Why is it that my son is a perfect student for his actual teacher and a less than enthusiastic one for his own mother? Why?
I severely doubt that he whined when his kindergarten teachers asked him a math question or asked him to recite a few lines in a book. Man, that drives me crazy!
Despite this initial resistance, my son has enjoyed his Super Why activity sheets for the past few days. I love it because it’s a no-brainer for me. My kids watch a 30-minute episode of Super Why and then we have some fun with the activity sheets I download directly from from the PBS web site. Suddenly I have a 45-minute lesson plan. This is especially important to me during the summer months when I don’t want to have my children’s brains turn to mush! (Read for background)
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When the subject of TV comes up with fellow moms, I always hesitate to engage. Inside my head, random self-deprecating remarks abound: “Oh, I bet compared to her I let my child watch too much TV. ” Or, “I let my kids watch SpongeBob, she’ll definitely think I’m a bad mom.”
Mention TV and there’s hushed voices revealing some guilt on behalf of the parent who uses it - on occasion - as a “babysitter.” Consider yesterday. I watched four children - ages 4 - 6 - all day (two of my own, two nephews) and the TV went on around 5 p.m. so I could make dinner. Do I feel guilty? A little. On average, my kids watch the tube for about an hour or so a day…sometimes more. There I said it.
I’ve hesitated to cover “TV” in the pages of P&K because I think there is a sort of “stigma” associated with kids - especially the little ones - and TV viewing. Somehow, I thought the story “Must See TV for Toddlers” would rub a few people the wrong way. It turns out, I may be wrong.
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If you’ve met me recently, chances are I’ve inquired about your birth order. In other words, are you the oldest child, somewhere in the middle or perhaps the baby of the family? I’ve become obsessed with the topic and am now micro-analyzing anyone that crosses my path. Unfortunately, that also included an intern I interviewed last week. (She ended up being the last born but had first born traits. More on that later).
I’m a firm believer that the people you grew up with (your siblings) have a strong influence on who you become later in life. Part of that theory includes the sequence of how each member of the family popped out of the womb. Do any of these descriptions match your own children? Below are some quick tips on bringing out the best in your children (as it relates to birth order)
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I just came from a dentist appointment with my 6-year-old son. I hate to admit it…but he had a cavity that needed to be filled. Much like me, he doesn’t care for pain, especially in form of the outrageously large Novocain needles. When I tell you, that I lost sleep over this procedure for weeks leading up to the appointment, I’m not exaggerating.
I called the dentist office to hear a step-by-step description of the procedure and I googled “cavities and children” to find out what methods are most safe. I woke up with a stomachache, which went nicely with the super, fake smile plastered on my face as to not alert my offspring that anything too horrible was coming.
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Four members of the Kempskie family went to work last Thursday. My husband and I … and our children. It was “Bring Your Child to Work” day at my husband’s place of employment - RSA Security in Bedford.
Granted my kids now think that Daddy works at a place that offers face painting, balloon animals and hot dogs for lunch every day but they also got to have front seats during an important conference call and see some of the security devices their dad works to promote in the PR department. At the tender ages of 4 & 6, I think it was the perfect introduction to work life and answers to the question: What does Dad do all day?
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I’ve been admiring Sara Sun of Sublime Photo Art work, from afar for a while now. I first came across her Web site several months ago when I was researching area photographers and was hoping to find someone who had a niche for whimsical, fun and trendy approaches to family portraits.
So when Sara emailed me a few weeks back and said that my headshot needed some serious updating, I scheduled a photo shoot and… a hair appointment.
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My husband wants to celebrate our nation’s freedom by sneaking across the state line to purchase $79.99 worth of fireworks. What is about the month of July that makes people a little crazy?
I have about 3 million things I could do with $79.99 and buying tiny and dangerous explosives wouldn’t be one of them.
“It’s a boyhood thing,” my husband explained. “We’re fascinated by them.” He even looked like a boy when he made this statement. Eyes all wild with excitement.
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