duckens
-
Posts
1,540 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Blogs
Classifieds
Store
Posts posted by duckens
-
-
Loverboy and I have already gotten into some bad habits with dd2.5. She has discovered TV and throws a tantrum when she cannot watch her videos. Likewise, she has started picking out candy at the checkout...and we just kinda play along. We know this is bad, and we are setting ourselves up for more trouble in the future.When we go to stores, they start to beg for everything they see and don't seem to understand why they can't have everything.A few weeks ago, I decided that we needed to stop this sooner rather than later. I printed and laminated some green coupons for dd2.5 that she can earn: 30 minutes of TV money or 25c of store money.
Dd2.5 can earn "money" by going potty in the toilet. (Until now, she has had only sporadic interest in going potty on the toilet). She also earns "money" by doing "Learning Poster" (our schoolwork, which consists of counting, alphabet, nursery rhymes, etc: about 20 minutes of work).
Just this weekend, dd2.5 has come to understand the connection between TV and the potty. There is no more crying over the TV. Likewise, when she is out of TV money, Loverboy and I include dd with our activities (even though the temptation of 30 more minutes to complete household tasks without a toddler is tremendous!) It has made us closer as a family.
When we go to the store, and she wants candy, we innocently ask her, "Did you bring your money?" Oh.....she may not want it as much if she has to pay HER money for it. She knows getting candy or a gumball may mean that she has less TV time at home.
There will be no allowance in our household, but there will always be opportunities to earn money, I plan. I wish I could take credit for this philosophy, but I learned it from one of Loverboy's friends.
Some suggestions for older kids: washing the family car for $3-$5, fold one basket of laundry for $1, dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping for varied amounts. Even a 4yo could help you clean off a cluttered area by taking things from you as you tell them where they go. Pay them 10c or 25c if they stay until the task is done.
There goes the timer: time to turn Scooby Doo off!
-
We put it on pizza, of course, but also cut it up and have it with scrambled eggs.
Whenever I have too much of one food item, I do a search on Recipezaar for recipe ideas. Last year, I had a plethora of pumpkins, so I searched and found pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bars, and two pumpkin soups (one of which my dd2 prefers to Pizza Hut Pizza it's so good!!!)
Just be sure that recipes are arranged in order of "rating" so that you get the best recipes at the top!
Be sure to read the reviews, too, for recipe variations and ideas for how others liked/disliked the recipes.
--Laura in Iowa
-
Most people are bullied at some part of their public school experience. That doesn't make it right. As a child, I was bullied for most of school. I hated gym, lunch, and recess. I played sick whenever there was a holiday party or a field trip because of the unstructured time that allowed my abusers to act.
By the end of 10th grade, I was running away from school, a practice which continued for most of the next two years. I only graduated because of a fluke. (I had finished all of my required classes but one, which I negotiated with the school to let me finish at home. Again, my parents were absent).
We do not want this path for your child.
I know that my parents loved me, but as an adult looking back, they really dropped the ball in this situation. It was not until I had been in the workplace for several years that I learned that this behavior is NOT acceptable in the workplace, but we consider it par for the course for young children.
I'm just so grateful that your child felt comfortable enough to tell you about the situation. I was left with the impression that I deserved to be treated that way.
1) Don't accept the "They'll work it out on their own" argument. If your child had those skills, she would have done that already. As children, we are told, "Let the adults handle it." Then, when the child actually comes to adults with an issue, the adults don't even acknowledge the situation. Be a better adult than that. Be a better parent than that.
2)Tell your child again and again that she does not deserve to be treated this way. No one deserves to be treated this way. Continue to coach her in things that she can do in the realm of bullying to amend the situation (while you work on your part).
3)Let the school know that you are NOT going away. They are expected to keep your child's learning environment a reasonable one. There is no confusion about how peer bullying and abuse affect the learning environment.
Documentation is your friend. The poster who suggested that you keep a diary/record of events is giving you very good advice indeed.
Take along a tape recorder to every meeting with a school representative. Begin each meeting (tape recording) with the date, time, and the fact that this meeting is being taped. Make each person present speak their name and position. Over the years, as an adult, I have learned that nothing scares school officials more than a tape-recorded meeting. They will know that you are serious, and they will know that there is proof that they were aware of a problem with the bullier. If there is ever a problem with the bullier again, with your child or another, they may be in hot water.
4) Go away. I know I just said to tell the school that you are not going away, but you need to protect your child. If it is possible for you to homeschool her or send her to another school, do so.
I wish for you wisdom and strength in this
-
Are you talking about a digital piano?
A keyboard is truly what we are needing. A digital piano would be more than what will work for us at this time financially or spacewise.
We have checked out the local music shop for what they have onhand, but they are quite small and don't have a lot of choice. (3-4 of varying cost and size and style). Some have 88 keys; one only has 5 octives. Some come with a stand or bench. Some just sit on one's table. Do we know what we are looking for, or should we just buy a basic one for less $$$ from a box store, and upgrade when we know what we need?
Thank you to all who have given input to us on this subject. It is all good information that we will take into account. We continue to look and see what is available.
-
We are hoping to buy an electronic piano keyboard for our household within the next year. A piano is out of the question (due to cost and space required). Loverboy and I both took lessons as kids but really haven't played piano since then. We are hoping to torture our own child in the same way in a few years.:D
If you have a keyboard:
1)What kind of keyboard do you have?
--brand
--model
--keyboard size (number of octives)
--are the keys standard size?
--are the keys "weighted"?
2)When/Where did you get it?
3)How much $$$ did it cost?
4)What accessories do you recommend?
5)What do you like/not like about your keyboard?
6)Any other general advice?
-
Check out Letter of the Week, it is well put together.
We have JUST finished the Letter of the Week Preparatory Curriculum. I highly recommend it.
The curriculum uses a "Learning Poster" that displays the letter of the week, theme, color/shape, nursery rhyme, number, vocab. We hung ours up in front of the TV.
I also rearranged the themes and added extras to correspond to each letter of the alphabet. We had about 10 extra weeks of review in this manner.
The local library is great for finding books on any theme, so you are not tied into the suggested books for each topic.
There is also a yahoo support group for this curriculum. It is a little more religious group than I am, but it is also full of very nice and supportive parents. I have never witnessed sniping in the two years I have frequented it.
dd2 and C3 both know all of their letters and sounds because of the time we put into this curriculum. They know all of their colors (other than C3 calling yellow "orange" today) and shapes, and they can count past 30.
Again, I cannot say enough good things about our past year with Letter of the Week.
-
There have been so many great suggestions here!
What does your local librarian say?
We are so lucky in our town to have fabulous children's librarians and a great children's room!
The books in our children's room are divided into several sections. There is E (for Easy) books; they are "picture books", but I would not consider them beginner reader books. I check them out to read to my little ones.
***Next is ETR (for Easy to Read) books on a separate set of shelves. These are good starter readers for kids. I would send your kids to these shelves if you lived in town. If your child has finished BOB books, she/he is ready to tackle these books. Your child will probably need help with some words, but will be challenged.***
There are also chapter books and nonfiction for older kids.
***Our librarians also have ready-made half-sheets of colored paper with list of books for certain topics: new sibling, dogs, moving, new readers, etc***
--Laura in Iowa
who loves our librarians
partner to Loverboy
mother to dd2
babysitter to c3 and BabyM
-
We've had good luck with the humane traps. I wish I had a picture of my favorite, but here is one of three different types that Loverboy has used around our trailer.
We purchase them from the local hardware store. When we catch a vole, we relocate it to a more desolate and wild area.
With a live trap, just be sure to check it a couple of times a day. I would feel bad for the critters if they starved or froze to death.
--Laura in Iowa
-
I'm squeamish. I'd toss them.
Besides, according to this children's book:
the old carrots won't make you invisible like fresh ones will! What's the point of eating them if you can't turn invisible???
--Laura
who just rediscovered this book in her Halloween box
-
The cookie exchange I went to had~30+people. We were all to bring 5-6 dozen cookies. When we arrived, the hostess had cheap plastic trays in a stack. Everyone was to put their cookies out on the trays.
While everyone was arriving, we sipped Wassail and visited.
Then we went around and refilled our containers with others' cookies: 2-3 of each.
The other detail that our hostess organized was for us to each bring canned goods for the local food pantry charity. As she explained, it doesn't seem right for us to celebrate so much plenty when others have so little at this time of year.
-
Thank you for posting this, too!
I love Mona Brookes!
-
Stuff from Public Radio:
This American Life
(search the archives for "In Dog We Trust" and "Music Lessons")
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Default.aspx
Word for Word
(These are really incredible talks by notable figures).
http://wordforword.publicradio.org/
--Laura in Iowa
partner to Loverboy
mother to dd2
babysitter to C3 and BabyM
-
Mandu
As in Cat Mandu
-
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Halloween.
This is the third year that I will be giving out Glow-in-the-Dark-Necklaces from Oriental Trading. They are a little pricey, but the kids get plenty of candy from the other neighbors; plus, this is a "toy" that will be tossed in a few days when the glow is used up.
I'm also in favor of anything that makes kids more visible/more safe on Halloween night.
--Laura in Iowa
partner to Loverboy
mother to dd2
babysitter to C3 and babyM
What microscope would you recommend for a 7 year old?
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
If he has his heart on a microscope, he will probably be disappointed if you don't get him one,
BUT
if you think there is some wiggle room, we have been very happy with this magnifier.
http://www.toystogrowon.com/sku722
It plugs into the TV. Even dd2 and C3 utilize it with things they found in the yard or even to explore the textures of their toys, clothes, etc.
We packed it on vacation to visit Loverboy's family last summer and ALL the cousins LOVED IT. (And they are from age 4 to 19). It created group learning as we looked at interesting things the children had gathered from the yard, and they impatiently waited their turn to use it. We looked at money (coins and dollar bills), Grandpa's yucky toenail, and saw minute bugs crawling out of a flower that had been picked. It is an activity we do together, and it is amazing how everyone in the room becomes mesmerized when we are using this toy.
If you decide to go this route (of a TV magnifier), look around and read reviews. We are extremely happy with this model, and it seems quite durable, but there are others that have several levels of magnification.
--Laura in Iowa