POINTERS FOR PARENTS Building A Great Relationship With Kids

(NAPSI)-When it comes to cementing strong family relationships, one great tool is, well, cement--and wood and metal and plastic. Families that build things together can discover a greater appreciation for each other. At the same time, family construction projects foster a better understanding of math, science and reading in youngsters and a sense of accomplishment in everyone. Plus, you get to keep what you build, whether it's a backyard tree house, a skate ramp, home zip-lines or go-carts. For Handy And Not-So-Handy Dads To help, there's a delightful book by Todd Davis--extreme sports athlete, father of two and host of HGTV's "Over Your Head." In it, he presents 25 awesome projects for parents to build with their kids. Busy adults can choose projects that range from simple to challenging and take anywhere from five minutes to a full weekend. Readers are given all the directions they need to grab materials that can be found around the house or at a hardware store and get to work banging up a sweet BMX ramp or half-pipe, building a tree house or tire swing, or throwing together a slip-and-slide or tie-dye station for an afternoon of fun. With plenty of color photographs, easy-to-follow instructions and detailed illustrations, the paperback book, "Handy Dad," is chock-full of creative and inexpensive ways to keep kids (and their grown-ups) entertained for hours. What Else To Do Here are two more ways to create strong family bonds: • Eat Together: Parents and children should aim to eat one meal together a day. Share things that are happening in your life, and ask lots of questions about things your children are interested in. • Read Together: Start your own family book club, with adults and children taking turns choosing books. This can improve kids' reading skills and provide a chance to cuddle close and talk. Discuss what the books mean to each of you. Parents should be sure their youngsters see them read for pleasure. How To Get The Book The "Handy Dad" book is available where books are sold or online at www.chroniclebooks.com, or you can call (800) 759-0190.

A new book can help families learn to build great things together-and build togetherness at the same time. Word Count: 366 Copy/Paste HTML Article