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!

You Are What You Eat!

"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you
what you are." - Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

I have used the above quote with my middle school students. When they read this quote they laugh and pretend they are cheeseburgers or pieces of pizza. After we are done laughing about their antics, I go on to explain to them that while they may not turn into an actual cheeseburger or pizza, the parts of their bodies that fuel their thinking and energy for movement do become affected by the foods they eat. I talk to them about brain healthy foods, and foods that benefit athletes. The students always have many questions about how our bodies work, and how food plays a role in the way we function emotionally, physically, and mentally.

 Diet has become synonymous with losing weight, however, diet is actually a word used to describe the types of foods that you ingest each day. As a middle school teacher, I am able to observe the types of foods that students eat on a regular basis. Last week one of my female students, who does struggle a bit with her weight, was downing a two serving bag of potato chips. As I do with all of my students who try to sneak eat during class, I instructed her to put the snack away. At the end of class, as the students were filing out of my classroom, I asked this girl to remain behind. I told her to look at the nutrition information on the back of the chip bag. I asked her to read how many calories there were in a single serving of chips. She informed me that there were 250 calories in a single serving of chips. I then asked her to tell me how many servings of chips there actually were in the bag. She looked at the back of the bag again and told me that there were a total of three servings in the bag that she had almost eaten in its entirety. I then asked her to do the math to calculate how many calories that she had ingested by eating this bag of chips at 9:00 in the morning. The grand total, of course, was 750 calories. This didn't really make much of an impression on her, as she had no idea what the daily recommended amount of calories for a girl her age was. To give her some perspective regarding caloric intake, we searched Google for the daily recommended amount of calories for a 13 year old, semi-active girl. She was shocked to find out that she had just consumed nearly half of the total amount of her daily allotment of calories. The next morning as I got out of my car, I noticed this girl waiting by the back of the school. Since it was chilly out, and she was there quite early, I invited her to wait in my classroom for the bell to ring. She agreed, and came upstairs. When we got into the room she asked me if she could show me something on my computer. She went to a web page that had pictures of extremely obese women, and told me that she had spent the evening looking up articles on healthy eating.

As a girl who struggled with the "battle of the bulge" for my entire life, it is my hope that through my modeling good eating habits in front of my students, and discussing good eating habits and exercise, that I can hopefully get these students to hear my message about an all around healthy life style. I often mention the effects of fatty foods, or unhealthy habits as we discuss the human body. In addition, I open class discussion to questions about good eating and exercising habits. Many of my students think there is only one food group ..... the junk food group. The amount of cookies, cakes, candies, sodas, and energy drinks that they consume are appalling to me. The most disturbing sight I have ever seen is students spreading mayonnaise on their already greasy and cheesy pizza. When I tell them what mayonnaise is made of, they argue that it tastes good, so it is good for you. I ask my students if they were going to drive from Massachusetts to Texas, what would they fill their car with? Obviously, gasoline is the resounding answer. I ask them would they fill the tank with sugar? They look at me as if I have lost my mind. "NO!", they reply. "So." I ask them, "Why is it before you start out on your daily voyage to school, you fill your "tank" with sugar?" "It will ruin your engine!" they reply. This sort of makes some sense to them, and they begin to get the message. Even though nutrition is a health class topic, I find that it is important to spread the nutritional good health message to all of my students.

So, parents, what can you do to ensure that your child has the good health advantage in life? When your children are small, and just beginning to eat solids, offer more fruits and vegetables that cookies and cakes. Sugar is addictive, and offering sugary foods as rewards or comforts only serves to set your child on the path of craving an unhealthy diet. Make sure that your child fuels each day with a healthy breakfast that doesn't contain tons of sugar. Just because it is cereal, that doesn't mean it is void of sugar. Anything that ends in ose, such as glucose, fructose, etc.. contains sugar.  At meal time, think of the dining plate as a clock, from 12:00 to 3:00 is a good size for the protein portion of the meal. From 3:00 to 6:00 is a good carbohydrate size, and  6:00 to 12:00 should be filled with fresh fruits and vegetables.  Cut up carrot sticks, celery, cucumbers, or any of your child's favorite veges, and have them on hand as quick snacks. Use small amounts of peanut butter as a dip, or fore go dips at all. Join a food co-op and take your children with you to select fresh, pesticide free, locally grown fruits and vegetables. Look for fun recipes for your children to make that are filled with healthy ingredients. These are just a few ideas that may have a positive affect on your child's diet.

In addition to watching what your child eats, be aware of what your child is drinking, as well. Sodas, fruit juices, and power drinks are filled with sugar, caffeine, and calories. These kinds of drinks can add extra empty calories to your child's daily diet. Drinking skim milk, or low in sugar fruit juices are better alternatives, however nothing beats the benefits of good old fashioned WATER! Yes, water is a key and essential ingredient to digestion at the cellular level. Food can not be properly digested without adequate water. All cells require adequate water to function properly. As your food is digested and Oxygen is absorbed, cells need water in order for your body to turn the food you eat and the Oxygen you breathe into a form of energy that your body cells can use. The recommended daily amount of water varies from person to person, but eight, eight ounce glasses a day is a good place to start.

Eating right is just one of the ways to ensure a healthy life style. Look for my next blog on getting your child to get up and go! Exercise is a healthy diet's best friend.

So, grab a healthy snack for you and your children and start talking about ways your family can enjoy healthy eating together.

For extra information regarding a healthy life style visit:

http://www.b-simply-healthy.com/



Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting....So, Get on your way! Dr. Seuss

Every year, schools all across America celebrate March 2nd, Dr. Seuss' birthday, by participating in a national reading event called Read Across America. This is the perfect day to introduce life-long reading to your children. What child doesn't love Dr. Seuss? How can anyone pass up Green Eggs and Ham,  or The Cat in the Hat ? As a child, I always looked forward to Dr. Seuss specials on television. These short, clever cartoons made his books come alive for me. I remember reading Hop On Top of Pop, and wishing there was a cartoon made about that book, too. And, I always wished my mom would, just once, make green eggs and ham.

So, to get your kids to enjoy reading, here are some ideas for using Dr. Seuss books with children of all ages:

          1. Read the cat in the hat to your child. I read this to a group of seventh graders today, and they had a blast finishing the sentences and rhymes. This book lends itself to discuss how to handle someone who asks your child to do something that they know their parents would disapprove of, and if they should be honest enough to tell their parents the truth about what they did.

          2. Since many of Dr. Seuss' books deal with social issues, read one of his books with your middle schooler or high schooler, and use this book as a way to discuss social issues that may be part of an underlying theme in the book you read.

          3. Talk to your child about their favorite scene from their favorite book. Ask them why they chose this particular book as their favorite, and how the scene they described, from the book, influenced them.

          4. Start a reading "club" with your children. This works especially well if your children are close in age. Read a book as a family, and then discuss the questions or parts of the plot that were especially interesting or appealing to them.

          5. If you have small children, ask them to draw a scene from their favorite book. Once they are done, ask them to tell you why this book and this scene are their favorite.
  

If starting a discussion with your child is sometimes difficult, sometimes using the story line in a book is an easy way to get the conversation flowing. A few months ago, at a small coffee shop in Springfield, I over heard an amazing conversation between a grandmother and two grandchildren. It was obvious that conversations regarding recently read books was not a novelty for this family. I over heard the grandmother ask her grandkids what genre of books they had recently read. At this point, the granddaughter replied that she had been reading a scientific fantasy about time travel. The grandmother asked her granddaughter why she chose this particular book, and the granddaughter replied that she loved science, and that this particular book was of interest to her because of how realistic and probable the idea of time travel was. Now mind you, this granddaughter was all of ten years old. I was amazed at the quality of conversation that these three people were having. As I was leaving, I heard the grandmother ask her grandkids what books they would recommend  that she read. By now I could not stand it any longer, I had to stop by their table to tell them how amazing it was for me to hear such an amazing conversation about reading!

Today is your day to get on your way of starting this invaluable habit with your children. You will be amazed at the results.

So, Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss. Thank you for sparking an interest in reading for so many children across America!

Travel To New Places, Read a Book!

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” ― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

 

Dr. Seuss was born on March 2, 1904. Living just three blocks from his old home on Mulberry Street in Springfield, Massachusetts, and having grown up reading every book he ever wrote, I am compelled to write this blog in honor of this famous literacy visionary. In addition, I am currently employed just a few blocks from Mulberry Street, at a school in the South End of Springfield; a literacy based school. In other words, every teacher at the South End Middle School is comitted to teaching reading in every class.

 

Teaching at this particular school is the perfect fit for me, as I wholeheartedly believe that without the ability to readit  is impossible to ever reach your maximum potential. My dear grandmother, born in 1903, just a year before Dr. Seuss,  was deprived of the chance to learn to read. I remember, as a small child, learning to read myself, and at the same time trying to teach my grandmother to read, as well. I will never forget how she pretended to learn, but a few weeks later she said, "I am just too old to learn to read!" I was devastated. How could anyone be too old to learn to read? It was at that moment that I realized that I would become the best reader I could possibly be. Since then, not only do I devour books, but I encourage and teach middle school children to do the same. In fact, when I see a student reading a novel or some other book unrelated to science, it kills me to tell that student to "Stop reading, and do your science work!"  I even apologize to them for asking them to stop reading.

 

Years ago, while working at a Catholic school in Chicopee, and in fact the same school my girls were attending, I had the pleasure of hearing Jim Trelease, author of The Read Aloud Handbook, (born March 23, 1941),and an educator who stresses reading aloud to children as a way to instill in them the love of literature, speak. We hired him to speak to our students' parents about the importance of reading. Mr. Trelease encouraged parents of children of all ages to continue to read to their children. Mr. Trelease believed that all children enjoy being read to, and this enjoyment would eventually lead to their desire to read, too. I have carried that advice with me throughout my teaching years, and yes, it is true, my middle school students LOVE when I read to them.

 

Last year, our entire school read the book FOUND, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, and the students would sit there listening to me read much in the same way they would sit and watch their favorite television program. During group discussion it was evident that they had been paying attention, as their responses were right on target. This year, at the new school I am teaching at South End Middle School )I am teaching many of the same students from the school I workd at last year, and these same students are beginning to read books, lots of them, on their own!

 

One student in particular, that attended the school that I worked in last year, hated reading, hated school, hated everything about learning. This year, in our literacy based school, we discovered that even though he is in the eighth grade, unfortunately his reading ability hovers somewhere around the second or third grade level. No wonder he hated reading so much! This semester, the eighth grade class is reading a book called Maus A Survivor's Tale, by Art Spiegelman. This is a biography of the author's father, Vladek Spiegelman, a Polish Jew and  Holocaust survivor. The students can't put this book down. In fact, during the aforementioned boy's last basketball game, (he had been benched for the first half due to low grades), the reading teacher from our school happened to look over at our team's bench. She nudged me and told me to look across the basketball court. There this boy was, slouched down in his chair, holding up his Maus  book and reading it. When he saw us looking over at him, he broke out in a big grin, nodded his head at us as if to say, "Yeah, I'm reading!", and continued reading his book. Of course, as soon as the coach told him to suit up he threw the book behind him and got ready to play hoop!

 

"Those who can read but don't are worse off than those who can't read."..Unknown

 

So, this week, develop a new habit, read to your children, read with your children, read in the same room as your children. Model reading for them, read to them, and read with them. This priceless skill will prove invaluable time and time again for the rest of their lives. It will open new doors of opportunity for them, doors that you may never have thought possible.

 

I have compliled a list of books that will appeal mainly to middle school children. I have done this just to get you started with some tried and true titles of popular books for this age group. I have not included books for younger children, as books for this age group are pleantiful, and I purposely did not include books for the highschool level either, as older students, by now, have probably identified the genre that appeals to them most.

 

If the books listed below do not appeal to you or your child as appropriate choices, take them to the library or a bookstore. Browse the appropriate age level sections in the bookstore or library, and  spend some quality time discussing the various book titles and genres. Discussing various book summaries can lead to some interesting discussions between you and your child, and may lead them down the path to life long learning and reading.

 

Suggested Readings:

 

1. Oh The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss - A great book for anyone moving to the next level in their lives, for example entering high school, going off to college, or leaving home.

 

2. Flipped by Wendelin Von Draanen - Two next door neighbors, Bryce and Juli form a relationship that blossoms in eighth grade.

 

3. Coraline by Neil Gaiman - A fantasy involving a girl who explores an alternate reality through a mysterious door in her own home.

 

4. The Lightning Thief - by Rick Riordan. A fantasy/adventure based on Greek Mythology about an adolescent demigod.

 

5. The Secret Life of Bees - by Sue Monk Kidd. Historical novel set in mid 1960's in the South. A fourteen year old bee keeper learns the secret of mother's death.

 

6. A Wrinkle In Time - by Madeline L'Engle. An adventure involving 3 children who travel through a cosmic loophole.

 

7. Black Beauty - by Anna Sewell. A story about a horse, and the very first book I read aloud to my girls. They loved it, and they even took turns reading some of the paragraphs. We discussed various parts of the plot together, and my girls even decided to take horseback riding lessons shortly thereafter.

 

8. Little Women - by Louisa May Alcott. (My favorite childhood book!) A story about the Alcott family during the Christmas their Papa was away at war.

 

9. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. A boy is raised by wolves in the jungle.

 

10. Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Three friends think they are adopted, and technically they are, but the circumstances surrounding their adoption are out of this world.

 

While this is and extremely short list, I do hope it is enticing enough to get the ball rolling. Make reading a top priority in your home and the rewards will be everlasting. Happy reading!

 

 

          

 

With Hope Anything is Possible!

"If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed."  Albert Einstein

During the many years I have spent educating middle school children, I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet with numerous parents regarding the status of their child's education. Very often these parents are coming to a parent-teacher conference as somewhat of a last resort. Most of the conferences take on a common underlying theme having to do with their child's lack of interest and participation in their own education. The team of teachers will begin the meeting with some positive observations about the child, and before long we will be knee deep in examples of how this particular child falls short in the learning department. It is usually at this point that the parent offers up the types of encouragements they have provided to help their child excel in school. At the end of this little list of consequences, (lists of rewards are rarely mentioned), the parent usually, exasperated by this time, exclaims "And he/she must go to his/her room every day right after school without any television, computer, or cell phone."

I can't help but cringe at this statement everytime I hear it. At this point in the conference, as my team teachers will readily attest to, I usually begin to ask the parent what hobbies, or outings their child responds best to.  I want to know the kind of experiences that their child thrives on. I believe Einstein said it best.  

"If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed."  Notice he said "hope for reward". Once that hope for reward is missing from the picture, apathy sets in. Apathetic children, who see no hope for any change in their inprisoned condition, will often give up on themselves, their future, their learning, and participating in school. It is usually this type of child that teachers struggle the most to teach. 

 

Once I am able to get the parent thinking about "free" rewards, like spending extra time with them at the park, or maybe playing that basketball game with them that they have promised in the past, I then talk about how without any hope of their living conditions improving, children have a difficult time seeing why they should try to improve themselves at all. I often ask the parents why they go to work each day. The number one response is to earn money. I then ask the parents if they would stop working if they stopped receiving a pay check. Of course the answer is always yes. To assist the parents in monitoring their child's success, I introduce a point sheet for their child's teachers to fill out everyday. Depending on the child, I may suggest that we look at this point sheet either on a daily or weekly basis. I then suggest that the parents set up small rewards in return for their child bringing home positive comments on their point sheet. These rewards may be as simple as allowing their child to watch 1/2 an hour of television for every category they scored a total of 4 points in. This could amount to 1-2 hours of television that weekend. My main message with these parents is that without hope of achieving some minor rewards, we are likely to see such a loss of hope that it will negatively affect every area of their child's life.

 

When parents are consistent with requesting to see point sheets each day/week, consistently provide positive rewards when their child meets their academic goals, and consistently provide balanced consequences when the agreed upon number of points are not achieved, I always see marked improvement in that child's academic performace.

After all, who wouldn't want to be appropriately recognized for doing well by the people they look to for guidance and love?

 

 

Listen My Parents, and You Shall Hear!

A child seldom needs a good talking to as a good listening to.
~ Robert Brault ~

"You NEVER listen to me!" Are these words familiar to you? It is not uncommon for children to feel as if they are not being heard by their parents. As both a parent and an educator, it was very easy for me to fall into the trap of telling, rather than listening and actually hearing what my girls were trying to tell me. When my youngest daughter was in seventh grade at an area Catholic school, she would often come home sad, uncommunicative, and somewhat  depressed. I would talk to her and tell her how to feel better about going to school each day, and fill her up with good ideas and ways to feel better about her school experience. What I overlooked, however, was the nonverbal, and sometimes verbal messages she was sending. Had I only really listened to what she was trying to tell me in the best way she knew how.

During her seventh grade year, just before the Christmas holiday, Katie began to tell me that one of her teachers started to reprimand her for trivial and insignificant things. As a teacher, familiar with some students who refuse to own some of their negative behaviors, I kept telling Katie that I was sure that her teacher had more important things to do besides dream up ways to reprimand her for no reason at all. In early April, after watching what used to be my bubbly, giggly, happy daughter transform into a sullen, withdrawn, non-communicative teenager, my husband and I finally made an appointment with this teacher, with the hopes of working together to help Katie through this difficult time at school. When we arrived at the school, we received a very cold greeting from three of Katie's teachers. We were invited to sit around the teacher's classroom desk. They asked us to express our concerns regarding Katie, and I began by describing the severe change in Katie's entire demeanor. I mentioned how Katie felt singled out sometimes for what she perceived as trivial situations, and that she felt that often times other students, guilty of much worse infractions were often excused, where Katie was more often than not given a consequence. It was at this time that the teacher in question stopped me, and began to lecture me about how children behave one way at home and yet another way at school, and perhaps Katie wasn't really the same girl we thought she was. To prove her point about Katie, this teacher, and I still to this day can't believe this comment, said, "In addition to her talkative nature, Katie looks at me like she wants something bad to happen to me." Struggling to comprehend how this woman could read Katie's mind, or so she thought, I asked her how she could be so sure of what Katie was thinking by merely looking at Katie's facial expression. I knew exactly which expression the teacher was referring to. When ever Katie got upset, she would screw up her face so that she could prevent herself from crying in front of anyone. I began to try to explain this to the teacher when she cut me off stating that obviously we were there to just defend our daughter and that the meeting was a waste of time. By this time I was boiling mad, and as politely as I could, I excused myself from the meeting, went to the Principal's office, and told her that Katie would no longer be a student at her school.

The story did end well, as I was able to enroll Katie in a public school in a neighboring city within three days time. It was with great pleasure that I watched the Katie we knew and loved slowly return. She was able to reconnect with friends from grammar school, and we got nothing but rave reviews from Katie's teachers for the rest of her school career. The critical lesson that I learned from this experience was that it wasn't enough to listen to what Katie was telling me through her behavior and conversations, I needed to actually hear what she was trying to say. Sometimes kids don't know how to express exactly what they are feeling, or how they are perceiving a particular situation. Learning to read their emotions, behaviors, and being able to read between the lines when they do try to verbally communicate with us are so important to keeping the lines of communication open.

Lucky for us, we were able to turn this negative situation, which had the potential to destroy how we gelled as a family, into a positive learning experience for all of us. So, the next time your child is trying to express anger, frustration, or any other emotion that may be uncharted territory for them, remember, a child seldom needs a good talking to as a good listening to.