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.