Category Archives: Children

Raining Cats and Dogs

Posted on November 3, 2011 | Leave a comment
 
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This week one of my teachers was laughing after school and I asked what was so funny?  And she said that she had told the children in her class that it was raining cats and dogs.  Well, about three of her kids ran to the window to check outside to see the cats and dogs.  It seems so funny to us as adults but to children they just believed that what the teacher said was literal.  That is because children don’t understand until the age of around 7 to 11 that reality and fantasy are different things.  Do you ever notice how small children are terrified of a character from an amusement park but when they get to be around 7  or so, they start trying to figure out who’s inside?   Piaget calls it Concrete Operational and it is a part of our cognitive development.  Suffice it to say, children believe what they hear and see as real because they aren’t fully developed yet.  That’s why we adults have to play a huge part in sheltering our children until they can learn to make that distinctinction on their own.  If a stranger says they have some puppies in their car that they want to show the child, that child believes them because they don’t have the discernment yet to question whether that is real or not.  Children don’t understand that something they see on TV is not appropriate for them to act out because they don’t understand that it is pretend.  Pretend is their reality.  So, let me put a bug in your ear, parents.  And I’m not talking about a real bug, just a thought to ponder on.  What am I exposing my children to that may be harmful to them as they develop?  Happy pondering!

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Posted on October 20, 2011 | Leave a comment
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I read about something today that disturbed me but it didn’t surprise me. It was an article about child abuse and the recession and how child abuse happens more frequently in a recession. It disturbed me because whenever I read or hear about child abuse it disturbs me. But it didn’t surprise me because whenever people feel oppressed or depressed or when things become out of control people suffer. And many times those people are children. Their parents are suffering and it gets passed down to the children. We see it everyday at our school. When the family moves…it affects the children. When Mom and Dad are fighting…it affects the children. If a grandparent or family member dies…it affects the children. When Mom or Dad are sick…it affects the children. There are varying degrees of how the children are affected but you can always tell when something is happening in the life of a family. Parents, don’t think you can hide from your kids. They are like bloodhounds and unless you are a very good actor they pick up on your mood and it affects them.
So, I was thinking about this in light of the recession and another teacher and I were trying to think about how you could lighten the affects of the recession. My husband and I like to eat out, a form of entertainment but it’s expensive and when you’re being squeezed for all your pennies what can you do? I’ve been trying to identify all the places in town that offer “special cheap food” nights so that I can still enjoy eating out without going broke. Maybe you’re a movie buff. Renting a dollar video and making popcorn and turning off all the lights in the house might make you feel like you’re at the movies. What about picnics in the park now that the weather is nicer? I know that won’t replace the job that you just lost or put more money in the bank but it might just give you the boost you need to help your family get through the tough times.  Anybody have any other suggestions? Let’s brainstorm ideas and see what we come up with, shall we?

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Emotional health in sports

Posted on October 14, 2011 | Leave a comment
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I wanted to share something that I thought was worthwhile for all parents of young children to ponder about.  It comes out of a publication that I get called Exchange Everyday specifically for parents or teachers when dealing with children.

“Youth sports organizations are reaching deeper into the preschool years, urging parents to sign kids up for soccer or rugby as early as age 3.”  This alarming claim was made by Sue Shellenbarger in her

Wall Street

Journal column (June 3, 2011) that was brought to our
attention by Eric Karolak.  Shellenbarger shared guidelines

from experts on involving kids in organized sports…

  • Avoid competition, which can be stressful for kids before the age of 7 or 8.  Keep the focus on fun.
  • Don’t make a child specialize in one sport at an early age.  Sports researchers say young players have more fun and develop better as athletes if they are encouraged to play many sports.  Well-rounded kids are also far less likely to lose interest and burn out when they reach their teens.
  • Take at least one or two seasons off each year, so kids can rest their bodies.
  • Don’t allow yourself to feel pressured by other parents who enroll their kids in lots of organized programs.

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Self-Esteem in children

Posted on October 7, 2011 | 1 comment
Dad and daughter

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I posted some information on Facebook today about girls and their body image. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but girls are bombarded by the wrong message of what makes them attractive and beautiful. Contrary to the tabloids and fashion magazines out there it isn’t how they dress or whether they are tall, short, blonde, brunette, redhead, overweight or skinny. I know, you say, it’s what’s inside. You’re darn right it’s what’s inside. Unfortunately the world isn’t telling them this. So who’s going to do it? Let me tell you that parents and aunts and uncles, grandmas and grandpas need to be the ones who step up and help our young
girls to be proud of themselves. Loving a child unconditionally is what makes for a healthy body image in young girls. No, that doesn’t mean letting them do whatever they want. It means instructing them in what’t real and what’s not real. Let me say, dads, that you are the most
important person in a girls life to help them to love themselves and to develop that healthy self-esteem. You are the key — telling your child she’s beautiful and showing her is essential to the life of a healthy young woman. Yep, that’s right dad. So get to it!! Step it up. Play an instrumental role in your daughter’s life. You will NEVER
regret it. Who knows…you may be raising the next President of the United States.

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