Rexanne's Web Review - Issue #30

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Did everyone have a good week? I think I did! So much to do, never enough time. My daughters finally started school last week so things will get back to normal around here. Whatever normal is. ;-) I think school is mostly to educate our children and partly to help parents get things done.

If you haven't yet cast your vote on the spanking poll, please, let's hear your voice! The poll will be up for another 2 weeks. I would love the results to reflect an accurate account of all my subscriber's opinions. The poll is anonymous, guys. All you have to do is click one answer or the other. Last week, the poll was having fits. Hopefully, it will work well this week no matter how many people try to access it at once! Here's the link: Spanking Poll

This week, we have a guest writer in our Parenting Topic section! Enjoy this excellent article, Raising a Book Lover, by Vicky Hankins. Vicky has a wonderful educational newsletter I think many of you would enjoy. You can subscribe through the link after her article.

"In Middle school and High school I was bullied by almost the whole school. It started out as a small rumor that grew and grew. My parents and counselors in Middle school told me that when I went to High school it would stop. They were VERY wrong. I was told to ignore everyone and it would stop. THAT was wrong also. Even after I moved far away from the town the rumor was still going around. It not only destroyed my school life but it destroyed my relationship with my family. This has traumatized me so much that it scares me to go to the town where it happened. Since my parents still live in that town it is REALLY hard for me to go see my parents.

For those parents out there who tell their children 'if you ignore it, it will stop,' I am here to tell you it WON'T! As a parent you HAVE to step in sometimes and make a stand for your children. I now have a family of my own and I KNOW that if anything like that ever happens to my kids, the school, the parents and the children involved will NOT live it down."

Thank you for sharing your story with us, Amber. I say you go back to that town with your head held high and your beautiful family in tow!

As heart-wrenching as this story is, I think the most important point Amber made was that she would never allow this to happen to her own children. Kids are not always capable of standing up for themselves as well as we would like. They are children, not seasoned adults. Please be the best advocate you can be for your child. Allow them room to flower, yet be there for them when they are overwhelmed with the magnitude of growing up.

"Rexanne, this article is like you just read my mind. I try teaching my kids (especially my boy, 4-1/2) to walk away from conflicts and from the bullying-type kids. On the other hand, if they are being bullied I'd like it if they could stand for themselves.

You are right when you say that the bullies get encouragement from their parents. I had this experience with a kid and his mom in the playground. The kid (4-1/2) was picking on every child there, even smaller ones. Once he started with my son I went to his mother and asked her to stop him from what he was doing. She started screaming at me. I just couldn't talk to her. Finally I let her go on screaming and walked away calmly. I told my son and his friends to ignore this child and if he picks on them or asks to play with them to say that they don't play with kids that are not playing nicely. I just hope this kid doesn't get to be with my son when he gets to school."

Thank you for sharing your story, Klara. It's really frustrating when a child's parent is so blatantly misguiding their child. We really can't go around spouting off to people about the virtues of a well-behaved child, however. Too bad!

Also referring to our parenting topic from last week, Godfry sent an excellent article written by Marlena Thompson about cliques, those groups of (mostly) girls who form the nucleus of the "popular crowd" in schools. Following is a wonderful excerpt from this article explaining how parents can inoculate their children against the heartache of feeling left out of this core group:

Since the desire to belong to something, somewhere is the ubiquitous human sentiment most cruelly exploited by cliques (as well as gangs, cults and other unhealthy associations), one of the most powerful ways parents can minimize the magnetism of such groups is to help their children learn to rely less on others for entertainment and validation and more on themselves. To do this, they must first learn to enjoy their own company. The following are examples of the kind of activities parents can encourage their children to do on their own, to promote both self-awareness and self-esteem:

3.) Abstain from watching TV at least one day a week and listen to the radio instead.

5.) Write poems in various styles, e.g., free verse, rhymed, with a particular structure, such as a haiku, etc.

7.) Bake something (using a mix if necessary) to serve to the rest of the family for dessert.

10.) Read a book about a new topic, not yet explored, which piques interest and imagination.

Thank you for sending this terrific piece, Godfry. If anyone would like a copy of the complete article, please email me!

Quote of the Week: The power of imagination makes us infinite. - John Mecir

This Week's Web Review is Sponsored By: Bargainchildrensclothing.com
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This week, we have a terrific article written by educator Vicky Hankins. It has excellent tips for creating a love of books in your child. I think this is a very important love to have! Thank you for allowing me to publish this article in our newsletter, Vicky!

Teaching a child to love books opens his/her mind to the possibilities of the world. Try some of the ideas below to kindle a love of books for a lifetime.

1.) It's never too early to begin library visits. Keep a list handy (on the fridge is a good place) and anytime your child expresses interest in a particular topic, jot it down and look for books on that subject during your next library trip. Take advantage of library story hours for children, too.

4.) Read together as a family. Snuggle together with a flashlight or have different family members "act out" parts of the story.

5.) Read aloud to a child while he/she is eating or is in the bathtub. Books go everywhere!

6.) Children love to memorize poems. Read poems at bedtime or snack time. Stop for a 'poetry pause' at unannounced times.

7.) Visit bookstores together regularly. Take a once a month trip and let the child pick out a new book. Many bookstores also have reading, book character visits, and book signings.

Vicky Hankins is a certified teacher/librarian and the publisher of Early Educational Edge. Send a blank email to subscribe: Subscribe - E. E. E.

Following are a few good sites to help us instill a love of books in our children:

Link #2 is a site that caters, but is not exclusive to working parents who would like to share quality reading time with their children: Bedtime Story

Have an opinion about this topic or a story to share? Please send it: My opinion

I used to cook. I used to be a really good cook. Since overwhelming myself with jobs, projects and more projects, I have time to throw something together ... sometimes. After visiting Choppy's Family Recipes for Real Down Home Cooking, I felt like cooking again. Everything on these pages sounds so good, so wholesome and so delicious. These are also uncomplicated recipes. Yessssss!

From breakfast to desserts, you are sure to find many new recipes here and some old favorites you forgot you loved. Also featured are guest recipes that look as good as Choppy's. Go ahead ... cook tonight. ;-)

Kids, want to build the best paper airplane in the world? Well, according to this site, it's the best one! Full assembly instructions are found on page 2, with links to other super spots for paper airplane fans.

The one nice thing about paper airplanes is they're basically harmless. They look lethal, gliding right for an unsuspecting eye or fragile vase, but you can't really hurt anyone with them! ;-) Impress your friends, buzz the cat, fly your amazing paper airplane into the soup your mom's cooking ... just have fun with it!

Pulled this week's tips right from Prevention Magazine. These home remedies for hiccups are supposed to really work!

3.) Drink two ounces of red wine vinegar down in one gulp. (I wouldn't recommend this tip for children!)

4.) Plug both ears with your fingertips, then drink a full glass of water through a straw.

Pretty crazy-sounding tips, huh? Well, they're all new to me. You can bet when one of us gets the hiccups again, we'll be trying any and all of these. If you try one and it works, let us know!

Got a tip or trick your fellow readers would enjoy or could use? Please send it here for possible publication in one of the next issues: Tips

OK, this is a good one, guys! A perfectly organized grocery list. Copy and paste this list into a Word document, fill it in, print it out and forget to take to it the market just like the scribbled ones you find on the kitchen counter when you return. ;-)

This is one grocery list you won't want to forget, however. Complete with a weekly menu list, you'll have your grocery shopping time down to the bare minimum and the menu ideas to inspire you through the aisles. Remember to eat before you go!

Weekly Time Waster: Virtual Checkers
(Because life is supposed to be fun!)

Is there any reason left to leave the house or interact with others outside the computer? LOL!

This online checkers game will give you a run worthy of your best human opponent. Even if you don't play checkers for blood, you can enjoy a good game against the computer, learning as you go. Fun, fast and with great graphics, Virtual Checkers is a super time waster!

Here's a true home page ... with a twist: ultrasound pictures of Mark and Donna's unborn twins, a picture and audio clip of Grandma screaming when she first hears of the twins' immanent arrival, adorable pictures of big sister KC, and lots of charm. Womb With a View is a glimpse into one family's life and joy.

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I have personally checked out the links provided here but they could possibly lead you to any number of bizarre and/or offensive sites. Surf at your own risk. The DIRECT links on this page are all family friendly unless stated otherwise. While this newsletter is family friendly, it is not necessarily intended to be read by children. Parents should always monitor their children while they are on the Internet.