You are currently browsing the monthly archive for April, 2009.
Canadian statistics say that 56% of girls 12-13 years are unhappy with their bodies and how they look; 40% of girls 9-10 have considered dieting. Why is this important? Positive self esteem is the best protection girls can have in today’s world. If she believes she is special, she will speak up for and respect herself and others.
To develop confidence in girls:
· Focus praise on her actions and effort, not just her physical features. “You had a strong voice reading the story,” “You put a creative outfit together.”
· Encourage her to praise herself and self evaluate.
· Listen respectfully to her opinions (even when they differ from yours) and acknowledge her feelings.
· Support her interests and talents.
· Teach her about fitness and healthy eating; challenge ideas of the perfect body.
· Provide sports opportunities.
· Give girls time to complete tasks before “rescuing them.”
· Watch television and read together; discuss how woman are shown. “What is realistic about these girls (not realistic)?” “What do you think (or feel) the show is saying about women?”
· Teach her to be wise about advertising.
· Choose books that show girls as smart and capable.
· Teach girls how to cook, as well as shovel snow and replace lightbulbs.
· Women should be role models for girls: speak kindly about yourself and others, model healthy body image, celebrate womanhood.
Confident girls are not mean to others because they don’t need to hurt someone to feel good inside. Children who bully lack empathy and have low self esteem.
To learn more about self esteem or bullying, please feel free to email me directly at lmcintosh(at)childreach(dot)on(dot)ca.
Written by: Lisa McIntosh, Parent Educator
Get a jump on your garden this year, involve your children, and try the following planting activities. Children seem to possess an innate desire to watch things grow. Remember to include them in all stages of gardening. Seedlings can be started indoors in early to mid-May and later transplanted outside. You may even want to give your children their own area of the garden to tend. If space is limited, try a large pot or window box. Experiment, make predictions and follow up. Try charting plant growth. Have children guess when sprouts appear and watch to see how accurate their judgement is. Older children can make and record on their own charts. Now get busy, dig out your garden tools and start planting!
Greenhouse Tumblers
Place a wet paper towel around the inside of a clear plastic cup. Slip seeds between the cup and the paper towel. Invert a second cup on top on top of the first cup and tape together. Place in a warm, sunny location. Watch for growth. Various types of seeds can be used. Try beans, sunflowers, and pumpkins. Try one of each seed, and compare the rates of growth, shapes and sizes. Note that the roots appear first, followed by stems and leaves. Also note the direction of growth.
Sponge Gardens
Fill a small pan or Styrofoam meat tray with water. Place a sponge in the pan and sprinkle with seeds. Grass seeds or alfalfa sprouts give quick ‘no-fail’ results. Place in a warm, sunny location and keep moist. Sponges can be cut in various shapes; for example, cut shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day or try hairy caterpillars.
Egg Shell Plants
Save your broken egg shells, wash out, and use as a planter to start your flower or vegetable plants. Place an egg shell in each compartment of an egg carton. Fill with soil and plant a few seeds in each egg shell. Water and keep in a warm, sunny location. For a greenhouse effect, use half an egg carton and place in a large Ziploc bag. As plants grow, thin to one plant per shell. When plants are ready to transplant outdoors, simply crush the shell and place in the ground. (The egg shell acts as a natural fertilizer for the soil.) Marigolds and zinnias are recommended for children because they grow easily and will not be disappointing for the young gardener.
For 7 days in April 2009, students and families in Middlesex London will be encouraged to push the pause button on their screens and get up and get moving! Track your physical activity time using the log sheet.
Daily physical activity is important for good health. Build more physical activity into each day and reduce the time you spend in front of screens (TV, computer, video games, cell phones, etc.)
There are many FREE activities offered to families during the week and participants can WIN great prizes!
I stumbled upon a blog recently that has inspired me to create a little writing nook for my daughter. Jennifer Hallissy of The Write Start posts ideas about the “hows” and “whys” of getting young children ready to write. She firmly believes that each scribble and mark your child makes is a page in their own life story, and home is where that story begins.
I want to make feathery pencils, name slates, an alphabet clothesline, and a sandbox for finger-writing just to name a few. What do you do to jumpstart your children’s love of writing and reading?
Nadine Reeves, Administrative Assistant
Help your child get ahead at home with these tips to help teach time:
· Model time-related vocabulary, such as ‘minutes’ or ‘o’clock’
· Sing songs about time, such as ‘Hickory Dickory Dock’, and make up rhymes to help your child remember ways of telling the time
· Make a clock with your child and decorate it with images of things which happen at particular times
· Use toy clocks with moveable hands and play time games with your child
· Try using sand-timers and sun-dials to show your child other time-keeping devices
· Ask them time-related questions involving reading the clock and estimating. This will keep them thinking about time
· Try giving them a watch to wear; it will familiarize them with the clock face and encourage independent learning.
We’ve gone a step further and created two kits that our members can borrow to help teach your children to tell time – “Clockworks” for your preschoolers and “Telling Time” for your school-aged children.
Interested in our Lending Resources membership? Click here to find out more.
