arrange some alone time together.

Remember, even batteries need to be recharged. Call upon a family member to watch the kids on a Saturday, and you and your husband either go to the beach, the park, or whatever suits your fancy. Perhaps you'd like to have dinner at your favorite restaurant? When was the last time you were able to do that? Or maybe you haven't been to a movie in ages, and would just like to watch it in peace.

Or sometimes, you just need to be able to sit and talk, catch up, and simply enjoy each other's company. These are the things most couples with children need to do. Spending all day with the kids, you miss out on adult conversation. When your spouse arrives home, he too may be too tired to talk. Thus, the irritation builds up and you find your kids caught in the middle of your meltdown.

Kids are vulnerable to parents' feelings. If they are unduly chastised for no reason, they blame themselves, which is not conducive to a healthy familial relationship. However, after you and your husband have had a day to yourselves, you are more energized, able to better cope with the events of the day, and especially able to take care of your children calmly, lovingly, and without undue stress.

Monitor you and your husband's behavior, and at the first sign of a problem, nip it in the bud before it escalates. Your children will be the better for it.

Submitted by Linda Allen, co-founder of GirlfriendsCafe, a free social network for women throughout the United States and Canada.

For further information on GirlfriendsCafe, please visit http://www.girlfriendscafe.com

Do you and your spouse argue? Does it become so loud that your children rush into your room asking why you?re fighting?

Children learn by example. They learn how to socialize, talk to one another, and talk to their parents. When parents argue, children think this is the way everyone lives and thus they begin to exhibit the same signs of yelling, demanding, and screaming their way to obtain what they want. They don?t know any better. This is what they are used to. It?s wrong. It?s unhealthy, and they will grow up to become yellers and screamers just like their parents.

So too, when parents do not communicate in a loving and caring way, children will also view this as normal because they have not been taught any other way. Children have to grow up in a home where there is constant communication, discussions, and a loving and familial atmosphere where they can talk to parents about anything. If one or both parents do not communicate with each other, how can you expect a child to approach such a parent? There will be fear and trepidation because the child will not know if what is said will make the parent angry, cause them to yell, or worse, turn a blind eye.

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Since the beginning of time, husbands have been viewed as the hunters and wives as the gatherers. According to statistics, only 15% of husbands today help with housework. Although we may not have fully evolved into an equal partnership when it comes to the home, and while there is still an on-going debate as to how to encourage husbands
to help around the house, here are seven tips for getting your husband to help with housework that may work for you.

Depending upon how your husband was raised, he may or may not know how to handle housework. Therefore, the first thing you can do is teach him.

Every woman cleans their home in their own way. They have a method which guarantees everything is spotless and in its place. For men, however, they hardly notice if the house is clean or not, and so it is important to discuss housework and their role ? not as helper, but one who can equally share the responsibility of keeping the house clean and orderly. Discuss housework with him.

More often than not, the husband usually takes out the trash and does ?manly? work around the house, such as fixing and building or working in the back yard. If you need your husband to assist you with housework, you will have to compromise a bit by asking what chore he would like to tackle. Is he a good cook? Does he enjoy food shopping? If so, perhaps he can take over the meal preparation while you take care of the house.
Offer a compromise to him.

If both of you work, weekends are a time for rest and relaxation. If one of you works at home or is taking care of children, you may find it even more difficult to get your husband to help with housework. Talk to your husband about taking on one chore at a time, so that you can free up your weekends to spend more time with each other and the children. Discuss a schedule of chores with him.

If you find that your husband will not lift a finger to help you, call in the guards. Hire a cleaning service. Perhaps when he sees the bill week after week, he may decide it?s easier to help rather than pay someone to do it. Discuss the cleaning service with him.

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Link: http://www.girlfriendscafe.com

Start Early to Save Money on School Supplies

Unfortunately, most schools do not have the budget to afford supplies for the students. Parents are relegated to buying school supplies every school year. There are ways parents can save on school supplies by utilizing the following suggestions.

If you belong to a one of the many stores chains, such as Costco or BJ, you can load up on supplies by buying in bulk throughout the year, especially when there are sales and coupons offered.

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Link: http://www.girlfriendscafe.com

A strong social support network is essential to our sense of well-being and is invaluable in both good times and bad times.

There are many ways to create and expand your social network:

1. Walk the Dog! Take Fido to the Dog Park!
Pets are an excellent way to break the ice and get to know others.

2. Join a Gym!
Be it a class at the local YWCA or at a gym you are sure to meet people.

3. Do Lunch.
Take the plunge and invite a neighbor or acquaintance to join you for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

4. Volunteer.
Pet shelters, hospitals, political campaigns and charitable organizations are always seeking volunteers. It is easy to get to know others when you are share a common passion and cause.

5. Join a Craft Group or Book Club.
Check the local paper for clubs that suit your interests. What better way to start a friendship than with a common interest.

6. Take a Class.
Go back to school - take a language course or finish up that degree.

7. Check Out Internet Social Networks
Check out the internet for social networks that fit your needs.

About the author - Linda Allen is the co-founder of GirlfriendsCafe.com - a social network for women throughout the United States and Canada.