“Just had a conversation with [my] daughter that went something like this… Me: Scowl on face >:0(…[Daughter]: Mom you are grouchy go get lots of glitter… Me: Confused look on face… [Daughter]: Ya know glitter makes everything cool… You need cool.“
The above was a quote of a recent friend’s post. Reading the exchange between my friend and her daughter brought me a chuckle but also reminded me of the all-true rule that children will make their own observations and base their own set of values on what they see around them. When throwing a dinner party once, a toddler of a different friend told me that I needed to clean up some crumbs that a guest had dropped on the floor and she was very concerned about the condition of the floor until I had done so. From the need to clean or the need for more glitter, I am sure that we can think of plenty of examples of how children have adopted the values of those most influential adults in their lives. For this reason, I try to remain vigilant in what I communicate to my own children about the world that we live in.
I know that many parents try to teach tolerance of others. Here’s a shocking confession… I don’t. By definition, tolerance is “the allowable deviation from a standard.” What I’d like to know is who sets the standard? And who’s to say that standard is correct? An example of tolerance given by Merriam-Webster is “a tolerance for other lifestyles”. I don’t agree with this mainly because it seems that the modern definition of tolerance allows us to place judgment on others. I don’t know about you, but I have a hard enough time trying to navigate my own way through this world. Who am I to approve or disapprove of how someone else is living? One of my core values is to try to never place judgment on another human being. Because it is so important to me to teach this value to my children, when it comes to life choices, personalities, or what have you, rather than teaching my children that it’s okay to place judgment, I prefer to teach them to accept, or embrace if you will, the differences between the different individuals they meet in life.
Does accepting individuals at face value mean you have to compromise your values? Of course not, but accepting others means that you accept that their values may be different from your own, but equally as important. Here’s a secret… Others are going to have values different from your own whether you like them to or not!
When we break down the walls of judgment we enter a new realm of social possibilities. If we all quit tolerating each other so much we may be surprised. We may actually begin enjoying one another. What a wonderful lesson to teach the next generation of human beings!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Do More for Others With What You Already Have
Earlier this week, a friend’s Facebook post read “happy Tax Freedom Day! As of today, you are officially free of your tax burdens. 102 days of work to pay your taxes for the year.” When “doing” their taxes, many people scramble for receipts that they hope will somehow qualify for a charitable giving deduction while others just wish that they had done some type of giving during the past 12 months. In years past, I have found myself asking questions like “what am I doing with all of my money” or “have I really not helped anyone the entire year”?
In the madness of this great life, I admittedly find it hard to remember the needs of others outside of my own family. Given the economic climate, many people are not in the position to give monetarily but do give to others in many different ways. This is a wonderful alternative and should be celebrated. This post is for those of us who may not necessarily have the time or talent to donate but who would like to use monetary means to somehow help their fellow man.
As an example, with very little effort, one could begin the year with saving a minimum of just $25 per month that will then build by the end of the year into a $300 donation which could do a lot of good for any number of charities. In the remainder of this post, I will attempt to share some of the madness which is my means to this end.
Now, how does one go about saving a little extra on a monthly basis? I’m glad you asked! I don’t pretend to be very good at spending less money, but, in recent months I have made a concerted effort to try. Since making this change, I have learned that the majority of excess expenditures have gone toward activities and the food purchases made during said activities. After making this observation, I began my first baby step in the money-saving direction by packing snacks before going on any type of family outing. I try to make it a personal rule to “never get caught unprepared”. Before each family outing, it has now become routine for each child to take a couple of minutes to pack a special toy, favorite snack and some type of drink before putting on shoes and a coat and walking out the door. Once I began doing this, I noticed, right away, that there were less “emergency” stops at fast food restaurants and far fewer arguments with my children over whether or not to buy snacks at the cash register. There is something to be said about the health benefits related to these choices as well, but that’s another blog post entirely! I will say this, however… For those with picky eaters, first of all, God bless you! A big problem with picky eaters when trying to grab nutrients while out and about is picking something that they will actually eat. Packing snacks from home eliminates the madness of the pleading with little ones and, my personal favorite, the deal-making like “five more bites and we can…”
Another huge benefit to packing your own food can be appreciated when making the trek to places like the zoo. We have an amazing zoo near our house that my family likes to visit as often as possible. Before my epiphany of packing our own food, we used to begin each zoo visit by waiting in line at a fast food counter and then spending the next 45 minutes to an hour fighting other zoo guests and seagulls for a table and rushing our kids to eat and not play with the enclosed toy so that we could “go have fun”. When looking back on this, one word comes to mind… “Ridiculous”. Now, we have the option of eating at our leisure. We still make the packed food fun by sticking with a zoo theme with animal crackers and by using cookie cutters to make sandwiches into the shapes of the kids’ favorite animals. This has inspired new conversations that sometimes get some interesting looks, like “do you see that elephant honey? Mm-hmm. I eat him!”
When packing food isn’t an option, I do try to conserve on menu items as much as possible. I do this by ordering water, instead of fountain beverages at some places or by allowing tiny kids, who eat very little anyway, to share meals. For instance, when visiting a popular family games and pizzeria joint, I am sure to bring the reusable beverage bottles once purchased at the chain and then I have the kids share a menu item. Let’s face it. They’re there for the fun and not the food anyway!
When splurging on a treat, like a special trip to the movies, theatres and other family friendly businesses often have products that cater to savings through family-style sharing. Parents can request extra bags and cups for divvying up concessions. Even the pretzel counter in most food courts have pretzel sticks designed for easier sharing.
Savings can go beyond food expenditures as well. I am sure that many can relate to the sticker shock felt when looking at merchandise at special functions like kid’s concerts, the circus and other “kid friendly” venues. I have learned that a little planning ahead, like buying and then packing similar toys that light up or have the face of a favorite character can bring just as much joy to a child at a fraction of the cost. This little trick came especially in handy during a recent family vacation to a very popular resort and theme park (wink).
Playdates are another area of potential savings. In the past, I have been notorious for making plans to meet up at places that charge some type of overhead either through meals, ticket purchases or the sales of some other type of merchandise. Parks, splash pads, the public library (if developmentally appropriate), indoor playgrounds, recreation centers and other free venues can provide just as much if not more opportunity for creative play.
While the majority of my suggestions may relate more to families with younger children, opportunities to save can also be found for parents of older kids and adults themselves. For some reason, the cost of participation in sports and other activities tends to increase as kids get older. Fundraisers or booster clubs can be very helpful in raising funds for any number of extracurricular activities. Even the smallest difference in savings can go a long way when donated to a charitable cause.
Anyone who has parented a “tween” or teen for a second can tell you that, while they ask for fewer things, the exorbitant cost of the items that they do ask for makes up for it. As a disclaimer, I will have to defer to my dear friend Mac for all things coupon oriented. But, to help pay for the costly “must haves” I can recommend online searches because I have found that the internet has great deals on latest and greatest gadgets for far less. When bargain hunting isn’t enough, or even when budgeting for spending money, I don’t think its overreaching to ask teens to use their own money saved from babysitting, gardening/lawn maintenance or garage sales to help or “go halvsies” with you. Be careful though! Doing so may accidentally teach them a little something about work ethic or pride in ownership.
Adults are very good at spending money without even realizing it. Because of this, sizeable savings can be made with very little sacrifice or variation from their normal routine. To test this theory order water interchangeably with your drink of choice the next time you go out socializing with other adults. Many clubs also offer free sodas to designated drivers. If you’re not much for alcoholic beverages anyway, try ordering water and sharing apps (not the techi kind) the next time you go out to dinner with friends. Even buying generic brands on just about anything in stores or waiting for clothing items to go on sale or bringing the receipt back for a price adjustment once they do can provide sizeable savings.
Making simple choices to save small amounts of money could add up to sizeable donations either at the end of each month or on a yearly basis. In this post, I have provided you with just a handful of savings ideas designed to help you begin brainstorming what types of savings can be had in your own finances so that you can do infinitely more with what you already have. My challenge to you is to now go out and see all that you can do for your fellow man.
In the madness of this great life, I admittedly find it hard to remember the needs of others outside of my own family. Given the economic climate, many people are not in the position to give monetarily but do give to others in many different ways. This is a wonderful alternative and should be celebrated. This post is for those of us who may not necessarily have the time or talent to donate but who would like to use monetary means to somehow help their fellow man.
As an example, with very little effort, one could begin the year with saving a minimum of just $25 per month that will then build by the end of the year into a $300 donation which could do a lot of good for any number of charities. In the remainder of this post, I will attempt to share some of the madness which is my means to this end.
Now, how does one go about saving a little extra on a monthly basis? I’m glad you asked! I don’t pretend to be very good at spending less money, but, in recent months I have made a concerted effort to try. Since making this change, I have learned that the majority of excess expenditures have gone toward activities and the food purchases made during said activities. After making this observation, I began my first baby step in the money-saving direction by packing snacks before going on any type of family outing. I try to make it a personal rule to “never get caught unprepared”. Before each family outing, it has now become routine for each child to take a couple of minutes to pack a special toy, favorite snack and some type of drink before putting on shoes and a coat and walking out the door. Once I began doing this, I noticed, right away, that there were less “emergency” stops at fast food restaurants and far fewer arguments with my children over whether or not to buy snacks at the cash register. There is something to be said about the health benefits related to these choices as well, but that’s another blog post entirely! I will say this, however… For those with picky eaters, first of all, God bless you! A big problem with picky eaters when trying to grab nutrients while out and about is picking something that they will actually eat. Packing snacks from home eliminates the madness of the pleading with little ones and, my personal favorite, the deal-making like “five more bites and we can…”
Another huge benefit to packing your own food can be appreciated when making the trek to places like the zoo. We have an amazing zoo near our house that my family likes to visit as often as possible. Before my epiphany of packing our own food, we used to begin each zoo visit by waiting in line at a fast food counter and then spending the next 45 minutes to an hour fighting other zoo guests and seagulls for a table and rushing our kids to eat and not play with the enclosed toy so that we could “go have fun”. When looking back on this, one word comes to mind… “Ridiculous”. Now, we have the option of eating at our leisure. We still make the packed food fun by sticking with a zoo theme with animal crackers and by using cookie cutters to make sandwiches into the shapes of the kids’ favorite animals. This has inspired new conversations that sometimes get some interesting looks, like “do you see that elephant honey? Mm-hmm. I eat him!”
When packing food isn’t an option, I do try to conserve on menu items as much as possible. I do this by ordering water, instead of fountain beverages at some places or by allowing tiny kids, who eat very little anyway, to share meals. For instance, when visiting a popular family games and pizzeria joint, I am sure to bring the reusable beverage bottles once purchased at the chain and then I have the kids share a menu item. Let’s face it. They’re there for the fun and not the food anyway!
When splurging on a treat, like a special trip to the movies, theatres and other family friendly businesses often have products that cater to savings through family-style sharing. Parents can request extra bags and cups for divvying up concessions. Even the pretzel counter in most food courts have pretzel sticks designed for easier sharing.
Savings can go beyond food expenditures as well. I am sure that many can relate to the sticker shock felt when looking at merchandise at special functions like kid’s concerts, the circus and other “kid friendly” venues. I have learned that a little planning ahead, like buying and then packing similar toys that light up or have the face of a favorite character can bring just as much joy to a child at a fraction of the cost. This little trick came especially in handy during a recent family vacation to a very popular resort and theme park (wink).
Playdates are another area of potential savings. In the past, I have been notorious for making plans to meet up at places that charge some type of overhead either through meals, ticket purchases or the sales of some other type of merchandise. Parks, splash pads, the public library (if developmentally appropriate), indoor playgrounds, recreation centers and other free venues can provide just as much if not more opportunity for creative play.
While the majority of my suggestions may relate more to families with younger children, opportunities to save can also be found for parents of older kids and adults themselves. For some reason, the cost of participation in sports and other activities tends to increase as kids get older. Fundraisers or booster clubs can be very helpful in raising funds for any number of extracurricular activities. Even the smallest difference in savings can go a long way when donated to a charitable cause.
Anyone who has parented a “tween” or teen for a second can tell you that, while they ask for fewer things, the exorbitant cost of the items that they do ask for makes up for it. As a disclaimer, I will have to defer to my dear friend Mac for all things coupon oriented. But, to help pay for the costly “must haves” I can recommend online searches because I have found that the internet has great deals on latest and greatest gadgets for far less. When bargain hunting isn’t enough, or even when budgeting for spending money, I don’t think its overreaching to ask teens to use their own money saved from babysitting, gardening/lawn maintenance or garage sales to help or “go halvsies” with you. Be careful though! Doing so may accidentally teach them a little something about work ethic or pride in ownership.
Adults are very good at spending money without even realizing it. Because of this, sizeable savings can be made with very little sacrifice or variation from their normal routine. To test this theory order water interchangeably with your drink of choice the next time you go out socializing with other adults. Many clubs also offer free sodas to designated drivers. If you’re not much for alcoholic beverages anyway, try ordering water and sharing apps (not the techi kind) the next time you go out to dinner with friends. Even buying generic brands on just about anything in stores or waiting for clothing items to go on sale or bringing the receipt back for a price adjustment once they do can provide sizeable savings.
Making simple choices to save small amounts of money could add up to sizeable donations either at the end of each month or on a yearly basis. In this post, I have provided you with just a handful of savings ideas designed to help you begin brainstorming what types of savings can be had in your own finances so that you can do infinitely more with what you already have. My challenge to you is to now go out and see all that you can do for your fellow man.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Ways Even the Busiest Moms Can Be Fabulous!
Okay. So here's a confession... I just spent the morning organizing cute springtime outfits, and then matching them with shoes and accessories that are just as cute. I then moved all essentials into a fabulous tutu diaper bag. At first glance, one might think that I did all of these things for one or all of my children. Admittedly, no. I did these things in an effort to fulfill my goal in presenting the best version of myself. Why? It recently occurred to me that many parents go to great lengths to dress and groom their kids within an inch of their lives as a means of attaining optimal cuteness, but then leave little time to prepare themselves for their day. Too many times I have spent hours, primping, ironing, etc. to get my children ready only to leave myself minutes to do hair, makeup and dress myself before running out the door. I then spend the remainder of the day wishing I had just given myself a few more minutes to get ready. To this I say "no more".
From this day forward I vow to make it a rule to always try to present the best version of myself to the world. I do this, not because I care so much about what others think, but rather as a means of sending myself the message that I am worth the effort it takes to feel good about how I look. If this post is sounding all too familiar, I challenge you to make similar changes in your own life. How does one go about this? I'm glad you asked!
First, always present yourself to the world as if you’re going to be mobbed by paparazzi at any given moment. Sound silly? Stick with me on this one. You’re halfway there. Sometimes, all people get of us as our lives intersect is one small snapshot. Wouldn’t you prefer their snapshot of you be favorable? When we make ourselves conscious of this fact, we tend to make our demeanor and, in turn, our attitude respectively more likeable and positive.
I am sure that we’ve all seen the unattractive pictures of our favorite stars in their not-so-happy moments. My friend Stephanie puts it best when she calls getting angry “being ugly”. Just as routinely as you do a booger check before getting out of your car (don’t deny it), you should always do an attitude check both for yourself and for those whom you encounter throughout your day.
Next, never wear clothes that make you feel uncomfortable or unattractive in any way. We all have those comfy sweats we like to wear around the house. Why only around the house? Because they’re ugly!! If you wouldn’t be caught dead in them, get rid of them! Replace them with a cute track suit that you CAN wear for a quick trip to the store if need be. This is only an analogy but make it a rule that all ugly and ill-fitting clothing that doesn’t make you feel your best must be tossed.
Now that you have rid yourself of things that make you feel unattractive, the next step is to incorporate all things that make you feel your own uniquely fabulous self. Start by planning outfits that make you feel fabulous. This will eliminate the need to "throw on" the first thing you see in your closet. Next, plan what makeup and hair styles you'll wear with each outfit. Then move to polishing off the look with accessories, matching handbags, shoes and the like. Make no mistake, even in the dead of winter, sunglasses are always a must! You can pick a pair that shows off your inner rock star or do like the Kardashians and buy some that look big enough to eat your face. All this planning ahead of time will take the guess work and frenzy out of getting ready. Finally, add your own flare. If nail polish makes you feel fancy, ALWAYS wear it! If pink hair and pearls are what make you happy, make them a necessity!
If this message rubbed you the wrong way as shallow, rest assured that on any given day I could care less what others think of how I look. I do have to say, however, that Fashion Designer Isaac Mizrahi is right when he says that the little things women do to polish their physical appearance change the way they feel about themselves and the way they act entirely. It is because of this that I say these changes are necessary. When making these alterations to your physical appearance, make them only for yourself. Do only those things that will allow you to look and feel the best version of yourself. When you have done so, you should have a final product that allows you to navigate this world with a level of confidence that cannot be shaken.
From this day forward I vow to make it a rule to always try to present the best version of myself to the world. I do this, not because I care so much about what others think, but rather as a means of sending myself the message that I am worth the effort it takes to feel good about how I look. If this post is sounding all too familiar, I challenge you to make similar changes in your own life. How does one go about this? I'm glad you asked!
First, always present yourself to the world as if you’re going to be mobbed by paparazzi at any given moment. Sound silly? Stick with me on this one. You’re halfway there. Sometimes, all people get of us as our lives intersect is one small snapshot. Wouldn’t you prefer their snapshot of you be favorable? When we make ourselves conscious of this fact, we tend to make our demeanor and, in turn, our attitude respectively more likeable and positive.
I am sure that we’ve all seen the unattractive pictures of our favorite stars in their not-so-happy moments. My friend Stephanie puts it best when she calls getting angry “being ugly”. Just as routinely as you do a booger check before getting out of your car (don’t deny it), you should always do an attitude check both for yourself and for those whom you encounter throughout your day.
Next, never wear clothes that make you feel uncomfortable or unattractive in any way. We all have those comfy sweats we like to wear around the house. Why only around the house? Because they’re ugly!! If you wouldn’t be caught dead in them, get rid of them! Replace them with a cute track suit that you CAN wear for a quick trip to the store if need be. This is only an analogy but make it a rule that all ugly and ill-fitting clothing that doesn’t make you feel your best must be tossed.
Now that you have rid yourself of things that make you feel unattractive, the next step is to incorporate all things that make you feel your own uniquely fabulous self. Start by planning outfits that make you feel fabulous. This will eliminate the need to "throw on" the first thing you see in your closet. Next, plan what makeup and hair styles you'll wear with each outfit. Then move to polishing off the look with accessories, matching handbags, shoes and the like. Make no mistake, even in the dead of winter, sunglasses are always a must! You can pick a pair that shows off your inner rock star or do like the Kardashians and buy some that look big enough to eat your face. All this planning ahead of time will take the guess work and frenzy out of getting ready. Finally, add your own flare. If nail polish makes you feel fancy, ALWAYS wear it! If pink hair and pearls are what make you happy, make them a necessity!
If this message rubbed you the wrong way as shallow, rest assured that on any given day I could care less what others think of how I look. I do have to say, however, that Fashion Designer Isaac Mizrahi is right when he says that the little things women do to polish their physical appearance change the way they feel about themselves and the way they act entirely. It is because of this that I say these changes are necessary. When making these alterations to your physical appearance, make them only for yourself. Do only those things that will allow you to look and feel the best version of yourself. When you have done so, you should have a final product that allows you to navigate this world with a level of confidence that cannot be shaken.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Are Your Kids Math Ready for the Big "K"?
I realize it's been awhile since my last post, but rest assured this mom has been busy beyond belief! While still struggling to get my infant on a schedule that will allow this stay-at-home blogger to make my naptime confessions, I find that it is my eldest who has recently been most in the forefront of my mind.
As the weather reluctantly shifts to Spring, my thoughts gravitate more and more toward school preparedness. When weighing all of the factors as to where to place my child in school next year, this decision-making process has educated me on all matters regarding "kindergarten preparedness".
Many of us can remember when the focus of school was still just on the three "R's", reading, writing & arithmetic. The goal of this blog is to share strategies that I have used over the past few years to teach my children the latter.
Many parents have their own set of tools in teaching literacy to their small children but then fall short when it comes to teaching them math skills. In a recent study discussed by Hechinger (2010) when assessed on math proficiency “fifteen-year-olds in the U.S. ranked 25th among peers from 34 countries”. (www.bloomberg.com). Given this, and other similar findings, parents in the United States should make efforts to stymie this trend by helping their children master numbers concepts in the development of early math skills.
Counting. Step By Step.
To teach my children how to count, I added a song to the end of their “ABC’s”. Because they are the hardest numbers for children to remember, I was sure to include the “teens” and had the song count up to twenty. I then taught these concepts in this order…
• Counting by tens
• Counting from ten down to zero
• Counting from twenty down to zero
• Counting up by fives (especially helpful in teaching children to tell time)
• Counting up by two’s
Just as in learning to write letters, children can learn to write numbers with tracing pages found in workbooks or downloaded from the internet. A very simple way to help kids grasp math concepts is to make them aware that math is all around them. At the same time it is important that children learn that numbers have value that can be counted. Counting is imperative but it can also be a fun skill to master. Parents can make a game of it by collecting their children’s favorite things and then having them count and then add and subtract these items including snacks, toys, books, cars, blocks, etc.
In an age where everything is digital, the concept of telling time by using hands on a clock can seem abstract. Timing traffic lights is a fun way to teach the concept of seconds and minutes. From here, parents can work on teaching children to “tell time” with use of clocks that they can manipulate in whatever form, be they toys, drawings, puzzles, etc.
From learning fractions of time, children can begin to learn fractions of other numbers by measuring fractions of amounts for recipes while helping in the kitchen. One favorite game in my house is called “the Pizza Game”. I constructed this game using colorful paper, crayons and scissors. The concept and construct of this game is very simple. I had the children help me color a number of round pizzas that I cut out beforehand. Once they were decorated, I cut the pizzas into different fractions. For instance, one pizza is cut into fourths, another into thirds, etc. These game pieces can then be played in ways only limited by the imagination. My children enjoy putting different pieces (or fractions) together to make one whole pizza (i.e. 1/2 + 2/4 = 1 whole).
I recommend visiting www.kidzpage.com to help teach youngsters other key concepts including tall-short, over-under, assigning values to different pieces of currency, comparing weights and shapes and other like lessons. I realize that all strategies shared in this post are not an exhaustive list of readiness requirements. Such a list could be provided by any local school district. What this blog has provided are simply a handful of concepts I wanted my children to master prior to entering school and the strategies I used to serve as a means to that end.
As the weather reluctantly shifts to Spring, my thoughts gravitate more and more toward school preparedness. When weighing all of the factors as to where to place my child in school next year, this decision-making process has educated me on all matters regarding "kindergarten preparedness".
Many of us can remember when the focus of school was still just on the three "R's", reading, writing & arithmetic. The goal of this blog is to share strategies that I have used over the past few years to teach my children the latter.
Many parents have their own set of tools in teaching literacy to their small children but then fall short when it comes to teaching them math skills. In a recent study discussed by Hechinger (2010) when assessed on math proficiency “fifteen-year-olds in the U.S. ranked 25th among peers from 34 countries”. (www.bloomberg.com). Given this, and other similar findings, parents in the United States should make efforts to stymie this trend by helping their children master numbers concepts in the development of early math skills.
Counting. Step By Step.
To teach my children how to count, I added a song to the end of their “ABC’s”. Because they are the hardest numbers for children to remember, I was sure to include the “teens” and had the song count up to twenty. I then taught these concepts in this order…
• Counting by tens
• Counting from ten down to zero
• Counting from twenty down to zero
• Counting up by fives (especially helpful in teaching children to tell time)
• Counting up by two’s
Just as in learning to write letters, children can learn to write numbers with tracing pages found in workbooks or downloaded from the internet. A very simple way to help kids grasp math concepts is to make them aware that math is all around them. At the same time it is important that children learn that numbers have value that can be counted. Counting is imperative but it can also be a fun skill to master. Parents can make a game of it by collecting their children’s favorite things and then having them count and then add and subtract these items including snacks, toys, books, cars, blocks, etc.
In an age where everything is digital, the concept of telling time by using hands on a clock can seem abstract. Timing traffic lights is a fun way to teach the concept of seconds and minutes. From here, parents can work on teaching children to “tell time” with use of clocks that they can manipulate in whatever form, be they toys, drawings, puzzles, etc.
From learning fractions of time, children can begin to learn fractions of other numbers by measuring fractions of amounts for recipes while helping in the kitchen. One favorite game in my house is called “the Pizza Game”. I constructed this game using colorful paper, crayons and scissors. The concept and construct of this game is very simple. I had the children help me color a number of round pizzas that I cut out beforehand. Once they were decorated, I cut the pizzas into different fractions. For instance, one pizza is cut into fourths, another into thirds, etc. These game pieces can then be played in ways only limited by the imagination. My children enjoy putting different pieces (or fractions) together to make one whole pizza (i.e. 1/2 + 2/4 = 1 whole).
I recommend visiting www.kidzpage.com to help teach youngsters other key concepts including tall-short, over-under, assigning values to different pieces of currency, comparing weights and shapes and other like lessons. I realize that all strategies shared in this post are not an exhaustive list of readiness requirements. Such a list could be provided by any local school district. What this blog has provided are simply a handful of concepts I wanted my children to master prior to entering school and the strategies I used to serve as a means to that end.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The State Of Our Education
While watching President Barak Obama's State of the Union Address, I was pleased that he and his administration are aware of the painful reality which is the state of the United States' educational system. Specifically, the need to improve the quality and level of interest in the fields of math and science. Many of President Obama's statements reminded me of an article that I wrote in April of 2008 which discussed the fact that parents need to take the time to teach their children math and science skills as well and not just those found on the sports field. Because last night's speech stated this continuing need, I feel it only relevant to post the before mentioned article here...
"Add Science to Your Recipe for Summer Fun", by Bectoria Stafford, April, 2008
Alarming reports over the past several years indicating poor science performance by students in the United States have left many Americans wondering who will become future leaders in science related professions. Report findings of studies like Lessons Learned from U.S. International Science Performance from the U.S. Department of Education and the American Institutes for Research in 2007 have given parents further cause for concern. This study found that “U.S. science performance exhibits successively lower rankings across assessments” when comparing the performance of U.S. students to those of other industrialized countries. Additional findings of this study “show that the U.S. ranking decline begins in middle school and that reform efforts should not wait until secondary school science” (Ginsburg, et al.). While lawmakers and educators continue to work toward reversing this trend with the No Child Left Behind and other reform measures, parents should also become actively involved in improving their children’s performance in science. By taking an early interest in their children’s education, parents will lay a solid groundwork for their children’s scholastic careers.
The winter 2006/2007 research brief Family Involvement in Elementary School Children’s Education, by the Harvard Family Research Project, highlights “the importance of family involvement for children's outcomes”. Indicated in this brief are findings that “substantial research supports the importance of family involvement in the elementary school years”. Also included are two concepts that parents should adapt as principles when considering their involvement in their children’s education…
•“Home–school relationships are the formal and informal connections between the family and educational setting.
•Responsibility for learning is the aspect of parenting that places emphasis on activities in the home and community that promote learning skills in the young child” (Caspe et al.).
As a foster parent, I spent much of my time helping children catch up to their peers in preparation for better school success. I quickly learned the simple rule that the more fun the children had the more interested in learning they would be. Included in this article are examples of activities from a mom who knows how to turn a child’s world into a classroom of surprising wonderment. By adding science related experiments and activities to their recipe for summertime fun, parents will take the dryness out of science and show that it can be infused with excitement and adventure.
Parents can teach children how this whole “science thing works” by capitalizing on their natural curiosity and having them think of questions about their world that they want to have answered. Webster’s defines a hypothesis as “an unproved theory, proposition, etc. tentatively accepted to explain certain facts or to provide a basis for further investigation…” Basically, parents can teach children that they can use what they know about the world to guess what will happen during a given exercise. Children can then make observations which are, as Webster’s states, “…a noting and recording of facts…” for added interest during the activity. Learning about science does not have to strictly include conducting a handful of structured experiments. On the contrary, families should take advantage of the learning opportunities that they have in their area, on the internet (with supervision) and their local library to answer any number of science related questions. These experiences will also give children valuable study skills and tools for research that they can use throughout their scholastic career. Parents can peak children’s enthusiasm in science by showing their own interest in what their children are learning. Below are some science-based activities that have proven to be interesting to children of varying ages. By sharing these activities with their children in the coming summer months, parents spark their children’s interest in the fascinating world of science.
Good Vibrations
Learning about sound and other types of vibration can be an eye (and ear) opening lesson for students of any age. To prepare for this topic, parents can visit www.teachersdomain.org for definitions and further information. A simple demonstration can show children that vibrations are caused when objects and other “mediums”, as discussed by Webster’s, are affected by forces. When a rock is dropped into water, rings will appear. This demonstration can show children what vibration waves look like when a medium, in this case the water, is disturbed by the rock being thrown into it. To compare how sound in the air is similar to vibrations in the water, parents can straighten a wire hanger and then, with everyone maintaining a safe distance, hit the side of a table or tree with the hanger. Children will be able to see vibrations by watching the straightened hanger wobble. They will also be able to hear vibrations by (safely) holding the center of the vibrating hanger close to an ear. For older children, Acoustic Vibration and Animations, by Dan Russell, Associate Professor of Applied Physics at www.kettering.edu provides interesting information and animated examples of what vibrations look like.
Glues and Goo’s
While some parents may be tempted to skip this section, they should remind themselves that it is sometimes the gooiest messes that provide the best learning opportunities! The following “goo” (playdough) recipes from Stephanie Brown can be found at www.about.com. “These playdoughs are for children aged 2 years or older and require adult supervision at all times.
Kool-Aid Play Dough
Materials:
•2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
•2 cups boiling water with 1 package Kool-aid (any flavor)
•3 tablespoons corn oil
•1/2 cup salt
•1 tablespoon alum
Directions:
1.Mix ingredients and knead with flour (may take up to 1 extra cup). Use more if the dough draws moisture in high humidity. Keeps well, has a nice fragrance and is very colorful and very flexible” (Brown).
Parents will be the coolest adults on the block when they show their children how to make slime! The following is a homemade slime recipe provided by www.madsci.org. Homemade Slime
Materials:
•Borax
•White Glue
•Food Coloring (optional)
•Ziploc bags
Directions:
1.“Borax is available in the laundry section of your local grocery store. Take a cup of water and add to it 1 Tbs. of borax (approx 4% solution). Stir until completely dissolved.
2.Make a 50% water 50% white glue solution. Take 1/4 cup of each and mix thoroughly.
3.In a ziploc bag, add equal parts of the borax solution to equal parts of the glue solution. 1/2 cup of each will make a cup of slime.
4. Add a couple drops of food coloring.
5. Seal bag and knead the mixture.
6. Dig in and have fun. Remember to wash your hands after playing.
7. Keep your slime in the sealed bag in the refrigerator when not playing with it to keep it longer. Unfortunately it may eventually dry out or grow mold. Just throw it out and start again!” (Lee).
Just as goo’s do not have to be messy, learning about polymers, or glues, does not have to be a boring chemistry lesson. Parents can get a head start in teaching about polymers by visiting www.hometrainingtools.com. Children can also “ask a scientist” about polymers at Cornell University by visiting www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/ask. Below are other hands-on projects that will help children discover the fun side of adding properties together to create a completely different product.
The Gooiest Goo There Ever Was!
Materials:
•Bowl
•1/2 cup flour
•¼ cup oatmeal
•¾ cup water
•1 tsp. salt
•3-4 drops food coloring
Directions:
1.In bowl, mix flour and oatmeal together.
2.Add salt.
3.In a separate, smaller bowl mix food coloring to water together.
4.Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and stir until you have goo (add more water if necessary).
Too Hot to Handle: Volcanoes
Okay moms and dads! Time for a little bravery! Many parents will remember making homemade volcanoes for school projects when they were students. Now it’s the kids’ turn! It’s fun when the light bulb pops on and the connection is made between heat, pressure, time and eventual volcanic eruptions. After learning about lava flows and all of the marvelous natural phenomena related to volcanoes, children will be excited to simulate their own volcanic eruption.
Homemade Volcano
Materials:
•Papier Mache Paste
•Disposable cup
•Newspaper
•Wire mesh (optional)
•Masking tape
•Wooden board (at least 24” square)
Directions:
1.On top of the wooden board, sculpt the shape of a volcano using crumpled newspaper and wire mesh (optional), securing each piece of the structure with masking tape.
2.Place the disposable cup in the mouth of the volcano.
3.Paper mache the structure. Let dry.
4.Paint the volcano. Let dry.
At www.sciencebob.com, parents can find the following instructions in how to conduct their own volcanic demonstration…
“To make an erupting volcano you will need:
Materials:
•A volcano - Talk to an art teacher about making a volcano out of paper mache or plaster. If you're in a hurry to make your volcano, use a mound of dirt outside.
•A container that 35mm film comes in.
•Red and yellow food coloring (optional)
•Vinegar
•Liquid dish washing soap
Directions:
1.Go outside
2.Put the film canister into the volcano at the top
3.Add two spoonfuls of baking soda
4.Add about a spoonful of soap
5.Add about 3 drops of the red and yellow food coloring
Now for the eruption!
6.Add about an ounce of the vinegar into the container and watch what happens”. (Pflugfelder).
What’s Up?
Parents often joke about the question “what makes the sky blue” but few take the time to explore this question with their children. Younger children will be pleased to discover the answer to this age old question by learning that the Sun sends many colors to the Earth and that parts of our air (nitrogen and oxygen) allow the strongest (or dominant) light, blue, color the sky. Building on this knowledge, older children can learn about the gases that compose the Earth’s atmosphere and about how light interacts with these gases and other properties.
Many children and parents alike enjoy looking at the clouds on a warm summer day. Parents can build on this fascination by helping their children understand that water is constantly transforming. They can demonstrate this concept with the following activity. For safety, children should keep a safe distance and only observe this activity.
Materials:
•4 cups water
•Small saucepan with lid
•Stove top
•Clear glass
Directions:
1.Pour water into saucepan, cover with the lid and place onto the stove top.
2.Bring to a boil over medium heat.
3.Keeping a safe distance to avoid burning, remove the lid and observe the steam that rises from the saucepan.
4.Cover the saucepan once more with the lid and allow steam to build up on the lid.
5.Remove the lid and allow the built up steam condensation drip into the glass.
6.Observe that the ice turned to water then “water vapor” and then returned to the form of water (ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu).
Out of this World!
A visit to a planetarium can be fascinating to children of any age. Younger children will enjoy looking at the shapes of different constellation while older children might be interested in learning about what stars are made of. Children can easily create their own starry sky with the following recipe for fun.
Homemade Starry Sky
Materials:
•Paper bowl or square tissue box
•Scissors
•Tap light
•Marking pens or crayons
Directions:
1.Draw constellations on the bowl or tissue box and have a parent cut them out w/scissors.
2.In a dark room, turn on a tap light and place the bowl or tissue box on top of it.
3.Observe the star patterns that are projected onto the walls.
When studying the sky, many children will learn that some of the lights that they see are not actually stars at all but planets. Learning about planets will launch children into their own fascinating exploration of space. By building a scale model, children will learn how each planet circles the Sun beginning with “Mercury, then Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and ending with Neptune which precedes Pluto, a dwarf planet”. Parents can guide children in the scaling of their model by teaching them that “the largest planet is Jupiter. It is followed by Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury, and finally, tiny Pluto” (Col). Families can also design a fun trivia game to test each family member’s knowledge about the planets.
Planet Trivia
Materials:
•Note Cards
•Pens or pencils
Directions:
1.Have each player choose their own favorite planet.
2.Write questions about different planets on separate note cards. (e.g. “what is the atmosphere like on your planet?” or “is your planet cold or warm?”).
3.Have each player take turns answering the questions.
4.Players can guess the planet in question at any time, but they can only have one guess per question. If the guess is correct, it is now that person’s turn.
How Did They Do That?
Many children have a fascination with discovering what makes things work. Parents can steer these interests toward the field of science with activities that will help their children explore these interests further. Operating with the understanding that “electricity is a major physics topic”, many science centers have child-friendly exhibits that explain how electricity works and how it is used in the 21st century (Ginsburg et al.). Activities at home and during other planned outings can also help to teach children about electricity. Parents can share with school aged children the sources of electricity in nature and how electrical currents travel on wires into the home. Beginning with a battery powered flashlight, older children can be taught that while lower voltages can power small things, like light bulbs, far more electricity is required to power larger objects like the family refrigerator.
Parents can continue this exploration of how things work in any number of ways. The doors to scientific discovery can be flung open when parents customize lessons about science to include their children’s unique interests. To learn more about basic mechanics, children need only look as far as their own home. By turning a bicycle upside-down, children can observe how gears of a bicycle work. They can then take this knowledge with them to a local science museum or the local library to learn how that concept relates to machine technology. Parents can go online to show children where an interest in mechanics can be combined with science by visiting www.dspace.mit.edu .
When Ideas Take Flight
Hot air balloons can teach children about the use of air currents in navigation and flight direction as well as how hot air balloons use air temperature to fly. If available, visiting a hot air balloon exhibit, event or seeing one at a fair can be described as nothing less than spectacular. Learning about hot air balloons does not have to be restricted to observation only as homemade hot air balloons are relatively easy to make.
Homemade Hot Air Balloon
Materials:
•Garbage bags
•Pipe cleaners
•Hole punch
•Hair dryer
•String
•Tape
Directions:
1.Create a balloon using garbage bags and tape.
2.Punch small holes around the opening of the balloon and thread the pipe cleaner through the holes around the opening.
3.Join the two ends of the pipe cleaner to create a ring at the opening.
4.Tie one end of the string to the bag. Hold the string out of the until it is filled with hot air.
5.Release the balloon once it has been filled with hot air; anchor it with the string.
6.Observe the bag as the warm air pushes it up into the sky.
After learning about hot air balloons, children may want to learn about airplanes. Parents can help children learn about the science involved with these beautifully engineered machines by doing research online or at a local library or by visiting an aeronautical museum. For a hands-on approach, children can become little aeronautical engineers by designing their own paper air planes with wing structures and designs that will maximize lift and minimize drag. They can then test and record which designs worked the best and compare their findings with one another.
By no means are the ideas included in this article meant to bombard children with science or to burn them out. Because the science based experiences that can be provided to children are only limited to ones own imagination, parents can use the above activities to launch their children into a world where science can be a fun and fascinating adventure!
-End of Article-
I realize that the above article was written for the summertime. With a little imagination, any of the referenced activities can be adapted for any time of the year. The idea is for parents to realize the importance of emphasizing math and science in their homes so that children can realize the satisfaction found in eccelling in these areas as well. I challenge each reader to make competence in math and science a fun and lasting adventure at home today and throughout the year. Have fun!
"Add Science to Your Recipe for Summer Fun", by Bectoria Stafford, April, 2008
Alarming reports over the past several years indicating poor science performance by students in the United States have left many Americans wondering who will become future leaders in science related professions. Report findings of studies like Lessons Learned from U.S. International Science Performance from the U.S. Department of Education and the American Institutes for Research in 2007 have given parents further cause for concern. This study found that “U.S. science performance exhibits successively lower rankings across assessments” when comparing the performance of U.S. students to those of other industrialized countries. Additional findings of this study “show that the U.S. ranking decline begins in middle school and that reform efforts should not wait until secondary school science” (Ginsburg, et al.). While lawmakers and educators continue to work toward reversing this trend with the No Child Left Behind and other reform measures, parents should also become actively involved in improving their children’s performance in science. By taking an early interest in their children’s education, parents will lay a solid groundwork for their children’s scholastic careers.
The winter 2006/2007 research brief Family Involvement in Elementary School Children’s Education, by the Harvard Family Research Project, highlights “the importance of family involvement for children's outcomes”. Indicated in this brief are findings that “substantial research supports the importance of family involvement in the elementary school years”. Also included are two concepts that parents should adapt as principles when considering their involvement in their children’s education…
•“Home–school relationships are the formal and informal connections between the family and educational setting.
•Responsibility for learning is the aspect of parenting that places emphasis on activities in the home and community that promote learning skills in the young child” (Caspe et al.).
As a foster parent, I spent much of my time helping children catch up to their peers in preparation for better school success. I quickly learned the simple rule that the more fun the children had the more interested in learning they would be. Included in this article are examples of activities from a mom who knows how to turn a child’s world into a classroom of surprising wonderment. By adding science related experiments and activities to their recipe for summertime fun, parents will take the dryness out of science and show that it can be infused with excitement and adventure.
Parents can teach children how this whole “science thing works” by capitalizing on their natural curiosity and having them think of questions about their world that they want to have answered. Webster’s defines a hypothesis as “an unproved theory, proposition, etc. tentatively accepted to explain certain facts or to provide a basis for further investigation…” Basically, parents can teach children that they can use what they know about the world to guess what will happen during a given exercise. Children can then make observations which are, as Webster’s states, “…a noting and recording of facts…” for added interest during the activity. Learning about science does not have to strictly include conducting a handful of structured experiments. On the contrary, families should take advantage of the learning opportunities that they have in their area, on the internet (with supervision) and their local library to answer any number of science related questions. These experiences will also give children valuable study skills and tools for research that they can use throughout their scholastic career. Parents can peak children’s enthusiasm in science by showing their own interest in what their children are learning. Below are some science-based activities that have proven to be interesting to children of varying ages. By sharing these activities with their children in the coming summer months, parents spark their children’s interest in the fascinating world of science.
Good Vibrations
Learning about sound and other types of vibration can be an eye (and ear) opening lesson for students of any age. To prepare for this topic, parents can visit www.teachersdomain.org for definitions and further information. A simple demonstration can show children that vibrations are caused when objects and other “mediums”, as discussed by Webster’s, are affected by forces. When a rock is dropped into water, rings will appear. This demonstration can show children what vibration waves look like when a medium, in this case the water, is disturbed by the rock being thrown into it. To compare how sound in the air is similar to vibrations in the water, parents can straighten a wire hanger and then, with everyone maintaining a safe distance, hit the side of a table or tree with the hanger. Children will be able to see vibrations by watching the straightened hanger wobble. They will also be able to hear vibrations by (safely) holding the center of the vibrating hanger close to an ear. For older children, Acoustic Vibration and Animations, by Dan Russell, Associate Professor of Applied Physics at www.kettering.edu provides interesting information and animated examples of what vibrations look like.
Glues and Goo’s
While some parents may be tempted to skip this section, they should remind themselves that it is sometimes the gooiest messes that provide the best learning opportunities! The following “goo” (playdough) recipes from Stephanie Brown can be found at www.about.com. “These playdoughs are for children aged 2 years or older and require adult supervision at all times.
Kool-Aid Play Dough
Materials:
•2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
•2 cups boiling water with 1 package Kool-aid (any flavor)
•3 tablespoons corn oil
•1/2 cup salt
•1 tablespoon alum
Directions:
1.Mix ingredients and knead with flour (may take up to 1 extra cup). Use more if the dough draws moisture in high humidity. Keeps well, has a nice fragrance and is very colorful and very flexible” (Brown).
Parents will be the coolest adults on the block when they show their children how to make slime! The following is a homemade slime recipe provided by www.madsci.org. Homemade Slime
Materials:
•Borax
•White Glue
•Food Coloring (optional)
•Ziploc bags
Directions:
1.“Borax is available in the laundry section of your local grocery store. Take a cup of water and add to it 1 Tbs. of borax (approx 4% solution). Stir until completely dissolved.
2.Make a 50% water 50% white glue solution. Take 1/4 cup of each and mix thoroughly.
3.In a ziploc bag, add equal parts of the borax solution to equal parts of the glue solution. 1/2 cup of each will make a cup of slime.
4. Add a couple drops of food coloring.
5. Seal bag and knead the mixture.
6. Dig in and have fun. Remember to wash your hands after playing.
7. Keep your slime in the sealed bag in the refrigerator when not playing with it to keep it longer. Unfortunately it may eventually dry out or grow mold. Just throw it out and start again!” (Lee).
Just as goo’s do not have to be messy, learning about polymers, or glues, does not have to be a boring chemistry lesson. Parents can get a head start in teaching about polymers by visiting www.hometrainingtools.com. Children can also “ask a scientist” about polymers at Cornell University by visiting www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/ask. Below are other hands-on projects that will help children discover the fun side of adding properties together to create a completely different product.
The Gooiest Goo There Ever Was!
Materials:
•Bowl
•1/2 cup flour
•¼ cup oatmeal
•¾ cup water
•1 tsp. salt
•3-4 drops food coloring
Directions:
1.In bowl, mix flour and oatmeal together.
2.Add salt.
3.In a separate, smaller bowl mix food coloring to water together.
4.Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and stir until you have goo (add more water if necessary).
Too Hot to Handle: Volcanoes
Okay moms and dads! Time for a little bravery! Many parents will remember making homemade volcanoes for school projects when they were students. Now it’s the kids’ turn! It’s fun when the light bulb pops on and the connection is made between heat, pressure, time and eventual volcanic eruptions. After learning about lava flows and all of the marvelous natural phenomena related to volcanoes, children will be excited to simulate their own volcanic eruption.
Homemade Volcano
Materials:
•Papier Mache Paste
•Disposable cup
•Newspaper
•Wire mesh (optional)
•Masking tape
•Wooden board (at least 24” square)
Directions:
1.On top of the wooden board, sculpt the shape of a volcano using crumpled newspaper and wire mesh (optional), securing each piece of the structure with masking tape.
2.Place the disposable cup in the mouth of the volcano.
3.Paper mache the structure. Let dry.
4.Paint the volcano. Let dry.
At www.sciencebob.com, parents can find the following instructions in how to conduct their own volcanic demonstration…
“To make an erupting volcano you will need:
Materials:
•A volcano - Talk to an art teacher about making a volcano out of paper mache or plaster. If you're in a hurry to make your volcano, use a mound of dirt outside.
•A container that 35mm film comes in.
•Red and yellow food coloring (optional)
•Vinegar
•Liquid dish washing soap
Directions:
1.Go outside
2.Put the film canister into the volcano at the top
3.Add two spoonfuls of baking soda
4.Add about a spoonful of soap
5.Add about 3 drops of the red and yellow food coloring
Now for the eruption!
6.Add about an ounce of the vinegar into the container and watch what happens”. (Pflugfelder).
What’s Up?
Parents often joke about the question “what makes the sky blue” but few take the time to explore this question with their children. Younger children will be pleased to discover the answer to this age old question by learning that the Sun sends many colors to the Earth and that parts of our air (nitrogen and oxygen) allow the strongest (or dominant) light, blue, color the sky. Building on this knowledge, older children can learn about the gases that compose the Earth’s atmosphere and about how light interacts with these gases and other properties.
Many children and parents alike enjoy looking at the clouds on a warm summer day. Parents can build on this fascination by helping their children understand that water is constantly transforming. They can demonstrate this concept with the following activity. For safety, children should keep a safe distance and only observe this activity.
Materials:
•4 cups water
•Small saucepan with lid
•Stove top
•Clear glass
Directions:
1.Pour water into saucepan, cover with the lid and place onto the stove top.
2.Bring to a boil over medium heat.
3.Keeping a safe distance to avoid burning, remove the lid and observe the steam that rises from the saucepan.
4.Cover the saucepan once more with the lid and allow steam to build up on the lid.
5.Remove the lid and allow the built up steam condensation drip into the glass.
6.Observe that the ice turned to water then “water vapor” and then returned to the form of water (ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu).
Out of this World!
A visit to a planetarium can be fascinating to children of any age. Younger children will enjoy looking at the shapes of different constellation while older children might be interested in learning about what stars are made of. Children can easily create their own starry sky with the following recipe for fun.
Homemade Starry Sky
Materials:
•Paper bowl or square tissue box
•Scissors
•Tap light
•Marking pens or crayons
Directions:
1.Draw constellations on the bowl or tissue box and have a parent cut them out w/scissors.
2.In a dark room, turn on a tap light and place the bowl or tissue box on top of it.
3.Observe the star patterns that are projected onto the walls.
When studying the sky, many children will learn that some of the lights that they see are not actually stars at all but planets. Learning about planets will launch children into their own fascinating exploration of space. By building a scale model, children will learn how each planet circles the Sun beginning with “Mercury, then Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and ending with Neptune which precedes Pluto, a dwarf planet”. Parents can guide children in the scaling of their model by teaching them that “the largest planet is Jupiter. It is followed by Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury, and finally, tiny Pluto” (Col). Families can also design a fun trivia game to test each family member’s knowledge about the planets.
Planet Trivia
Materials:
•Note Cards
•Pens or pencils
Directions:
1.Have each player choose their own favorite planet.
2.Write questions about different planets on separate note cards. (e.g. “what is the atmosphere like on your planet?” or “is your planet cold or warm?”).
3.Have each player take turns answering the questions.
4.Players can guess the planet in question at any time, but they can only have one guess per question. If the guess is correct, it is now that person’s turn.
How Did They Do That?
Many children have a fascination with discovering what makes things work. Parents can steer these interests toward the field of science with activities that will help their children explore these interests further. Operating with the understanding that “electricity is a major physics topic”, many science centers have child-friendly exhibits that explain how electricity works and how it is used in the 21st century (Ginsburg et al.). Activities at home and during other planned outings can also help to teach children about electricity. Parents can share with school aged children the sources of electricity in nature and how electrical currents travel on wires into the home. Beginning with a battery powered flashlight, older children can be taught that while lower voltages can power small things, like light bulbs, far more electricity is required to power larger objects like the family refrigerator.
Parents can continue this exploration of how things work in any number of ways. The doors to scientific discovery can be flung open when parents customize lessons about science to include their children’s unique interests. To learn more about basic mechanics, children need only look as far as their own home. By turning a bicycle upside-down, children can observe how gears of a bicycle work. They can then take this knowledge with them to a local science museum or the local library to learn how that concept relates to machine technology. Parents can go online to show children where an interest in mechanics can be combined with science by visiting www.dspace.mit.edu .
When Ideas Take Flight
Hot air balloons can teach children about the use of air currents in navigation and flight direction as well as how hot air balloons use air temperature to fly. If available, visiting a hot air balloon exhibit, event or seeing one at a fair can be described as nothing less than spectacular. Learning about hot air balloons does not have to be restricted to observation only as homemade hot air balloons are relatively easy to make.
Homemade Hot Air Balloon
Materials:
•Garbage bags
•Pipe cleaners
•Hole punch
•Hair dryer
•String
•Tape
Directions:
1.Create a balloon using garbage bags and tape.
2.Punch small holes around the opening of the balloon and thread the pipe cleaner through the holes around the opening.
3.Join the two ends of the pipe cleaner to create a ring at the opening.
4.Tie one end of the string to the bag. Hold the string out of the until it is filled with hot air.
5.Release the balloon once it has been filled with hot air; anchor it with the string.
6.Observe the bag as the warm air pushes it up into the sky.
After learning about hot air balloons, children may want to learn about airplanes. Parents can help children learn about the science involved with these beautifully engineered machines by doing research online or at a local library or by visiting an aeronautical museum. For a hands-on approach, children can become little aeronautical engineers by designing their own paper air planes with wing structures and designs that will maximize lift and minimize drag. They can then test and record which designs worked the best and compare their findings with one another.
By no means are the ideas included in this article meant to bombard children with science or to burn them out. Because the science based experiences that can be provided to children are only limited to ones own imagination, parents can use the above activities to launch their children into a world where science can be a fun and fascinating adventure!
-End of Article-
I realize that the above article was written for the summertime. With a little imagination, any of the referenced activities can be adapted for any time of the year. The idea is for parents to realize the importance of emphasizing math and science in their homes so that children can realize the satisfaction found in eccelling in these areas as well. I challenge each reader to make competence in math and science a fun and lasting adventure at home today and throughout the year. Have fun!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
A Little Holiday Humor
Since my last post, I have been told by some readers that they still have difficulty getting out of the hustle and bustle and into the true spirit of this holiday season. After telling them that it isn’t too late to find some holiday cheer, these holiday hold-outs ask me how I do it. Because I am a realist, I begin every holiday season with a quick self reminder (my own holiday chill-pill, if you will) that I have a houseful of small children (three under the age of five) and that mishaps will happen. Past experiences from parenting my biological children and also our foster children has taught me that… a) the gingerbread house will be torn to smithereens by Christmas Eve, b) the stockings that I have hung by the chimney with care will be yanked down repeatedly for the sole purpose of “just checking”, c) wrapping paper and tape will be used to make forts throughout the house and d) artfully coordinated ornaments will be used as toys. The most important lesson that I gained from repeated experiences much like those listed above is to ALWAYS expect ANYTHING to go wrong at ANY time throughout this season of joy and togetherness.
How do I get through the season while remaining sane and my house in one piece? By taking my own advice from my previous post and “enjoying the magic of the season through the eyes of a child”. By so doing, I am able to embrace the spirit by which my children dismantle my carefully arranged Nativity scene or unwrap presents once so ornately decorated that even Martha Stewart would be envious. Don’t be mistaken, however. I am not condoning a holiday free-for-all. I am simply recommending that parents give up the need for controlled perfection and accept the reality of mistakes and messes brought on by the curiosity that the holidays inspire.
The above statement again begs the question… How do I do it? By savoring the humor that accompanies these unfortunate and unforeseen moments. Instead of getting upset that “someone” broke all of the candy canes, I choose to laugh at the fact that that same “someone” tried to jam three of them up my two-year-olds nose. It’s surprising how quickly vacuuming up peppermint bits goes when done with a chuckle. Rather than waste my time and energy insisting that home videos be cinematic masterpieces, I allow my children to be themselves and I try not to crack up when the little one picks her nose while her sister sings an energetic rendition of “Rudolph the Red- Nosed Reindeer”. I don’t even bother getting grinchy and grumpy when "somehow" all of the chocolate from the advent calendar finds its way up the stairs and melts itself to my child’s bedspread. I find that stain lifter always works better when applied with a grin.
While it may take practice, choosing to pick out funny moments among the chaos is a prescription anyone can follow. To help out, the following are a few fun memories from my family’s 2010 Christmas season…
Our family embraces “the Elf on the Shelf” tradition. For those who don’t know, this elf visits children in their homes each day throughout the Christmas season. He then flies back to the North Pole each night to report their actions to Santa. Many parents appreciate having an extra set of eyes around the house to ensure that everyone is acting "nice" and not "naughty". Because the elf leaves each night, he returns each morning to a different location in the house. This adds to the fun as many children look forward to finding where their elf has hidden each new day. One day, our family’s elf had run out of places to hide, so, for some reason, rather than hiding in a previous location, he opted to hide in our bathroom. This unfortunately was the same day our children were writing their Christmas letters to Santa. Had I known our elf’s current location having run out of options, I never would have suggested that our children give their letters to the elf to deliver to Santa. When I did make the suggestion, my four-year-old let me know just how ridiculous and inappropriate that idea was. Wow. What were we thinking? I am glad that she made this so clear. Now I am sure that neither the elf nor I will ever make a mistake like that again!
It was neat to learn that our daughter’s preschool teacher still believes in Santa too. Santa thinks that she is so special, in fact, that this year, she even received a letter from the big guy. Included in this letter were the names of each of her students who would be receiving a special gift under the tree. Our daughter was thrilled to hear the names of each of her classmates as her teacher read them off of Santa’s list. That was until the teacher finished reading the list, not realizing that Santa had left out the name of one classmate who was presently on vacation. Our little one came home distraught that her classmate would not receive a Santa gift because he wouldn’t be home in time for Christmas. Despite our attempts to reassure her, our daughter was so concerned for little Daniel that this became the main topic of our dinner discussion during that and the next couple of nights. Everyone was relieved when we attended the school’s Christmas program and saw for ourselves that Daniel had returned from vacation and therefore would be receiving a gift from Santa. Phew! Talk about a close one!
Another holiday tradition that our family has is a special Christmas Eve bedtime recitation of Clement Clarke Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas”. One would think that I would have this rhyme well rehearsed by now, being that I began this tradition during my own childhood. Alas, this is not the case, but I have a compelling reason as to why! Each year we opt to have my father continue the tradition in his beautiful baritone voice. When it came to be bedtime this Christmas Eve we unfortunately were unable to reach him by phone. Rather than keep our children up too late my husband and I attempted to recite the poem ourselves. With even our best tag-team efforts, we were only able to get to the point of “hearing such a clatter” and then “running” to the “window to see what was the matter”. We were at a loss for where to go after “flying” to the window like a “flash”, tearing open the shutters and throwing up the “sash”. Rather than making up a happy ending, the thoughtful parents that we are, my husband and I unwittingly struck fear into the hearts of our small children by abruptly ending the story with “Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night”. This incident would soon become known among our friends and extended family as the Crandall family “Nightmare before Christmas”. No relation to the movie, of course, but with an experience like that, what small child needs a movie to scare the wits out of them?
This list of humorous Christmas stories can go on and on, but my point is to help each reader identify those funny experiences that make each family’s holiday season uniquely memorable and special. As each household concludes the holiday season by preparing for New Year’s celebrations it is my hope that this post has done just that.
How do I get through the season while remaining sane and my house in one piece? By taking my own advice from my previous post and “enjoying the magic of the season through the eyes of a child”. By so doing, I am able to embrace the spirit by which my children dismantle my carefully arranged Nativity scene or unwrap presents once so ornately decorated that even Martha Stewart would be envious. Don’t be mistaken, however. I am not condoning a holiday free-for-all. I am simply recommending that parents give up the need for controlled perfection and accept the reality of mistakes and messes brought on by the curiosity that the holidays inspire.
The above statement again begs the question… How do I do it? By savoring the humor that accompanies these unfortunate and unforeseen moments. Instead of getting upset that “someone” broke all of the candy canes, I choose to laugh at the fact that that same “someone” tried to jam three of them up my two-year-olds nose. It’s surprising how quickly vacuuming up peppermint bits goes when done with a chuckle. Rather than waste my time and energy insisting that home videos be cinematic masterpieces, I allow my children to be themselves and I try not to crack up when the little one picks her nose while her sister sings an energetic rendition of “Rudolph the Red- Nosed Reindeer”. I don’t even bother getting grinchy and grumpy when "somehow" all of the chocolate from the advent calendar finds its way up the stairs and melts itself to my child’s bedspread. I find that stain lifter always works better when applied with a grin.
While it may take practice, choosing to pick out funny moments among the chaos is a prescription anyone can follow. To help out, the following are a few fun memories from my family’s 2010 Christmas season…
Our family embraces “the Elf on the Shelf” tradition. For those who don’t know, this elf visits children in their homes each day throughout the Christmas season. He then flies back to the North Pole each night to report their actions to Santa. Many parents appreciate having an extra set of eyes around the house to ensure that everyone is acting "nice" and not "naughty". Because the elf leaves each night, he returns each morning to a different location in the house. This adds to the fun as many children look forward to finding where their elf has hidden each new day. One day, our family’s elf had run out of places to hide, so, for some reason, rather than hiding in a previous location, he opted to hide in our bathroom. This unfortunately was the same day our children were writing their Christmas letters to Santa. Had I known our elf’s current location having run out of options, I never would have suggested that our children give their letters to the elf to deliver to Santa. When I did make the suggestion, my four-year-old let me know just how ridiculous and inappropriate that idea was. Wow. What were we thinking? I am glad that she made this so clear. Now I am sure that neither the elf nor I will ever make a mistake like that again!
It was neat to learn that our daughter’s preschool teacher still believes in Santa too. Santa thinks that she is so special, in fact, that this year, she even received a letter from the big guy. Included in this letter were the names of each of her students who would be receiving a special gift under the tree. Our daughter was thrilled to hear the names of each of her classmates as her teacher read them off of Santa’s list. That was until the teacher finished reading the list, not realizing that Santa had left out the name of one classmate who was presently on vacation. Our little one came home distraught that her classmate would not receive a Santa gift because he wouldn’t be home in time for Christmas. Despite our attempts to reassure her, our daughter was so concerned for little Daniel that this became the main topic of our dinner discussion during that and the next couple of nights. Everyone was relieved when we attended the school’s Christmas program and saw for ourselves that Daniel had returned from vacation and therefore would be receiving a gift from Santa. Phew! Talk about a close one!
Another holiday tradition that our family has is a special Christmas Eve bedtime recitation of Clement Clarke Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas”. One would think that I would have this rhyme well rehearsed by now, being that I began this tradition during my own childhood. Alas, this is not the case, but I have a compelling reason as to why! Each year we opt to have my father continue the tradition in his beautiful baritone voice. When it came to be bedtime this Christmas Eve we unfortunately were unable to reach him by phone. Rather than keep our children up too late my husband and I attempted to recite the poem ourselves. With even our best tag-team efforts, we were only able to get to the point of “hearing such a clatter” and then “running” to the “window to see what was the matter”. We were at a loss for where to go after “flying” to the window like a “flash”, tearing open the shutters and throwing up the “sash”. Rather than making up a happy ending, the thoughtful parents that we are, my husband and I unwittingly struck fear into the hearts of our small children by abruptly ending the story with “Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night”. This incident would soon become known among our friends and extended family as the Crandall family “Nightmare before Christmas”. No relation to the movie, of course, but with an experience like that, what small child needs a movie to scare the wits out of them?
This list of humorous Christmas stories can go on and on, but my point is to help each reader identify those funny experiences that make each family’s holiday season uniquely memorable and special. As each household concludes the holiday season by preparing for New Year’s celebrations it is my hope that this post has done just that.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Who Stole Christmas?
Now that the presents have been opened and Santa has made his yearly debut, it is my hope that everyone can reflect on the Christmas season with fond memories of merry celebrations and all of the joy that the season creates. For all of those who worry that they didn’t jam their schedules full of enough Christmas activities or fear they may have hurt junior’s feelings by having not purchased all fifty items on his “wish” list, allow me to officially let you off the hook! Too often parents get so caught up in providing a “perfect Christmas” and spend the new year with feelings of buyer’s remorse for having splurged on the “must have toy” –remember the Tickle-Me-Elmo doll from the nineties? Others are overwhelmed with feelings of grief from having spent too much time working to make the perfect memory and not enough time being a part of it. It is often these same individuals who get angry at their spouses for not sharing a zeal for going (dare I say) “over-the-top” with festive flare. For these reasons and more, many parents put so much pressure on themselves this time of year it is easy to see how many forget to enjoy the true meaning of the season.
For all those described above (myself included!), I have written the following adaptation from one of my favorite Christmas classics “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore. This adaptation is a couple of years old and may be recognized by some readers, but I feel it remains relevant for many of us.
(Adapted by Bectoria L. Stafford-Crandall from “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore)
T’was the night before Christmas and all through the house
Mom’s fed everyone amply so that no one could grouse
The handmade stockings were hung by the chimney with care
So that St. Nick would notice their decorative flare
The In-laws were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of their return flights home danced in Mom’s head
With Mama in the kitchen
Dad took a nap
When he sees all the gifts he’ll ask “how much was this crap?”
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
Dad sprang from the couch to see what was the matter
Outside a plastic Santa exploded in a flash
While tearing down shutters and lights with one crash
The torn down ornaments as they rest on the new fallen snow
Made Mom flustered as she looked out the adjacent window
When what to her horrified eyes should appear but a small flaming sleigh and eight incinerated reindeer
With their little old driver now melted to brick,
She knew in a moment they came with the plastic St. Nick
More rapid than eagles Dad extinguished the flames
While Mom bristled and shouted and called Dad some names
That Dasher! That Dancer! That Prancer! That Vixon!
That Comet! That Cupid! That Donder! That Blitzen!
"I didn’t want them on the porch! I told you that at the mall!
Now throw the lawn ornaments away! Melted plastic and all!"
As dry leaves before a wild hurricane fly Dad’s temper met with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So out of the house as coursers he flew
Throwing out all his burnt toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then in a twinkling, she heard on the roof
The grunting and struggling from that stubborn old goof
As she drew in her head and was turning around
Down the chimney her Christmas lights came in a bound
This caused her to stir from her head to her foot
As she looked at her once twinkling lights now tarnished with ashes and soot
A bundle of burnt toys Dad had flung on his back
As he came in like a peddler to open his garbage sack
His eyes- how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow
And poor Mama’s face was as white as the snow
She stomped to the door and clenched tightly her teeth
She turned around and encircled Dad’s head with the wreath
She pulled it past his broad face and then patted his belly
It shook when he flinched like a bowlful of jelly
He called her chubby and plump, like a jolly old elf
He had to laugh when he said this in spite of himself
A wink of her eye and a twist of her head
Soon gave him to know he had something to dread
She spoke not a word, but went straight to her work
Threw out his golf clubs, then called him a jerk,
He exclaimed “I’m so sorry” as she went for his fishing poles
And then giving a nod, she quickly froze
As he completed her Christmas Eve“honey-do” list, her anger did fizzle
When he was done, to bed he flew like the down of a thistle
And she lovingly whispered as she turned out the light
Happy Christmas to all and y’all better sleep tight!
Sometimes all a well-meaning parent needs is to take a step back and reflect on what is truly important. It is healthy for parents to remind themselves that children probably don’t want their parents to be stressed out and overburdened with details and tasks, especially at such a magical time of year as Christmas. Children who are shuttled all over and forced to partake in every single “Christmassy” activity available by well-meaning but frenzied parents may reflect back and ask “who stole Christmas”? Instead, families just may benefit from parents prescribing themselves a yuletide “chill pill” and putting emphasis on small but special memories rather than jamming as much forced cheer into the holiday season as is humanly possible. Perhaps taking a moment to enjoy the magic of the season through the eyes of a child will spark an appreciation for those simpler things that make the season so great and time with family feel that much more special.
For all those described above (myself included!), I have written the following adaptation from one of my favorite Christmas classics “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore. This adaptation is a couple of years old and may be recognized by some readers, but I feel it remains relevant for many of us.
(Adapted by Bectoria L. Stafford-Crandall from “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore)
T’was the night before Christmas and all through the house
Mom’s fed everyone amply so that no one could grouse
The handmade stockings were hung by the chimney with care
So that St. Nick would notice their decorative flare
The In-laws were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of their return flights home danced in Mom’s head
With Mama in the kitchen
Dad took a nap
When he sees all the gifts he’ll ask “how much was this crap?”
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
Dad sprang from the couch to see what was the matter
Outside a plastic Santa exploded in a flash
While tearing down shutters and lights with one crash
The torn down ornaments as they rest on the new fallen snow
Made Mom flustered as she looked out the adjacent window
When what to her horrified eyes should appear but a small flaming sleigh and eight incinerated reindeer
With their little old driver now melted to brick,
She knew in a moment they came with the plastic St. Nick
More rapid than eagles Dad extinguished the flames
While Mom bristled and shouted and called Dad some names
That Dasher! That Dancer! That Prancer! That Vixon!
That Comet! That Cupid! That Donder! That Blitzen!
"I didn’t want them on the porch! I told you that at the mall!
Now throw the lawn ornaments away! Melted plastic and all!"
As dry leaves before a wild hurricane fly Dad’s temper met with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So out of the house as coursers he flew
Throwing out all his burnt toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then in a twinkling, she heard on the roof
The grunting and struggling from that stubborn old goof
As she drew in her head and was turning around
Down the chimney her Christmas lights came in a bound
This caused her to stir from her head to her foot
As she looked at her once twinkling lights now tarnished with ashes and soot
A bundle of burnt toys Dad had flung on his back
As he came in like a peddler to open his garbage sack
His eyes- how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow
And poor Mama’s face was as white as the snow
She stomped to the door and clenched tightly her teeth
She turned around and encircled Dad’s head with the wreath
She pulled it past his broad face and then patted his belly
It shook when he flinched like a bowlful of jelly
He called her chubby and plump, like a jolly old elf
He had to laugh when he said this in spite of himself
A wink of her eye and a twist of her head
Soon gave him to know he had something to dread
She spoke not a word, but went straight to her work
Threw out his golf clubs, then called him a jerk,
He exclaimed “I’m so sorry” as she went for his fishing poles
And then giving a nod, she quickly froze
As he completed her Christmas Eve“honey-do” list, her anger did fizzle
When he was done, to bed he flew like the down of a thistle
And she lovingly whispered as she turned out the light
Happy Christmas to all and y’all better sleep tight!
Sometimes all a well-meaning parent needs is to take a step back and reflect on what is truly important. It is healthy for parents to remind themselves that children probably don’t want their parents to be stressed out and overburdened with details and tasks, especially at such a magical time of year as Christmas. Children who are shuttled all over and forced to partake in every single “Christmassy” activity available by well-meaning but frenzied parents may reflect back and ask “who stole Christmas”? Instead, families just may benefit from parents prescribing themselves a yuletide “chill pill” and putting emphasis on small but special memories rather than jamming as much forced cheer into the holiday season as is humanly possible. Perhaps taking a moment to enjoy the magic of the season through the eyes of a child will spark an appreciation for those simpler things that make the season so great and time with family feel that much more special.
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