Tip #1

from Raising Confident Boys: 100 Tips for Parents and Teachers--Boys need love too. (Duh, you say). But they "often seek love in roundabout ways...If he's just jumped on you from behind or given you a painful punch, this can mean that he needs your love, so it's better to respond affectionately than to lash out." I guess the little guy who just made a running jump across the room to head butt me in the chest just needs some extra love and affection!

Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer, the author, suggests several things to do, including showing love by sitting close while reading or watching TV (easy to do with toddlers), and showing interest in his ideas (not as easy with so much that needs to get done).

A visit from Ms. Spider

Library goers today enjoyed Ms. Spider's Tea Party - stories, cupcakes, lemonade in tea cups, and a visit from Ms. Spider herself (or rather, "a person with legs wearing a costume," as observed by one pre-schooler).

"The library is doing a great job - programming, book lists and prize basket for every 10 read, etc.." --Andrea

It's not too late to "Catch the Reading Bug" at Huntington Memorial Library!

Status Update

I hope you've enjoyed the blog so far, with local events, parenting ideas and fun info, but let's not forget the point! We want to open a children's museum in Oneonta! It's just that in these early planning stages, there aren't a lot of new things to report on every day. But good things are happening. We just finished our first photo shoot, created a preliminary website, joined the Association of Children's Museums, started a naming committee, initiated work on a logo, and completed the first stage of our business study. In the second stage of our business study, we will determine the size of the building that will be needed and approximate budget and staffing requirements. Currently, we are focused on our next big hurdle--applying for an educational charter--but there are several preliminary hurdles that must be crossed first.

Look for our official website and results of the photo shoot--hopefully by the end of this month!!!

Securing America's Future

It's no secret that America no longer has an edge in education. A new article ties the destiny of our nation to this down-ward spiral, tying future economic growth to educational trends.

"...big gaps in educational attainment are present at age 5. Some children are bathed in an atmosphere that promotes human capital development and, increasingly, more are not. By 5, it is possible to predict ... who will complete high school and college and who won’t," according to David Brooks (NY Times Article).

The good news: this is a trend we can reverse! And early childhood education is the place to start.

Those beautiful blooms

Now is the time to go wild-flowering! New York State's phenomenal mid-summer blooms are everywhere, and with a minimum of effort, you can have a beautiful bouquet. Of course, I had a lot of "help" gathering my bouquet, and the kids were understandably proud of the result (although my cousin was a bit taken aback).

Get even more in touch with nature by "Painting" with flowers (from IVillage):
Draw a nature scene on watercolor paper (or another paper with a rough surface) by rubbing flower petals and leaves onto the paper. Green leaves, red geranium petals and the yellow stamens from within a lilie's center work well. (Some of you will want to have the kids wear latex gloves to keep fingers clean). Dress up the picture by holding the paper against the bark of a tree or another interesting surface and rubbing it with the side of a crayon.