How Can You Help Your Child Get The Most Out of Middle School?

Does Your Middle Schooler Struggle To Get To School?

Do you struggle to get your middle school child to wake up on time in order to get to school? Is it always a battle to get him to the bus stop in time, or do you find yourself having to find him a ride to school? Does your daughter spend too much time "primping" and then realizes that she is going to be late and then she is rushing here and there in a mad dash to get to school on time? Or, maybe your child feigns illness or has a laundry list of excuses he uses to avoid having to go to school at all. If you have similar situations occurring in your home most mornings, don't despair, I have some suggestions that may help you to reduce school day stress or perhaps eliminate it altogether. 

The first step toward achieving a peaceful school morning is to get to the REAL reason that your child is struggling with getting to school. Some of these situations are more easily solved than others. I will begin with the most challenging situations first. 

If your child is unable to get ready on time there may be a few roadblocks that need to be avoided to ensure that your child is able to get to school on time.

       1. Technology Lover

If waking up on time is the issue, check to see if your child is awake during the night playing video games, texting friends, reading e-books (this is the best case scenario), or doing any other activity that may prevent sleep. 

Studies have proven that the white light from cell phones and video games, and yes even backlit e-readers may prevent their brains from entering a rest phase. Determine a time, that is about an hour or two before bedtime, for your child to put their electronics to "bed". Middle school children should be getting about 8-10 hours of sleep each night. If they need to be awake at 6:30 a.m. in order to be on time to school, then their electronics need to be shut down at approximately 7:00 or 8:00 p.m.

       

           2. Night Owl Syndrome

 Children who love to stay up late watching T.V. or working on a hobby need to restructure their circadian rhythms. Our biological clocks become established based on our natural sleep - wake cycles. Some people can't fall asleep unless it is completely dark or it is the set time in which they always fall asleep. Children who are allowed to go to bed later on Friday and Saturday nights or during school breaks may find that this interrupts their ability to fall asleep at an earlier time during the school week. If this is the case, try to implement a bedtime that is reasonable for your child both during the school week and on weekends and vacations. Keeping their bedtime consistent may be just the thing they need to help them catch more zzzzz's during the school week and wake up on time!

          3. Procrastinator Problems
Some teens seem to take forever to get ready in the morning. They may spend an exorbitant amount of time in the shower, they can't seem to decide what they should wear, or perhaps they become distracted by TV or music. In this case making decisions about what to wear, getting their backpack organized and ready and deciding what they will have for breakfast (and maybe setting this up) should all take place the night before. Discussing reasonable time limits for showering should be set prior to shower time and sometimes maybe a timer should be use to signal when their shower time ends. Following these guidelines can help to alleviate those very unpleasant mornings that seem to pop up when teens are struggling to be on time. 

           4. I Hate School and I DON'T Want To GO!
If your child has not previously expressed dislike for school and is suddenly refusing to go to school there may be an underlying reason for their sudden refusal. If you and your child can discuss things easily (and keep in mind, teens tend to bottle up their feelings; this is natural) maybe you can encourage your child to share the real reason why he suddenly "Hates" school. There can be a whole host of reasons as to  why he is feeling anxious about going to school. These issues can range from something as simple as not liking the new seating arrangement in science class to more serious issues like bullying a perceived danger. If your child won't share his real reason for disliking school, the next step that you should take is to schedule a conference with his teachers or the school principal to see if perhaps they can help shed some light on what has been taking place in your child's academic life. Teachers are usually very  tuned in to each child in their class and may be able to give you information regarding situations they have noticed. Working together you and your child's teachers can usually discover the situations that are preventing your child from enjoying his school life. 

Whatever the reason, it is so important for you and your child to work together to ensure that she receives the best education possible and that her attendance at school is regular and timely. Some children enjoy school more, and tend to work harder to do well when they are involved in an activity they love. For example joining the afterschool art club, the football, basketball, soccer team, or playing a musical instrument will give your child the nudge she needs to get to school and do her best each day!

Where There's Smoke There's Fire!

The first real job I ever had was babysitting two small girls, whose dad just happened to be a local firefighter. Two things stuck with me from that amazing experience. The first memory being that at ages one and five years old, both girls knew what to do "In case of fire" in their home. The dad,  a conscientious firefighter,  had a predetermined escape route and meeting place outside their home in case their house ever caught fire. The girls were routinely drilled about what to do in the event of fire,  and were both very knowledgable about fire safety. The second important piece of information that stuck with me was about how to escape from a fire in which the building was overcome by smoke and flames, thus reducing visibility considerably. The dad, after training and drilling me in fire safety, told me a story of a time when he found himself blown into a smoke filled room by an explosion while fighting a house fire. He told me that if you look across from just about every doorway in a building, there are one or more windows on the wall opposite that doorway. So, having been blown into a dark room, being disoriented and unable to see, he had panicked for a split second. However, soon his extensive training as a firefighter kicked in and he recalled the "rule" regarding doorways and windows. He began to feel his way along the wall that he was slammed into, and he was able to find a window. He smashed the window with his helmet, called to his fellow firefighters for help and  was safely rescued. This story has always remained with me, and when I discuss fire safety in my classroom,  or with my own children, I include this story. I hope no one ever has to find him/herself in this predicament, but in the event that you do, hopefully you will remember this story and be able to reach safety unharmed.

So, my question to all of you is --What precautions, safety rules, or fire awareness information do you share with your children? For a long time, Stop, Drop, and Roll was a popular slogan for situations in which you had already caught on fire. But, do you explain or drill your children about what to do to prevent themselves from getting stuck in a situation in which they would have to Stop, Drop and Roll? Ever since my girls were young I made it a point to discuss fire safety with them. We all never think it could happen to us, but isn't it nice to be prepared in the event that fire strikes?

 A couple of years ago, while I was vacationing in Rhode Island, I happened to wake up at 6:00 a.m. to begin packing, and realized that I had missed several phone calls, starting at around 3:00 a.m.,  from my 29 year old daughter. My mind immediately began to race with thoughts about what could have possibly happened to my mom, a severe heart patient with a long history of heart failure, strokes, and other complications. Just as I was about to dial my daughter's number, my phone rang again. It was my daughter, and she was panicking. The 100 plus year old vacant Victorian home next to our equally old home had caught fire. My daughter began to recount the horrific morning she had spent evacuating the dogs, spraying our bordering property and shed with our garden hose, moving our cars, looking for our cats, calling my parents for help, and making decisions regarding the destruction of the burned out, unstable, shell that remained of the house next door. Because of the repeated discussions regarding the steps to take in the event of a fire, not only were our pets saved, but our entire property, shed, and gardens were in perfect condition, as well. The firefighters later told me that it was my daughter's quick thinking and actions that prevented cars, bushes, and our home from catching fire.

                                  The flames shooting up just behind the corner of our house.

If you have not done so already, please take the time to develop a Fire Safety Plan. Visit your local fire department, and I am sure they would gladly help you to develop effective escape routes, meeting locations, and ways to prevent fires. The number one thing that I would highly recommend to everyone is to keep all fire alarms in working condition, and replace batteries regularly. I say this because it was the fire alarms going off in OUR house, due to the massive smoke from the house burning next door, that saved our home and everyone that day. Be safe and be prepared!

School's Out For The Summer!

"No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks. Out for summer, out till fall. We might not come back at all." --- Alice Cooper

As a school age child, there wasn't a school year that went by that I didn't sing this song on the last day of school. As I grew older and became a teacher, nostalgically and smiling to myself I hum this tune as I leave school for summer vacation.  As a child the lyrics meant that I would not have to learn anything else, or do any more "school work" for two whole months. As an adult teacher, it is now clear to me that school is never really "out". Learning can happen everyday in the most unexpected ways. It is up to parents to see to it that learning doesn't stop just because school is "out for summer"!

The teacher in me always welcomed the end of the school year since this meant that I would now be abe to take advantage of the well earned R&R that summers provides for teachers. Although most teachers do not stop learning or teaching during the summer, we continue our learning in a less stressful and more relaxing manner. The parent in me was always wondering how I would be able to keep my two daughters engaged in learning during the summer, and balance this with some enjoyable and stimulating activities. Hopefully, the information that follows will help your family continue to learn in a relaxed, less structured environment, and have fun at the same time.

While summer is a time for relaxing, sleeping in later, and not having to stick to a regimented schedule, it is important to provide some structure to your child's summer days. When my girls were young we had a summertime routine that worked well for us. Even though we usually spent the summer at my in-law's house on Cape Cod, I still insisted that we stick to a regular routine each day. Not only did this help us to avoid the "Mom, I'm bored!" routine, it helped us to make the most of our summer vacation.

Our daily routine consisted of waking up later than we normally did, but we never wanted to sleep the day away. Usually by 9:00 a.m., even the sleepy heads were out of bed.  As soon as the girls woke up they would help me cook breakfast. We took advantage of the extra morning time to prepare a different breakfast each day, instead of relying on the old standbys of oatmeal and cereal. After we ate, the girls

 helped clear the table, and while I washed dishes and cleaned the kitchen, the girls would make their beds, do their chores, shower, and get ready to enjoy the day ahead

I was talking to my oldest daughter (Now approaching thirty years old; where does the time go?) about this blog post, and she ( a teacher, also) suggested that I add the following idea to our traditional summer routine: she suggested assigning a theme to each week in the summer. For example, the theme for one week may be bird watching. When you went to a bookstore or library, say on Monday, you would look for books about birding. Tuesday's reading time would be spent reading your new birding books, and discussing the ideas and interesting facts you learned reading about birds. Perhaps, on Wednesday, your activity could be to visit a bird sanctuary. Thursday may be spent taking a walk along a beach, or in the forest, or around your neighborhood, and trying to identify as many birds as possible. That night, while preparing and eating dinner, your family could discuss the bird sightings and interesting things you observed about your birds. That evening, your family could spend time trying to find the answers to questions that you may have about the birds you saw, for instance, what are their habitats, and unique behaviors. A rainy day art project could involve drawing a picture of birds that your family found most interesting, and later in the week everyone could share their artwork and tell each other about their favorite winged creatures. Visiting a a birding store is also a cool way to learn about how birds survive in the wild. This themed approach could work with just about any topic. It would provide quality entertainment for your children, they will have fun doing the activities around a central theme, and without even realizing it, your children will begin to develop amazing learning and study habits that will last them a lifetime!

So, instead of saying "Oh, great,  it's summer time! :( " from now on maybe you will say, "OH! GREAT!, It's summer time! :)

MOM WOW's Us Everytime!

 

MOM Is WOW Upside Down!

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. 

 ~  Tenneva Jordan

"Mothers' Day celebrations are deeply rooted in history with strong symbolic and spiritual overtones; societies tended to celebrate Goddesses and symbols rather than actual Mothers. One of the earliest historical records of a society celebrating a Mother deity can be found among the ancient Egyptians, who held an annual festival to honor  the goddess Isis, who was commonly regarded as the Mother of the pharaohs. In 1912 West Virginia became the first state to officially recognize Mother's Day, and in 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed it into national observance, declaring the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. The cost effectiveness of carnations in the early 1900's created the dawn of commercializing this highly regarded holiday." (Mothersdaycentral.com)

If I were asked to name the one quality that sets mothers apart from all other people, it would have to be selflessness. There is a Bible story about two "mothers" both claiming that a baby was their own. The Elder in charge was having difficulty deciding which mother was lying, and which mother was actualy telling the truth, so he came up with a plan. He ordered to have the baby cut in half and each mom would be given a half of the baby. One of the women immediately panicked and begged the Elder to please just let the other woman have the baby. It was immediately apparent to the Elder that the woman willing to give her baby up, rather than have her baby killed, was indeed the real mother. The Elder based his decision on the premise that true mothers always sacrifice their own wants and need for those of their children.

So, it is with this story in mind that I prepare my message to all mothers. The greatest gift you gave your children was to become a mom in the first place. The second greatest gift you can give to your children is to model, for them, how to become a great parent. I know, I know, you are probably thinking, "I thought kids gave moms gifts on mother's day." Yes, that is true, but the reason moms are celebrated in the first place is because of the daily gifts they continually give to their children; gifts of their loving, gentle, compassionate, nurturing, devoted, unselfish, ways. Children learn to parent from their parents, and I can think of no greater gift than the gift of selfless, loving parenting.

Anna Jarvis, the Founder of Mothers Day in US, also known as the Mother of Mothers' Day, worked hard to bestow honor on all mothers. Anna Jarvis got the inspiration of celebrating Mothers' Day from her own mother, Mrs Anna Marie Reeves Jarvis, in her childhood. An activist and social worker, Mrs Jarvis used to express her desire that someday someone must honor all mothers, living and dead, and pay tribute to the contributions made by them. (mothersdaycelebration.com) Mothers Day is definitely a day to honor all of the mothers who make a difference in the lives of their children. While I do believe that we shouldn't only show our appreciation and love to mothers only on Mother's Day, it is a great way to highlight moms for the day, do something extra special for them, and make them feel like a queen for the day!

In our family, we usually celebrate generations of mothers by either by having a special brunch, taking a day trip, or doing a favorite activity together. We all pitch in and make Mothers' Day a true celebration of family as a circle of strength and love.

I urge everyone, if you haven't already done so, caall your mom, and invite her to spend a special day with you and your family. You will create memories that last a life time, and you will indirectly teach your children how to uphold a longstanding, ancient tradition.

Happy Easter! Happy Spring! Bunnies Are A Lifetime Thing!

With Easter just a few short days away, many children and parents may find themselves drawn to the adorable little live bunnies and chicks for sale. Our family is no different. Many years ago, we surprised our two girls with each their own pet bunny. They quickly named them Mopsy and Flopsy  We built a fenced in area for the bunnies to roam freely, and we provided them with a "bunny house" for shelter. The bunny house was actually an old plastic doll house that my girls had outgrown. During inclement weather, we took the bunnies indoors where they had their own little bunny area to roam around in. Before committing to bunny ownership, please remember that these cute little bunnies grow into adult rabbits, with adult rabbit habits, and these rabbits may live for many years to come.

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Before we purchased these adorable little bunnies, we did some research about lifespan, dietary requirements, and good and bad bunny habits. Bunnies are actually usually very docile, trainable little creatures, but like all pets, they require appropriate and consistent human interactions. Left unattended, or in cages for most of their lives, these adorable pets will do like any other ignored pet, they will become asocial, and they will develop some very undesirable habits. It is around this time that many bunny owners begin to question their sanity for ever condoning such a ludicrous idea in the first place.

The first real problem with bunnies is the rate at which they can breed. If you adopt opposite sex bunnies please be sure to neuter and spay them. Sometimes bunnies of the same sex  may quarrel, but often times, when they are raised from young bunnies together they may get along just fine. But like all animals, some personalities just don't mix, and in addition to breeding issues, personalities may clash causing you to find a way to separate the pair.

If you have a garden in your yard, and your intention is to let the bunnies roam around in a fenced in area of your yard, make sure that these little vegetarians are not able to access your plants and flowers. Some flowers, like pansies and petunias, are a delicacy for these little nibblers. Anyone who has read Peter Cottontail knows that bunnies love lettuce plants. Bunnies also love to dig and chew, so any fence that you plan on using as a barrier must have a metal lining.

I know that I have highlighted the negative side of bunny adoption, but bunnies can be a lot of fun to have around. First of all, most of them are cuddly, warm and fuzzy. They love human companionship, and can be house broken, much like a cat is. Housebreaking your bunnies eliminates the problem of cleaning up after them every where they go, and some people prefer this method. Bunnies like to eliminate in much the same place each time, which makes cleanup easy.

If you don't intend to allow your bunny free roam of the house, then providing a place in their hutch will do. Gardeners find this alternative to be a positive side of bunny adoption because bunny poop is an excellent and natural way to fertilize flower and vegetable gardens. During the years that we had our bunnies, we had the most beautiful gardens that anyone could imagine, and we never spent a dime on commercial fertilizers.

Finally, small pets, such as bunnies, are a great way to encourage your children to handle responsibility. Depending on the age of your children, they may need some supervision from you as they begin to care for another living creature. Small children can assist you as you feed and clean the bunny's penned in area. Older children may assume all of the responsibility for the bunnies from the start, but remember, the ultimate responsibility ALWAYS lies with the parent. Parents should always make sure that their children are living up to their end of the pet adoption bargain. If you find that your child lacks interest in the bunnies after the  novelty of the idea wears off, perhaps the bunnies should be given to a good home where they would be properly cared for, unless of course you don't mind assuming the role of bunny nanny!

So, as you ponder the idea of adopting some bunnies this Easter,

please make your decision an informed one, and remember that the commitment to be a bunny owner may last for several years to come.



 

We Give Our Children Two Things; One Is Roots, The Other Is Wings

Life all is about remembering where you came from while you are flying to your dreams. M. Partyka



The following poem by Dennis Waitley is one of my favorites:

If I had two wishes, I know what they would be

I'd wish for Roots to cling to, and Wings to set me free;
 

Roots of inner values, like rings within a tree;

and Wings of independence to seek my destiny.
 

Roots to hold forever to keep me safe and strong,

To let me know you love me, when I've done something wrong;
 

To show me by example, and helps me learn to choose,

To take those actions every day to win instead of lose.
 

Just be there when I need you, to tell me it's all right,

To face my fear of falling when I test my wings in  flight;
 

Don't make my life too easy, it's better if I try,

And fail and get back up myself, so I can learn to fly.
 

If I had two wishes, and two were all I had,

And they could just be granted, by my Mom and Dad;
 

I wouldn't ask for money or any store-bought things.

The greatest gifts I'd ask for are simply Roots and Wings.

By Denis Waitley

When my first daughter was born, I received this framed poem as a gift. I remember thinking, yes! This is exactly the way I want to raise my children. I must admit, it was so much simpler while I was working on giving my girls roots. Roots were easy. Roots were fun to establish. After all, roots are those things embedded in tradition, a sense of belonging, and knowing that you are loved, not matter what you say or do. Now, don't get me wrong. There were many challenging days as my girls grew to be the independent young ladies that I set out to help them become. Lots of head butting as three strong minded females all lived under the same roof. Roots have been the glue that has held our family steadfast through the good, the not so good, and the extremely difficult situations that we have faced over the years. Roots were what got us through losing a family business, having to return the home we lived in, for about fifteen years, to the bank that held it as collateral for our failed business, and having to return the home my in laws purchased for us to live in until the day they died, when it would have become our inheritance, except that family greed got in the way. Our roots are so strong and hold us so firmly together, we are positive that we, as a family, can weather any storm.

Roots were so easy to establish. My husband and I planted them together on the day we married. A few months later, our roots took off and grew another runner when our first daughter was born. A few years later, another shoot grew on our taproot, and our second daughter was born. From the moment that these girls breathed their first breath, we devoted our entire selves to to their every waking moment. We established traditions centered around God, family, vacations, outings, mealtime, bedtime, playtime, you name it, we built an entire future centered around the roots we were tending so carefully. In fact, our traditions were so deeply established that my daughters, now aged 29 and 26, still want to know what we will be doing as a family at summer vacation time. So yes, roots, while they needed constant tending, nurturing, and care, were easy.

Wings on the other hand were tough to swallow. Wings sort of creep up on you, and take you by surprise when you aren't paying close enough attention to the signals. The first sign of wings are expected and celebrated for the major milestones in your kids' lives. These are called the "Firsts". First time your baby sees (holy cow, we spent a whole evening at my uncle's house moving my first daughter around his kitchen, just to watch her eyes follow the moving objects), the first time your baby rolls over, takes a step, says Mama/Dada, eats with a spoon, goes potty, and on and on until that first time you drop your "baby" off at nursery school/kindergarten. Of course this is an exciting wing time, and your child is running in laughing, or tugging at your arm as you leave with tears in their eyes. (This is probably the only time your children will embark on a first with tears in their eyes.) After you drop them off, you kind of sit in the car and think, "Whoa, where did all the time go so quickly?"

Wings, like roots, if cared for properly grow very quickly. Before you know it, your kids are asking to sleep at friends' houses, go to concerts (that they swear are safe, and drug free), and venture out on vacations with other families or organizations. One summer, my youngest daughter, who we affectionately referred to as "The Traveler", was on vacation with four different good friends in one summer, and this was in addition to the week we spent on vacation as a family. The only time that my youngest daughter was ever hesitant to go anywhere was the time she signed up for an Outward Bound Program. She would not have a good friend by her side. She would not be with her mom, dad, or older sister. My thirteen year old daughter was about to venture off on her own for two solid weeks. There would be no communication with us or anyone but the members of her Outward Bound Team. Remember how I said that the only time Wings will create tears would be their first day of school? Well, for my youngest daughter this was not quite true. The night before we would drive her to Boston to meet up with the Outward Bound group, She came to my room and was sobbing. She was afraid to go this alone. I reminded her of all the odd jobs she had done to pay for this adventure, and the money she paid to participate. I think my exact words were, "If you think you are crying now, imagine how you will be crying when you realize that you just wasted $1500.00 of your hard earned money." BINGO! That hit a nerve. She dried her tears, mumbled something about waking her up, and went to bed. Two weeks later, when we arrived to pick her up, I could not find her in the crowd of kids disembarking from the boat. I asked my husband if he saw her. He told me that she had just walked past me. I turned in disbelief, and sure enough, there she was in the center of all the kids that participated. Two of the boys were carrying all of her "stuff", and she, as dark as I have ever seen her, with corn row braids, had just walked right by where I was standing. I went over to her, and with a big smile, she gave me a very smelly hug. (You are not allowed to use deodorant due to the bugs, and she hadn't bathed in over a week, except in the ocean.) Not only did she have the time of her life, but she earned the title of Lead Oar Person, and was voted by her teammates for about 75% of the badges for leadership and survival qualities.

So, why do I tell this story? I tell it because a huge part of me wanted to hug her that night that she came sobbing to me, tell her OK, you don't have to go, and I will call and cancel your trip in the morning. This however, would not have helped her to grow good, strong Wings;  Wings that she would need to rely on as she grew older, and started leaving the security of the nest where her roots were planted. Giving in to her limited view of what this trip could be like for her would have only set her up for giving up on future commitments.

The next time that my youngest daughter was ready to spread her Wings was her freshman year of college. She enrolled in a small college in New Hampshire, about a two hour ride from home. Now it was my turn to shed a tear or two. After moving her in to what would become her home away from home for the next three years, I vividly remember thinking as my husband, my older daughter, and I drove away, and we were watching her standing there waving, that she wasn't ever coming home again; not to live there. Of course she would visit, and spend holidays with us, but deep in my heart I knew my "Traveler" would want to spread her wings as far and as wide as possible. And that is exactly what she has done. By her junior year she introduced us to her new boyfriend, who we now introduce as her husband. Later that year, she began talking about completing her senior year of college online. THERE IT WAS, the signal that I missed. She, of course had been complaining about how hard it was to live in the apartment with six other girls, hold down a thirty hour work week, and do well in school. Naively, I thought, of course she wants to come home where it will be easier to succeed. WRONG again! What she was really preparing me for was the fact that she and her new fiance would be moving to Michigan, where he would pursue a hockey coaching career. MICHIGAN!? MICHIGAN????!!!!!! Why that was almost an eighteen hour drive from here. These Wings were growing too big too fast! True to our parenting style, on a very stormy and rainy day, we loaded up her somewhat unreliable Hyundai Santa Fe, (and by loaded up, I mean no space left empty, including the mattress wrapped in plastic and strapped to the roof), and drove our little runner of a root to Adrian, Michigan.

We arrived at the place that she secured online. It was a small apartment complex across from a secluded park. When we got to the door, I happened to notice three huge axe marks in the door. This was extremely unsettling. My little root runner chose to ignore this and her solution was to purchase a cute welcome wreath and hang it over the hatchet marks. We spent the rest of that day making her 50 square foot apartment look like a million bucks. (I am not exaggerating the 50 square foot thing) We parted at the airport, and I was a bit like Sandra Bullock in Blind Side, as I knew if I said good bye I would sob like a baby, so I simply turned and waked into the airport. Over time we got used to driving to Michigan for a four day weekend, or spending large amounts of cash to fly there. Eventually we found her a cute duplex, where she and her fiance lived right next door to the other hockey coach. I was finally coming to terms with this whole Wing thing.

One day, my little root runner/traveler, called us to inform us that her fiance was taking a new coaching job. She was so excited, and quite frankly I thought this would be a great opportunity to move closer to home. I didn't even get to verbalize my thought yet, and she was already telling us about how great it will be to move to Wisconsin. WISCONSIN?!? Did I hear correctly? I may not be a geography wizard but I am learned enough to know that Wisconsin is even farther away than Michigan. Again, we flew out to her place in Michigan where her father and I helped her pack up her apartment, load up a U-Haul (she had accumulated some larger pieces of furniture and more "stuff"), and we drove her unreliable Hyundai Santa Fe, the U Haul, and her new dog to Appleton, Wisconsin. We stopped at a hotel about 45 minutes from Appleton because it was too late to continue. In the morning, she and her fiance drove ahead to check out the apartment she had secured, you guessed it, online. About an hour after she left, all smiles and eager to fly to a new place, I got a call. At first, from the sound of her voice, I thought someone was murdering her. Once I got her to calm down, I was able to understand bits and pieces of the story. It went something like this: "Lots of kids running all

over the first floor (she isn't in any hurry to have lots of those,hers or anyone else's), small,  dirty, raccoons in cages in the basement, squirrels, I can't live here." Biting my "I told you so" tongue, I called my husband to come in from walking our grand dog, and we threw our stuff in the back of the U Haul and sped to find my daughter and her fiance sitting in her car each looking out opposite windows. Not a good sign. To make a long story short, we got her deposit back, called the other hockey coach, he helped us find other places, got more money wired from the root we left planted at home (my older daughter), and found her a cute little four room duplex with a pool and activity room right near the college that my future son-in-law had taken a coaching job.

Shortly after tucking her away in Appleton, Wisconsin, where by chance her friends from Michigan moved to, as well, we got another call. This call came from her fiance's mom. She was inviting us to a picnic at their lake house in New Hampshire. We were going to celebrate our two little roots planting some roots of their own. While we were at the camp, my son in law, to my daughter's great surprise, got down on one knee, and through the giggles of my daughter, he asked her to be his bride, and we think she giggled yessss! We had a wonderful wedding service in the foyer of our Victorian home, with a reception at a local Victorian Carriage House at the park where Dr. Seuss played as a child. We were happy that she had found someone who loved her, and she him.

A year or so later, another call, and this time it was to tell me that they were going to plant their Roots back in Massachusetts, where they are still growing Roots and spreading their Wings.  There is no talk of any little runners yet, but like I always say, give it time, and timing is everything.  

Life is all about remembering where you came from while you are flying to your dreams.

Fit For Life

Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way! Dr. Seuss

Last week I wrote about how a healthy diet is important for kids overall health. A good diet is definitely essential, but a good diet alone is often not enough of a guarantee for good health. To keep physically fit, a good diet should be accompanied by a good exercise plan. The best time to start your kids off with a good exercise plan is when they are small. By starting young it is more likely that your children will carry this good habit with them for the rest of their lives.

One of the best benefits of exercise is that it enhances learning. In a CNN article published on April 12th, 2010 called Studying the link between exercise and learning By Elizabeth Mo CNN Medical News Intern, Wendy Suzuki, professor of neuroscience, discovered a link between learning and exercise. Students, in her course designed to discover the effects of exercise on learning, did notably better on tasks after exercising than they did prior to exercising. While this is only one example of such a study, there are many other studies with similar results. I, too, have noticed that my students who are more physically active usually do a bit better than their sedentary counterparts. And, even if they don't do noticeably better than their peers, the many other benefits of exercise are well worth noting.

In addition to enhancing brain performance, exercise produces endorphins, or in other words, the "feel good" chemicals in your brain. So, it only stands to reason that kids who exercise will probably feel better about themselves, and in general, have a happier outlook on life. Usually the kids who have a positive self image are the kids who strive to do their best, and these kids usually find themselves in the top percentage of their classes at school.

It is relatively easy to get your children to adopt exercise as a way of life. When your children are small, set aside time for them to play outdoors. You will need to monitor them, so it is probably a good time to engage in some activity with them, like playing catch, taking a walk, or old fashioned jumping rope. Think of all the things you did as a child, that kids no longer seem to do because they are glued to video games or television programs. Playing tag, or Hide and Go Seek, or simple games of chase, Red Light Green Light, and Mother May I?, were all forms of exercise when I was a child. I am sure that small children would still find these games fun and inviting. They wouldn't even know they were exercising! If you have older children, they can help the smaller ones to play the games.

As your children outgrow these low cost, low maintenance games, you may need to replace these with things like biking, hiking, swimming, tennis, joining sport teams, or perhaps even a family membership at the local gym. And, if your child is addicted to X-Box, purchase the exercise games, and play these as a family.

Many cities have local swim teams. My daughters loved to be in the water, and they loved to be active. When my oldest daughter was six and my youngest daughter was about to turn four, I took them to join our city's swim team. The one requirement to join the team was that they could swim across the high school pool unaided. My oldest daughter was able to swim across with little or no effort. Not to be outdone by her older sister, my youngest daughter jumped in, and while the swim coach walked along the side of the pool as she "swam", my youngest daughter made it to the other side of the pool doing her own invention of some crazy swim stroke. When she reached the opposite side of the pool, she got out of the pool, and announced to the coach that since she made it across the pool she was now a member of the swim team! The coach didn't have the heart to say no. My youngest daughter swam in the eight and under category for almost five years. She was seeded number one in the eight and under category at championships the year she turned eight. Swimming was an integral part of my girls' lives, and we have so many amazing memories of attending swim meets, camping in the pouring rain at championships, going to Cape Cod to attend US Swim Team meets, and the many people we became friends with along the way. Swimming was a great way for our family to keep active and healthy.

If you aren't sure how to get started with getting your kids to "get on their way" you can look up organizations on line that cater to activities that your family is interested in. The local YMCA will also have a list of the activities they offer each season. Ask your children what activities they would like to participate in, and don't take "I don't know" or "I don't feel like it" for an answer. Remember, you are doing what is best for your child, and sometimes doing what is best for them may sometimes be getting them to try something they are not all gung ho about. I guarantee though, that once they are involved, and you are their best cheerleader, they will find themselves having a great time, whether they like it or not!

So, your mountain is waiting, get on your way!