tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14027637134391815702024-03-04T23:17:19.943-06:00Make Bubbles!Welcome to my new blog for parents, teachers, and others who care about children. When my children were small, I dreamed of writing a book someday called Make Bubbles, compiling all my ideas about childrearing. Instead of writing an old-fashioned book, I decided to publish my ideas on line so you can read them for free.
If you have any questions you would like me to address or links you would like to share, feel free to get in touch.Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-60511190317861104872015-04-19T13:39:00.003-05:002015-04-19T13:39:46.468-05:00You're never too young to know yourself (at least a little)<a href="http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/04/13/the-benefits-of-helping-preschoolers-understand-and-discuss-their-emotions/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20150417" target="_blank">A friend posted this on Facebook.</a><br />
<br />Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-61424886459495196502014-09-17T17:10:00.001-05:002014-09-17T20:14:43.894-05:00To Spank or Not to Spank (revisited)Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-19637357617582183372014-09-17T17:08:00.000-05:002014-09-17T20:17:28.752-05:00Help! My child won't go to sleep!Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-60676708800963947462014-09-16T12:04:00.000-05:002014-09-16T12:04:14.632-05:00What Makes a Happy Family? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnEFNSfVmMGEgNF7IvWVXrnS36U4Ucs8PlKgeVuQyNGOGqO0pEPpyHZj1Ewo1NduE-aawo6BE7eqSR_wpWjTZBhl4vovLNPrJ5R0NxhjRURb-x-5_pTFBgUY8dHRgJg1vIjQI_cQi5mR8/s1600/WTDuck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnEFNSfVmMGEgNF7IvWVXrnS36U4Ucs8PlKgeVuQyNGOGqO0pEPpyHZj1Ewo1NduE-aawo6BE7eqSR_wpWjTZBhl4vovLNPrJ5R0NxhjRURb-x-5_pTFBgUY8dHRgJg1vIjQI_cQi5mR8/s1600/WTDuck.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ffd966;">This page is under construction.</span></div>
<br />Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-283690282592324642014-09-16T12:03:00.002-05:002014-09-17T20:18:18.852-05:00ACEs are loaded.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnEFNSfVmMGEgNF7IvWVXrnS36U4Ucs8PlKgeVuQyNGOGqO0pEPpyHZj1Ewo1NduE-aawo6BE7eqSR_wpWjTZBhl4vovLNPrJ5R0NxhjRURb-x-5_pTFBgUY8dHRgJg1vIjQI_cQi5mR8/s1600/WTDuck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnEFNSfVmMGEgNF7IvWVXrnS36U4Ucs8PlKgeVuQyNGOGqO0pEPpyHZj1Ewo1NduE-aawo6BE7eqSR_wpWjTZBhl4vovLNPrJ5R0NxhjRURb-x-5_pTFBgUY8dHRgJg1vIjQI_cQi5mR8/s1600/WTDuck.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232;">This page is under construction</span></div>
<br />Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-86327771956690078542013-08-30T17:28:00.000-05:002014-09-18T12:06:15.313-05:00Should your child have a religion?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVQIqXPN8R7v6okob3enEpKzyIIGSCpo_KUtwaJjutRhejaVN2vx9M-1UtgtikPZ8hPYyPTWtR_wNGhGXiWWFjCmRMuAvQV63wbi9PmoUTsgKDombOA7a6VkohjzHSv7dFON5a4KIEoY/s1600/WTDuck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVQIqXPN8R7v6okob3enEpKzyIIGSCpo_KUtwaJjutRhejaVN2vx9M-1UtgtikPZ8hPYyPTWtR_wNGhGXiWWFjCmRMuAvQV63wbi9PmoUTsgKDombOA7a6VkohjzHSv7dFON5a4KIEoY/s1600/WTDuck.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This page is under construction.</span></div>
Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-38340301072656161022013-07-28T10:44:00.002-05:002014-09-17T20:16:16.329-05:00Skills every child should learn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVQIqXPN8R7v6okob3enEpKzyIIGSCpo_KUtwaJjutRhejaVN2vx9M-1UtgtikPZ8hPYyPTWtR_wNGhGXiWWFjCmRMuAvQV63wbi9PmoUTsgKDombOA7a6VkohjzHSv7dFON5a4KIEoY/s1600/WTDuck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVQIqXPN8R7v6okob3enEpKzyIIGSCpo_KUtwaJjutRhejaVN2vx9M-1UtgtikPZ8hPYyPTWtR_wNGhGXiWWFjCmRMuAvQV63wbi9PmoUTsgKDombOA7a6VkohjzHSv7dFON5a4KIEoY/s1600/WTDuck.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This page is under construction.</span></div>
Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-60687554567433974792013-07-25T22:35:00.000-05:002014-09-18T12:11:14.456-05:00An eye for an eye . . .<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYARfl6ItI4e_zTAGabDnZYm2LSFKyCPNVHWrKojaHOy3T0QlgZn2nwZwcRRPUkIqSsCmE_nk6WosNNQ6Hf5gbRNjpzy3klM4nmWplU0xM_0-AjdqKuktEZVZoGeGlEH5yDsi9W3TqGgs/s1600/WTDuck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYARfl6ItI4e_zTAGabDnZYm2LSFKyCPNVHWrKojaHOy3T0QlgZn2nwZwcRRPUkIqSsCmE_nk6WosNNQ6Hf5gbRNjpzy3klM4nmWplU0xM_0-AjdqKuktEZVZoGeGlEH5yDsi9W3TqGgs/s1600/WTDuck.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This page is under construction</span></div>
Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-30050692293360638732013-01-01T22:35:00.001-06:002013-01-01T22:35:13.756-06:00Are you surrounded by idiots?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQ3tKGmjQHOqA6CyUwKr0wF1i3lRkSw1ICX5h6xJF3s148LKmzMqdvOJG2w0RVRxyPxcDbH6BBV4Mv80qZj6VOM0uCzsYBnUsUxdvyyi1r5FADIRiDB8rB8l7Z7inGgv73I3s4VPXFdo/s1600/WTDuck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQ3tKGmjQHOqA6CyUwKr0wF1i3lRkSw1ICX5h6xJF3s148LKmzMqdvOJG2w0RVRxyPxcDbH6BBV4Mv80qZj6VOM0uCzsYBnUsUxdvyyi1r5FADIRiDB8rB8l7Z7inGgv73I3s4VPXFdo/s1600/WTDuck.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">This page is under construction.</span></div>
Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-13117668163262395542012-12-16T22:31:00.000-06:002013-01-02T23:22:24.846-06:00The most offensive word in the English language, part 2<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was at an internet discussion board the other day when I noticed that somebody had an attitude problem. He seemed determined to argue, and I realized that he was overusing one particular word, and that was what made his posts so offensive. In fact, about one out of six words was the word in question. I'll bet you think you know what this word is, but you're probably wrong. In fact, it's a word I used three times in the last sentence, and I may have already offended you by using it. It was in that sentence, too. Did you find it? There. I did it again.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Any competent marriage counselor or <a href="http://www.fabermazlish.com/" target="_blank">expert on H</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.fabermazlish.com/" target="_blank">ow To Be A More Effective Parent</a> or </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">t</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">eacher</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">will tell you (I've got to stop doing that!) that one can avoid conflict and increase cooperation by making "<b><i><u>I</u></i></b> <i>statements</i>" and not "<b><i><u>YOU</u></i></b> <i>statements</i>" in sensitive conversations. See http://www.fabermazlish.com/. When people throw <b><i>you</i></b> around too much, especially at the beginning of a sentence, as in "<b>Yo</b>u always..." and "<b>You</b> never..." and "<b>You</b> think..." and "<b>You</b> just want to..." and "<b>You</b>'re trying to..." instead of speaking about what they know, others will see themselves as being accused or attacked, and they'll get defensive or angry at you. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6M_KOt2CGFazxrRP6NQ1gwQBzl0pfUptpBykvTDRh5SJYRAeS3guc_aKYF-o9wVQHnMeE8skFjcfg5o5kzWsb8_9QkNN5eiIKEr1q6DjKRcfqsooqz1RN1l01t9q_p8nNTKnzHbDE678/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-07-06+at+4.57.35+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6M_KOt2CGFazxrRP6NQ1gwQBzl0pfUptpBykvTDRh5SJYRAeS3guc_aKYF-o9wVQHnMeE8skFjcfg5o5kzWsb8_9QkNN5eiIKEr1q6DjKRcfqsooqz1RN1l01t9q_p8nNTKnzHbDE678/s640/Screen+shot+2012-07-06+at+4.57.35+PM.png" style="cursor: move;" width="490" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Since we as parents set an example for our children and model the habits they'll learn as they grow up, it's not a bad idea to break the "<b>YOU! <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">YOU!</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">YOU!</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">"</span> habit, if we have it, as soon as possible. Not only can it keep our children out of unpleasant confrontations with strangers, but it can </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">help them learn to communicate in personal situations with friends and family in a mature and constructive manner, especially in handling sensitive issues. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A useful template for a talking about a problem, instead of provoking other people's anger, is </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I feel [</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i><b>name of emotion</b></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">] when [</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><i>describe situation</i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">] and I would like [</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><i>specify the change you'd like to see</i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">].</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"</span> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Children who learn such communication skills from their parents are more likely to use them with other people, including their parents, and avoid offending those people, especially their parents.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-23026241866036772912012-12-09T22:22:00.000-06:002013-01-02T23:22:02.751-06:00The most offensive word in the English language<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There's an English word so offensive that people stopped using it hundreds of years ago, and the last time people tried saying it to the wrong people, they were burned at the stake for it. Or if they got a more merciful </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">judge, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">they simply got thrown in jail or had their tongues cut out. It's so offensive and so strictly taboo that many people don't even know what the word really means. It's so offensive that it's best to avoid using even the polite substitute or a foreign translation. Or a foreign translation of the polite substitute. In other words, it's not the word itself that's the problem, but the idea behind the word, in any language.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">First let's consider the English word itself, and next we'll consider polite substitutes and why even those are best avoided. Are you ready for the word yet? </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAIa7RTqr12nEa-O8TXwNjB5VMwT8y0TfgZDk23mMbGPAu7Y21KVfvt37U3ZNfuSglBA6N6v2e3I4bcNjF04v_MjfIY2zV98A7KjKEpPWx7kcVL95b93thyphenhyphenYFG3EfTJf3gQFf7Fsbr7Y/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-01-02+at+9.59.16+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAIa7RTqr12nEa-O8TXwNjB5VMwT8y0TfgZDk23mMbGPAu7Y21KVfvt37U3ZNfuSglBA6N6v2e3I4bcNjF04v_MjfIY2zV98A7KjKEpPWx7kcVL95b93thyphenhyphenYFG3EfTJf3gQFf7Fsbr7Y/s200/Screen+shot+2013-01-02+at+9.59.16+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That's the word. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Now somebody reading this is probably thinking, "Is she crazy? What's rude about that word? It's in the Bible, for #$%&'s sake!" As if everything in the Bible were morally pure and G-rated. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Some of us in one of my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">on-line </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">English majors and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">literature lovers</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> groups had a discussion about this issue a few years back, and somebody even said she was once criticized in church for praying with the word "you" instead of "thou" because, according to the criticizer's opinion, "thou" is more respectful than "you." </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Whatever my friend's critic's knowledge of the Bible may be, his understanding of English grammar has some weaknesses. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Why the King James Bible and some prayerbooks use the singular form is a question for another day.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Once upon a time, every language, including English, had two classes of pronouns for the second person. Spanish even has three. Now English is the only language that uses only one set of second person pronouns <b><u><i>Thou</i></u></b> was a singular pronoun, the old English equivalent of the French, Italian, Latin, Romanian, or Spanish <b><u><i>tu</i></u></b>, the German, Danish, Swedish, or Norwegian <b><u><i>du</i></u></b>, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">the Icelandic<i> <b><u>þú</u></b></i>,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">the Polish, Czech, and Slovak<i> <u style="font-weight: bold;">ty</u></i>, the Russian <b><u>ты</u></b>, the Bulgarian and Macedonian <b><u>ти</u></b>, the Greek <b><u><i>σύ</i></u></b>, the Hebrew<b><u> <i>אתה</i></u></b><i>,</i> and the Arabic <b style="text-decoration: underline;">أنت</b>, which people in all those other languages use to address a close acquaintance or social equal. <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">You</u> is actually a plural form, the English equivalent of <b><i><u>vous</u></i></b>, <b><i><u>vosotros</u></i></b>, <b><i><u>vos</u></i></b>, <b style="font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline;">vobis</b>, <b style="font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline;">voi</b>, <b><i><u>Sie</u></i></b>, <b><i><u>wy</u></i></b>, <b><i><u>вы</u></i></b>, אתם, etc., which, in every language but English, people use for more than one person or for strangers or people to whom they need to show respect. People who still want a separate plural pronoun have settled on you-all or youse. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> If anyone still needs convincing, just consider that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">other famous English writer active around the time the change happened, William Shakespeare.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Consider how many people Juliet was addressing when she said:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNhiQI8ZFWitDQIQg7HvuYCw38-e8gkLdDPaOuqLmTfzGgb4SdErwsq_7T0GDk6fnPH8L1LGy83HwJmtzDc4vHE8rNXOFmf1c2HHqDlbJlqNp05DdLoxPvWnQB6aUZncmYjxaOJ_VT_4/s1600/THOU.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNhiQI8ZFWitDQIQg7HvuYCw38-e8gkLdDPaOuqLmTfzGgb4SdErwsq_7T0GDk6fnPH8L1LGy83HwJmtzDc4vHE8rNXOFmf1c2HHqDlbJlqNp05DdLoxPvWnQB6aUZncmYjxaOJ_VT_4/s640/THOU.png" width="634" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Just one Romeo. Actually, it wasn't even that many people, because technically, she was thinking aloud to herself, and she didn't realize he was there under her balcony listening to her. Now consider how many people Mark Antony was addressing when he said:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqnAYBMQH4nZhyWkWCNpS6dQOZSTy8jjPF7SH6B-3uXkuEPYVEHCSY1_qjyVAGxojFPte9iiO0tmpiIjbAktDxSC2hjxmIZachanne0s5xmm04CX1Ajhf9fJ3kEgPgnwXyMOyvQcYaxY/s1600/YOU.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqnAYBMQH4nZhyWkWCNpS6dQOZSTy8jjPF7SH6B-3uXkuEPYVEHCSY1_qjyVAGxojFPte9iiO0tmpiIjbAktDxSC2hjxmIZachanne0s5xmm04CX1Ajhf9fJ3kEgPgnwXyMOyvQcYaxY/s640/YOU.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> A whole forum full of Romans.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-32316452404814990402012-11-27T00:49:00.000-06:002013-07-28T10:59:06.630-05:00The value of hard work<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">We all have a responsibility as parents to teach our young children
the value of hard work. Of course
we all want them to succeed in their goals and become self-reliant, so they can fulfill their dreams and so we can
be proud of them, or if for no other reason, so they don’t mooch off us in our old age.</span><span class="Apple-style-span">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the past weeks, some politician or other has claimed that
47% of the American public pay no taxes and have no appreciation for the value
of hard work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t use the
phrase “shiftless and lazy” explicitly, but many of us heard those unspoken
words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oddly enough, that 47%
figure corresponds almost exactly to the proportion of Americans who have told
pollsters they’re voting for the other candidate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course both candidates have supporters who pay high taxes
and supporters who pay none.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In truth,
we should probably attribute only a small fraction (closer to 4% or 7%) of the
non-payment of taxes to the laziness and faulty character of the poor; some is
due to old age, low incomes, illness, disability, or even to the greed or faulty character of rich who
exploit loopholes and off-shore tax havens to avoid paying the taxes they owe. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Without getting into a political discussion, I think we
should consider this question of why some people might not know the value of
hard work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The truth is that
many of us, including middle class people, never learn the value of hard work
until late in life, if ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why
is that?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Consider the young person who devotes hours to perfecting
jump shots, back flips, double Axels, or guitar solos, only to receive no recognition, or to
be excluded from the team or the band.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consider
the student who puts hours of effort into every school project and extra credit
report and still doesn’t get grades as high as classmates to whom straight As
come naturally. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Consider the workers who have two or three minimum wage jobs
and see little of any rewards for their efforts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suppose your mother gets<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>up to catch a 6:00 bus every morning so she can ride across
town to spend all day scrubbing floors, yet she still doesn’t bring home enough
money to pay the rent on a decent apartment, plus utilities and health
insurance without using food stamps, and she can’t afford to buy a functioning car
or even good shoes for you and your siblings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suppose that what she does bring home is an
aching back, chapped hands and knees, and stories about these other women she
works for who can spend all day driving around in their SUVs shopping, who have
closets full of shoes, and who can’t be bothered to scrub their own
floors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Consider the family with a two hundred year legacy of
working<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>involuntarily without pay
for a paternalistic master who kept all the wealth they created and never
recognized them as adult human beings or allowed them to pursue dreams of their
own.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Consider the child with parents who have never encouraged
him to work hard nor acknowledged his efforts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consider the child who never has the opportunity to get his
or her own way, even at winning a game or choosing a favorite dessert.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One need not be economically disadvantaged to lack drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, some of the most diligent among
us are people trying to overcome hardships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often children who grow up with all the advantages are the
laziest among us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have recently come to the realization that my own parents
didn’t particularly help<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>me
understand the importance of working hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mother (who worked very hard at a low-paying dead-end job) frequently told me I was uncommonly clever, which
only taught me to believe I was somehow more entitled to rewards than people who were
merely average, by virtue of who I was and who my relatives were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet studies show that in
countries where children test higher in math than American children do, they
learn to value hard work (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/12/164793058/struggle-for-smarts-how-eastern-and-western-cultures-tackle-learning">http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/12/164793058/struggle-for-smarts-how-eastern-and-western-cultures-tackle-learning</a>, <a href="http://www.tdl.com/~schafer/Asian.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">http://www.tdl.com/~schafer/Asian.htm</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Children were given impossible problems
to solve, and instead of giving up right away and saying “I quit.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It’s too difficult for me” they saw it
as a challenge and kept working on it for a long time and trying to figure it
out.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Perhaps we need <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to remember that what matters most in life is not who we are,
which is something we cannot control, but what we do with our lives, which is
something we can control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Better yet, perhaps we can impress that on our children by valuing their
efforts and their achievements.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-66927532935034854722012-06-25T22:36:00.000-05:002013-01-02T16:47:02.463-06:00Do you read to your children?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PnMUtHaHdBxbNfqzF0tLbcRSjAD3dsHuVJBWxD9Rk4wztWSTJeio-DJTYQdFxwF7FfMxUZt-FGhkOdVicbHjN5IoVoDR8wmAST-eGm783KI9NjhHUQDtMQUDO04hUQVTb9-_7JhRKdQ/s1600/ReadingOlderKids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PnMUtHaHdBxbNfqzF0tLbcRSjAD3dsHuVJBWxD9Rk4wztWSTJeio-DJTYQdFxwF7FfMxUZt-FGhkOdVicbHjN5IoVoDR8wmAST-eGm783KI9NjhHUQDtMQUDO04hUQVTb9-_7JhRKdQ/s400/ReadingOlderKids.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Do you read to your child? I wrote in this blog last year that parents should read to their children, and that post has been my most
popular one so far. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps you
followed my advice, and perhaps now your child is a reader. YES! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Congratulations!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you may be
thinking “Since my child can now read, it’s time to stop reading aloud,
right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NO!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Elementary school children love being read to in class by a teacher, classmate, visiting parent, or local celebrity. My high school students loved having me read to them. Book group members and public radio listeners love listening to authors read from their work. Parents </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">enjoy</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> spend</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ing</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> quality time </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">with their children </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">over a favorite book, and children enjoy it, too. So by all means, k</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">eep up the regular nightly bedtime story ritual for as
long as you can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">help develop comprehension skills so your child
can get good grades and be a success in school and life<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">help strengthen your relationship with your
child </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">give your child an opportunity to ask questions
about matters you don’t ordinarily discuss during the day </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">give your child an opportunity to hear
unfamiliar words pronounced aloud, and</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">expose your children to your own childhood
favorites, the old classics, or those “forgotten” books that they probably
won’t discover on their own or through a recent library school graduate.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Reading is about much more than decoding the symbols on a page. It is about nothing less than thinking itself. Even a child who has "cracked the code" can grow intellectually by discovering new ideas and new vocabulary, by learning how to recognize plot patterns or style, make predictions, detect bias or irony, and develop cultural literacy and critical thinking. I could read Charlotte's Web in second grade, but I could not have tackled Sherlock Holmes on my own even in fourth or fifth grade.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There are plenty of books your child might be able to read
on his or her own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet there are
even more books that might still be too much of a challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Informed teachers could tell you each
child has two different reading levels, the <b><u>independent</u> level</b> and the
<b><u>instructional</u> level</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A normal fourth
grader might be able to pick up and read second or third grade level books for
pleasure without help, something that will not hurt a child and that can
provide useful practice, even if that child’s test scores demonstrate that
fourth or fifth grade level materials are most appropriate </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">in a formal reading class at school, with a teacher who
knows how to teach.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With a parent, grandparent, older sibling, or other person
reading aloud, a child can experience books and stories beyond his or her
instructional level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Books
written for seventh or eighth graders might frustrate even a bright fourth
grader, and if parents wait for children to read these books in seventh or
eighth grade, homework, sports, video games, The Mall, or even more popular
newer books might prove too much of a distraction and prevent that from ever
happening. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So what books are good to read? I would leave children alone to discover books like Twilight and Uglies for themselves, and since series books are so popular, it makes sense to let children read volume 2 or 3 or 40 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">independently</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> after introducing the first one. Books written in the 1800's or even mid 1900's might be trickier or more tiresome for modern children to tackle on their own, and they often deal with more innocent subjects than more recent books, which should make children feel more comfortable reading them with parents. The classics, like mythology, folklore, Robin Hood, and fairy tales were written for inter-generational sharing. As I mentioned before, anything that you yourself loved as a child would be good to share with children. Detective books can also be good. Of course any good children's librarian would be happy to suggest books that might work well for your family, and I will post a list if people express an interest in one.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I would like to thank <a href="http://www.pbs.org/parents/booklights/archives/2009/11/tips-for-growing-bookworms-1-read-aloud.html" target="_blank">Jen Robinson</a>, for the picture above. </span></div>
</div>
Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-19778936283937394482012-06-25T21:23:00.003-05:002012-11-27T00:56:39.678-06:00Now for something completely disgusting . . .<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Today we're going to have a word about household repairs. Depending on their ages, you might want to teach your children how to do this, at least step 1. I learned about it from a kitchen and bath remodeling expert who thought I might want to save money by doing repairs myself instead of calling a plumber. I liked his suggestion, because it was consistent with my philosophy that you should </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><i>NEVER </i>SEND CHEMISTRY TO DO A JOB THAT CAN BE DONE BY SIMPLE PHYSICS.</u></span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you have a clogged toilet or a slow drain, and the standard equipment you keep around the house doesn't immediately solve the problem, try this simple three step solution. Note that it only works on standard clog substances like soap scum or, um, digestive waste, not on hair, feminine hygiene products, or LEGOS®.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1. Close the shut-off valve by tightening it all the way. If you don't know what that is, look for a slender pipe that goes into the toilet tank. It should have a turn-y faucet-y looking thing on it, like this: </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RIUMjpymEQbrJnPqm4BGAHUV9l6zITGCsjZtkq0KCBEk9gWmmyTe2JY7rCLxhNB1sDsktOMyt7EMhc8HBq4nBGqEb1UHsNY5bIQYE5TJneQVrRn6FEDY74BG11aCF9913-VEosfNCt4/s1600/IMG_0294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RIUMjpymEQbrJnPqm4BGAHUV9l6zITGCsjZtkq0KCBEk9gWmmyTe2JY7rCLxhNB1sDsktOMyt7EMhc8HBq4nBGqEb1UHsNY5bIQYE5TJneQVrRn6FEDY74BG11aCF9913-VEosfNCt4/s320/IMG_0294.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Turn the faucet-y looking thing all the way to the right (lefty loosy, righty tighty!). This will shut off the water supply to the toilet tank so the tank won't refill and the bowl won't overflow when you try flushing. Because the tank will empty. Because you flushed, get it? If your toilet doesn't have its own shut-off valve, you may have to shut off the water supply to the house or apartment. If you don't know where that shut-off valve is, ask your landlord or apartment manager. If you are the landlord and you still don't know where the shut-off is, make sure you have a supply of towels at the ready. Note: if the clog is in the sink or bathtub drain, you can skip this step. Lucky you. But not really.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2. Fill a tea kettle and bring the water to a full boil. Pour the boiling water down the drain, trying to get as much of it as possible directly on the clog. Wait a while. If you don't much care for the aroma of um, err, poached toilet clogs, then lower the lid, close the bathroom door, and wait elsewhere.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRVXbQJmXSa9Ovojkw_rCw4N4a3fSEvO8wwqGn5vJkKLeHJbV9qgkBTf4noQe3CYttt-geL0UmvnB2gW1wKaBoKmHd7PLFFHMjqD7LjdwSmlCDajVDkoKr-igkZkZmSb1aoRo3_qOBK4/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-06-25+at+8.34.01+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRVXbQJmXSa9Ovojkw_rCw4N4a3fSEvO8wwqGn5vJkKLeHJbV9qgkBTf4noQe3CYttt-geL0UmvnB2gW1wKaBoKmHd7PLFFHMjqD7LjdwSmlCDajVDkoKr-igkZkZmSb1aoRo3_qOBK4/s200/Screen+shot+2012-06-25+at+8.34.01+PM.png" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3. Follow through with the standard equipment you keep around the house. Note: if the clog is in the sink or bathtub drain, you might be able to skip this step.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">To avoid grossing yourself out, it's not a bad idea to invest in a second (or third?) plunger just for sink or bathtub drains if you can afford to do so. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-85790428271913849762012-06-17T09:46:00.000-05:002012-06-25T21:30:20.070-05:00Got a Man?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My friends are sharing this picture on facebook today, and I think it says something pertinent to Father's Day, in memory of my husband. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqyerNTvtAAtC5nEQXDY9NgQ6dCIFxXKg7Df-xi4qR1OUmEEBCPMiLcpxK4c7A84z2Ri66pcltE7yqc0u4THBmyaaWbVkJoT4AUwVkXgyjKelbR3fKxfVrs6AS1CorPti3ODbpVhj8mEw/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-06-17+at+9.39.48+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqyerNTvtAAtC5nEQXDY9NgQ6dCIFxXKg7Df-xi4qR1OUmEEBCPMiLcpxK4c7A84z2Ri66pcltE7yqc0u4THBmyaaWbVkJoT4AUwVkXgyjKelbR3fKxfVrs6AS1CorPti3ODbpVhj8mEw/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-06-17+at+9.39.48+AM.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Anyone who has a man like this in her life, let him know you appreciate him, and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">celebrate!</span>Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-89992843404731575482012-05-29T00:26:00.000-05:002012-06-25T21:36:10.595-05:00Do you want to know what really bothers me about some people?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">No, you really don't, do you? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm reading a biography of a great man, and just in time for Mother's Day, I found this lovely little tribute on page 15, </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>"She had been reared in a cultured milieu, and as a matter of course she introduced her own children to the culture and literature she knew and loved . . . In order that they have more time to discuss music, books, and politics, she enforced a rule that the family could never talk of financial affairs or business matters at the dinner table. Moreover, neither [parent] would tolerate any personal criticism of other persons, even of people they did not know first-hand. [She] instilled in her children high moral standards." (Louis D. Brandeis: A Life by Melvin I. Urofsky)</i></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">How different from the attitude one finds on discussion boards and "comments" sections all over the internet. Why do so many people insult others and call them nasty names? How sad that they think they</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> need to</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> put other people down</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> to build themselves up. Complaining, griping, kvetching, and bad-mouthing everybody else really does not make them like you more or look up to you. The most respected and admired people are the ones who see the good in others. So remember, </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Nobody will measure your intelligence</b></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>by counting how many people</b></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>you call stupid.</b></i></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-44790534728055577462012-04-19T12:54:00.015-05:002012-05-29T00:32:45.149-05:00Stand up Straight!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FELRUSIty4Za0hC_SqzuskhiVMzAxDk833E8GoLgsVWJEsHNkkNY7uT_HCaiMCfUbKd0euOCXn630_4NekvWWY4xQLNVbde__KPilEG9OIU1o333onVAXqpzHDxUO7cMqMUq0cjaxcM/s1600/marx_groucho-19790308020R.2_gif_300x272_q85.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FELRUSIty4Za0hC_SqzuskhiVMzAxDk833E8GoLgsVWJEsHNkkNY7uT_HCaiMCfUbKd0euOCXn630_4NekvWWY4xQLNVbde__KPilEG9OIU1o333onVAXqpzHDxUO7cMqMUq0cjaxcM/s400/marx_groucho-19790308020R.2_gif_300x272_q85.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you're like most of us, you've probably heard some old person, perhaps your mother, nag you about your posture. This is because they learned the hard way what a lifetime of bad posture does to one's health--it leads to chronic back pain. This causes special problems for women, even more so for women who have had children and may have osteoporosis or compromised bone density. Fashion has long dictated that we wear high heeled shoes or boots, because many men are highly entertained by a sight of a young woman's wiggling buttocks. Such men probably won't be around when you're fifty-something and won't be concerned about your aching back. So let the man have the boot and take care of your health.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-CpUDqPszry37a-ddtdh5-p_ScZVO4m5vkP0pU9YuoNEaqvfaB14SrcTdKnuhfYRm-QbzI3OZwwM4Eqotnbd30Ecvnde5dvQBaTHmgHH03rWoe9D-9hspiI-s_3Sw3tmkZiu827C-PgE/s1600/a5cyj04.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhddwM5utXDJuB-NiUyTrW3j4F5kX-_JAQ9XzlbxLgGRflK1Sz54lmiEXACqWmedkCw6vWaFCdo_f7Guoaqh0viQsCrlHR9_EuWQWVoTzwvIJ1lsayt6aJfvz3CUJe_Pvuw1ZP7wonhZOE/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-05-18+at+12.15.26+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhddwM5utXDJuB-NiUyTrW3j4F5kX-_JAQ9XzlbxLgGRflK1Sz54lmiEXACqWmedkCw6vWaFCdo_f7Guoaqh0viQsCrlHR9_EuWQWVoTzwvIJ1lsayt6aJfvz3CUJe_Pvuw1ZP7wonhZOE/s200/Screen+shot+2012-05-18+at+12.15.26+AM.png" width="198" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Allowing the muscles of your back to do all the work of supporting your body's weight is only a good idea if you plan to go through life walking on four legs. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you prefer to walk on two legs, it's a bad idea. The sooner a girl develops a habit of good posture, the less she'll suffer in her old age. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The only problem I've found is that many advise givers, including drill sergeants, my own mother, and even some of the people who create web pages about good posture, don't actually know how to stand up straight. They may suggest moderation between the extreme of leaning too far forward, as illustrated in the David Levine drawing above, and overcompensating, bending over backwards, perhaps the way some fashion models stroll down the catwalk. I would argue that nobody with back pain ever makes the mistake of developing a posture habit of leaning too far backwards. I recently had to teach my mother, who has had back trouble for as long as I can remember, how to stand up straight. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here is what you should do, from the ground up. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1i8uLm_ZYk9IHqhW1C6fClv0I_yP6s7QX7aV56XOPorksy9igw_eEurdcrn559NckPQZbuNQedDzViiEsGjEJ207FakTJ9n3n9xKOgycyun2tJ0ycZGPbn2udiMB7MajLCfAAq17fJc/s1600/badposturebetty2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1i8uLm_ZYk9IHqhW1C6fClv0I_yP6s7QX7aV56XOPorksy9igw_eEurdcrn559NckPQZbuNQedDzViiEsGjEJ207FakTJ9n3n9xKOgycyun2tJ0ycZGPbn2udiMB7MajLCfAAq17fJc/s200/badposturebetty2.png" width="150" /></a>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Stand with your feet parallel, a comfortable distance apart (about the length of your foot) directly under your hips.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>This is absolutely CRUCIAL</b>: Are your knees straight? If they are, then unlock them. This is the joint you should use if you need to bend your body, such as to pick something off the floor, so make sure your knees are flexible, naturally.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Determine where your bottom is. If you're like our little friend Betty (at left) and most people who have backaches, it's hanging out behind you. Don't let it do that. Try to stop thinking of it as your behind or your "back side" or (as my ballet teacher used to call it) your </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: whitesmoke; display: inline !important; float: none; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>derrière.</i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> It should be your bottom, as in the part of you underneath the rest of your body. Tighten your abdominal muscles and use them to tilt your pelvis under, where it is directly above your feet. You can do this if your knees are not unnaturally locked. Developing the habit of walking around like this will not only relieve the strain on your back muscles, but it will also strengthen your abdominal muscles, which is kind of the whole idea.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Let your shoulders relax and fall back naturally so that they're in a line directly above your feet and pelvis.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hold your head up so your ears are in line with your feet, pelvis, shoulders, and the highest point in the sky. </span></li>
</ol>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Fortunately, some internet sites do have helpful information, such as <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/health-tip/HT00520/rss=6">http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/health-tip/HT00520/rss=6</a> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-pain/LB00002_D"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-pain/LB00002_D</span></a>.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> If you want to learn more about exercises to relieve back pain or any other medical issues, I recommend them as a good place to start. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-14384318944922611422011-11-15T22:09:00.005-06:002012-04-22T14:50:24.700-05:00Your baby's politics.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You probably don't think your baby is old enough yet to develop a political philosophy. Think again, and consider the cases of Baby A and Baby B.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Baby A, who is an only child, lives in a big house on a big lot on a quiet street on the edge of town. Aside from the occasional sound of a vacuum cleaner or lawn mower, Baby A hears few sounds not produced either directly or indirectly by Baby A. That is, in part, because of the white noise machine which drowns out noises. More importantly, A's parents subscribe to an educational-toy-of-the-month club, so every few weeks, beginning with the cute little <i>Busy Booties</i>® from Month 1, Baby A gets another new toy expertly designed to meet Baby A's needs in a manner most perfectly suited to Baby A's current level of cognitive development. The first instructional unit has focused on the concept of Cause and Effect, and Baby A has learned that a shake of Baby A's left foot, thanks to the red <i>Busy </i><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Booty</i>®,</span> will produce an amusing rattling sound, a shake of Baby A's right foot, thanks to the green <i>Busy </i><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Booty</i>®</span> will produce a pleasant ringing bell sound, a squeeze of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">purple </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">plush octopus will produce a squeaky sound tuned to one of eight tones of the C major scale, and a tug on the blue ducky will cause music to play and the mobile over Baby A's crib to turn. When Baby A cries, one of Baby A's parents hears, thanks to the house intercom, and quickly comes and removes Baby A from the crib and solves whatever problem is bothering Baby A. As Baby A gets older and learns to talk, A's parents will usually give A whatever A asks for.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Then there is Baby B. Baby B lives in an apartment on a busy street in the middle of the city. Baby B shares a room with two older siblings. The neighbors in the apartment above Baby B's room are also noisy people who often play loud music not requested by Baby B. Because of the liquor store and the two taverns within a block of Baby B's apartment, Baby B's sleep is frequently interrupted by the sound of breaking glass or drunken brawls from outside the window. Baby B also hears random sirens, gunshots, and barking dogs. When Baby B cries, Baby B's parents might respond, but they may both be too busy with the other children. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As Baby B gets older and learns to talk, B will speak out about what B wants, but B's parents will not usually be able to give B what B asks for.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of these children, barring the parents' deliberate effort to teach otherwise, will probably grow up to be a free market Republican who believes that the world is a fair place and that with enough effort, one can accomplish whatever one wants to in one's life, so people all deserve to be exactly as rich or poor as they are. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The other child</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, barring the parents' deliberate effort to teach otherwise,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> will probably grow up to be a Democrat who believes the world is unfair and stacked against many of us, and that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">forces beyond our</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> control often deny h</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ardworking people the rewards they deserve, through no fault of their own. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I invite you to guess which is which.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Both of these children may grow up unable to understand how the other can possibly have a view of the world so different from their own. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycyhvleVCzikyzeFigf0W_rUYDNwduh5jhfdDbmw7gKWkLwz6i97QEVlGndBmnBrTctETIDgUTckHTkRWUQCKPDfZXL7xLFvMqZUs55GaJeIi-W6MQ9PcQF9VZZZ2HXqmILQrbhum9MU/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-04-22+at+2.47.20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycyhvleVCzikyzeFigf0W_rUYDNwduh5jhfdDbmw7gKWkLwz6i97QEVlGndBmnBrTctETIDgUTckHTkRWUQCKPDfZXL7xLFvMqZUs55GaJeIi-W6MQ9PcQF9VZZZ2HXqmILQrbhum9MU/s640/Screen+shot+2012-04-22+at+2.47.20+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-42267748037460590582011-09-11T23:03:00.002-05:002012-04-19T14:42:41.424-05:00Are You All Right?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You're at the playground and your child falls off the swing.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You're driving down the street and you hit a bicyclist.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You're walking through the mall and you see somebody lying on the floor.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What do you do? If you're like most people I know, you ask the person "Are you all right?"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Please don't. Nobody wants to tell you that no, they're not all right. They might not be all right, but it's often not until a few hours or even days later that the pain becomes too much, and a visit to the emergency room reveals something wrong. I have had the experience of falling or otherwise having accidents, and people have immediately asked me if I was all right. They didn't take me to the hospital and wait for the results of the x-rays. They didn't check for welts and bruises to develop, or even wait to see if there was any blood. When they ask you, "Are you all right?" they're not really asking you to give them a report on the extent of your injuries, but they're asking for permission to walk away and forget about you. If you tell them you're all right, you let them off the hook. They may later argue that you absolved them of all responsibility when you told them, five seconds after your accident, that there's nothing wrong with you. If you continue to experience pain and later turn out to have a broken bone or chipped tooth, they will resent you for changing your mind about the accident. Perhaps they'll even think you're lying and making up a new problem that wasn't there immediately after the accident.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is all especially true with children. They may be unwilling to tell you they're not all right, because they feel like they've failed or been a loser or given the "wrong" answer. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The best thing to ask somebody who has had an accident is "Are you hurt?" Doing so trains the child to take time and think systematically about how everything feels, and it trains you to be more compassionate toward others. It also gives the child or injured party permission to be honest.</span>Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-74551316445202070322011-09-10T22:45:00.004-05:002012-04-22T18:47:15.890-05:009-11, Ten Years After<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOiTR2cKaRleTEHPIsZyu1AJLhmVHQneb17hxYAjFQrca-9tkIsIGU3O7fyMRcs0xhC6E5DRbkuDJV6jgRiwVf78jRPzFBliet4hrMbQxz-Qm5wFgTih30sAyZD4aI-qpo-ioRd_nj8vg/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-04-22+at+6.46.49+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="529" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOiTR2cKaRleTEHPIsZyu1AJLhmVHQneb17hxYAjFQrca-9tkIsIGU3O7fyMRcs0xhC6E5DRbkuDJV6jgRiwVf78jRPzFBliet4hrMbQxz-Qm5wFgTih30sAyZD4aI-qpo-ioRd_nj8vg/s640/Screen+shot+2012-04-22+at+6.46.49+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I should probably write something in honor of the multiple tragedies we now call "Nine Eleven" because everyone else is doing it. It always seems strange to me the way people refer to events as happening either before September Eleventh or ten years after September Eleventh when we have a September Eleventh every year. I pity the poor people who have birthdays tomorrow and know that now their birthday will always be a day that will live in infamy.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I remember what I did that morning. I had taken the children to school, and I had to drop some old clothes off at the thrift shop, and then I had plans to see my lawyer to deal with some paperwork. My husband had died two weeks earlier, and I wanted to donate some of his things to charity. They had played a story at around 6:20 on NPR's Morning Edition about new teachers, and I had missed part of it. I knew they would rebroadcast the program and repeat that particular story at 8:20. I was in the thrift shop parking lot waiting for them to open, expecting to hear the voice of Claudio Sanchez, NPR's education reporter. Instead, NPR interrupted its regularly scheduled program to bring us the horrendous news. Having gathered my family around my husband's bedside and said good-bye to him, I couldn't help thinking of the families whose loved ones were taken from them that morning without warning, without getting their affairs in order, without any opportunity to make peace with each other.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We might focus on what The September Eleventh Attacks mean for parents with young children. I would argue that although we might expect nightmares and emotional trauma in our current teenagers and young adults, today's toddlers have been spared all that, and we should keep things that way. For those of us old enough to remember where we were on September 11, 2001, November 22, 1963, or December 7, 1941, these events were the defining event of a generation. But for today's primary school children, 2001 is history as ancient as or March 25, 1911 or April 12, 1861 or October 14, 1066. We can't expect very small children to ever feel the loss of those we remember before 2001, not on a personal or a national level, nor to feel the connection many of us feel with others who also lost people we loved. Let us not fault them if they can't get excited about all the memorial services and speeches, the flag-waving, and the rhetoric, and let us not use these children as an excuse to whip up hatred against people in other countries, nor blame them for being insufficiently patriotic on account of the World Trade Center's destruction.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">How many of us ever consider the plight of the English during WWII? During the Battle of Britain, or the "Blitz" as many called it, German bombers flew over London every night. Large swaths of that city were destroyed, and if you walk down the streets there today admiring the beautiful eighteenth century buildings, you'll see the random post-WWII building that doesn't fit into the cityscape. London's urban renewal projects owe a great deal to the Luftwaffe. We should consider the terror the English people felt in 1940 and the fear and uncertainty they must have suffered over the outcome of that war. Some families sent their children off to live with strangers in the country, not sure they'd ever see them again. Some spent many a night packed together and trying to sleep in the Underground stations, just hoping that when the noise above them and the all clear sounded, their houses would not be reduced to rubble.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When I got to my lawyer's office that fateful morning in 2001, he was watching the television coverage from the World Trade Center, and he said, "Now Americans know how Israelis feel." We may expect terrible things to happen in other countries, but I believe the sheer novelty of such an attack on the United States of all countries was as much a part of people's outrage as the death and destruction themselves. Yet since 2001, nothing similar has happened again.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For some reason, Americans have developed an astonishing willingness to milk a ten-year-old tragedy for all it's worth. Somehow, I doubt that they marked December 7, 1951 with all the somber commemorations we're seeing now. I would like our country to move past 2001. What many Americans don't realize is that people around the world and even around this country face tragedy all the time. We don't pay attention to the wars and conflicts being fought in Congo, Mexico, Sudan, Yemen, or to the drought and famine in Ethiopia. The storms, floods, and earthquakes of a few years back may not make headline news anymore, but people are still suffering. Even the small-scale tragedies that affect some families in our own cities, the grinding poverty, hunger, and homelessness, and the drive-by shootings escape our notice. What makes September 11, 2001 special is that it was a day when the nation suffered an organized attack from outsiders, something we haven't experienced as a nation since the early 1800's. Since 1814, we have made a point of fighting all our wars on somebody else's soil.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Perhaps it's time for those making all this fuss to grow up. </span></div>Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-3488913486543290202011-09-09T00:03:00.008-05:002011-09-10T21:16:40.667-05:00Let's go to the grocery store!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Do you dread shopping with your toddler? I remember once having an accident in that A & P where my mother used to take me. I was having a bit too much fun scooting around with the grocery cart, and I fell and got a bloody lip. I still have the scar, so when I see children standing up in grocery carts, I always want to say something to the parents.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Taking a two-year-old to the stor</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">e can be a series of disasters, especially if you just expect the child to sit quietly in the cart and not embarrass you in public. It can also be a tremendously educational and entertainment experience, if you plan it well, but it takes more than just a shopping list. A little creativity can go a long way. So does a little talk before you leave the house about what kind of behavior is appropriate or inappropriate in public and what rewards a child can earn by behaving appropriately. Maybe you have one of those "rewards card" things the supermarkets give out to encourage customer loyalty. You could create a rewards card to keep track of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">for your child's </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">good behavior. As for customer loyalty, though, I would suggest mixing it up and shopping at different stores sometimes. That way your child can learn about choices and competition and get a better understanding of the community in which you live.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TTbL4W7KU6D4qB5Lll4t1j0l4IAcUf_epLicjqnlKcY8Omrjv9zQD2fJEiz5ByQELAr8Rj_LPXwurpsNi3qnW5pd1f1u85i9HyjBtm9a23nqBfeAgjOKv5h3ggegtbopjg8k0mDu2vE/s1600/Grocery+Bag+clip+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TTbL4W7KU6D4qB5Lll4t1j0l4IAcUf_epLicjqnlKcY8Omrjv9zQD2fJEiz5ByQELAr8Rj_LPXwurpsNi3qnW5pd1f1u85i9HyjBtm9a23nqBfeAgjOKv5h3ggegtbopjg8k0mDu2vE/s320/Grocery+Bag+clip+art.jpg" width="240" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It helps to plan ahead, decide what you're going to serve for dinner for the week, and shop accordingly. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you can plan the week's meals around foods that are on sale, you can save some money. Walking into the store with a list lets you save time, and it lets you show your child how business-like and in charge you can be.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Let your child have some input in creating the shopping list. As I've said before, you can negotiate over the questionable items. That way, you can not only help your child develop problem-solving skills, but also get some behavioral concessions out of your child. Don't be afraid to say, "Cookies aren't very good for us. How about some fruit instead? Or a trip to the library?" </span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Try to schedule your trip to the store after a nap and meal so the child isn't too cranky, and take along some emergency supplies, like snack food in your own container or a small toy on a tether. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As for feeding your child food from the store before paying for it, yes grapes and snap peas are healthier than m&m's, but remember you're setting an example, right? A very small child won't understand the difference between unit pricing and bulk pricing. It's a good idea to avoid shopping on an empty stomach, because then you'll be less likely to waste time and buy junk you don't need on impulse.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Of course everybody needs to eat. Once you're in the store, you can use your need for food to strengthen all kinds of educational skills and teach all kinds of lessons,depending on the age of the child, from reading readiness to vocabulary, colors, shapes, math, money, economics, geography, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">health, nutrition, self-discipline, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">social skills, and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">decision making. Depending on the age of the children, you can assign them "jobs" like finding the apples or letting you know whether the flat green vegetable you're looking at is a carrot or not. You can compare prices between brands. If you take a little world map along, you can note where the bananas, blueberries, kiwi fruit, and all the other foods come from.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When my children were very young, my husband and I used to go shopping in the evening and make it a family affair. We would take turns, one of us pushing the cart with the baby in it, while the other one took our toddler on a walk through the aisles. I decided a three-year-old would do less damage in the toilet paper and fabric softener aisles than in the spaghetti sauce and pickle aisles. We made a game of counting all the babies and teddy bears we saw on all the product packaging. It got us out of the house, it kept the kid busy, and it helped her get some math practice. Furthermore, it was a way to avoid arguments ("What do you mean, you forgot to get dish detergent?" "You didn't tell me what kind of lettuce you wanted!", etc.) or paying a babysitter, or spending an evening as couch potatoes.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you have another adult, or another child old enough to walk around the store without supervision, you can even make it a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">family game night and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">organize teams for a scavenger hunt.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Let's see if we can find something in a big blue box that has the first letter of your name on it.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Now let's look for something we want to eat for breakfast, and it's shaped like circles.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Next, we need something in a round box, and it has a picture of a man in a big hat on it.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">How about something good to drink that doesn't have high fructose corn syrup in it?</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And when we've got everything on our list, we'll meet Mommy by the orange juice. </span></li>
</ul>Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-15353052821642585382011-09-08T07:10:00.007-05:002011-09-08T13:56:03.054-05:00You can't always get what you want, part 3: But if you try sometimes, you just might get ahead of people who don't.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-qSe0xNNqsfyNL68ty1JbwJgrMqijfeq3tM6ObHfZ2WWucPePLyEVMAmZMoEqNlVnfe8r6-UQ4bXdQB8dF6cbhyR4XT-j_vm5CfSbgsyinyiIVIuO_gDOWSvkaxxf0IvshMQoaSgFZs/s1600/preschoolbrooklyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-qSe0xNNqsfyNL68ty1JbwJgrMqijfeq3tM6ObHfZ2WWucPePLyEVMAmZMoEqNlVnfe8r6-UQ4bXdQB8dF6cbhyR4XT-j_vm5CfSbgsyinyiIVIuO_gDOWSvkaxxf0IvshMQoaSgFZs/s320/preschoolbrooklyn.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">According to a landmark study based on data collected at Perry Nursery School </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">in Ypsilanti, Michigan</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">back in the 1960's, children who received just a few hours of preschool education a week outperform those who didn't. The Perry study</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> led to the creation of the federal Head Start program.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I heard a pair of very interesting stories </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">about preschool </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">on National Public Radio last week. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/08/12/139583385/preschool-the-best-job-training-program"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">The first one</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, although it said nothing I didn't already know, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">spoke to me personally, because I attended Perry for two years. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It seems now that the preschool advantage remains with children not only through high school, but into adulthood.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">More about that another time. I recommend that people click on the link and listen to the story.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">However, what I found particularly novel and interesting was something one school administrator said in <u><a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/08/12/139558080/in-manhattan-preschool-interviews-induce-anxiety"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">the other story</span></a></u>. It seems that because many </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">New York </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">parents want their children to have all the advantages, competition for expensive (would you believe $30,000?) high-status preschools is fierce. The preschool interview is now as stressful as a job interview, and several of the experts featured in the story offered advice on how to ace this interview. For example, if a child visiting a preschool sees a toy truck on a shelf across the room, what should the best child for that school do? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The answer surprised me. I grew up, as did many people I know who don't make lots of money, with parents who subscribed to the "No, you can't do that" school of parenting. I would think a polite well-behaved child would admire the truck from afar, but not go all "gimme, gimme, I WANT it!" and grab at it. Perhaps that is why I'm not pulling in a six figure income. It seems the "correct" response to an appealing toy that this school wants to see in an applicant <i><u><b>is</b></u></i>, in fact, some variation on the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"gimme, gimme, I WANT it!" response.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After all, preschools have toys so that the children there can play with them. A normal healthy toddler should have the curiosity to investigate new toys. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> A child who is too shy to express an interest in the toys available at preschool might grow up to become an adult too shy to stand up for her (or maybe his, but face it; it's usually <i><b><u>her</u></b></i>) rights. A child can certainly toddle across a room and touch a toy, especially ask for permission to play with it, without doing violence to others or trampling on their rights. Do we want our children to go through life believing, <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">"<b>They'll never let me do that</b></span></i>"? Or, <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">"<b>I c</b></span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>an't do that"</b></span></i>? or <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">"<b>That's too challenging for me to succeed"</b></span></i>? Or worse yet, "<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Only other people can have that, but I'm not good enough to deserve it"</b></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">By all means, we should teach our children to respect other people, but we must not forget to teach them self-respect. Let us not be afraid to raise self-co</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">nfident children who </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">have the courage to</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> express </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">their feelings, who </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">believe in and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">can stand up for themselves. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"></div>Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-85522053969381837412011-09-07T08:58:00.010-05:002011-11-15T22:42:23.978-06:00You can't always get what you want, part 2: Avoiding power struggles with toddlers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8I6W5MT1DimLTtCwh7eqlnb5fYFSOhL1Axb29ch8LUMDVWaf3rrvVRRU1wiJhOlkxD_w95CevCa5UDsHMNqyxAgnmod6VAf6gtBXXPG9EA_eK2dJJOWIwXJ63pZRPRd6J3_MbpVvvB7Q/s1600/o_6n38VToI3tm37af%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8I6W5MT1DimLTtCwh7eqlnb5fYFSOhL1Axb29ch8LUMDVWaf3rrvVRRU1wiJhOlkxD_w95CevCa5UDsHMNqyxAgnmod6VAf6gtBXXPG9EA_eK2dJJOWIwXJ63pZRPRd6J3_MbpVvvB7Q/s200/o_6n38VToI3tm37af%25281%2529.jpg" width="150" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of my most vivid childhood memories was of going to the A & P with my mother and wanting one of the big boxed dolls they displayed on the top shelf above the food in aisle 8. I don't remember whether I whined and acted up and gave my mother grief, but of course these beautiful dolls were way too expensive for my parents to buy, so I never got one. I did get one doll I loved and played with for years, and I did learn to forgive my parents for not getting me a big beautiful doll from the A & P. As disappointing as my childhood was, I knew I had it better than the millions of children around the world who went to bed hungry every night or whose lives were ravaged by war, disease, and oppressive political regimes. Yet I have seen plenty of small children over the years carrying on in the grocery store whining and begging for toys and special treats, and I began to dread those trips </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">to the supermarket that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I would have </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">when I had my own children</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here are some of the possible responses to a child who pulls a big loud embarrassing </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I WANT IT!</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> tantrum in the store:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"No you don't, so shut up!"</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"No you don't, so shut up! <i>[<b>SLAP!]"</b></i></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Yes, of course you do, and Mommy loves you, so she's going to give it to you--Yes she is!--because nothing is too good for Mommy's wittle pwecious! Dis world just wevolves awound Mommy's wittle pwecious--Yes it does!"</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"I understand you want it, but if I refuse to spoil you by giving in to all your demands."</span></li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Which answer do I recommend? None of the above.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you don't give in to a child's demands, it's best to give your child a good reason. There are some very good reasons to say </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>no</i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">:</span><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We can't afford it. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We don't have space for it in our house.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I don't approve of it, because it's stupid or against our religion, or harmful for you, or of bad quality, or manufactured under unfair conditions by a company I'm boycotting on moral grounds.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Your grandmother and I already have secret plans to surprise you with one on your birthday</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. (But you probably can't tell your child that.)</span></li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And there are bad reasons:</span><br />
<div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I don't believe you're good enough to deserve it.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is going to be one power struggle I insist on winning, so there!</span></li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sometimes it's useful to go beyond the "Because I'm the Mom, and I say so" argument. Doing so helps a child develop thinking skills and respect for the intelligence of both of you. Additionally, sometimes it's useful to understand why the child is asking for something. It could be: </span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">because the child truly wants the toy</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">because the child wants your attention</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">because the child wants you to recognize and respect his or her feelings.</span></li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In other words, getting the toy might not be the real issue. Your child might be satisfied with </span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"I know you want that. It does look like fun, doesn't it? And I'm sorry, but I can't get it for you today." </span></li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That approach can work with a lot of other things in life, too: </span><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"I know you don't enjoy buckling into your car seat, but you don't have a choice about it."</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"I know it's cold out here. The weather is one of those things we can't do much about. Fortunately, the bus will be here soon, and it will be warmer."</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"I know you wish it wasn't necessary to get your tetanus shot, and it makes me sad to see you stuck with needles, too, but it's the only way we can protect you from a disease that's even worse, and it will be over quickly." </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"I know you loved that book, but the library needs it back today so somebody else can have a turn to read it. Let's try to check it out again soon, all right? Or should we buy our own copy?"</span></li>
</ul></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As for treats and toys fro</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">m the store, you can avoid or reduce the likelihood of conflict if you </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">plan your shopping trip in advance and find a way to negotiate with your child. It's called being proactive. We'll focus more closely on grocery shopping soon. To keep it simple for now, discuss expected behavior in advance and work out a deal. You want your child to avoid embarrassing you in front of strangers, and you can use a simple reward system to keep the child in line. It's more effective than punishment. Perhaps if a child follows the behavior rules you spelled out, like </span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">stay seated in the cart, </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">keep hands off merchandise, </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">use your "inside" voice in the store, and only polite, pleasing tones </span></li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">through the entire shopping trip, (remember, <i><b>don't</b> stand up, <b>don't</b> grab, <b>don't</b> talk, <b>don't</b> whine</i> will not work as well) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">then you can let the child have a small treat (under $1) as a reward for good behavior when you go shopping, and hopefully it will be a healthy one. If, like me, you serve a sugary dessert only once a week, then your children won't imagine they're entitled to candy every day, and you can try using cake or cookies as a special reward to encourage the behavior you want from them. Or you can give them a reward that's not some material (nor fattening) thing.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If it's something larger and more expensive that your child really wants, you may be able to work out a long term plan. Perhaps you had thought about getting something in that basic price range for Christmas, but you hadn't found the perfect gift yet. You can tell an older child (probably not a two or three-year old) that instead of twenty $1 treats, he or she can collect some kind of "good behavior" points for twenty weeks and earn a $20 prize. It might not be a surprise, but a child will feel more satisfied with a gift that's earned and not arbitrarily bestowed from out of the blue. Children need to learn delayed gratification some day, so you may as well work on that now. I haven't actually seen big toys in supermarkets since I was a girl, but if your child wants some kind of special treat advertised elsewhere, you can still use shopping behavior as part of your plan. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VW8JOjiCMDZ3hX680M8DWph0VTil-sjR0paYt6Ev1zUsw8_kCVh1Lo7ewSi4NiyBiYK3I5REQLDmilSVxlO8_BABJsYmBorjmecX_JDqxRLWFdDzkcIJSbm_GWHd1Ly50PVk61tVM70/s1600/schoolreadiness_reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VW8JOjiCMDZ3hX680M8DWph0VTil-sjR0paYt6Ev1zUsw8_kCVh1Lo7ewSi4NiyBiYK3I5REQLDmilSVxlO8_BABJsYmBorjmecX_JDqxRLWFdDzkcIJSbm_GWHd1Ly50PVk61tVM70/s200/schoolreadiness_reading.jpg" width="200" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And remember that the best things in life aren't things. Sometimes a hug, a smile, an "I love you" or "I was very proud of you today" or some lap time with a good book is worth a hundred little shiny trinkets or a thousand candies.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><br />
</div>Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-57239311182907242092011-09-06T00:25:00.006-05:002011-09-08T13:39:01.397-05:00You can't always get what you want, part 1: Parents have right, too!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The summer after we married, my husband introduced me to his cousin, who had a brilliant system she used with her children when they were little. Rena lives in New York City, so although she and her husband were financially comfortable, they had a small place without a tremendous amount of space for toys. In contrast, my brother in New Jersey had more space, and the toys were taking over, squeezing them out of house and home. I resolved that I was never going to let that happen in my house. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwkpUz1KCcrGg0b1ZbrrvjOT2lafyiesVGMeOn49hoAwoJkOiD2JkAeYrxMvRZZ50ich0odP1iK4Fth_Js2cBpzRFDYrOt9uuQ7o-ABujWopvcvj01ebX93F7tObXKvXSdFokCSHUnus/s1600/Toy-Madness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwkpUz1KCcrGg0b1ZbrrvjOT2lafyiesVGMeOn49hoAwoJkOiD2JkAeYrxMvRZZ50ich0odP1iK4Fth_Js2cBpzRFDYrOt9uuQ7o-ABujWopvcvj01ebX93F7tObXKvXSdFokCSHUnus/s640/Toy-Madness.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';">(photo source: <a href="http://lifeasmom.com/2010/11/taming-the-toys.html">LifeasMOM</a> )</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When visiting my brother and struggling to find a seat not cluttered by my little nieces' blocks and doll furniture, I wondered how much longer their family would be able to stay in their house with the growing mountains of clutter, and when my brother and his wife would begin standing up for themselves and put a stop to the expanding mess.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As I already mentioned, my husband's cousin Rena had a brilliant system that I decided I would have to put in place when we had children. Rena's children had rooms where they could keep their toys, but they had severe limits on how much of the family's common space they could take up with toys. There was an entertainment center, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">étagère or wha</span>tev</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">er you want to call it in their living room, and the two children were allowed to fill no more than two shelves of it at any given time with their toys. If they wanted more toys than would fill it, they needed to first give away something old to make room for the new toy. Rena and her husband love their children, but the children were not the only people in their house. They felt, and rightly so, that they and their adult friends who came to visit should be able to enjoy each other's company in an environment not dominated by children's messes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I can't claim that my daughters managed to keep their rooms tidy. For that, we tried buying clear plastic bins to organize the toys on the shelves, and we labeled them with pictures of what belonged inside (markers, doll stuff, building blocks, etc.). They learned the fundamental principles of putting things away at Montessori preschool, but unfortunately, we removed them from their excellent Montessori program so they could start at their K-8 elementary school with the rest of the class. Keeping them in Montessori longer might have reinforced the idea of taking responsibility for their things a bit better. I might also have done a better job resisting the temptation to give them so much. Both my husband and I grew up without many toys, and even though I tried limiting our collection to top quality educational toys and not a lot of cheap plastic junk, I probably was more materialistic than I should have been, maybe because of my own parents' austerity when I was a girl.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Fortunately, my bedroom has a large closet. When the children failed to put away their toys after sufficient warning, I confiscated stuff and put it in my closet. Then I could save myself the hassle of shopping for new toys by eventually giving </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">the confiscated toys back for birthday or holiday gifts. If </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">the children</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> couldn't </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">take better care of them the second (or third) time around, I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> gave them all (the toys, not the children) to charity</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I can't claim I found the perfect solution to the messy bedroom problem. However, Rena's system of keeping the toys under control, at least in those parts of the house where I like to hang out, proved very effective. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></div>Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1402763713439181570.post-81680921459077924422011-09-05T17:24:00.000-05:002011-09-05T17:24:19.054-05:00Happy Labor Day!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Do you enjoy <a href="http://caelumetterra.wordpress.com/2011/06/22/36-reasons-to-thank-a-union-even-if-you-dont-belong-to-one/" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">weekends and all these other benefits</span></a>? Then thank the labor movement! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZfBq9KYhD74iPqZMx__aImZdKvXaR1jGUMifPqoOWXrnx8LvAD7ch7_DKYrkPTF8WIz9ymA_0cBeTXY23Zvnqa1y4ghFB7zXja05evwbClUrq7VebkSvMxTzCn2b1-YhBHBPyYK2v-w/s1600/untitled.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZfBq9KYhD74iPqZMx__aImZdKvXaR1jGUMifPqoOWXrnx8LvAD7ch7_DKYrkPTF8WIz9ymA_0cBeTXY23Zvnqa1y4ghFB7zXja05evwbClUrq7VebkSvMxTzCn2b1-YhBHBPyYK2v-w/s400/untitled.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span>Earthlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045181125320223408noreply@blogger.com0