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Welcome to the ABC Feelings newsE-letter. This
is our way of keeping in touch with the friends of ABC Feelings, sharing thoughts and feelings, quips & quotes,
featured books & movies, snack ideas, attitude of the month, special links
to keep you informed, poetry--whatever we think might interest you. We welcome your feedback, ideas--anything
you'd like to share with us.
In this issue you'll discover:
à
and ©--Summer
Safety & FREE Pool Safety Drawing
à
and ©--Healthy
ideas for you & your kids
à
©--Education
Alternatives. . .Something
about Montessori, Next month--Virtual Academies,
à
Free Montessori
grammar bingo!
à
Calendar
for Dr. Delis-Abrams, "the attitude doc"
à
How
to order ABC Feelings Products
à
What
to do if you no longer wish to subscribe
School is out and many of our children have loads of free time on their hands. They've become accustomed to the routine of school, sports, and other planned activities. In the summer, parents have to juggle work routines and discover activities for their children and families to fill the hours while they're at work and during their own free time. I've already heard some kids express boredom and we're just out the gate to Summer! Kids can quickly come to miss their friends and activities, so what now?
Finding quality activities for your kids can seem like an awesome task. If you have children of varying ages, the right events for each can present special challenges. Local organizations and churches can be a great resource during the summer months for planned activities, and they often offer something for most ages. Some ideas to consider are: art classes provided by a local center, drama camps, summer camps, Xplor provided by St. Vincent d' Paul, Camp Fire Girls & Boys, Boy & Girl Scouts, and Red Cross swimming lessons. Review the local entertainment section of your newspaper for special summer activities for your children. Trade child-care time with a friend who works different hours. Hire a local teen through the college or Job Service listings. There are many responsible kids looking for summer work. Be sure to check their qualifications! If they've never done this before, you may want to interview someone else.
© When is your child old enough to be alone
for the day? ©
It's wonderful when you have someone at home to care for your children while
you are at work; but for many parents this isn't an option. So, when is safe to begin leaving your children
alone? There are no easy answers to this
question; but if your child has been accustomed to attending an after-school
program, sports, and planned weekend activities, chances are he/she is not
ready to spend the entire day alone. Prior to middle school, staying home alone is
simply unsafe as a general rule.
Children going into middle school often think they're old enough to
spend days alone while you work, but unless they're accustomed to it, and you
feel 100% confident they're ok, better think more closely about the options. Having
some planned structure in place, along with personal responsibilities can help
our kids transition into summer. If you absolutely must leave an older child
alone, consider the following guidelines.
à
Ask
your child if he/she is ready to try part of a day alone. How does
he/she feel about being home alone? Does
he/she feel frightened? Lonely?
à
Leave
names and numbers for emergencies.
à
Let
a neighbor you trust know the circumstances, and ask if they would mind
checking in on them.
à
Have
food already prepared so that cooking doesn't become a nightmare, and you don't
come home to a calamity.
à
Leave
a list of responsibilities, e.g. chores to be accomplished while you're
away. This list should include only
things that are easily and safely accomplished while you're gone.
à
Encourage
your child's creativity by making sure you're stocked up on art supplies or by suggesting
a research project reading and/or using the Internet.
à
Minimize
the tv watching time. It doesn't take long to undo a routine when a
child gets involved in lazily watching tv
throughout the day. It isn't good for their mental or physical health.
à
Ask
your child what he/she would like to do while you're gone. You might get some great ideas!
"Few
things can help an individual more than to place responsibility on him, and to
let him know that you trust him."
-Booker T. Washington, Up from Slavery
©
"Children
love to be alone because alone is where they know themselves, and where they
dream."
-Roger Rosenblatt, The
Man in the Water, 1994
©
Summer Safety
Kids can think we're
going overboard with safety concerns, and may become irritated with never-ending
questions like. . . "Where's your helmet?" "Where are you
going?" "Who's going with you?" "Put your life belt on."
"Did you turn off the stove?" "Is the hose hung back up where it
goes?" "Please don't leave the rake laying
with the teeth straight up." As a
parent it's easy to feel like you're on constant safety patrol; however, as you
know, it's better to slip into your safety mode than take chances with your
child's life. Following is a list of web
sites with great safety tips, games, videos, and music. Your younger children will enjoy the
characters and you'll be amazed by some of the statistics.
Did
you know?. . . "Last year, over 40,000 people
were taken to hospital emergency rooms in the
Here
are some good tips that all kids should follow when riding their scooters: http://www.cpsc.gov/kids/kidsafety/scoot.html
Whether
they like it or not, bike riding without a helmet is dangerous. Here are some rules about how to wear a bike
helmet: http://www.cpsc.gov/kids/kidsafety/correct.html
Joan Bramsch
brings us the following FREE Pool Safety Drawing http://www.EmpoweredParent.com hopes to
save children's lives this summer. Enter our EXCLUSIVE EP Drawing.
Weekly Prize: a loud POOL-SOS Alarm!
Water safety is a PRICELESS gift!
300 children DROWN every year in
http://www.joanbramsch.com/store/pool.shtml
For
swimming safety check with your local organizations and public or private
facilities for swimming lessons and visit PD Parrot for water safety tips at http://www.bmhcc.org/PD_Parrot/safety/safetyswim.asp
Do
you have any idea how many fires kids start every year? Nearly 100,000 fires are started each year by
kids! Please visit this site with your
child, and while you're camping this year, please show your child the do's and
don't of spending time near a camp fire.
Maybe
you have a young child who would like to become a Junior Fire Marshall. They can take an online quiz that they learn
all the answers to at: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/kids/jfm.form.htm
Here's
a fun online safety game, and your kids will learn lots while playing it. It's called 'Hydro Hazard House' at: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/kids/house_enter.html
Consider
taking your kids to the local fire station.
If you arrange it before going the fireman are usually receptive to kids
as visitors and will give them the grand tour of the life of a fireman.
For
more games, tips, music & videos, visit:
http://www.firepals.org/KSN/
Did
you know that 5000 kids ages 14 and under are treated annually in emergency
rooms for fireworks-related injuries? See
http://www.safekids.org
And
last but not least---Sparky the fire dog lives on! He can now be found on the Internet and will
tell your kids about the importance of fire safety…
and ©--
Education Alternatives.
. .Something about Montessori,
I
almost dread saying it, after all summer just got started here; but it's never
too soon to think about school in the Fall and to
explore your alternatives. It seems like
it used to be that plans for the next year at school were laid out for us
without really thinking about it. Unless
you attend private schools, public schools are ready and waiting for our kids
to arrive, give or take a few days for start-up and completion. All you had to do was register your child and
you were ready. It's not that way today. Many of us recognize the need to consider
options for our children. This isn't intended to discourage those with plans
for public school. In fact, the public school system IS the ideal environment
for many children. Not all of our children learn as well in the traditional
classroom, and not all parents are desirous of a public school environment or
education.
Our
friend Frances from American Montessori Consulting brings us the following
information about Montessori education.
"Montessori
allows the child the opportunity to explore concepts at his own pace. Perhaps, this is one reaso
why the Montessori method hs
been used successfully with a variety of children independent of their
I.Q. Children across the board, i.e.
gifted and talented, physically challenged and those with learning disabilities
have all thrived in such an environment. Montessori is a wonderful alternative
for those who aren't happy with the traditional public school setting, However, you need
to be armed with some important information first. Spend time reading some of Maria Montessori's boks like The Secret of Childhood,
The Absorbent Mind and The Discovery of the Child. Also, if you have the time, you should visit
several Maria Montessori schools in your vicinity. If you read some of Maria's books, you will
be better armed to know if the school is indeed following her philosophy and
using her methodology."
If
you or someone you know is interested in obtaining more information about the
Montessori system of education please contact Frances Henderson at amontessoric@earthlink.net
(American Montessori Consulting). You
might also visit the resource center she provides at http://www.amonco.org/directory.html
Click this link to access your free grammar bingo
download! http://www.amonco.org/montessori_grammar_bingo.html
Next
month we'll discuss Charter Academies & Virtual Academies as alternatives
to the familiar public school education
Discover our Feelings Dictionary--a resource for getting to know yourself! Click
here to purchase online:
http://www.abcfeelings.com/books.html
©©©
Health,
for you & your kids
Summer is the
perfect time of year to teach your children how to make smoothies; and, if
they're too small you can show them how good they are to drink!
As a base you can use (remember, the less
sweetener or added ingredients, the better):
Fruit
juices, fresh or frozen
Rice
or Soya milk
Milk
Yogurt
Ice
Cream with Milk
Sorbet
or sherbet
Blend
the base in a blender with all different types of peeled, cored
& seeded fruit, alone or mixed. Some
ideas--bananas, apples, pears, berries, kiwi, melon
To increase the thickness and to serve it icy
cold, add several ice cubes at the end and let the blender crush them up in
your drink.
Kids love these, and
will quickly learn to make them when shown how.
--and ©--
Vist ABC Feelings and find quality, interactive & character
building products for kids and organizations.
Discover our Feelings Dictionary--a resource for getting to know yourself! Click here to purchase online: http://www.abcfeelings.com/books.html
or, call us at 800.745.3170 for ideas on
which products will best fill your needs!
©
©©©
THE "Attitude Doc's" AGENDA
For those of you who may not have met
her, Alexandra, "the attitude doc" is a nationally recognized
speaker, conducting keynotes and workshops to help "prepare a child for
life" and to encourage the exploration of our attitudes, beliefs and
choices. Additionally, she has a
transpersonal practice (integrating the physical, mental, emotional and
spiritual aspects of our nature) in
©©©
June 24-26,
Fourth Character Education Leadership Leadership
Alexandra will be presenting a focus session
©
Watch for Alexandra, the Attitude Doc across the country as she discusses
how you can Learn how to teach your daughter
to speak up for herself!!! As
well as other informative & fun topics
©©©
Gene will
be exhibiting products at the following areas:
June 29-July 2, 2002
and ©--
"
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