In this tip of the week Anita turns crayons into, well, crayons. Okay, not really, actually, she is turning all those broken bits and pieces of crayon into crayons that are shaped like letters of the alphabet. This not only maximizes the use of the individual crayons, but it provides a fun and educational new way for kids to color.

As a bonus tip, when it comes time for a birthday party, give all the kids that come a bag of crayons that spell out their name.

This week Joe and Anita stay with the issue of parenting, but this time focus on just how powerful the formative years of a child's life are, and how, by establishing boundaries, helping them learn to make choices, and giving them responsibility, you can set them up for success in their adult lives. They also have an interview with parent coach Shelly Moorman, who offers some advice to those parents who haven't laid a good foundation and are trying to set their older child on a new path.

Also, don't forget to share your best discipline story in the comments on this episode! The best story will win a CD / Activity book from Baby Loves Hip Hop.

This week on the Glocal Family Podcast, Joe and Anita talk about places you can go to expand your mind. The basic idea is that all of us are limited to what we've experienced, but by stepping out with humility and encountering new things, we can see the good, the bad, and the ugly, not only in our own culture, but it others. In the process, we can take the best from each world and put ourselves in a position to live a glocal life.

Along the way we talk to Cliff and Stephanie from gspn.tv, rave about listener Ed Ross, and offer thoughts on how to keep track of all your brilliant ideas.

Joe shares a few thoughts about Anita and his mom on this Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day moms, and thanks to all of you who live lives that serve the greater good!

In episode 5 we talked about Productive Parenting and a bean bag game that they promote. Of course, in order to play a bean bag game, you need bean bags. Now, you could always buy some, but why, especially when you can follow these quick instructions from Anita and make your own?

As they recorded this episode, Joe an Anita were winding down their 8th wedding anniversary. Given the occasion, they decided it only seemed appropriate to talk about marriage and, given their history together, why they think it's important to stick it out and try to make things work.

So, how does a couple staying together through the rough times serve the greater good? Is it just because it's good for the kids, or is there something more? As they explore, Joe and Anita share their story, talk with Dr. Warner Boos (their counselor), and introduce a tip Joe picked up from a good friend.

All that and more this week, on the Glocal Family Podcast.

Beth began her writing career in second grade when she won her first writing contest with her essay entitled "If I Were President, Bubblegum Would Be Free and Taxes Would Go Up (So Teachers Could Get More Money)."

Clearly not destined for a career in politics, Beth has focused her talents on creative writing, education, and curricula development.

Beth's achievements and experiences include eight years as a Kindergarten and First Grade Teacher, being nominated for the Kohl- McCormick Foundation's Excellence in Education Award, and participating in numerous national conferences on fostering number sense and literacy development.

Beth has developed books and games for several companies including: LeapFrog Toys, Chronicle Books, and Piggy Toes Press.

Beth lives in Chicago with her son.

In the last couple episodes of the podcast (here and here), Joe's gone off a bit on parents. However, he's realized how un-glocal this is of him and here offers thoughts on how he's going to try and be productive rather than just ranting.

Naomi Aldort is the author of Raising Children, Raising Ourselves. She's a parenting / family counselor who works with parents and educators internationally by phone, in family intensive retreats, and in parenting workshops. She is an inspiring public speaker and an internationally published writer. Some of her speaking is available on tapes, and a few of her articles can be found on her website: www.naomialdort.com.

There are a few toys that every child has that seems to be their mainstays. These are the toys that are played with, week in and week out, while most of the others go untouched with a few specific exceptions. In our episode this week, we suggest that you get rid of toys that aren't mainstays, and in our tip of the week, Anita offers a few examples of how you can create those "occasional toys" out of trash.

Let's face it, there are few things worse, at least at the moment it happens, than walking through a dimly lit house and stepping on some toy that's been left out. So what do you do about all those toys that kids collect? This week, Joe and Anita handout some helpful ideas when it comes to your kid's toys.

Along the way they get a bit nostalgic about last week's episode on food, share an article from Unclutterer, have a conversation with Beth Engelman from Mommy on a Shoestring, and of course offer a tip of our own.

Things are a little odd this week on the Glocal Family. Due to some missing files, we had to revamp the cast at the last minute and didn't start recording until 11p. So, once we got going, we shared about the recent changes in our diets, what prompted us to drop gluten, dairy, and other things, and allowed Karen Fine to share her gluten free story.

In the process, we also bring up a slew of resources, point you towards a couple movies, and offer other thoughts on how you can bring about changes in your own diet and, in the process, improve your health.

Of course, in all the exhaustion, not everything went well. Joe and Anita forgot to mention the recipe of the week, a GF Chili Mac generously provided by Karen Fine herself.