Kids Age:
Topics for:
Fore Life
Starry-Eyed
2760-02
Oh, The Weather Outside Is Frightful
Metal Mania Panels
First The ABCs, Then The WWWs
Music To All Ears
Zodiac: Celestial Circle of the Sun
Colors! !Colores!
Just Say ‘No’—To ‘Yes’
Soup’s On
Envirosax
Step
Flor Rugs
If Your Baby Was The Designer
When Your Passion Becomes Your Adventure
A Shot Of Controversy
Pronto by Skip Hop
The Baby and Toddler Owner’s Manuals
Laugh Together
Knock, Knock!
Lighten Up!
See John Avoid Reading
Write This Down
A Lesson In Time
Basic Chicken & Vegetable Soup
Good Buys
News You Should Know
Is spanking an appropriate form of discipline?
100 Days and 99 Nights
The Black Book of Colors
Nature’s Baby Organics
Beaba Babycook
Zoobie Pets
My First Jackson Pollock Onesie
Zen Collection Gliding Bassinet
Klutz’s Paper Fashions
The Land of Green Ginger
A Good Day
MomSpit
Baby Whoozit
Oball
Kolcraft’s iBaby stroller
Learning Journal’s Electronic Puzzle
The One, The Only Magnificent Me
Glad Monster, Sad Monster
Why do you have a belly button: Brady B.
Why do you have a belly button?
Why do you have a belly button: Nathaniel P.
Why do you have a belly button: Isabetta H.
Why do you have a belly button: Ava S.
Why do you have a belly button: Jordan L.
Why do you have a belly button: Joslin F.
What can kids in Modesto do to help the environment: Parker
What Can Kids In Modesto Do To Help The Environment?
What can kids in Modesto do to help the environment: Alexandra
What can kids in Modesto do to help the environment: Ciarra
Baby, That’s Tasty
Kid Stuff
What would you do all day if you didn’t have to go to school: Miranda A.
What would you do all day if you didn’t have to go to school: William S.
What would you do all day if you didn’t have to go to school: Malia B.
What would you do all day if you didn’t have to go to school: Nathaniel P.
What would you do all day if you didn’t have to go to school?
What would you do all day if you didn’t have to go to school: Brody E.
What would you do all day if you didn’t have to go to school: Morgan G.
Take A Cue From Madeline
Using Time Wisely
Into The Light
School’s Out… Now What?
Me Time
Socializing in Cyberspace
The Big Deal about Big Brothers & Sisters
The Baby Whisperers
Our Newest Family Member
Lean On Me
Imagination
Good Toys
A Picture Is A Gift
The Superpower Of Pretend
When Kids Ask The Darndest Things
Kid Stuff
Little Girl Growing Up
What Can Kids Do To Help The Enviroment: Mikayla
What Can Kids Do To Help The Enviroment: Courtney
What Can Kids Do To Help The Environment?
What Can Kids Do To Help The Enviroment: Zachary
What Can Kids Do To Help The Enviroment: Cameron
What Can Kids Do To Help The Enviroment: Quinn
Family Ties
Getting Started with ExpressionEngine
Fore Life
-- Dec 2008
Modesto kids get in the swing of golf and life skills
Business executive and consultant Sandra de Alcuaz was drawn to The First Tee’s mission to use golf as a vehicle for instilling in children life-enhancing core values. She was impressed how the national organization supported local chapters, so de Alcuaz, along with members of Del Rio Country Club, organized a foundation to fund The First Tee Modesto in 2001. In 2004, she resigned from the foundation to become the local nonprofit’s executive director and to serve 178 children in the first year of programming.
De Alcuaz, a golfer, explains that the independent nature of golf is well-suited to character development. The First Tee values—including honesty, perseverance, responsibility, and respect—are as helpful in life as they are in learning and enjoying the game of golf.
Positive focus
Amanda Gutierrez watches her sons Carlos (11) and Jesse (10) from afar when she picks them up from The First Tee clinics. “The boys always come back happy. The coaches are very positive with them,” she says.
Both boys hope to be lifelong golfers. In addition to making friends and liking the volunteer coaches, Carlos thinks he and his brother get along better now. They look forward to the weekly golf clinics. “I would actually be bored if I didn’t have The First Tee,” he says.
Jesse, pleased with his skill level, says, “I’m hitting them nice and straight—around 90 yards.”
Transformations
Always a good student, Dawn Carroll played basketball in the sixth grade. Her athletic experiences were otherwise unremarkable, and she was still shy at age 14. Willing to try something new, she enrolled in one of the clinics after a family friend told of volunteering for the new program. “I thought I’d just be learning how to hit the ball. I didn’t think I’d learn life skills, too,” she says.
Dawn soon looked forward to the weekly golf classes. She describes that the programs teach discipline and sportsmanship interspersed in a step-by-step process with fun exercises and respectful interaction.
Dawn persevered to become a respectable golfer. In addition, she attended The First Tee Academy at Kansas State University. In 2007, she was chosen to attend a leadership forum at Disney World. As Dawn’s belief in the program—and confidence in herself—grew, she volunteered in the organization’s booth during events and festivals, so she could introduce other children to The First Tee.
In August 2008, Dawn’s courtesy and demonstration of the program’s values earned her one of just 10 scholarships in the country from Royal Bank of Scotland.
Program demand
Five years after the initial program session, de Alcuaz says the changes she observes in the children are very satisfying. “They come to The First Tee to learn a game, but we also teach interpersonal skills. To see them develop personal responsibility and respect motivates me.”
In 2008, more than 3,500 children discovered ways to improve work habits and relate better to others and their community through The First Tee Modesto. Spring sign-ups begin in February.
For more information, visit www.thefirstteemodesto.org
Starry-Eyed
-- Dec 2008
That Xbox-wielding child of yours could design the next mission to Mars
Does your child spend hours playing video games, launching impossibly complicated space adventures, or watching cartoons with space aliens battling feverishly for control of the universe? Behind these simulations, there may lurk a real fascination for space and stars, a latent longing for astronomy. We spoke with Marc Rayman, chief engineer for the Dawn Mission at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (it sounds like an operation from Star Wars, doesn’t it?) about his interest in stars as a very young boy and how that grew into a lifelong love of—and fascination with—the universe.
The NASA website mentions that you were interested in astronomy from a very young age. What sort of feelings do you remember having about stars when you were young?
I loved going in our backyard late at night, setting up a reclining chair, and spending long hours gazing at the stars. Sometimes I was bundled in many layers of winter clothing with a hot drink, and other times I could wear a T-shirt and shorts and feel the warm, humid Ohio air on my skin. I remember feeling surrounded by the velvety blackness of the sky filled with sparkling gems, and sometimes I would feel almost dizzy as my mind would launch me into the depths of space, far from Earth, where there would be nothing to see but the sites of the cosmos! I would feel myself sail high above Earth, briefly looking down on it as it spun on its axis.
As a young boy, I was scared of witches. When I was about 4, as my parents and I were walking from the car to the house one evening, I remember seeing a meteor. I thought it was a witch streaking through the sky on her broom, and it really frightened me. But then when my parents told me it was “a shooting star,” a rock from outer space burning up in our atmosphere, I was captivated. That is one of my earliest memories of being interested in astronomy. To this day, I love looking for meteors, and I still often think of how lucky I was to be transformed that one evening when a witch cast a magical spell on me, giving me a lifelong love of astronomy.
To get the feeling of the vastness of space,you need to expand your vision, not contract it by looking through a long, narrow tube.
In addition to my feelings about stars, I loved knowing about them. I loved to read astronomy magazines and books. I read a little science fiction, but my much greater interest was in science fact, coming to know the stars not just as points of light at night but as enormous, hot, brilliant spheres fired by nuclear furnaces, with a wide variety of amazing characteristics, undergoing complex and fascinating processes.
Did your parents encourage your interest in astronomy?
I don’t think they encouraged me so much as supported me. That is, I couldn’t get to an astronomy club meeting on my own, so they would either drop me off and pick me up, or one of them would attend with me. When I asked for specific books or subscriptions to astronomy and science magazines for birthdays, that’s what they gave me. I wanted to own a telescope but couldn’t afford a new one, so they helped me put an ad in the newspaper to buy a used one and drove me around to look at the ones that people offered in response. My father let me use an old camera of his to take pictures of stars, the moon, and lunar eclipses. (That’s another really fun activity that doesn’t require a telescope.) And as much as I talked about astronomy, the stars, and space, they always listened and appreciated my enthusiasm.
Is having a telescope absolutely necessary to enjoy stargazing?
Not at all! A telescope most assuredly can provide wonderful views, but as it gives you a deeper view of space, it also makes your view narrower. To get the feeling of the vastness of space, you need to expand your vision, not contract it by looking through a long, narrow tube. The night sky is gorgeous without a telescope. Once you are adapted to the dark, and if you are away from city lights, your naked eye will reveal that the stars are not just white dots in the black sky. The stars come in different colors, from bluish to yellow to orange or red. The color usually is determined by the temperature of the star, and the brightness is a combination of how big and how far away the star is.
You don’t have to be a scientist to revel in the joy of astronomy. All it takes is a little curiosity and some effort to learn combined with some careful thinking. Knowing a great deal of the math and science is extremely gratifying, but it isn’t essential. Learning some of the basic concepts and connecting those concepts with the sights of the real thing is something every youngster can do, and it provides a joy that will last as long as the stars do.
From dreaming to doing
As a kid, Marc Rayman joined an astronomy club to learn more about the universe, but he dreamed of working for NASA. Today, he works at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is responsible for exploring the solar system as well as conducting missions to observe beyond our solar system. He is the chief engineer for the Dawn Mission, which is on its way to the asteroid belt—that vast collection of objects between Mars and Jupiter. As the chief engineer, he is involved in virtually every technical aspect of the mission. He says, “I love thinking about that spacecraft as it crosses millions and millions and millions of miles of interplanetary space, carrying with it my hopes and dreams and my longing to continue the journeys my mind began as I looked up at the night sky in my backyard when I was a child.”
Rayman likes sharing his interest in astronomy, science, and space exploration with others, so he writes a blog about Dawn at http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/journal.asp. He also helped formulate a fun space website for children, The Space Place (http://spaceplace.nasa.gov).
2760-02
-- Dec 2008
Oh, The Weather Outside Is Frightful
-- Dec 2008
1 Build a fort
This is a classic that will never grow old. Kids love designing, constructing, and playing in these wonderful little hideaways. Help your kids gather up everything they might need for building. Blankets, pillows, chairs, card tables, and fitted sheets make great building materials.
2 Paint with potatoes
Kids will enjoy getting to play with their food as they create pictures using potato stamps. Simply cut a potato in half, draw a design on it, and cut away the surrounding potato. Then let your kids dip the stamps in tempera paint and create their masterpieces.
3 Dance!
Dancing is a great way to burn energy without completely destroying the house. Have kids take turns making up dances and teaching them to each other. Before you know it, they’ll have choreographed routines to all their favorite songs, and everyone will be longing for a nap.
4 Play restaurant
Why are there so many plastic toy lawn mowers, vacuums, tools, and phones out there? Because kids love to imitate adults—and they learn by doing so. Encourage this exploration by letting your kids run their own mock restaurant. They can design the menu, set the prices, decorate the space, and serve the food. If they’re old enough, you can even let them cook for you!
5 Photo-album stories
When kids are young, they love hearing stories about their family and about themselves when they were younger. Bad-weather days are perfect for sitting down, going through a photo album, and telling stories. These stories will not only be interesting, but they’ll also help foster a feeling of belonging and identity.
6 Make a collage
Have a stack of old magazines or newspapers lying around the house? Instead of just tossing them out, let the kids tear them apart and make collages. For older kids, a great springboard is to give them a theme to express. Asking them to make a collage about family, love, or who they are can give you some great insight.
7 Minigolf
Horrible weather outside doesn’t mean you can’t play golf. Gather up some cups, boxes, chairs, and other obstacles, and construct your own indoor minigolf course. If you’re feeling creative, make a trophy for the winner to keep until the next game.
Metal Mania Panels
-- Dec 2008
Who says that nursery walls have to be covered in fluffy bunnies and rainbows? We certainly don’t! With Crib Rock’s Metal Mania Panels, you can decorate your baby’s room with style. The best part: Your baby will enjoy looking at the high-contrast geometric shapes!
First The ABCs, Then The WWWs
-- Dec 2008
Wondering when to introduce your child to today's technologies? Let her interest and abilities be your guide.
At our house, we do not live the unwired life. We possess a whole host of life-enhancing technologies: six working computers, one Wii system, multiple DVRs, and assorted iPods of different sizes and generations—plenty of technology, hours of entertainment for the adults in the household.
And my second grader can’t work any of it. For one thing, he’s never needed to, and for another, he’s never really wanted to. Among other things, he’s been busy training his younger siblings to help him guard the kitchen and deciding whom to arm with the coveted spaghetti spoon. Carefully thought-out child development plan? Nope. It just happened that way.
But in a world where his peers have been pulling up their favorite games since the age of 4 and now seem to be making their own Netflix queues and surfing YouTube, I’ve started to worry about our accidental Luddite. Is he hopelessly behind? Should we be teaching our 2- and 4-year-olds how to use the machines that surround them in the hope that they will bail out their brother by designing his Facebook page in exchange for a turn with the can opener?
Dr. Jenn Berman, psychotherapist and author of The A to Z Guide to Raising Happy, Confident Kids
The “educational” computer materials marketed to young children—or rather, to their anxious parents—can’t offer any real education unless a caregiver sits down and participates. According to Berman, that time would be far better spent building block towers and doing puzzles together. “The real learning comes from human interactions and human connections, from words and conversations,” she says. You don’t need a toy computer for that.
By age 7 or so, kids gain the intellectual capacity to comprehend what the computer is and where the information comes from. That understanding is crucial to learning how to actually use the technology, and using the computer—rather than playing with it—is where you should focus your child’s attention. My son recently acquired a shirt with signal flags on it and wanted to know what they meant, and Google easily led us to the answer. Sitting down with your child to look something up creates an interactive experience. You could also help him find sites that speak to his areas of interest, such as baseball or dog breeds.
As you introduce your older child to the online world, be aware of the subtler messages of even the most innocuous sites. Many are designed to teach kids to consume and shop online—like those where kids earn points to furnish a virtual creature with toys and treats—even if they cost little or no actual money. You’ll want to make an informed decision about how much time your child spends on even imaginary shopping.
For a young child who’s already begun using your computer or an older child who’s just learning, it’s never too late to set limits. “Tell them your family has new rules and they can use the computer twice a week for 30 minutes—or whatever limits you want to impose—at these specific times,” suggests Berman. Stick to it, and after a week or two, your child will find other activities to replace the time he was spending on the computer. But give in to whining “just this once,” and that child will keep trying for a lot longer.
My son was pleased with the results of our computer research, and he’s quick to suggest that we Google everything, from how to make candy to what kind of moth is clinging to the porch screen. I’m sure I could teach him how to do it himself in a matter of minutes.
But I don’t plan to. For one thing, he hasn’t asked; he’s still negotiating kitchen-utensil treaties in between soccer games. And I still don’t see any real reason for him to be sitting in front of that screen unless I’m sitting next to him. For better or for worse, that will come. Meanwhile, we’re working on developing some other unusual skills. To satisfy his recent curiosity about hurricanes, we went to the library and looked them up in a book.
Use it—don’t just play with it!
- Create a crossword puzzle from vocabulary words at http://edhelper.com.
- Check out the latest pictures from the Mars Rover at http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov.
- Track hurricanes at www.nhc.noaa.gov.
- Map your neighborhood at http://maps.google.com.
- Look for a favorite author.
- Find a recipe at http://kidshealth.org.
- Identify a bug at www.whatsthatbug.com.
- Search for new ways to fold a paper airplane.
- Find wooden train track layouts.
- Make a sign for a party.
- Print a picture for a friend.
Music To All Ears
-- Dec 2008
Kids' tunes that even adults will love
Sometimes, it may seem impossible to find music that’s not only appropriate for the kids but also doesn’t—after a couple of listens—make you shudder as if you’re hearing nails on a chalkboard. We’ve done the dirty work and found some kid-friendly music that will allow you to maintain your sanity.
Wonderstuff
This double-CD set tells the story of Everett the Wonderbee, who travels with his friends to save his home from The Gray. Though the story will appeal to the kids, parents will appreciate the well-composed music. This is one album you won’t mind putting in when your kids request it.
Baby Loves Hip Hop presents The Dino-5
With an infectious beat, the Dino-5 tells a story of friendship and acceptance. This is a great way to introduce your kids to hip-hop without having to worry about subject matter. This album will most likely be enjoyed best by kids ages 4 and up.
Nine Inch Nails might not have been the first thing you thought to play for your infant, but Rockabye Baby! is changing that. They have transformed songs from groups such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Green Day, Bob Marley, and Tool into beautiful and soothing instrumental lullabies for baby. The music is so good that you may find yourself listening to it even when the little ones are asleep.
Zodiac: Celestial Circle of the Sun
-- Dec 2008
Zodiac: Celestial Circle of the Sun
Colors! !Colores!
-- Dec 2008
Colors! !Colores!
Just Say ‘No’—To ‘Yes’
-- Dec 2008
Many parents make corporate 'yes-men' look like slackers--and put their children at risk for failure
Are too many of today’s parents unfamiliar with the word “no?” In a word, yes.
Granted, this phenomenon isn’t nearly as interesting as George Clooney’s latest gal pal or Brad and Angelina’s twins. But a leading authority on parenting and the impact of media on children’s development is busy firing warning shots across the parental bow, asserting that this inability to utter a simple one-syllable word sets up children up for failure and threatens America’s economic future.
That’s the assessment of David Walsh, PhD, author of No: Why Kids—of All Ages—Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It (Free Press, 2007)
“We’re starting to see an epidemic of what I call DDD—Discipline Deficit Disorder,” Walsh warns. “We’re creating a culture of disrespect, impatience, inability to defer gratification, and a sense of entitlement.”
Judging from attendance at parenting seminars Walsh holds around the country, growing numbers of parents and teachers share his concerns.
“In the last 30 years, if 30 or 40 parents showed up at one of my seminars, I considered it good attendance,” he notes. “Now hundreds of people show up for my ‘No’ seminars.”
This doesn’t imply that today’s parents are inferior to past generations of parents, Walsh says.
“They just had it easier back then because our culture supported the concept of ‘no,‘“ he says. “Parents today are swimming against a cultural current that makes it more difficult to say ‘no’ when they should.”
Harmful media messages
So what motivates parents to channel Santa Claus year-round? Look no further than the ubiquitous screens that proliferate modern-day life: flat-screen televisions, hand-held video-game screens, computer screens, and cell-phone screens, not to mention movie screens at the local cinema.
“Whoever tells the stories defines the culture, and that’s been true for thousands of years,” Walsh explains. “The people who used to be the storytellers—community elders and religious leaders, for instance—have been pushed aside by the electronic storytellers.
“As they’ve gained dominance, they’ve shaped cultural values that emphasize ‘more,’ ‘fast,’ ‘easy,’ and ‘fun.’ Whatever we have, we need more of it. Whatever iPhone model I have, a better one is coming out next month.
“The watchwords of today are that deferred gratification stinks.”
For some parents, denial is just a river in Egypt. But Walsh says they should consider this fact: An estimated 28 percent of infants and almost 70 percent of school-age children have televisions in their bedrooms, according to recent studies. Subsequently, parents are literally wiring babies’ brains to expect fun and entertainment, Walsh says.
“Now, there’s nothing wrong with fun and entertainment,” he notes. “But when our media-driven culture overemphasizes ‘more,’ ‘fast,’ ‘easy,’ and ‘fun,’ it makes it more difficult for children to learn and develop the trait of self-discipline, which is the key to their success.”
“Parents are drinking that Kool-Aid, too,” he adds. “They think it’s their job to make their kids happy and have an almost allergic reaction to making them unhappy.”
Dire lack of discipline
It’s important that children be told “no” because it teaches them self-discipline, which is crucial to success as adults. In fact, a two-year-old study at the University of Pennsylvania showed that self-discipline is twice as strong a predictor of success in school as intelligence, Walsh points out.
Moreover, a lack of discipline in American classrooms is hurting students’ academic achievement. As of 2005, half of all schoolteachers have left the profession within five years of graduating from college, and the number one reason is student misbehavior.
“Some teachers tell me that they spend 75 percent to 80 percent of their time each school day on discipline,” Walsh notes. “And as student behavior deteriorates, so does academic achievement.”
That, in turn, leads to a flaccid, lazy workforce. As evidence, Walsh cites a 2006 report on graduates’ workforce readiness, compiled by the Conference Board, a preeminent business and management think tank (www.conference-board.org). The report shows that the primary concern of American business leaders is a general lack of employee work ethic. Walsh firmly believes this is directly linked to our say-yes society.
The result of this volatile mix is an undereducated workforce with little work ethic or self-discipline. No wonder Walsh sees an economic crisis looming, all for wont of saying “no.”
“The goal is not just to say ‘no,‘“ he emphasizes. “The goal is to help children learn to say ‘no’ to themselves because that’s what they need to succeed. But kids don’t learn that on their own. They outsource it to parents and other caregivers.”
Along with preparing kids for professional success, saying “no” also helps them on a deeper, more personal level by teaching them how to handle disappointment and frustration.
“If you never hear the word ‘no,’ how do you learn critical life skills, such as handling setbacks and obstacles?” Walsh asks. “The short-term peace parents obtain by saying ‘yes’ hurts the kids in the long term.”
An uphill battle
So how does a parent start to tell a child “no” after years in which “yes” has been as common as text messaging?
“It’s not easy,” Walsh says. “If a ‘yes’ pattern has been in place for years, it’s difficult to change. But it’s never too late.”
”...the ubiquitous screens that proliferate modern-day life: flat-screen televisions, hand-held video-game screens, computer screens, and cell-phone screens, not to mention movie screens….”
The most important thing is to explain clearly why the answer is “no,” and avoid getting caught up in endless explanations and negotiations. Just firmly and calmly set limits and enforce them with consequences, Walsh advises.
“Stop coddling children and stick with it,” he says. “That doesn’t mean you need to take a boot-camp approach. And as kids get older, you can negotiate a little more.”
All this doesn’t mean that parents can’t still say “yes” every so often.
“Knowing when it’s OK to say ‘yes’ is where the art of parenting comes in,” Walsh says. “There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Give some thought to what your children need—not what they want—because our culture says they should get everything they want in order to be happy. You need to distinguish between wants and needs.”
In his book, Walsh notes that parents also can say “no” indirectly by doing the following: confront problems rather than take the easy way out; let them solve a problem, even if the parent can do it faster; assign household chores; insist they take care of their possessions; and restrict media use.
“Parents want competent, respectful, and responsible children,” Walsh notes, “but it doesn’t happen by accident.”
Or by always saying “yes.”
Soup’s On
-- Dec 2008
Warm and nourishing, soup is a great winter meal
With cooler weather comes the desire to have something warm on the table when everyone sits down to eat. Soup is a great choice, and while there are a million varieties to grab at the grocery store, there is something infinitely pleasing about having a big pot of homemade soup simmering on the stove. An additional bonus: Your kids can help put this one-pot meal together.
If your kids have ever read Stone Soup, they know how easy it is to put together a good bowl of soup. The important thing to learn from this book is that a good soup can be made from staples sitting in your pantry and refrigerator. Carrots, celery, potatoes, onions, garlic, canned tomatoes, kidney or other beans, small pasta, and chicken thrown together with some chicken or vegetable broth and herbs will ensure a satisfying supper. Because the vegetables don't have to be cut exactly the same size, your little ones can help with the chopping and peeling. They can also help out with can opening and stirring. There is almost no way to "wreck" a good bowl of chicken and vegetable soup--that's an easy meal.
Once you have created a basic soup you like, think about varying the ingredients. In place of pasta, use brown, white, or wild rice, barley, lentils, or quinoa--but be sure to account for the extra liquid necessary or cook them before adding. Sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, squash, or any root vegetable adds a hearty flavor to the soup. Dropping in simple dumplings--again, something your kids can mix and drop--increases the substance of the meal. Changing up the meat or using tofu also makes for a nice variation.
Additions of ginger or fresh herbs such as basil, thyme, rosemary, and oregano continue to create a pleasant flavor without adding sodium, one of the main culprits of commercial soups. Try roasting the vegetables before adding them to the mix, cutting up a rotisserie chicken if you don't have raw meat, and substituting plain yogurt for cream and other heavy fat additives, which make for lovely but ultimately less-than-healthy soup.
The moral of the story: Opening a few cans, throwing in a variety of fresh or frozen vegetables, and putting in some fresh or dried seasoning means that your family can have a fun-to-put-together, healthy, and nourishing meal on the table in about 45 minutes.
Basic Chicken & Vegetable Soup
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 handful green beans, halved
- 4 small potatoes, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can kidney beans, rinsed
- 2 chicken breasts, chopped and cooked
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/2 cup small pasta, uncooked
- Salt and pepper
- Herbs of your choosing*
- Saute the onion in the oil and butter until transparent. Add the rest of the vegetables and saute until they are soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add chicken and stock. About 15 minutes before you are ready to serve the soup, add the pasta, salt and pepper, and herbs.
- Don't forget that cauliflower, broccoli, fresh tomatoes, root vegetables, frozen lima beans or soybeans, brussels sprouts, and almost any other vegetable you have will make a great addition to this soup. Just add them all when you include the other vegetables. Cabbage is also a great addition, but add it about 15 minutes before serving.
*Try parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, fennel, dill, sage, or any other herbs you like.
Soup Additions
- Once the soup is made and ready to be served, you need to think about what additions you want to place on the table to enhance the soup. Just pay attention to little hands, which can add so many crackers that the soup ends up looking more like wallpaper paste!
- Chop or tear fresh herbs.
- Homemade croutons: You can cube up bread, spread cubes out on a cookie sheet, and spray with oil. Bake at a low temperature until crisp. You can also add seasoning before baking. Store-bought croutons are fine as well.
- Crackers: oyster, Goldfish, pretzels, or a cracker mix.
- Fresh peeled or diced carrots, peppers, potatoes, etc. These add some vibrant color and a crunchy texture.
- Cheese shavings: Parmesan is particularly flavorful. Creamy cheeses such as chevre melt beautifully in the hot broth.
- A dollop of sour cream, creme fraiche, plain yogurt, or mascarpone cheese.
- All-Bran cereal or other crunchy non-sugared cereals.
- Nuts, such as walnuts or almond slivers, sunflower seeds, or flax seeds.
- Cooked rice, barley, lentils, or other grains—a great way to use up leftovers without having to add them to the larger pot.
Envirosax
-- Dec 2008
Global warming or not, it’s always a good idea to waste less and take care of our environment. The Envirosax line of reusable, lightweight, compact bags makes this a little more fun. These great bags come in several prints for both parents and kids and fold up easily to fit anywhere.
Step
-- Dec 2008
Given time, step-relatives can offer children valuable lessons
In the last 10 years, my two oldest daughters’ family tree grew from a straight-as-an-arrow sequoia into a sprawling baobab with tangled limbs that branch out with dozens of step-relatives.
Marriages, remarriages, and newborns will add even more branches, surrounding my daughters with enough family to confuse even the most ardent genealogist. Nonetheless, they tell me it’s been a positive experience. They’ve learned to easily welcome and accept new people in the same way they’ve been embraced by others.
Not every stepchild is that lucky. They can just as easily enter a dysfunctional arena that makes newcomers feel as though they must take sides in family politics. And when a step-relative takes a newcomer aside and starts bad-mouthing other step-relatives, they potentially squelch what could be a very beneficial relationship.
“Those kinds of negative comments confuse the child and make it more difficult for them to form relationships,” says Susan Newman, PhD, a social psychologist and a stepparent herself. “Besides, kids have good instincts and can make up their own minds about people.”
“It’s hard enough for step-relatives to form good relationships [with new family members]—don’t make it worse,” advises Brenda Rodstrom, a licensed clinical social worker with a master’s degree in social work. Also a stepmother, Rodstrom has studied and counseled stepfamilies for 20 years. “It’s not even a stepfamily issue—it’s a common courtesy,” she adds.
Just as in some biological families where one parent might enjoy better rapport with a child than the other parent, step-relative relationships may stall for lack of chemistry—even without dysfunctions.
“The message to the child should be this: You don’t have to love step-relatives, but you must respect them,” Rodstrom suggests. “If the child does grow to like or love them, that’s great.”
In other cases, the addition of new family members eases existing dysfunctions, Newman points out.
“There’s dysfunction in all families,” she notes. “But sometimes the addition of new family members makes the family better—there’s a new dynamic in play. Everyone shuffles into a new role.”
Overall, Rodstrom and Newman agree that step-relatives can positively influence a child’s life in large and small ways. The bottom line: There’s no such thing as too much support for a child.
“A stepgrandparent or step-relative is just one more person who can love, coach, and mentor a child,” Rodstrom explains. “Everyone has something to bring to the table, and as long as children are allowed to form relationships at their own speed, they’ll gain those benefits.”
Adds Newman, “Look at the new family constellation as new people, new information, and a bigger and better support system—more people to love and that love them. The new stepparent or stepgrandparents do not displace or replace the biological parents or grandparents.
“A child may learn from a stepgrandmother how to knit, garden, or build a birdhouse and then go to their natural grandmother and say, ‘Grandma, I learned this and want to teach you how to do it,‘“ she continues. “All step-relatives offer opportunities to learn new things and gain new perspectives—broaden the child’s horizons.”
In other words, a burgeoning family tree offers a lot of shade and comfort—if you give it a chance to grow.
Flor Rugs
-- Dec 2008
These great rugs by Flor are the perfect thing to brighten up your child’s room. Each rug is one circle, and each circle splits into four separate wedges, letting you create many designs and color combinations. Even the kids will enjoy plopping down these vibrant rugs to decorate their rooms.
If Your Baby Was The Designer
-- Dec 2008
Her choices for the nursery might surprise you
If your baby could talk about her preferences and needs for her room, the nursery would look far different that what we adults might design. Ro Logrippo knows; as author of two award-winning books (In My Room: Designing for and with Children
But playtime is a different story. Because of those developing rods and cones, babies in their early days prefer “simple-to-moderate, high-contrast, ‘close-up’ designs,” Logrippo states.
Babies change so rapidly, however, that what works at 8 weeks won’t at 3 months and so on. How to cope? One decorating strategy she suggests is to use changeable posters.
So leave the primary colors to the kindergarten crowd. Consider instead what research tells us babies love: a soft shade of, say, peach or tan—and you, of course. Logrippo’s research shows that at 4 months, babies love looking at a color photo of the pattern most interesting to them—your face.
When Your Passion Becomes Your Adventure
-- Dec 2008
I’ve always been interested in art. As a young child, I loved making pictures with sidewalk chalk, and later on, I made my own paper dolls. I loved every chance I got to draw, paint, or color in elementary school. Pursuing my emerging passion in high school was a bit more difficult.
We lived in a very small town—so small that the school didn’t offer art classes. But in ninth grade, I discovered that a neighboring town did. My mom drove me to those classes once a week so I could get my first taste of real art training.
After that and until I got to college, I found ways to get my hands on any artistic assignment I could. I was the one who did all those team posters that were plastered all over the school for a basketball game, and I volunteered to design the cover for the class newspaper.
Looking back, I see that art has been one of my lifelong passions, and while growing up, I did what I could to create it and learn more about it. Today, it’s good to think that a large part of my career is connected to the world of art—but I know that even if it wasn’t, I’d be finding ways to express myself artistically.
That’s why I love the story you’ll find in this issue about one young boy’s early passion for astronomy and how it lead him to a career designing space probes for NASA.
No matter your stage in life, you can find ways to incorporate your passions into the everyday. And when you—and your children—do, you’ve embarked on life’s real adventure.
From our family to yours,
Kim Malakowsky
Editor-in-Chief
Write to me at editor@pbjmag.com
A Shot Of Controversy
-- Dec 2008
You've undoubtedly heard the scary theories linking vaccines and autism. We asked the experts to address the fears and arm you with the facts.
It’s the debate that won’t go away: Could vaccination—heralded for decades as a lifesaving medical advance—be a cause of autism? Celebrities—including actresses Jenny McCarthy, whose son, Evan, was diagnosed as autistic, and Amanda Peet—have taken vocal stands on both sides of the argument.
Environmental activist Robert Kennedy Jr. has accused the government of covering up potential evidence of a vaccine-autism link, while a majority of the medical community continues to insist that no such link exists. Meanwhile, the controversy has had a measurable effect on vaccination programs across the country: Between 1991 and 2004, the percentage of unvaccinated children in the United States more than doubled, from 1 percent to 2.5 percent. And an increasing number of parents are wondering whether vaccination might put their own kids at risk.
The thimerosal question
The primary culprit in the present controversy is mercury-based thimerosal, a vaccine preservative. As the number of vaccines containing thimerosal rose over the past several decades, so did the autism rate, and parent groups and some physicians raised concerns that the two might be connected.
But ethylmercury—the form of mercury in thimerosal—is very different from methylmercury, the type commonly found in fish, which has been shown to pose a risk of brain damage in developing fetuses. “It’s metabolized very differently: While methylmercury can stay in the body for up to two months, ethylmercury breaks down within a week,” says Martin Myers, MD, coauthor of Do Vaccines Cause That?! A Guide for Evaluating Vaccine Safety Concerns
Even so, in 2001, most childhood vaccines were no longer being manufactured with thimerosal, and by 2003, most childhood vaccines containing thimerosal were off the market entirely. “If there actually had been a link between thimerosal and autism, we would expect to see rates of autism plummet in the United States since 2001, and that hasn’t been the case,” says Gary L. Freed, MD, vaccine expert and director of general pediatrics for the University of Michigan Health System.
An MMR connection?
In 1998, the MMR shot—which contains multiple vaccines against measles, mumps, and rubella—entered the fray when a study of 12 children indicated a potential autism link. The researchers suggested at the time that the vaccines might have caused bowel problems, which then led to autism, but it was later shown that some of the children had developed bowel problems after their autistic symptoms appeared. And in 2004, 10 of the original 13 researchers concluded that the data in the study hadn’t been strong enough to support an autism connection.
Immunization and the immune system
There’s also been concern that the rising number of different vaccinations could overwhelm children’s immune systems. “We do give more shots now than we used to,” says Dr. Myers, “but in fact, the total number of antigens—the substances in vaccines that stimulate the immune response—has been vastly reduced because of the improved way in which vaccines are made.” The old pertussis vaccine, for instance, contained thousands of antigens; the new vaccine has only three.
What fuels the fear?
So why do the fears persist? Agustin Legido, MD, chief of neurology at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, believes that the steep increase in autism diagnoses is partly to blame. “When a disease increases in frequency,” he says, “people try to find explanations because they want a sense of control.”
And Barbara Loe Fisher, founder of the National Vaccine Information Center and author of DPT: A Shot in the Dark
“The reality is that there is no scientific evidence whatsoever to link vaccines and autism,” says Dr. Legido.
Meanwhile, the value of immunization is indisputable. Observes Dr. Freed, “By immunizing enough of the population, we protect everyone so that children no longer have to get the life-threatening diseases that our parents and grandparents lived in fear of.”
an autism epidemic?
The numbers are startling: In the 1970s, the odds of a child being diagnosed with autism were 1 in 10,000. Today, they’re closer to 1 in 165. It’s not surprising that parents—and physicians—are desperately searching for explanations. The rise almost certainly reflects an increased awareness of the disorder, as well as an expanded definition, established in the early 1990s, of who qualifies for the diagnosis.
There’s also evidence of a genetic link in at least 15 percent of cases. Still, says neurologist Agustin Legido, “it’s possible that some external, nongenetic, environmental factors could have an influence.”
While the number of vaccines given to children has increased along with autism, so have many other factors, such as cell phone use and plastics in the environment—but so far no strong environmental link has been identified. “That’s why it’s so important,” says Dr. Legido, “that autism research continues.”
Get Smart
If you have questions about the risks and benefits of vaccination, the following resources can help you make an informed decision:
Centers for Disease Control: This government website links to an array of studies and addresses a wide variety of frequently asked questions.www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism
The National Network for Immunization Information: A great source for science-based information on the whole spectrum of immunization issues. www.nnii.org
Autism Watch: Information and data on all aspects of autism, including vaccination studies and connections. www.autism-watch.org
Pronto by Skip Hop
-- Dec 2008
The Pronto by Skip Hop is a portable diapering kit that’s small enough to easily slip into a bag and has pockets to hold diapers, wipes, and ointments. The extra-wide changing pad even has a built-in cushion for baby’s head. It’s a great substitution for parents to use when they don’t want to carry around an entire diaper bag.
The Baby and Toddler Owner’s Manuals
-- Dec 2008
Most parents wish their baby came with an instruction manual. Now, thanks to father-and-son team Louis and Joe Borgenicht, there is just such a guide! The Baby Owner’s Manual
Laugh Together
-- Dec 2008
Pop some popcorn, grab a seat on the couch, and get family movie night started
Few things can be as helpful in ensuring a healthy relationship between parent and child as a shared sense of humor. It can also make kids healthier, happier, and more resilient. To help form these relationships and encourage kids’ development of a sense of humor, consider having a family movie night. You may already have some favorites from your childhood, but here are a few suggestions to get you started.
