October 30th, 2009 by El Ed Mom
Give little ghouls a fun night without food worries
Halloween candy is downright scary for the nearly 25 million Americans avoiding gluten.
Gluten-free expert and author Carol Fenster details practical ways to maintain Halloween’s spooky-fun spirit without fear of hidden gluten.
Ideas include: Learn to read labels (looking for wheat, rye, barley, spelt, and oats); contact manufacturers to verify candy content; ask your natural market to create a dedicated gluten-free Halloween section; organize a home party that shifts the focus away from food and onto games, prizes, and costumes; and serve a gluten-free supper (try Applegate Farms’ new gluten-free chicken nuggets and Amy’s line of gluten- and dairy-free pizzas).
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October 29th, 2009 by El Ed Mom
Although some people believe the myth that raising gifted kids is easy, parents of those gifted kids know the truth. If you are a parent, you may wonder if other parents of gifted kids have the same concerns that you do. If you are a teacher, you should be aware of parent concerns for gifted kids.
One of the most nerve-wracking of all of the parent concerns for gifted kids is the clash that the child might have with the education system. Although both the public and private schools will try to accommodate all students at different skill levels, often the number of students in the class prevents the teacher from being able to challenge each student as much as possible. Unfortunately, gifted kids often get the short end of the stick. Struggling students are easily identifiable, and school systems often focus primarily on them, trying to bring them up to grade level. In order for gifted students to receive individualized attention, however, parents need to be particularly proactive.
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October 28th, 2009 by El Ed Mom
Coupons are a good way to teach children many life skills. As you know coupons are very plentiful and easily assessable. Merchants use coupons as a way to get consumers to try new products and to bolster customer loyalty. There are many benefits to using coupons while teaching your children. Here are 7 benefits.
1. Frugality. Being frugal is a key to financial prosperity. Teaching your children how to use coupons instills in them the need to be careful with money. Money saved is money earned.
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October 27th, 2009 by El Ed Mom
It has happened again.
Another season has whizzed by. My kids are another year older.
With two children grown and another two still under my wing, I have come to appreciate my fleeting opportunity to BE THERE for my young charges. To form and nurture a lasting relationship with each of them.
Frankly, I’ve come to see that a simple hug is a very powerful thing.
That being said, I would like to offer you a few compelling reasons to hug YOUR precious ones every single day.
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October 26th, 2009 by El Ed Mom
Teaching children to write is very important in today’s world. Kids are not required to write very much in school anymore. They can receive a high school diploma with only a minimal amount of writing education. Here are 6 steps for teaching your children to write.
1. Inspire them. Show your children that writing can be very fun and exciting. Show them letters you have written. If you keep a journal show your children how rewarding and exciting it is to look back through the years in your journal.
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October 9th, 2009 by El Ed Mom
RIF [Reading is Fundamental] considers family involvement essential to any child’s success as a reader. Research has shown that by talking, singing, and reading to children, parents are turning on brain cells that are essential for a healthy child. Parents can build reading skills by interacting with their children. By encouraging babies and young children to communicate, parents are laying the foundation for later reading success.
Parents and other family members need to be involved in children’s reading throughout their school years. Schools recognize the importance of parent involvement in students’ progress and are increasingly encouraging parents to play a more active role.
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October 8th, 2009 by El Ed Mom
Spider-Man isn’t the only person with an interest in spider silk. While Spidey uses the threads to zigzag from building to building, or to snare a bad guy, scientists are investigating silk for different reasons. And though researchers have learned a lot about silk by investigating spiders, insects such as caterpillars, ants and bees also have been studied for the sticky stuff. Scientists are even trying to get silk from animals such as goats.
It turns out silk might be good for weaving a lot more than shirts and ties. In the future, the silky fiber might be used to make supertough bulletproof vests and light but strong parachute cords. Silk also might work well for delicate tasks inside the body. Researchers are experimenting with using silk to support growing cells, the same way a construction crew builds scaffolding around a building to help keep everything in its place during construction. Silk might be a good material to give growing cells something to hang on to.
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October 7th, 2009 by El Ed Mom
Falling for Leaves
When one thinks of autumn, the first thing that often comes to mind is leaves. “We like to go on a fall walk and find really big, colorful leaves,” says Melissa Durante, a mother of three from Bartlett, Ill. “My daughter likes to keep one of each color she finds.”
Rachel Del Rio, an early-childhood educator in Elgin, Ill., says that toddlers and preschoolers may like to take the treasures from their nature walk and glue them to construction paper, perhaps making a person by using an acorn for a head and leaves for the body. Here’s another fun idea: Collect some freshly fallen leaves. Place them on a board. Place a thin cloth (like a piece of sheet) over the leaves and have the child hammer the leaves. The leaf color and shape will imprint on the cloth.
Of course all those beautiful leaves need to end up somewhere – and many will undoubtedly be in your yard. While you toil to pick them up, let your child “work” alongside with a plastic rake or scamper around the yard with a dump truck (the bigger the better) to collect leaves to be deposited onto a main pile. Don’t be surprised, though, if a pile or two ends up a mess. Jumping and rolling in leaves is tempting fun for many toddlers (and some parents, too)!
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October 6th, 2009 by El Ed Mom
The school year always brings new friends, new teachers, new assignments, and unfortunately some new germs. But not to worry, a new school year doesn’t have to mean new illnesses!
Follow these tips and you might score a perfect attendance record this year!
- Wash your hands with soap and water after you sneeze, cough, or use the bathroom. Count to 20 or sing a couple of rounds of Row, Row, Row Your Boat while you scrub!
- Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available.
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October 5th, 2009 by El Ed Mom
While mom’s favorite line was, “You are what you eat,” she should have added, “Eat well; what’s good for your heart is good for your brain.” After all, the two go hand in hand and both require good habits. It takes a lot to think, learn, and remember.
Now, if your child has ever said, “I can’t do that; it’s too hard!” here are a few brainy facts to stop her in her tracks. Remind her that her brain uses 20-25% of her body’s energy, so it’s no wonder that thinking is as tiring as physical labor. She must feed it well. Then wow her with the fact that a computer built with her brain’s capacity would cover the state of Texas and be 100 stories tall! Couple that with experts’ suggestions that we use only between one and ten percent of our brain’s capacity and out the window goes that “It’s too hard” complaint. No more excuses.
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