Quote

You may have tangible wealth untold,
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be,
I had a Mother that read to me!
Strickland Gillilan

Advice from Kids About Parenting - FamilyEducation.com

Parent and author J.S. Salt met with more than one thousand kids (ages 6-12). He asked them to write: 'If I could tell my parents how to raise me, I'd tell them...'

'Think when you were a kid and not yell so much.' —Joe.

'Be proud of me, even if I didn't get all the answers correct.' —Sachi.

'Tell me a story about when you were a child.' —Stephanie.

'Let me have a sleepover.' —Jessica.

'Say, 'It would help if you do it this way,' instead of, 'You're doing it wrong.'' —Linden.

'Don't spoil me and then later yell at me for being spoiled.' —Ariel.

'Attend all of my special occasions.' —Greg.
'
Tuck me in and read to me.' —Shawn.

'If you get mad, remember to forgive me.' —Suzanne.

'Never forget to kiss me goodnight'. —Lauren.

Science Explosion!!! Friday Fun!!

Mark Your Calendars-----Friday Jan. 21st 1:00....Grand Rapids Middle School

Looking for something to do with your kids on early out day? Come experience the Excitement of Science!! Explore hand's on demonstrations by area scientists, Lego Robotics teams, area naturalists and much more. The Science Museum of Minnesota will also be putting on a program for all ages....This is a FREE Children First Event. Hope to see you there!!

Creating a School Presence | Parenting.org

Have you ever considered volunteering in your child's classroom?
You can choose to make a monthly, weekly or one-time commitment. Volunteering in your child's classroom is a positive way to spend more time with your son or daughter, and it lets the teacher know that you're interested in what's going on inside the classroom.

The following volunteer opportunities are suggestions from Dr. Kenneth Shore and the parenthoodweb.com web site:
*Serve as a room parent
*Tutor students in the classroom
*Read stories to the students
*Assist at a class party
*Speak to your child's class or school on a topic of student interest
*Start an after-school computer club
*Supervise children in an after-school recreation program
*Prepare school bulletin boards
*Serve as an aide on a school bus
*Photograph students at school activities
*Work as a clerical aide (grade papers, for example)
*Work as an aide in the library, main office, cafeteria or playground
*Develop or work at a homework hotline
*Organize teacher appreciation activities
*Prepare food for an ethnic festival
*Help write a school newsletter
*Help run the book or science fair
*Arrange assembly programs
*Develop and help run a 'guardian angel' program where parents are called if their child has not shown up for school, and they have not notified the school of their absence
*Develop a list of community resources for parents and children
*Recruit other parents as school volunteers
*Help construct a playground
*Donate plants, books, carpeting or other necessities
*Help plant trees"

Coin Critters | FamilyFun

Coin Critters by Nicole Blasenak Shapiro

Here's some instant fun for just about any time or place. All it requires is a pencil and a little spare change.

The skills it builds: coin values, addition, and subtraction

What You Need
Coins
Paper
Marker or crayons
Instructions

Take some coins from your pocket or purse, lay them out on a piece of paper, and have your child draw arms, legs, and other body parts to create a creature.

Then help her total up the value of the coins and write it beside the creature. Add or take away coins to form new shapes, and figure out the new sums."

Squish Bag

This sensory-awareness activity provides hours of fun with no mess!

* Make colored gelatin according to directions and let set
* Place one resealable plastic bag inside another
*Fill the inside bag partway with gelatin, press out the remaining air, and seal the bag.
* Press out the air in the outer plastic bag and seal it also.
* Give the bag to your child to hold and "Squish", encouraging him or her to tell you how the bag feels to the touch
* Store the Squish Bag in the refrigerator when not in use

Other ideas (Make several bags, each one containing a different material, such as flour, salt, uncooked rice, or dried beans. Ask your child to compare the various textures)

Reading Activities for Kids - FamilyEducation.com

"Fifteen-Minute Reading Activities " by the National PTA
Make 15 minutes go a long way. Try these quick reading activities with your younger kids.

1. License to read. On car trips, make it a game to point out and read license plates, billboards, and interesting road signs.

2. Better than TV. Swap evening TV for a good action story or tale of adventure.

3. Look and listen. Too tired to read aloud? Listen to a book on tape and turn the book's pages with your children. You'll still be reading with them!

4. Labels, labels, labels. Label things in your children's room as they learn to name them. Have fun while they learn that written words are connected to everyday things.

5. Pack a snack, pack a book. Going someplace where there might be a long wait? Bring along a snack and a bag of favorite books.

6. Recipe for reading. The next time you cook with your children, read the recipe with them. Step-by-step instructions, ingredients, and measurements are all part of words in print!

7. Shop and read. Notice and read signs and labels in the supermarket. Back home, putting away groceries is another great time for reading labels.

8. Your long-distance lap. Away on a business trip? Take a few books with you, call home, and have your child curl up by the phone for a good night story.

9. A reading pocket. Slip fun things to read into your pocket to bring home: a comic strip from the paper, a greeting card, or even a fortune cookie from lunch. Create a special, shared moment your child can look forward to every day.

10. A little longer? When your child asks to stay up a little longer, say yes and make it a 15-minute family reading opportunity."