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July
Sub-archives
Preschoolers Don't Learn By Bad Example
How did I miss it that children under the age of six do not learn by bad example? And why are children's book authors and educational television programs missing this as well?
I've made many a screw up as a mother. Unfortunately, most of these mistakes have occurred with my first child. To paraphrase the great Erma Bombeck, my first child got me new but he also got the blisters. Maybe that's the trade off for always getting the new toys first and rarely having to wear hand-me-downs: first kids bear the brunt of their novice parents' foibles.
Though not a child development expert, my mommy newness has compelled me to become a regular of the parenting sections of the public library and local bookstores. T. Berry Brazleton and me? Thick as thieves. So how did I miss it that children under the age of six don't usually learn by bad example? And why are children's book authors and educational television programs missing this as well?
Thirty-nine.. again
Turning 39 can be traumatic, especially for those of us doing it for the third time. As the fateful day approached, I conducted some independent research by asking my minivan full of kids how old I looked.
“About 45,” said one depressingly honest kid who needs a firmer hand at home (note to self: tell husband to get to work on that).
“Twenty-two,” chirped a brilliant and --- it must be said -- uncannily observant little girl named Elya. I instructed her to tell her mom that she should eat candy for dinner, and I lovingly replayed her comment in my mind until I asked her how old my husband Glenn looks. Bear in mind that he’s five-and-a-half years older than me — ten if you round up.
“Twenty-two,” Elya chirped.
Clearly drastic measures were called for. It didn’t help that the day’s mail brought a fashion magazine with skin-care regimes for women of different ages. The categories of ages were under 20, 20 to 30, 30 to 40, and 40 and up.
If You've Ever Thought About Writing a Novel...
Hi all,
I thought some of you might be interested in a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to try to write and publish a novel, so I'm including a link to Bethesda Magazine. I wrote a piece this month about six local women -- myself included -- who are in various stages of the process, from beginning the writing process to signing a publishing contract. You can see the full article by clicking on the link (www.bethesdamagazine.com). Happy writing! And feel free to contact me anytime if you're interested in more information after reading the article.
Sarah P.
Best Green Tip for Your Beach Vacation
Heading to the beach this weekend? You no doubt made peace with the fact that you’ll be adding to your carbon footprint — hey, anything for some fun in the sand and surf, right?!
But you can still do something to minimize your environmental impact on the beach. And no, I’m not referring to picking up trash on the beach – although that’s always a good idea.
What does nearly everyone do at the beach? Shower! There’s nothing better than those wonderful outside showers. But when you soap up, the soap runs into storm water drains that often lead directly to the ocean. The soap run-off is toxic to marine life.
And those “earth friendly” biodegradable soaps and shampoos? Well, according to this report from the Maryland Department of the Environment, even “a flush of ‘biodegradable’ soap suds will still harm fish or invertebrates in your local stream.”
That was news to yours truly, who regrettably had lathered up outside on more than one occasion with “earth friendly” biodegradable soaps. In Rehoboth Beach, our favorite seaside destination, the storm water drains flow directly to the Atlantic Ocean and to a fresh-water lake, which was recently the scene of a massive fish kill due to environmental toxins from storm water run-off, among other suspected causes.
So enjoy your outside shower, but skip the soap and shampoo. Save the real clean-up for the inside shower!
Happy Fourth of July!
Lynn
Copyright 2008 OrganicMania
