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April 2008
Say NO to birthday goodie bags
I am now refusing to buy cheap toys for guests to take away from parties.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve done it for the last six years, and this year I have taken a stand. No more goodie bags will be given away at Giarrusso birthday parties. I’m just not doing it.
Goodie bags are usually filled with cheap candy and toys the kids don’t need and the parents don’t want cluttering their houses. We usually find the contents scattered around our house a day or two after a party and just throw it away. And, if you decide to give away something that is good, then it gets expensive fast.
But why do we need to give anything at all? When and where did the tradition of the birthday parents giving away goodie bags start anyways? I don’t remember this when I was growing up. I just don’t believe that being a good host means buying cheap toys for your guests. You’ve already paid for 10 to 20 kids to skate, do gymnastics or play at Chuck E Cheese. Why do they need cheap take-away stuff too?
One of my friends has a theory that goodie bags developed because kids couldn’t handle that the birthday boy or girl was getting presents and they weren’t. It was like a consolation prize for the attendees. I think kids need to understand they get presents when it’s their birthday, not on their un-birthday.
Where do you think goodie bags came from? Do you think they are necessary and if so why? What do you usually hand out?
Permalink | Comments (50) | Post your comment | Categories: Ethics of rearing kids today
Grand Theft Auto IV is out today, but what does the M-rating mean?
How much do you know about the video games rating system and how it’s enforced?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The uber-popular Grand Theft Auto IV video game is available today for PlayStation 3 and X-Box 360, and industry experts are expecting it to sell more than 9 million copies in the first week. Will you teenager be one of the buyers?
The game, in which players race cars, steal cars, kill people, and rob people among other things, is rated an M by the Entertainment Software Rating Board.
An M means that the game is not recommended for anyone under 17. According to the Ratings Board, “Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.” (Check out the Entertainment Software Rating Board’s Web site. It is very enlightening.)
Unlike movie ratings the video game ratings are not enforceable. They are merely recommendations to consumers as to what is appropriate for certain age groups.
However, some stores, such as Best Buy, have created their own policy that it will not sell M games to anyone under age.
Jevon Kinloch, a customer assistance supervisor with Best Buy at its Edgewood store, explained that just like when you go to buy alcohol, their cash registers require you to type in a birth date to be able to buy the game. If a teen is under age, his parents will have to buy the game for him.
Kinloch, who has seen the new game, says it has some new violent weapons and some curse words they weren’t able to get away with before.
The good news is the description of what each rating means is on the games so parents don’t have to memorize the categories.
How familiar are you with what the ratings mean on video games? Will your local video game store sell Grand Theft Auto IV to your under-age teen? Will you buy it for your teen? Should the software ratings be enforced like R-rated movies?
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Withholding gab is baby’s new game
When did your children start talking? Would they speak in front of others?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Our 13-month old baby is talking now. She has a full repertoire of words. Some are pretty typical — mama, dada, ball, book, uh-oh, dog, Lou (our dog’s name). And one phrase that’s pretty extraordinary. My husband has taught her to say, “Go Dogs. Sic ’Em. Woof, woof, woof.” Well, what she actually says is “Go Dog. (Nothing in the middle.) And then this little chirp of a bark that kind of sounds like a demure rooster. It’s adorable.
But it doesn’t matter how cute she is cheering for our alma mater because she refuses to do it for almost anyone but us.
It’s like I’ve given birth to the WB Frog. You know the top hat-wearing, cane-toting frog that sings ragtime and dances for the guy that found him in the construction site but won’t ever do it for anyone else. It’s very frustrating and people are starting to think I’m lying — much like that poor guy with the frog.
We stopped by my mom’s neighbor’s house the other night. I opened the mini-van door so they could see the baby, and I told them she’s talking now. As grandparents of a 15-month old they were curious to see what she could do. They waited with baited breath to hear my little darling speak.
Nothing. Na Da.
“Come on baby say, ‘Go Dogs. Sic ’em. Woof, woof, woof.’ ”
She looked at me. She looked at them. Then she just smiled. And I swear, as the van door slowly slid closed, she started babbling again.
Same drill at the pediatrician’s office. We went in last week to get her older brother Walsh’s final vaccinations for kindergarten registration. I’m bragging to the nurses how my sweet little baby is talking and even putting the words together like “Mama, wa-wa.”
They pause. They wait. They look at her expectantly.
Cue the crickets. Chirp. Cue the frogs. Croak.
Complete silence. Absolutely no cooperation at all from this baby.
Our oldest daughter Rose talked very early and to anyone. She was talking by 7 months and by 10-months was speaking in sentences. I remember taking my husband to the airport when she was 10-months old. He was leaving for a month to cover the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and I swear they had a whole conversation. “Bye-Bye Dada. Miss you. Love you.”
A former neighbor who was an elementary school teacher used to marvel at Rose’s language skills. Every time we’d walk out to get the mail, Rose would talk to her. She would just shake her head and say, “That’s not normal. Most kids aren’t doing that.”
I didn’t really believe her though. I thought all kids were busting out sentences before they were one year old. So when Walsh came along I kept expecting him to speak. But he didn’t, and I got worried. Every time we’d see the pediatrician, I’d ask him if he thought Walsh was autistic. His response: “No. He’s a boy and he’s No. 2. He’ll talk when he’s ready. He’s fine.”
By 16 months (which seemed awfully late to me) he was finally talking. Apparently he had just been absorbing everything because when he did start speaking, he went straight to full sentences. And much like his mother, he won’t shut up now.
But this new baby is simply not playing by my rules. There’s nothing I have learned thus far that will cajole her to speak unless she wants to.
Our babysitter, Cydney, is the only one outside our immediate family that has been admitted to the inner circle. Cydney’s mother told me her daughter came home talking about how the baby was cheering for UGA.
I was stunned. “What? She heard her? Fantastic! Spread the word! I’m not crazy.”
The only problem now is that Cydney is trying to get the baby to say “Go Dogs” for her friends, and they think she’s crazy — like the next guy that found the frog.
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Did you save baby’s cord blood?
Why did you decide to save it, and how does it all work?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I have a friend trying to decide right now if she should save the cord blood from her next baby. It could potentially be her last baby, and she didn’t save it from her others. From what I understand the last baby’s blood could be used to save any of the children if, God forbid, they got sick.
She’s making me kind of regret that I didn’t do it with any of mine.
It does seem to be expensive. I think the site she was checking said around $2000 to store it initially and then $125 a year after. But maybe it’s worth it if it saves your child’s life?
Did you save any of your children’s cord blood? Why did you save it? Who did you store it with? How much did you pay?
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Picture book helps kids deal with mom’s plastic surgery
Kids afraid of your nose job? Book helps explain what's going on.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So you want to have your tummy tucked and your boobs lifted but are worried the kids won’t understand. Well, there’s a new picture book coming out on April 28 aimed at helping kids understand plastic surgery. It’s called “My Beautiful Mommy.”
I don’t have an advance copy of the book, but Newsweek had an exclusive interview with the author.
According to the story, “My Beautiful Mommy” is written by a plastic surgeon from Florida who saw lots of mommies bringing their children in for their appointments. He felt like that was scary for the kids, and he wanted to help explain what was going on and why their mom was doing it.
The Newsweek story says, “ ‘My Beautiful Mommy’ is aimed at kids ages 4 to 7 and features a plastic surgeon named Dr. Michael (a musclebound superhero type) and a girl whose mother gets a tummy tuck, a nose job and breast implants. Before her surgery the mom explains that she is getting a smaller tummy: ‘You see, as I got older, my body stretched and I couldn’t fit into my clothes anymore. Dr. Michael is going to help fix that and make me feel better.’ Mom comes home looking like a slightly bruised Barbie doll with demure bandages on her nose and around her waist.”
“The text doesn’t mention the breast augmentation, but the illustrations intentionally show Mom’s breasts to be fuller and higher. ‘I tried to skirt that issue in the text itself,’ says (Dr. Michael) Salzhauer. ‘The tummy lends itself to an easy explanation to the children: extra skin and can’t fit into your clothes. The breasts might be a stretch for a six-year-old.’ “
“The book doesn’t explain exactly why the mother is redoing her nose post-pregnancy. Nonetheless, Mom reassures her little girl that the new nose won’t just look ‘different, my dear—prettier!’ “
There are concerns that the daughters will think they’re bodies need fixing too — but I guess they might wonder that with our without a book.
What do you guys think? Would you buy this book to help your children if you were having plastic surgery? If you’ve already had surgery, what have you told your kids in the past?
Permalink | Comments (89) | Post your comment | Categories: Ethics of rearing kids today
Are schools indoctrinating or educating about the environment?
Have schools gone beyond teaching conservation to being politically active in environmental causes?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Recently and just by coincidence I heard two mothers say that they felt bullied by their kids into going green in some capacity.
One parent said her daughter had guilted her into buying the cloth bags at the grocery store instead of using the plastic bags. (She later explained she thought it was good that her daughter was learning to be environmentally aware at school because she’s not good about doing it at home.)
Another said her kids had harassed her about using a lawn service — apparently the school had talked about the fertilizer being bad for the environment. (This mom wasn’t so happy.)
The same mom also said she’s heard that Al Gore’s documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” was being shown in some schools, which she didn’t feel was appropriate. (I found online that British schools announced in 2007 they would use the film in every secondary school. I also found a case in America where parents went nuts in Seattle when they found out the movie was going to be shown in class.)
So my question is: Have schools gone beyond educating about the environment into advocacy? If they have, is that a bad thing? Are we creating a generation ready to be stewards for the planet or a generation indoctrinated into environmentalism?
Should teaching about environmentalism be done at home or at the school or a combination? When does it leave education and become advocacy?
More Earth Day coverage.
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Should kids roam free?
We talked recently about playing alone, but a mom in New York has pushed the issue further.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A few weeks back we talked about whether your kids were allowed to play alone outside your house. Well, earlier this month a mother in New York City took it a little further and let her 9-year-old son take the subway home alone from Bloomingdales. There’s been a lot of fall out from it, and the mother has created a new web site called Free Range Kids dedicated to letting kids roam free (safely).
How do you feel about the mother letting her child ride the subway home alone? Do you think parents are overprotective of letting children try things independently? Should we let our kids be free range and if so, when?
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My very 18th century marriage
Some aspects of family life never seen to change. Do you see similarities in your marriage with that of John and Abigail Adams?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For the last six weeks, my husband and I have been transported to the American Revolution through the HBO miniseries “John Adams.” The series, which airs its final chapter tonight, has taken viewers from John Adams’ famous defense of British soldiers tried for the Boston Massacre soldiers to the creation of the Declaration of Independence to his presidency and retirement.
While I know I’m supposed to be concentrating on the amazing confluence of events that allowed for the birth of this nation, all I can focus on each week is the relationship between John and Abigail Adams.
In between the eloquent speeches before Congress and the meetings with kings, we get glimpses of John and Abigail’s home life with their four children (two other babies died). Although more than 200 years ago, I was struck by how much John and Abigail’s family life was like ours.
Much like my own husband and many fathers I know, John was constantly leaving home on business. Granted he traveled to represent his colony before the Continental Congress or as a minister to France, but it doesn’t really matter what our husbands are doing when they’re gone — they’re still not home to help.
Abigail and the children missed him terribly. In one scene, a familiar one in our house, John woke up the children to say good-bye. John’s kids, much like our own, complained “Not again!” and wanted to know when their father would return.
While away, John and Abigail were prolific letter writers. However, while he was in France, there was a period of time in which he did not write. It reminded me of when my husband is away on business and doesn’t call. I don’t know if he’s just busy, cheating on me or dead. I think Abigail felt the same way.
Abigail struggled to run the house and care for her children. She was the perfect example of the “married, single mother,” we talk about today.
Yes, there was a paycheck coming in, but just like many woman I know today, Abigail was left to care for all aspects of home life — working, educating the children, feeding, bathing, and cleaning.
She struggled with protecting her children’s health. In one particularly upsetting scene, Abigail had to decide on her own (her husband was away on business, of course) whether to inoculate her children with a smallpox vaccine to try to prevent a more serious case of the deadly disease. It really resonated with me as many mothers today are still trying to decide if vaccines are the best way to protect their families.
Abigail and John also struggled with their expectations of their children. Their first son John Quincy turned out quite well. You may remember he too became president. However, younger brother Charles had his difficulties. He was bad with money and became an alcoholic. Hmm, think bommerang kids and rehab.
In one episode, John visited Charles who was living in drunken squalor and assailed him for embarrassing the family. Charles eventually was brought home and his mother was there to care for his alcohol addiction. After Charles died, John and Abigail were left to contemplate their treatment of their son. Did her coddling help? Was John’s tough love the way to go?
The one characteristic that I like best about their marriage was the way John consulted with Abigail. At a time when women were definitely seen as the less intelligent, less capable sex, John knew she was brilliant and relied on her. He confided in her and trusted her judgment. He treated her as his equal partner — an attribute that would benefit all marriages even in the 21st century.
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Does your husband deserve a Bill of Rights? What about you?
What would the Founding Fathers demand for spouses? Great sex? Clean bathrooms? Read on to find out.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We here at MOMania talk a lot about husband and wife relationships and how to make them better. Well, just in case you need things written out, I have been sent links to a Bill of Rights for both a Wife and a Husband. Here are a few of the highlights:
The Wife’s Bill of Rights includes but is not limited to:
The right to dislike your buddies.
The right to honest answer to “What’s Wrong?”
The right to have clean air.
The right to speak to our girlfriends everyday.
And the right to have some secrets.
The Husband’s Bill of Rights includes but again is not limited to:
The right to dislike your friends’ husbands (Isn’t that the truth!)
The right to have a few of our own things in the house.
The right to teach our sons how to burp and fart.
The right to teach our children how to defend themselves.
The right to watch the big game.
Check the links to see the entire lists. What do you think of these Bill of Rights? What would you add to them? What would you delete?
Permalink | Comments (79) | Post your comment | Categories: Battles between Mom and Dad
How does Dad do as Mr. Mom?
How does the household run when Dad fills in for Mom?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We welcomed back yesterday one of our favorite contributors — Jesse’s Girl. She had been on a business trip for about three weeks and Mr. Jesse had been working from home filling in for her. We asked her to dish on how everything went in her absence. Here’s what she wrote:
“It always goes well! This isn’t the first time and won’t be the last…if I can take it again! He just worked from home and took over all the duties with piano and cheerleading and all of our other “stuff”. Now mind you..the kids are regional pizza connoisseurs after my absence. And it wasn’t for a full 3 weeks. I was able to break it up a little. But all in all…the man does what a good husband/father is supposed to do. My biggest concern was what the goober would allow the kids to wear to school. He seems oblivious to the whole “these are outside clothes” rule of thumb. But I had some girlfriends keep an eye on that:) When the kids were pre-school aged….they would just travel with me. I do not like being gone for so long. It definitely throws my mo-jo off. But I do love my job!”
I love that Jesse’s Girl is worried about how her husband is dressing the kids because that is definitely an issue over here too. My husband does a fantastic job keeping house, feeding the kids (less variety than me but healthy), playing with the kids, and keeping them on schedule but his choices in clothes and hair bows definitely need some work. About his only other weakness is I don’t think he has quite as much patience with the kids as I do.
I do have one friend where the Dad is the main caregiver all the time during the day. I think he has a good personality for the job and right now it’s working out great. Their young son loves having Dad around full-time.
How does your husband/partner do when he fills in for Mom? What’s for dinner? How does the house look? How do the children look? Do they get the requisite hugs and kisses? Is he as patient as you? What happens at your house when Dad is Mr. Mom?
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Do you wish you had kids earlier?
Would you have added more children to your family? How were your finances and work life affected by the age you chose?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I married pretty early (I had just turned 22), but I didn’t have my first child until I was 29. We wanted to be financially stable, and I wanted to have enough work experience under my belt where I wouldn’t return to an entry level position after having kids.
With that said, I think if we had started having kids a few years earlier we would probably have a fourth child. But if we had started earlier, we might not have been in a financial position to choose whether I worked or not.
Do you wish you had started having your kids earlier, later or was it the perfect time when you did? Do you wish you had more time with your husband as a couple before bringing children onto the scene? How were your career options and financial status affected by the age you chose?
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Separation makes marriage better — sometimes
Where are the privacy lines in your relationship? Do some divisions help?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As I was digging through a calf-deep pile of clothes on my closet floor the other day, I breathed a sigh of relief that I no longer shared a closet with my husband. Even though the mess was only temporary until I had time to clean it, I would never have gotten away with keeping it in that condition if we still occupied the same space.
My mountain of fabric made me think: Maybe marriages can benefit from some separation. Maybe there are certain areas of life where not sharing is better for a couple. Here are some cases to consider:
Closets — When we moved into our new house, my husband offered to take the second smaller, unlit closet in the master bedroom. The walk-in wasn’t as big as our old closet and neither one of us could fit all our clothes in if we shared. I thought he was being gallant.
I didn’t realize until a few days later, he wasn’t making a grand gesture. He just didn’t want to share with me anymore. He was washing his hands of me. He would rather be cramped in a closet unsure of what color things were than be frustrated by my junk.
At first, I was offended by being dumped. But then I started to see his point. He didn’t want to yell at me. He didn’t want me mad at him because he was yelling. By separating our closets, we avoided these conflicts.
Desks — About a month later my husband pulled the same move with our work space. We had always shared the built-in desk in the kitchen in our old house. But that also resulted in frequent arguments over my (lack of) organizational skills.
When we were looking at furniture for the office in our new house, Michael let me know he wanted his own, separate desk. Even if it sat empty most of the time, he wanted to know it was there without any of my junk on it.
Again I was kind of offended by this but in the long run, he was right. Separating our work space has reduced arguments, and quite honestly, my desk is always a mess.
Sinks and bathrooms — We’ve always had separate sinks but always shared a bathroom. While I think it’s nice for each person to be able to have their favorite items by their sink, I would miss talking to him if we didn’t share a bathroom. We often have some of our best conversations while getting dressed.
I do have one girlfriend, however, who has banished her husband to the downstairs bathroom and closet. I guess he’s messy and possibly smelly. I’m not sure how he feels about it, but the separation is probably healthier in the long run for the couple. It keeps her from being angry and grossed out.
Vacations — In the past, I would have argued that separate vacations were evil. I would have said that a couple should want to spend time together and if they didn’t that indicates a problem.
But after seven years of being at home with kids, I could use a trip alone. I have several friends that take mommy vacations with their mommy friends. The husbands stay home with the kids while the moms take a few days off to rejuvenate. This makes sense to me. I guess I would still think it was bad if the couple had someone to care for the kids, and still didn’t want to vacation together.
Bank accounts — I have always believed that separate bank accounts are bad for a marriage. I won’t take it so far as to say that it is a death knell, but I think it indicates a lack of trust. Having your own account is a physical and an emotional barrier in a marriage. It is an escape hatch just in case things don’t work out.
A private account is obviously worse than one that is separate but both spouses have access. But even with equal access to two separate accounts, it seems like there is still a barrier if a couple doesn’t want to intermingle money.
My husband has always made more money than me so it has been in my best interest to share an account. But, if the case were reversed and the wife made more (which I’m sure happens frequently), wouldn’t the husband want equal access as well?
We know people with separate accounts who have hidden money from their spouse. Not only is it an act of dishonesty but one of selfishness.
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A busy mom’s guide to spring fashion
I’ll save you some time and give you a quickie look at what’s in for the next season.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Spring will get here eventually and as a service to our time-starved mothers I am offering up a quickie guide to what’s in for spring. These trends were reported in the March issue of Lucky magazine, which is all about shopping and style. (Surprisingly, I subscribe to this magazine. Although, you wouldn’t know it if you saw me at preschool.)
Lucky says these shoes will be in:
High wooden heels —I’m not sure if they would comfortable to work in, but maybe for church or date night.
T-strap heels — A little more functional for your average mom busy lugging around a toddler or bag or groceries.
Woven wedges — Also a little more secure for a mom moving quickly.
Satin platform — If you do get out of the house to some place fancy.
Mary jane flats —- This is what I’ll be wearing. I think they’re cute and functional.
Peep toe slingbacks — Look sharp at work or church.
Metallic sandals — Not sure I could pull them off, but you could.
Some styles of clothes to look out for, according to Lucky magazine:
Ballet-inspired looks “combine romantic shapes with lingerie-style flourishes.”
Painterly — large brush strokes on fabric in bright colors.
Bohemian floral — loose, sheer and flowy.
Schoolboy - crisp seersucker, button-down shirts, knit vests, stripes and checks.
Safari —Not really the “Out of Africa” safari look. It seems more Middle Eastern — desert shades, chunky jewelry, unfinished hems.
They have bunches of photos in the magazine but not on the Web site. Here is a photo gallery of similar styles.
Lucky does have a city shopping guide to Atlanta. Here are some of their suggestions by neighborhood.
I’m sure most mothers aren’t going to go out and buy a whole new trendy wardrobe but if you added one or two of these items, you might feel updated.
What will you be wearing this spring and summer? Do any of these styles appeal to you? Do you try to update seasonally or even yearly? What pieces do you like to add — maybe handbags, shoes or jewelry? Do you update make-up or stay with your tried but true?
Permalink | Comments (28) | Post your comment | Categories: General Frustrations of Motherhood
What are good day trips to fill Spring Break?
Where are some of your favorite spots to visit with your kids?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you haven’t left town for Spring Break, what are some great local field trips to take your kids on?
Here are some places we’re interested in:
Plains, Ga. - This might be longer than a day trip.
The Kangaroo Conservation Center - Kids must be at least 6 years old to visit.
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Gimme a break from aquarium
Where do your Atlanta visitors always want to go? Sites you refuse to return to? Share favorite out-of-the-way places
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ah, Spring Break — a chance for families to reconnect, travel and force friends to take them to expensive tourist sites they’ve already visited.
Like many Metro Atlantans, we often have friends and family visit. We love to show off our city and are always happy to host. However, if one more person asks us to take them to the aquarium, I’m going to blow up — like an angry pufferfish.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the aquarium. It’s interesting, family friendly and educational. But it’s also expensive, especially when you’re taking a family of five and visitors.
My husband Michael’s family came to visit us last fall and we took everyone to the aquarium and to the zoo. While MasterCard is right, the memories are priceless; I’d like to make some new memories at different locations.
I have a girlfriend coming to town in May. I told her there was an exciting cooking show at the Cobb Galleria the weekend she was going to be here. She said, “I really just want to see the aquarium.”
The kids are picking straws to see who “gets” to go. I’m not paying for all of them again. Why doesn’t anyone ever ask us to take them to the Margaret Mitchell House, Warm Springs, the Oakland Cemetery or the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park? Heck, I’d even settle for the Carter Center. These are places I’ve never been, and they would be less crowded, less expensive and more interesting than another trip to the zoo or aquarium.
When Michael was growing up, relatives from Rhode Island would visit his family in Augusta during school breaks. They had fairly low expectations on their trips. They would ask to get a tour of The Augusta National Golf Course — during Masters week. Michael’s father’s response was to drive by the fence that separates the golf course from the city and say, “There it is. If you crane your head right you can see a little of Magnolia Lane.”
His cousins would also ask to visit Disney World. To them, once you’re in Augusta, Orlando’s just a hop away — a 9-hour hop. His parents were more hospitable than I am — they actually took them.
When we lived in New York City, the Statue of Liberty was our aquarium. Every visitor wanted to see (and climb) the Statue of Liberty. I went a couple of times, only climbed it once. Michael refused. In fact, he would ruin the trip by telling each visitor how many other things they could see instead of spending the day sitting in line for tickets, waiting to get on the boat, waiting to get into the statue and then waiting to get back on the boat.
Back in our pre-child days in New York City, we were mostly conducting bar, restaurant and shopping tours. That type of tourism we enjoyed. It was fun to show off our inside knowledge of the city, not just regurgitate what any guide book could tell you.
This year for part of Spring Break we’re taking the kids to explore Washington D.C. We plan to visit all the regular tourist sites — the Smithsonian Museums, the White House, the Capitol and the spy museum.
And, while we do have some old friends there, we haven’t asked them to lead us around. However, they did offer. I guess they’re nicer than we are.
To avoid confusion in the future, I’d like to set up a few tourism ground rules for our friends who come to visit Atlanta: We prefer to keep our tourism focused on history, the arts or good food. We do have a pass to Stone Mountain, so we can walk the trails; visit the playground and the lake. But just know upfront that I will not pay for any of that nonsense in the Crossroads reproduction 1870s town area.
With that said, we can be bought. If you offer to baby-sit while you’re here, we might take you to the aquarium.
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Is your child practicing for the CRCT?
Does it help prevent stress or create it?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Our teacher sent home a few months ago a logon and password to the Georgia Web site where kids can practice taking the CRCT. Several of our friends in other counties have also been sent home the practice site.
According to the Georgia Department of Education web site, “The CRCT is designed to measure how well students acquire the skills and knowledge described in the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) and the Quality Core Curriculum (QCC). The assessments yield information on academic achievement at the student, class, school, system, and state levels. This information is used to diagnose individual student strengths and weaknesses as related to the instruction of the GPS/QCC, and to gauge the quality of education throughout Georgia.”
There also is a study guide on the Web site for each grade — first through eighth grade. I tried to print it, but it’s more than 50 pages long.
Our school has really encouraged the families to do the practice tests online, but so far we haven’t. We take our CRCT at the end of April so we need to get on it. I think the idea is that if the kids are at least familiar with the format and the way the questions are posed they will feel more relaxed about the test.
Did you school emphasize practicing for the CRCT or other standardized tests? Did they send home logons and passwords? Did you practice? Would you practice? Do you think it would help alleviate stress or create more?
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Scared parents may be hurting outside playtime for kids
A new study in Britain thinks that kids aren't getting enough exercise and outdoor playtime because scared parents won't allow them to play outside alone.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A new report out of Britain suggests that kids aren’t getting out to exercise and play because parents won’t let them venture out alone.
In the olden (safe) days, kids were sent out to play in the yard and in the neighborhood, but today many parents won’t allow their kids outside unless they’re with them. So while moms and dads do chores in the house, kids often play inside or watch TV.
The Guardian reports stranger danger and traffic are keeping kids indoors.
Here are some excerpts from the story by the The Guardian UK:
“This week the decline in children’s play will be laid bare when ministers admit that one in four eight- to 10-year-olds have never played outside without an adult and one in three parents will not even allow older children, aged eight to 15, to play outside the house or garden.”
“A national consultation on how to reverse the decline, to be published on Thursday, will also show that children start playing outside later in life; the average age at which they are allowed out without supervision has risen from seven in the 1970s to over eight today. The crisis is being made worse by increased traffic and parked cars, less tolerance of young people and fear of ‘stranger danger’.”
“Despite strong evidence that playing freely strengthens friendships, keeps children healthy and helps them to cope with risky situations, ministers will admit that the opportunities for children to do so have been falling rapidly.”
The irony according to the study is that children are then allowed to play on the Internet without supervision, which some feel can actually be just as dangerous as roaming the streets alone.
I know this is a British study but I think it applies to us as well. I know my kids don’t wander nearly the way my brother and I used to roam our neighborhood.
Do you let your kids play outside alone? In the backyard? In the driveway? Down the street at a neighbors? How far away can they venture and at what age?
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Did you have any say in your post-birth stitches?
Did it ever occur to you to make requests?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I have often heard from mothers that even months after giving birth things just don’t feel the same downstairs. I think it’s a common complaint that after you’ve passed an 8-pound baby though your vagina; it isn’t going to be in the same condition as it was before birth.
But recently I’ve heard several stories of mothers (and even fathers) having a say in how the mother’s episiotomy or tear is stitched up after birth.
In one case, the mother talked to her midwife during her pregnancy and told her she didn’t think things had ever gotten back to normal after her last birth. She said she didn’t think the doctor did good job sewing her up the last time. The midwife said they could correct that after this birth.
In another case, immediately after the mother gave birth, the doctor turned to the father and said. “Were you happy with how things were sewn up the last time?” The husband said “No, not really.” And the doctor said, “Ok we’ll fix that now.”
It never would have occurred to me to make requests about how I should be stitched up. I would hope the doctor would know best.
Did you ever talk to your doctor about what you or your spouse wanted? Was it your concern or your spouses? How did the doctor respond?
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