Developmental Pointers for Parents (9 years)

Pysical: Provide many activities to sustain interest. Include team games. Give opportunities for developing skills, such as handicrafts and active games. Include many activities in which he uses his hands and has an opportunity to use small muscle skills. Do not compare girls to boys or force them to interact.

Mental: Do not give all the answers; allow time to think, meditate, and discuss. Encourage memorization of poems and important quotes. Respect and be aware of individual differences when making assignments and giving responsibilities. Give opportunity for record keeping. Do not dwell upon fantasy, but teach truths. Teach about other people and and other countries. Provide opportunity for collecting and also for learning about the past while keeping up the present.

Social: Accept natural separation of boys and girls. Recognize and support the need they have of acceptance from the peer group. Be warm but firm. Establish and enforce reasonable limits. Encourage friendships.

Emotional: Use positive guidance, let him know you accept him, even though you do not approve of his behavior. Provide many experiences for exercising his independence and dependibility. Praise for these positive characteristics. Be fair in dealings and relationships with him. Give him opportunities for competing, but help him learn to be a good loser. Do not ridicule him or tear him down for wrongdoings, but help him learn to take responsibility for his own behavior.

Spiritual: Give specific information and facts. Use the child's interests to guide your discussions. Express your love and support for him often.

Rain of Frog Eggs: Anniversary

In a remarkable phenomenon, a Connecticut resident discovered that the sky was raining down frog eggs on September 19, 2003. Apparently, Hurricane Isabel had swept them up in North Carolina and released them farther north as the storm dissipated.

Columbus's Last Voyage to the New World: Anniversary

Just an interesting fact for today.
On September 18th, 1502, Columbus landed at Costa Rica on his fourth and final voyage to the New World. He returned to Spain in 1504 and died there in 1506.

Developmental Pointers for Parents (8 years old)

Physical: Provide opportunities for activities that require small muscle skill and coordination. Be patient with clumsiness, unpleasant habits, and squirming. Praise good behavior. Recognize his high energy level and need for physical activities. Be enthusiastic.



Mental: Challenge his intellectual capacity and expand his understanding of the spirtual things. Utilize games, stories, and problem solving activities. Listen to his comments and questions, but take advantage of his confidence of your knowledge. Teach him to maintain greater concern about judging his own behavior than those of others. Help set realistic goals that can be reached. Provide the child with appropriate heroes.


Social: Provide many opportunities for group interaction, cooperation, and sharing. He needs constant supervision. Recognize that friendships are intense, encourage group activities. Each child needs expereinces in belonging to a peer group. Praise the child for positive characteristics. Provide the child with ample opportunities for making decisions and working independently. Assure him of your love, attention, and guidance.


Emotional: Guide him toward overcoming negative emotions and developing positive ways of showing interest and enthusiasm. Praise; do not criticize. Encourage efforts and let him know you see his progress. Teach that others also make mistakes. Let him enjoy humor when appropriate, and be patient with giggling. Do not compare one child to another. Praise and build self-confidence.


Spiritual: Build foundations of truth and express personal faith often. Challenge him with ways to apply spiritual principles to his life. Do not preach. Be an example through sharing personal experience and stories.

Anniversary of the Constitution of the United States

On Sept. 17, 1787, two hundred twenty two(222) years ago today, delegations from 12 states at the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia, PA, voted unamimously to approve the proposed document. Thirty-nine of the 42 delegates present signed it and the Convention adjourned, after drafting a letter of transmittal to the Congress. The proposed constitution stipulated that it would take affect when ratified by nine states. This day is a legal holiday in Arizona and Florida.

The Little Engine That Could

Do you love the classic story of "The Little Engine That Could" by Watty Piper?
Today (September 15, 2009) is the 139th birthday of Watty Piper. She was born Mabel Caroline Bragg at Milford, Massachusetts. She died April 25, 1945.

Read her great book with someone you love today.

Here is a quote that I really like,

"I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we "accentuate the positive." I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort."
---Gordon B. Hinckley

"Get Out the Mad" Cookies

These cookies taste better the more your child pounds on the dough.

You'll need:
· large bowl
· cookie sheet
· oven preheated to 350°F

Ingredients:
3 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder


J Place all the ingredients in a large bowl, and mix them well.

J Give your child a manageable chunk of dough. It's OK for your child to mash it, knead it, and pound it. The longer and harder your child mixes the dough, the better the cookies taste!

J When the mixing is done, show your child how to roll the dough into balls about the size of ping-pong balls, and place them on the cookie sheet.

J Bake the cookies at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.



Your child is working on:
· finding healthy outlets for anger
· following directions
· literacy
· measuring
· patience
Following recipes involves reading and following directions. Your child can see firsthand how helpful it is to be able to read numbers and to measure carefully.


Rogers, Fred, Mr. Rogers’ Play Time, p. 79
www.runningpress.com
www.misterrogers.org

Developmental Pointers for Parents (7 years)

Physcial: Utilize many opportunities for using both large and small muscle skills. Allow the child to share his special skills. Be patient with annoyances, do not draw attention to awkwardness. Keep energies channeled into involvement, interest, and activity. Praise behavior and be patient with restlessness.



Mental: Ask many thought-provoking questions. Stimulate his thinking with open-ended stories, riddles, thinking games, discussions, etc. Give many opportunities for decision making and selecting what he would do in particular situations. Encourage the pursuit of hobbies and interests. Give opportunities to read. Give challenges that are right for his level of ability; allow plenty of time to accomplish a task.



Social: give opportunities for group play, such as games, pantomimes and small plays, but also respect his desire to occasionally work alone. Do not force interaction between the sexes. Assign responsibility and tasks that he can carry out, and then praise him for his efforts of accomplishments. Help him assume responsibility for wrongdoings.



Emotional: Continue to help the child develop social skills. Give praise for positive behavior, such as waiting his turn, sharing, and giving other children a chance to express their ideas. Build his confidence; instead of criticizing, look for opportunities to give approval and affection. Accept his need for peer approval and his need to belong. Offer love, patience, and sensitivity. Let him know that he has progressed, continue to encourage him. Encourage him and give him self-confidence. Accept his moods and aloofness. Encourage him to express himself and to turn his interests to others.



Spiritual: Teach spiritual concepts in simple, concrete ways, and help him apply the concepts in his daily life. Give him the responsibly for making choices, and provide opportunities to practice making right choices.

Developmental Pointers for Parents (6 years)

Physcial: Recognize overabundance of energy. Be patient with restlessness. Have the child use small muscles in such activities as writing, cutting, pasting, and molding clay. Provide opportunities for involvement in dramatizations, games, and making family rules.



Mental: Give chances to expand thinking ability in memory and problem-solving activities, such as riddles and open-ended stories. Introduce many new words; ask questions and listen. Provide opportunities for making decisions. Focus on making right choices and give practice in decision-making. Give limited choices. Provide opportunities for reading and writing.



Social: Encourage participation with others. Encourage sharing. Provide opportunities for group activities. Help the child find social acceptance by giving praise and approval. The child needs guidance in making and keeping friends. Teach the we show our love by helping others; focus on becoming sensitive to others' needs. Channel energies in a positive direction; be firm and warm. Teach love for others. The child needs help in learning the value of participation in games, needs to learn to be a good loser.



Emotional: Give security and praise so that he has less need to boast. Praise honesty. Do not criticize him negatively; be constructive. Be careful not to overstimulate or excite. Laugh with him but not at him. Encourage his positive moods. Be an example of calm, stable behavior.



Spiritual: Teach the child to be concerned and responsible for his own behavior and how to perfect it. Assure him that everyone makes mistakes. Teach simple repentance.

Developmental Pointers for Parents (5 years)

Physcial: Needs many simple games and activities. Allow him to be independent and do things for himself. Express your confidence in him. Provide him with opportunities to utilize newfound skills and perfect them. Give him an opportunity to cut, paste, put puzzles together, and engage in physical activities.

Mental: Give him many opportunities to talk, question, and comment. Be an attentive listener. Give opportunities for reading words and phrases. Build truth upon truth. Give simple tasks and responsibilities; and provide opportunities for problem-solving, such as riddles, thinking games, and questions. Be patient with this humor, and be willing to laugh with him. Provide opportunities for drawing and telling about his ideas.

Social: Be sensitive to his need for your approval. Encourage friendship. Talk about how others feel when people are kind or unkind. Focus upon positive relations with others, such as loving and expressing gratitude to others. Give many opportunities for pretending, dramatizing, pantomiming, and using puppets.

Emotional: Give the child an opportunity to share feelings about the family. Express love to the child, show your affection. Take advantage of positive emotional traits; praise the child for his work and responsible efforts. Be sensitive to things that embarrass him, and avoid these as much as possible. Teach right behaviors and attitudes that can be incorporated into his daily living.

Spiritual: Help him know right from wrong. Do not be shocked if he tells an untruth, but help him learn to accept responsibility for his own actions.

November is Peanut Butter Lovers' Month

It's time to celebrate America's favorite food and #1 sandwich!!!!!

Here are some fun facts:

1. Americans eat 3 pounds of peanut butter per person every year. That's about 700 million pounds, or enough to coat the floor of the Grand Canyon!

2. One acre of peanuts will make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.

What do like best on your peanut butter sandwich?

a) jam, which kind?

b) honey

c) bananas

d) something else, what?

e) I'm a purist---just peanut butter

Please share a favorite peanut butter recipie, idea, or memory.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

This is a delicious, warm meal for a fall evening (especially Halloween!).

Dinner in a Pumpkin!
1 small to medium pumpkin (cut off top and clean out seeds)
Make sure you select a pumpkin that has a stem. It will make a great handle for your lid.
1 onion, chopped
2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 can sliced mushrooms (4 ounces)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups cooked rice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown meat and onion in a large skillet.
Drain fat and add soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms, soup and rice.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
Paint a face on the pumpkin with permanent markers.
Fill the inside with the mixture.
Replace pumpkin lid and put on a cookie sheet.
Bake for 1 hour.
Serves 6 - 8

Amazing Low Fat Pumpkin Cookies

These cookies are truly amazing and delicious!




1 spice cake mix

1 (29-ounce) can pumpkin

1 (11 ounce) bag chocolate chips



In a bowl, mix together cake mix and pumpkin.

Add chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoon onto greased baking sheet (about 1" apart).

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Makes about 4 dozen.



For a change, stir in chopped walnuts and/or coconut flakes in addition to the chocolate chips.

The Zoo Keeper Game

Here is a fun game my family played when I was a child. I hope you like it! Please let me know.


Directions:


1. One person is chosen as the zoo keeper. The zoo keeper stands or sits in front of the rest of the players and repeats the saying:

"I'm a zookeeper with a spotted giraffe. I can make you smile, and I can make you laugh!"


2. As the other players sit "stone faced", the zoo keeper tries to get the rest of the players to smile or laugh.


3.The zoo keeper can act out animals or use silly gestures etc., usually sound is prohibited, but this rule is up to *the group and should be decided before the game starts.


4.The first person who laughs or smiles becomes the next zoo keeper.

Best Gifts

I recently read the thoughts of June W. Dredge. Although I've never met her, I agree with her about some of the best things we can give to children. It's something to think about.



PARENT'S RELATIONSHIP

One of the best things we can give our children is for us as parents to love each other. All the material things in the world don't make up for that love. If parents love each other, it gives children security.
Also, my husband is a schoolteacher, so he has summers off. We have eight children. When my older children were small, we would move during the summers up to my father-in-law's farm. We did that until 1983. The children have had the best of both worlds. They've learned to work, and they had associations with their grandparents. During the school year, the children were more in the city. This built their self-esteem, because they had more people to love them and we were always doing things together. It also taught them responsibility.
After my father died, my mother lived with us. That was a real boost my family. My children had the influence of their grandmother. They learned about their ancestors and heritage. If children know their heritage, they are inclined to build on that.
We need to know where children are and who they're with and what they’re doing. We always had a baseball diamond in our yard and had neighborhood children over. If parents respect children's friends, it builds mutual respect.
--- June W. Dredge, Kaysville, Utah

Developmental Pointers for Parents (4 years)

Physcial: Utilize many large muscle activities. Help them learn to control his own behavior and be responsible for his own actions.

Mental: Provide experiences thatwill expand his reasoning ability, such as riddles and guessing games. Find opportunities for listening, discussing, and talking. Be alert to clarify conceptions. Provide experiences with new words. Be patient with humorous use of words. Answer questions patiently. Give aid in separating fact from fantasy. Use many sensory experiences and real objects. Provide for much variety and activity. Encourage him to make pictures about his life and ideas

Social: Give opportunities for playing and working cooperatively with others. Direct him positively. Tell him what he can do or is expected to do. Help them learn positive social behavior without punishing or scolding. Be patient and firm. Focus on teaching him to be kind, patient and polite. Expect him to take simple responsibilities and follow simple rules, such as taking turns.

Emotional: Establish limits and adhere to them. Provide many opportunities for talking about self and family. Be patient, sensitive, and kind, but also firm. Strengthen his positive self image by pointing out the things he can do for himself. Assure him of your love for him.

Spiritual: Teach him that he is special to God. Help him learn to be responsible for his own actions and behavior, and teach him the importance of making right choices. Teach him that God loves his children. Teach them the prayer is the way we communicate with God.

Developmental Pointers for Parents (3 years)

Physcial: Give opportunities for large muscle development and coordination such jumping, skipping, walking, or bending. Provide large equipment such as pictures, drawing paper or crayons. Avoid small muscle skills that require too much skill and coordination, such as tying or cutting. Enjoys pasting, molding clay, and coloring. Be prepared for some messy cleanups.

Mental: Present ideas simply and concretely. Listen and respond to questions and comments as well as you can. He enjoys group dramatizations, finger plays, pantomiming, singing, and simple games. Give him many opportunities for talking and contributing, but encourage him to take turns. Help them to learn new words. Teach ideas in a clear, concise way, using prior knowledge. Use many stories and songs.

Social: Encourage the child to learn to share, wait his turn, and cooperate with others. Encourage positive relationships by providing opportunities to play and cooperate with others. Plan activities that focus on the family. This is an excellent age to build attitudes of love and understanding toward the family and its members.

Emotional: Give your approval through facial expressions, gestures, and verbal responses. Avoid negative remarks about the child. Offer love, understanding, and patience. Help him work with and understand his own emotions. Teach him what kinds of things make him happy. Develop a warm relationship with him. Express and show love for him and confidence in him. Encourage him to do things for himself.

Spiritual: Think of him as the child of God that he is. Lay the foundation for his faith in Christ.
Teach him that God is a kind and loving God. Help them recognize the beauties of God's creations.

Developmental Pointers for Parents (30 months)

Physcial: Need many physical activities that use the use large muscles---marching, jumping, and clapping. Loves finger plays and simple games. Give opportunities to the child to help himself as much as possible. Although it may take longer, letting him try without interference may present an emotional outburst.

Mental: Listen to him; give many opportunities to carry on conversations with adults. Use many dramatic activities, such as simple plays and dramatizations of the stories he loves. Let him ask questions and talk about his experience. Respond. Use real objects instead of pictures from time to time. Let him examine a play with them. Keep activities simple.

Social: Be patient and positive in helping solve social problems. Be a good example of treating others with kindness and love. Talk positively about relating. Give security and comfort.

Emotional: Be patient and positive. Learn to divert attention and behavior. Children this age need lots of adult attention and support. Give many opportunities to choose and make simple decisions.

Spiritual: Children need simple truths about family, world, and God.

Developmental Pointers for Parents (2 years)

Physcial: Provide activities such as beanbag tossing and other large muscle activities. Avoid small muscle activities, that require skill and coordination, such as cutting and pasting.

Mental: Teaching, activities, and discussions must be simple. This child learns best through involvement and repetition. Give opportunities to choose. Do not leave alone. Take safety precautions because he can easily get himself into situations without consideration of safety. Listen to him, and give many opportunities for speaking. Provide many simple play materials.

Social: Do not pressure him to be involved or participate. Stay close by to give support and help manage social situations. Give warm and caring control and redirect attention from conflict situations.

Emotional: Be patient, tolerant and give lots of praise. Encourage him to be self-sufficient, but give lots of support and help when needed.

Spiritual: This child likes to pray. Give him opportunities to pray. Spiritual concept should focus on family and on the love of God.

Weight Brownies

Here's a great old family recipe that's easy to make with your children.

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
10 Tablespoons cocoa
Dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
2 sticks butter or margarine (melted)

Place ingredients in a large bowl, in the order listed-stirring thoroughly after each addition.
Place batter in a greased jellyroll or 9 x 12 pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Batter may not look done, but do not overcook!