I Don't Like the Ham Because It's Purple....

I wouldn't eat purple ham...would you? Well check out the comments my daughter's classmates wrote in an informal survey she did of friends about her school's cafeteria food offerings.

Here's what they said (spelled the way they wrote them):

I like: chocolate milk, carrots, broccoli, and steak (I've never seen them serve this yet!) - Maggi

I like: hotdogs & pizza. I don't like the strawberries...they are mushy. - Annie

I like the turkey, mash pothoes and papa jones pizza. I don't like everything else, except chiken nuggets - Nicole

I like cheese sticks and pizza - Papa Jhons and chicken nuggets. I don't like ham because it is purple, and I don't like anything else - Allie.

At least one kid mentioned the veggies....I have to chime in and say I've never eaten worse food in any cafeteria anywhere - I feel for them. It's all frozen and usually poorly prepared. Veggies and fruits are mushy/frozen and meats have too much salt or too little seasoning. I think she plans a full on assault by having all the kids write to the principal.

Grandparents Plan Financial Security for Kids' Holiday Gift

As we countdown to the holiday and plan our gifts for the season, I am asking that everyone, parents and grandparents, other family and more, take a look at a gift of financial security for the kids.

Our children have more toys than they ever play with. We have weeded and tossed, especially with the toy recalls. They still have easily 200 plus items crowding the room. I hate to do the math as to what the dollars "invested" in toys would have added up to put instead into their college fund. Countless thousands. I am not advocating a toyless Christmas, just a more moderate one.

AARP did a survey of grandparents about gift giving. Some of the key findings were that gift giving is mostly tied to key events, like Christmas and birthdays, not a surprise. 83% say they give because it makes them happy. But some answers were revealing about what they might really wish would happen regarding the gifts.

• A small financial gift can grow to huge amounts with the power of compounding. Yet only 22% of respondents have opened a savings or investment account for grandchildren. Those that did were most likely to put money in the lower return accounts, like bank savings accounts.
• On average, grandparents spent a median total of $600 in gifts or cash on all their grandchildren last year.
• Less than one in five (19%) have given money and/or gifts worth $1,000 to a grandchild for a single occasion or at one time.

Just imagine if only a portion of that was invested in a 529 College Savings plan. How much further along would your kids be in college preparation?

Just think about buying one less toy and giving that amount to the college savings plan your family has in place or create one - everyone will thank you later when they are debt free upon graduation.

Are You A Gifted Adult?

As you may know, I have a highly gifted daughter who has the challenge of being quite different than most of her peers. She is highly creative and speaks well beyond her years, with insight and wisdom that go over the heads of her classmates. I was researching emotional issues related to giftedness at SENG, when I stumbled upon the forums for Gifted Adults housed there.

I too, was (am) a gifted child. I know only too well the hardships and challenges that most gifted people face socially and in the work place, but I hadn't considered how much this had continued to impact my adult life.

If you want a great place to discuss such issues and talk with others in the same situation, head over to the SENG Gifted Adults Forum. You'll find a sympathetic ear and lots of creative ideas for moving ahead and life and with your career.

Surviving the World of the Teacher Conference

I just spent the last two weeks walking on eggshells with my daughter's teacher. The Princess, who is in kindergarten, is a very bright child. I went in to discuss how she is progressing and was met with a brick wall and have spent quite a bit of time making sure that her advanced learning needs are being met. After several meetings with our principal, I do believe thing will improve for her. But I'm not sure they would have without that meeting. Bottom line is that you've got to stand up for your kids - they can't do it alone.

Teaching Sportsmanship to Kids

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! I've finished the series on school safety and now will embark on a new series about character building. I'm not sure how many parts it will have but this is Part I. I will blatantly credit Publix for this information. I thought they put together a great article in their recent newsletter for the Publix Preschool Pals Club. Check it out!

Teaching Sportsmanship to Kids

For toddlers and preschoolers, team sports should be about playing hard and having fun, enjoying a healthy activity with their teammates as they learn to play the game. Even if you don't know the rules and regulations of every sport, it's important to educate your child about good sportsmanship.

Whether you and your little leaguer are playing a game of catch in the backyard or sitting in the bleachers at the game, your actions speak volumes to your child. As a fan in the stands, be sure to always offer praise and encouragement to players on both teams. Another way to teach good sportsmanship is to discuss appropriate and improper behavior while you watch professional teams play on television.

Children should always understand that doing their best and being a good sport is more important than winning. Take time to talk with your child about respecting coaches and other teammates, as well as topics like playing fair, following the game's rules and encouraging others. Remember, when players and their parents are good sports, everybody wins.

By joining a team sport, little ones expel a lot of energy and need to take time to rest. Share victorious moments together and snuggle with a few good books, such as:

• Alpha Bugs by David A. Carter
• I'll Always Love You by Paeony Lewis
• My First Day of School by P. K. Hallinan
• Soccer Beat by Elisabeth Moseng
• Why Do You Love Me? by Martha Lambert

Protecting Children From Sexual Offenders and Predators

Part seven in my short series on school safety. Since we're all heading back to school, or already have gone back I thought it might help to remind us as parents of the extras we can do to keep the kids safe. A lot of this information comes from the Florida Department of Education Office of School Transportation Management, Office of Safe Schools. Please review them with your children and have a happy beginning of school this year!

Tips for Protecting Your Children From Sexual Offenders and Predators

Talk to your children about following these rules:

1. Stay away from any unfamiliar person who is trying to trick you or force you to go with him or her.


2. Let your parents or trusted adults know about any suspicious persons or situations.


3. Learn to describe people and vehicles.


4. Know where to run and how to forcibly resist capture.


5. Scream to be seen and to scare a stranger away.


6. Stay with a buddy, a group, or parents at bus stops.


7. Report anyone hanging around or passing by regularly.


8. Accept a ride only from someone approved by the school.


9. Walk or bike only along a route that your parents or the school has determined is safe.


10. Lock the door and never tell callers you are home alone.

School Safety Tips - Bullies and Bullying

Part six in my short series on school safety. Since we're all heading back to school, or already have gone back I thought it might help to remind us as parents of the extras we can do to keep the kids safe. A lot of this reference information comes from the Florida Department of Education Office of School Transportation Management, Office of Safe Schools. Please review them with your children and have a happy beginning of school this year!

Bullying

Everyone in and around the school is responsible for creating a culture of positive behavior. A frequent problem is bullying. Discuss with your child how this might affect them.

What is Bullying?

Unwanted and repeated written, verbal or physical behavior, including any threatening, insulting, or dehumanizing gesture by an adult or student that is severe or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment, cause discomfort or humiliation, or unreasonably interfere with the individual's school performance or participation.

Wow - that's one long definition above! Basically behavior that is interfering with an other's school performance or participation seems to fall into the above category. I know we've had problems with this with Butterfly every year in school. One year it was a child who picked on her because she was smart. Last year it was a boy with assumed ADD who interrupted the class and Butterfly constantly to "entertain" and then would poke and push her everyday.

Where Does Most Bullying Occur?
As with most harmful behavior among children, in general bullying occurs wherever there is the least structure and adult supervision. Most incidents occur on the playground, bathrooms, locker rooms, cafeterias, cyberspace (My Space, Facebook entries, emails), at bus stops and in the bus.

What Can Parents and Students Do?
Tips for Parents:

1. Encourage your child to talk to you. Praise your child for positive communication and behavior.
2. Provide/ensure adequate supervision.
3. Teach your child to be assertive rather than aggressive or violent when confronted by a bully.
4. Verify that consistent messages about rules and safety are practiced in the school and that staff is trained in bullying prevention.
5. Build a relationship with your child's teachers and administrators.

Tips for Students:

1. Stay away from bullies.
2. Tell an adult.
3. Avoid bad situations.
4. Make friends.
5. If bullied, tell the bully to stop, then walk away.

Did you know that research shows that half of all bullying can be prevented? Direct physical bullying increases in elementary school, peaks in middle school, and declines in high school.

School Safety Tips - Walking and Biking Safely

Part five in my short series on school safety. Since we're all heading back to school, or already have gone back I thought it might help to remind us as parents of the extras we can do to keep the kids safe. A lot of this reference information comes from the Florida Department of Education Office of School Transportation Management, Office of Safe Schools. Please review them with your children and have a happy beginning of school this year!

Tips for Walking and Biking Safely

Walking and biking to and from school can be a great way to get exercise, interact with your children, and teach them lifelong traffic safety skills. Know your child's abilities and remember your child's limitations. Children under 10 are developmentally limited when it comes to judging speed and distance accurately.

Walking

1. Walk with an adult or responsible older child at all times.


2. Children under 10 should not cross the street without an adult.


3. Walk on the sidewalk when there is one.


4. Walk facing the traffic, as far from the road/traffic as possible, if no sidewalk is available.


5. Use traffic signals and marked crosswalks.


6. Stop at the curb or edge of the road and look left, right, then left again for traffic before crossing.


7. Walk, don't run.


8. Give drivers time to see you before crossing the street


9. Keep looking for cars while you are crossing.


10. Wear white clothing or reflectors when walking in the dark or in low light.

Biking

1. Always wear a properly fitted helmet.


2. Ride with an adult or responsible older child, when possible.


3. Obey all traffic signs and signals.


4. Ride on the right side of the road in a single file line.


5. Ride in the same direction as other vehicles.


6. Go straight across railroad tracks.


7. Use proper hand signals when turning and stopping.


8. Yield to pedestrians and alert them with a bell or your voice when passing.

School Safety Tips - Parent Drivers & Teen Drivers

Part four in my short series on school safety. Since we're all heading back to school, or already have gone back I thought it might help to remind us as parents of the extras we can do to keep the kids safe. A lot of this reference information comes from the Florida Department of Education Office of School Transportation Management, Office of Safe Schools. Please review them with your children and have a happy beginning of school this year!

Tips for Parent Drivers and Teen Drivers Going to School

To reduce energy usage, pollution, and traffic congestion in neighborhoods, consider walking or biking with your children. If you need to drive, follow these safety tips:

1. When picking up children in the afternoon, don't arrive too early and hinder the movement of traffic in the neighborhood around the school.
2. Wait in a single line and leave room enough so an emergency response vehicle would be able to get through.
3. Don't block driveways, mailboxes, disabled parking spaces, or fire hydrants, and don't park on lawns.
4. Don't block access to the the view from side streets.
5. Don't back out onto any street from the school parking lot or from a side street.
6. Try to arrange your drop off/pick up time after the peak rush hour and use designated loading and unloading areas.
7. Always heed signs and the directions of school and law enforcement officials.
8. Always obey posted speed limits and other traffic laws.
9. Act as you would want people to act if it were your neighborhood.
10. Be patient and understand that walkers, bikers, and school buses are trying to exit the school too.
11. Always ensure that you and your passengers buckle up.
12. Never talk on a cell phone or engage in other distractions while driving.

Did you know that motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for 15 to 20 year olds in the USA? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission, 7460 drivers ages 15-20 were involved in fatal crashes in 2005. Most of the fatalities involving young drivers are the young drivers themselves, then the passengers.

School Safety Tips - Riders in Cars, SUVs & Trucks

Part three in my short series on school safety. Since we're all heading back to school, or already have gone back I thought it might help to remind us as parents of the extras we can do to keep the kids safe. A lot of this reference information comes from the Florida Department of Education Office of School Transportation Management, Office of Safe Schools. Please review them with your children and have a happy beginning of school this year!

Tips for Riders in Cars, SUVs and Trucks:

• Drivers and passengers in vehicles must always use seat belts or car seats. Anyone transporting children needs a child safety seat, booster seat, or safety belt, depending on the children's sizes and ages.


• Preschool age children should always be restrained securely in a child safety restraint system, such as a rear-facing infant seat, rear-facing convertible seat, forward-facing convertible seat, or forward-facing only seat appropriate to their age and weight range. Note: We once had Butterfly at a day care where we spotted one of the teachers transporting her own child in the front seat on her lap with her to school. We promptly withdrew her. That said a lot to me about where that teacher's safety-mindedness was or wasn't.


• All children who have outgrown child safety seats should be properly restrained in booster seats until they are at least 8 years old, unless they are at least 4'9" tall. Butterfly is now 8 and taller than that, so we just moved her to a regular seat belt this year.


• The backseat is the safest place in a crash. Children age 12 and under should ride properly restrained in back. Infants riding in rear-facing seats must NEVER be placed in front of an air bag.

School Safety Tips - Part II During the Bus Ride

Part two in my short series on school safety. Since we're all heading back to school, or already have gone back I thought it might help to remind us as parents of the extras we can do to keep the kids safe. A lot of this reference information comes from the Florida Department of Education Office of School Transportation Management, Office of Safe Schools. Please review them with your children and have a happy beginning of school this year!

During A Bus Ride:

• Always follow the driver's directions


• Never distract the driver from driving unless their is an immediate emergency


• Remain seated and keep the aisles clear


• Eating, drinking and chewing gum are not allowed


• Never bring unsafe or unauthorized items into the bus


• Always wear your seat belt, when available


• Always keep your arms, legs and head inside the bus.


• Always show respect for fellow students


• Keep conversation at a reasonable level and remain quiet at railroad crossings.

Riding the school bus is the safest way to and from school. Each year approximately 800 school age children are killed in the USA during school transportation hours while walking, biking, or riding in cars/trucks. Only about two percent of the total deaths occur in or around school buses.

I would have never guessed this!

Tips for School Bus Riders

I am going to run a short series on school safety each day this week. Since we're all heading back to school, or already have gone back I thought it might help to remind us as parents of the extras we can do to keep the kids safe. A lot of this reference information comes from the Florida Department of Education Office of School Transportation Management, Office of Safe Schools.

At the Bus Stop:

1. Students and parents need to be responsible for safety and proper student behavior going to and from the stop and while waiting for the bus.


2. Students must stay off the road while waiting.


3. Students must respect other people's property - nobody wants coke cans and candy wrappers on their lawn.


4. Students must not push, shove, or engage in horseplay.


5. Parents should supervise children at the stop.


6. Students must arrive at the stop at least five minutes prior to the scheduled pick up time.


7. Students must wait for and get off the bus only at approved stop locations

During Loading and Unloading of the Bus:

1. Always stay away from the 12 foot "danger zone" around the bus, except when you are directed by the driver to get on or off the bus.


2. Never pick up an object that you drop under or near the bus. Ask the driver for help.


3. Make sure clothing and backpacks have no loose drawstrings or long straps that could catch in the handrail or bus door.


4. When you see the bus coming, stand at the stop and wait for the bus to come to a complete stop.


5. Always wait for the driver to signal that it's safe to cross the road and/or load into the bus.


6. When crossing a traffic lane, always look left, right, then left again; cross only if approaching traffic has stopped.


7. Never walk behind a bus.


8. Only board your assigned bus, unless other arrangements are approved by your school.
   

Backpack Safety

Now that everyone is headed back to school, be sure your children are not carrying loads that are too heavy for them. Check their backpacks daily and ask them how they are feeling (not to mention it helps to clean out all the old food and weird items kids stash away in there).

Backpack safety is very important so that kids won't hurt their backs, which can contribute to long-term health and pain problems. Here are some tips from American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons to help your children manage their heavy loads a lot better:

1. Always use both shoulder straps. Slinging a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles.


2. Tighten the straps so that the pack is close to the body. The straps should hold the pack two inches above the waist.


3. Pack light. The backpack should never weigh more than 20 percent of the student's total body weight.


4. Organize the backpack to use all of its compartments. Pack heavier items closest to the center of the back.


5. Stop often at school lockers and remove items you don't need, if possible. Do not carry all of the books needed for the day.


6. Bend using both knees, when you bend down. Do not bend over at the waist when wearing or lifting a heavy backpack.


7. Learn back-strengthening exercises to build up the muscles used to carry a backpack.

You Can Do Teacher Background Checks

Hey, go to Tim's post over at the Florida Sun Dog to find out how to do Florida Teacher Background Checks and for other valuable information.

UF Gators are Number 4? Who Knew...

What do mean University of Florida is only number 4?

When I went there it was number one party school....unfortunately! I say that because it certainly did detract from my scholarly career there - I went from A/B's in my first two years to BC and yes a D in my final year. That was the only D I ever got in my whole life! I was an honor roll student in high school, but lived a very demure life. Beer in massive doses can change that.

So, now that Butterfly has said she will be attending UF when she gets older - maybe I will steer her to a less prominent school in that regard - maybe a Mormon or Quaker school.

My mother actually got a scholarship to a small Quaker college, called Friends University, in Wichita, KS. She came home crying the first week, when she found out you couldn't wear makeup, fun clothes, and I assume, smoke. This was in the 50's y'all. I guess she was ready for UF back then!

Baby Einstein Reduces Intelligence?

A new study by University of Washington says that babies' language abilities may be harmed by watching Baby Einstein videos and similar products.

My children were big Baby Einstein fans - they kind of still are, even though they are older, now 8 and 5. My littlest dd learned her shapes so fast with "I Know My Shapes" that it would have made any teacher's head spin off. That was somewhere around age 3.

I didn't sit my babies in carriers in front of the TV just watching those videos though. We did lots of one on one verbal and written language work. I bought those 99 cent Walmart placemats that had the ABC's on them for dd1 and every meal we would practice - she loved them and learned her letters really, really fast. She started writing at age 2. So the price of product doesn't seem to matter, it is how they are used. They both are still far, far ahead in verbal and written language.

A woman we know used to put her baby boy in front of the dvd's while she did her work-at-home business for massage therapy. Now, we haven't seen them in a few years, but I do wonder how he turned out.

Food Fight - Changing the Food in Elementary School

I really loved this article at CNN about how second graders took on the "establishment" and won! Way to create activism early on! They didn't like eating cooked frozen green beans at lunch, so their teacher had them go on a letter writing campaign to change things.

Our daughters' school cafeteria leaves a lot to be desired. My oldest daughter has said more than once that they really need to improve the quality of the food. Before school got out last year, she even got a sandwich in the lunch line that was frozen solid! She loves strawberries, but tells me that she can't eat them at school because they are so runny, goopy, and horrible tasting (quote). That is just pitiful.

When I went to school, the lunch ladies actually made the food. Now lunchrooms seem to buy frozen, prepackaged food to heat and eat. Where is the nutrition? Also, they do not require elementary school students to take all of the items they serve. I've gone to school and seen the kids just take the entree-- not veggies, not fruit, sometimes not milk. Yet, they are charged for a full meal. What happened to take it all and get exposed to new foods! Heck - I may have to go on a letter-writing campaign myself! They don't even serve whole grain breads and this is one of the best school districts in Florida. Help your kids have a voice in government - FOOD FIGHT!

The Summer is Long...Keep Kids Busy!

School starts later this year, like August 24th, instead of the usual first week of August. I really don't mind the kids getting a longer summer this year - but they are getting bored. We just sent them off to camp again. DD2 is at a free bible camp that she really enjoys - you really can't beat them for free entertainment and learning, no matter what your values might be. DD1 is at a free Marine Science camp for the week. We got her a scholarship based on her academic abilities and our low income as of right now.

We really appreciate having this opportunity for her. I believe in the pay it forward philosophy, so when we can, we will financially support such endeavors for others. Still no job opps for me - they seem to only want experienced teachers in our district, despite the high need projected everywhere. Never mind my 25 years of real world experience - vs. the new college graduate - that doesn't seem to matter.

Teach a child to make a friend

Stacey and I are both introverts by nature, me more so than she. Our oldest is introverted as well, but probably at about the same level as her mother. She isn't completely crippled in social situations like her father, she's just not a natural. If you prod her, give her a line, she handles it like a champ. Like many bloggers, I just play an extrovert on the internet.

Our youngest is the complete opposite - an extrovert's extrovert. She's open to others to the point of fault. We're constantly reminding her not to approach strangers. She is in the habit of chasing down every pet owner she sees. A perv with a puppy is our biggest fear.

But, I'll write about teaching stranger-danger some other time.

I just read a post about starting a quality conversation, written by Penelope Trunk. Her post is targeted to adults, and probably more specifically to networking/job situations, but there are many points that work well in pure social situations as well.

It occurred to me that a lot of this could be applied to children as well, if we just put it into a context they'll understand.

Finding a friend on the first day of school

If you think about all of the "first conversations" you've had, most of them probably start the same way. You see someone and they see you and you probably both smile. One of you said "Hi", and the other one said "Hi" back. You may not have said, "My name is ___", but you should because people like to know other people's names if they're going to be friends.

Next, you probably talked about doing something, like playing a game or working on schoolwork. This is a great way to start a conversation! Just ask the person, "What are you playing?" or "What are you doing?", and they will tell you.

Some kids stop here, because they don't know what to say next. Here are some special words to remember to keep a conversation going long enough to make friends:

• Who - "Who do you know in this class?", "Who are you playing with?", "Who is your Mom?"
• What - "What did you think of that?", "What are you reading?"
• Where - "Where did you get that?", "Where do you live?", "Where did you come from?", "Where are you going?"
• When - "When are you playing?", "When did you start?"
• Why - "Why do you like that?", "Why are going there?", "Why are you doing this?"

Did you notice something? Everything I wrote above I wrote as a question. The best way to let people know you like them is to ask them questions about themselves and what they are doing. As people get better at conversations, they will ask those same questions of you and -BINGO! - you have a great conversation and the beginning of a friendship.

You have a chance to make friends with everyone. Most people like talking about themselves, so if you ask questions, they'll remember you as someone that was interested in them. However, there are special cases of kids that really, really want to be YOUR friend:

The New Kid.

I moved to lot of different schools when I was growing up, and it was never easy to be the new kid, especially when you're shy. I was always grateful to the kids that took time to ask me questions and show me around the school and tell me stuff I needed to know. Sometimes, those kids were just naturally friendly kids that were helpful, but we didn't become best friends. Other times, they were kids that turned into great friends.

But, none of us ever knew which was which until after we started talking.

And remember - SMILE!

Cicada Mania!

Check out the Cicada Festival website I found at Cicada Mania today. Here is a photo I found there too. (quite educational don't you think?)

Why, you ask, was I looking at this? Well the cicadas have also emerged here in Florida in droves. It is cool that they only come out every 17 years. We found a "skin" yesterday on our screened porch screen. I loved grossing out the kids by actually being the one to extract the skin to use in their makeshift science museum on the porch. (this was one of my better ideas to keep them busy when they were bored...I said get your binoculars and your magnifying glass and find some science outside....and they did very rapidly) I explained that when we were little we had lots of fun collecting and wondering about the cicadas.

Apparantly, the folks in Illinois and midwest have quite a time celebrating the cicada! Enjoy!