Thursday, January 24, 2013
A Patch blogger's post about not helping her children on the slide is being debated across the country.
A Patch blog from Alameda, CA, called “Please Don’t Help My Kids” has struck a nerve with readers across the country. Posted in September, the blog has taken off over the past few weeks as it has found a second life through social media sharing. The blog has 124,000 Facebook recommendations and 833 people have tweeted the blog. The blog is an open letter to other parents at the playground. The blogger Kate Bassford Baker’s basic request is for parents to not help her daughters on the slide. She wrote that she wants her daughters to do things and learn things on their own. Learning to walk up the slide’s ladder is the first step to learning new things and overcoming obstacles, she wrote. “Because, as they grow up, the ladders will only get …
Friday, December 21, 2012
A week after the Newtown, CT, massacre, schools have reviewed their safety procedures. Now should parents follow up with more coaching?
A week after the deadly elementary school attack in Newtown, CT, that has rocked the the nation, some parents say their kids remain oblivious to the attack—and the danger. Most teens and children are wrapped up in their own worlds. One mom of a middle-schooler told me instead of being worried about how the Newtown deaths would affect her daughter, she is more concerned that the girl is not aware enough of what took place. And there is only so much the schools can do. So this mom will spin out a scenario of danger and ask the daughter to think through how she might best respond. If you are a parent, are you doing the same kind of 'coaching' with your kids? Should parents be following up and expanding on the schools' safety procedures and …
Friday, December 14, 2012
PBS has strategies for talking and listening to your children about the news.
In the wake of the Newtown, Conn., shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Arlington parents may find their children hearing about the tragedy or seeing it on the news and find themselves in a difficult discussion. For parents seeking guidance on how to address the tragedy with their own children, if it comes up, PBS has an article with flexible suggestions for answering kids' questions about the news. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also has a 24-hour hotline dedicated to providing disaster crisis counseling at 1-800-985-5990 or by texting "TalkWithUs" to 66746. The hotline is open to U.S. residents who are experiencing psychological distress as a result of a natural or man-made disasters, …
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Lainey goes for geography gold.
My daughter Lainey is 6 years old, and I love her. Like sports fans across the world, we have watched tons of Olympics coverage this week. “Go, USA! Go, USA!” Lainey chanted, waving her mini flag at the television. “Lainey!” I yelled. “Get out of the way! I can’t see!” Lainey moved just in time to see match point of a volleyball game. “Did we win?” Lainey asked. “Yep!” I smiled. “Oh, yeah!” Lainey cheered. Next up was a diving competition. Lainey awed at a few splashes and then asked, “What country is she from?” “China,” my wife said. “Boo, China! Go, USA!” “You know where China is, Lainey?” my wife asked. “Go get the globe.” Lainey grabbed the globe and I pointed to China. Then Lainey found Boston and slowly traced her finger back to …
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Lainey flies through the yard.
My daughter Lainey is 6 years old, and I love her. She enjoys playing outside, but sometimes the swing set, jump rope, baseball, hula-hoop and bike just aren’t enough. “Want to play kite with me?” Lainey smiled. “Come on!” “I don’t know,” my wife groaned. “There are lots of cables over there. I think that’s more of a park toy.” I shrugged, “I’ll play.” Lainey smiled and grabbed her kite in the garage. She led me into the side yard and unwound about 15 feet of string off her spool. The pink princess kite, with a long yellow tail, rested in the grass at her feet. “Grab the kite, dad.” Lainey directed. “I’ll tell you when to let go.” She took off running through the yard, “Now!” I released the kite, and it shot into the air. Lainey didn’t …
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Lainey learns with carnival games.
My daughter Lainey is 5 years old, and I love her. Looking to break the routine recently, the family visited the Chuck E. Cheese in Everett. Lainey burst through the doors, got her hand stamped and explored the revelry. Everything from classic carnival games like skee-ball, to sophisticated touch-screen devices were on hand. Above the arcade, an immense playland of crawl-through plastic tubes hung from the ceiling. And the expansive dining area was complete with party balloons, bland pizza, and an animatronic Chuck, who sang and appeared just a bit creepy. After eating, Lainey and I bought some tokens and entered the playroom. First, Lainey rode the grocery-store carousel, but wasn’t too impressed. So she kicked off her shoes and crawled …
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Lainey plays hard, then visits the hospital.
My daughter Lainey is five years old and I love her. There was a lot of excitement the other day, some of which was unplanned. Festivities began with a 9:30 a.m. showing of The Lorax. Lainey said the plot strayed from the book, but she still enjoyed the movie, especially the popcorn for breakfast. Next, we attended a belated pi/pie party. Everything from Key Lime to Shepherd’s to Whoopie Pie was on hand, and Lainey chose Ice Cream Pie as her favorite. Then we hit a Mexican themed party. Lainey ate quesadillas, and ran around with her buddies. When the kids moved outside, Lainey had an accident on the swing set. “Lainey, are you okay?” a father asked. Once I made eye contact with her, the tears flowed. Lainey had forcefully bonked heads …
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Lainey receives a costly diagnosis
My daughter Lainey is five years old and I love her. We recently received some bad news at the dentist office. Lainey had mentioned a toothache while eating ice cream, and a week later she sat in the adjustable chair, mouth open, wearing sunglasses and staring into a spotlight. “See this cavity?” The dentist said, aiming her inspection mirror at a crater. “Yep.” I cringed. The dental hygienist finished Lainey’s cleaning while the dentist scowled at me. “Does she floss?” The dentist asked. “Eh.” I shrugged. “She has cavities between all her back teeth.” The dentist said, pointing to an x-ray. “Bad news, Lainey.” I groaned. “Eight cavities.” Lainey hopped out of the dentist chair and did a little dance, totally unfazed. My mood worsened …
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Lainey leads—then steps out of the way.
My daughter Lainey is five years old and I love her. Usually she enjoys arts and crafts, but her latest project required some technical design. “Let’s make a kinetic sculpture,” Lainey said. “What?” I replied. “Where’d you learn that, school?” “Ruff Ruffman,” Lainey said, referring to her favorite TV program. “We have to find things around the house and reuse them,” Lainey instructed. I led her toward the recycling bin. Lainey picked out a water bottle, a large tin can and an empty paper towel roll. Then she grabbed duct tape, scissors and string from the junk drawer. “Let’s go downstairs,” she said, leading me to her craft table. Lainey found a pen and paper and told me to sketch some ideas before building. I nodded and drew inventory of …
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Lainey takes dad dancing.
My daughter Lainey is five years old and I love her. We recently attended our first daddy-daughter dance. Lainey insisted on practicing some dips and twirls beforehand, and gushed when she saw her rose corsage. Lainey wore her new pink dress that night, skipped all the way to her school, and sang some made-up tune about dancing with dad. As soon as we arrived, four friends greeted Lainey at the door. The girls all exchanged compliments about their dresses and hair while I helped Lainey remove her coat and put on her corsage. Then Lainey took off, chasing her friends across the dance floor. The girls held hands and spun as one frenzied circle. The DJ played Justin Bieber’s "Baby," while projecting its video onto a movie screen onstage. Some…
Lee Coytemore
12:17 pm on Saturday, April 6, 2013
this is Typical 'Liberal behaviour' sickness that 'one' over-reacts consistently in the "prediction of Calamity", and 'fear mongering' without justification. Overly intervening in the lives of other people for their own personal need to feel secure and safe while maintaining to provide these Catastrophic Conclusions All While under the possible discretionary use of Dr. Prescribed medication. -and… more ›