Search Results for: blog birthdays at school

Simplifying Birthdays

Ah, the birthday party. We had one yesterday, in fact. Full of delicious cakey goodness, lots of hyped-on-sugar children, and general fun. Add in a few overwhelmed tears for good measure and you have a recipe for childhood delight, an introvert’s horror, and a parent’s desire to head for the hills. I am not fond of organizing birthdays. This is ironic because I do it for a living, at least in part. One of the programs I organize at work is the birthday party. However, when it’s your own child’s birthday party the stress level does tend to increase. Yesterday … Continue reading →

Going a Little Crazy Over Birthdays

I’m struggling a bit over here. You see, I am debating how much I want to participate in the birthday party circus. That’s circus, literally. I am debating whether to take my daughter to Cirque Du Soleil for her birthday. We tend to be fairly minimalist about birthdays around here. Last year, we got our daughter a mini trampoline using coupons, and the entire birthday party and gift cost around $150 for ten kids, ten adults, food, a trampoline, and a fifty dollar donation to the local reptile society (don’t ask). We didn’t do presents from children, and we asked … Continue reading →

Frugal Birthday Gifts for Preschoolers

We love going to birthday parties. However, my post-Christmas budget does not always enjoy the cost of birthday presents. We need to bring one, of course, and it needs to have some sort of four-year-old wow factor. But what to bring, and how can we be frugal about it? I have been creating a few birthday gifts for preschoolers lately. My favorite preschooler birthday gift is the play silk. These are easy to get from Dharma Trading or other online retailers, and you can often find blank white silks in art stores too. Dye them with some Koolaid powder and … Continue reading →

In a Rush to Graduate Your Kids from Homeschool?

My family had a conversation last night about when we would graduate the kids from homeschool. We started talking about SAT scores for my son that we should receive on Tuesday and the fact that we couldn’t graduate him next year if he took the PSAT and qualified for the National Merit Program (he took the SAT first as a practice for the PSAT). Because the PSAT had to be taken in your Jr. year to qualify for the National Merit program, we were trying to figure out if he had to wait another year to graduate even though he … Continue reading →

Activities Fostering an Appreciation of Other Cultures in Elementary and Middle-school Students

My last blog discussed activity ideas for helping young children become comfortable with racial diversity. Here are some ideas for teachers of elementary and middle school students: –Make sure they know the science of skin color. A good book is All the Colors We Are: The story of How We Get Our Skin Color. This is a bilingual (English/Spanish) book with photographs and simple explanations. –I like to follow or precede a discussion of the science of skin color with an artistic or aesthetic look at the beauty of different skin colors. I like All the Colors of the Earth, … Continue reading →

Baby Slings for Your Preschooler’s Dolls

My daughter loves her dollies. I am proud to say that she also loves her Lego, planes, fire trucks and her parking garage. A well-balanced kid, she is. Last weekend, we got lovely and loving stares at a craft fair as she cradled yet another doll with a homemade knitted sweater. The ladies at the craft fair looked on with little smiles on their faces. Yes, I caved and bought it for her. Of course, her dolls require accessories. I bowed to her desire for a cradle and she used her allowance to buy a large, lined basket. She has … Continue reading →

Should Schools Ban Cookies?

Gone are the days of celebrating your kid’s birthday in school with cupcakes and cookies. At least at my daughter’s school. Last month, administrators at my kid’s private school put the kibosh on birthday baked goods and candy. Now, the only treats your birthday boy can share in class on his big day are “fun print” napkins, pencils, Go-gurt, crackers or string cheese. Can you say party pooper? I did, until I learned that the New York City Department of Education has also banned baked goods in school. According to the New York Times, class bake sales are now banned … Continue reading →

How to Create a Family Ritual with Your Preschooler

Family rituals are wonderful to have. They strength all of you as a family, contribute a sense of self confidence and belonging, and give some security to your preschooler. This is the perfect age to get started on creating family rituals, if you haven’t already. Chances are that you already have some family rituals in place. If not, check out the following ideas. Many family rituals with preschoolers take place at bedtime. You could read a favorite story, have a secret family handshake or other way of saying goodnight, or sing a song. Try celebrating half birthdays. Preschoolers love this … Continue reading →

Don’t Let Back To School Back You Off

Yes, we’re back to school and the schedule is as crazy as ever. To add insult to injury, I’ve got pneumonia. Yes, you read that right, I have pneumonia. It’s the walking variety so I didn’t even feel that sick, I just had a cough that wouldn’t quit. Finally went to the doctor about it and now I’m on some heavy duty antibiotics and medications to help get rid of it. That’s a lot of what back to school is about: New schedule New commitments New responsibilities New viruses Getting adjusted to all of this new stuff can really get … Continue reading →

Celebrity Babies and Birthdays

I was fortunate enough to meet her the day after she won a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, though I didn’t get invited to her wedding. Still, I am thrilled to spread the good news that gymnast Dominique Moceanu and her husband Dr. Michael Canales will be welcoming their first child in January. Currently, 25-year-old Moceanu is living in Cleveland with her foot and ankle surgeon husband and teaching gymnastics to girls who weren’t even born when she and the rest of her “Magnificent 7” teammates struck gold in Atlanta. Gymnastics may have been a … Continue reading →