What thoughts comes to your mind after seeing this Photo?

 

These are my sons shoes , I found them 5 minutes before he had to leave for school.

At first I'm a little shocked.

I scratch my head, or pull at my hair depending on your perception.

You have got to be kidding me, another pair?

These kids are costing me a fortune.

Oh man these smell.

I call to him as I begin to remove the laces.

He arrives, I tell him these are done he's going to have to wear his "skater" shoes .

His response "I don't like them, I can't run in them, fine well you have to get me running shoes, size 7 but you know that , no funny colors though, its ok if there like these ones but they have to be running shoes, I have track in 2 weeks and I need them, these are only good when I scooter  oh don't forget I need new soccer cleats, when are you getting them? Oh yeah you can just throw those out."

Did this kid breath?

I know better than to ask , but I can't resist.

Why didn't you tell me they were this bad, before they got this bad?"

As he sits trying to unknot his shoe, he looks up , shrugs his shoulders.

Phew, these stink.

I get the kids out the door. Grab the shoes to throw them in the trash.

While I'm looking at his mangled shoes, It hit me!

He's outside playing, doing what kids should do.

I can see clearly now

Eye See Eye Learn Is a wonderful program run by Optometrists Associations across Canada.
Eye See…Eye Learn® provides comprehensive eye exams by local Doctors of Optometry to junior kindergarten students in participating school regions. The eye exams are covered under provincial health insurance (or OHIP) when you show your child’s health card. This means that there is no out-of-pocket cost for the eye exam.
If the child requires a pair of glasses, they will receive a FREE pair donated by Nikon Lenswear, OGI and your participating Doctor of Optometry. The value of the glasses is estimated over $250. The Eye See...Eye Learn® program was developed to raise awareness among parents of the importance of having their children's eyes checked upon starting school. Each year thousands of children start school without ever having an eye exam. Children may not know that they have a vision problem. They can't always tell you what they see. ! out of 4 children have a significant eye problem that can interfere with learning and development.

It wasn't until my 4 year old daughter started her first year of kindergarten , that we realized she had trouble with her eyesight. Up until that point, she had her eyes checked several times and hadn't shown any issues with being able to see. In fact even until this day she can identify letters and numbers standing from a few feet away.
I myself wear glasses. My eyesight is horrible. As a child , wearing glasses was not common, an definitely not the fashion statement it is today. With the technology  of the times, they were unable to make my glasses any smaller or the lenses thinner. I suffered a barrage a insults from other children for needed to wear them. Don't get me wrong children being -well children,  I'm sure if not my glasses , it would have been something else to make fun of .  It was normal then kids were mean. But no one jumped up and called kids those days bullies. Unless they were in fact a "bully". Which in this humble Moms opinion is too often misused, and overused these days.

The one eyed wink had become a sort of signature move of hers, she would do it quite often. When she started school she began to do it even more. I spoke to her teachers . They were not noticing that she was having any difficultly with her vision. She had of course winked at them, but along with myself, thought it was Sophia being her cutesy self.
My Husband and I decided to watch her very carefully. After a few weeks time , we were convinced there was definitely a problem. In hindsight we should have just brought her in when we initially noticed there might be an issue, I think my fear of having her go through the same type of treatment as I did made me procrastinate the issue.
After her Exam, and subsequent follow-up, we ordered her first pair of glasses.
As The doctor knelt on the floor at her eye level and adjusted her new glasses, her first words while truly having clear vision ? " Big Head" with a giggle.
Of course my shocked reaction to this "name "calling was to tell her that wasn't nice. It had taken me a moment to realize she wasn't calling her a name. She was seeing things as they are for the first time.

Thankfully Sophia thinks wearing glasses is cool. She was very excited to get them. It meant she was special - different.  What a great way of thinking, a lesson my 4 year old taught me.

Vision Checklist - Can your child see?



To find out more about the Eye See Eye Learn Program in
Ontario - The program will be expanding to Northern Ontario in June 2015
British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia

Crayola!

Crayola!

What Child , Parent  or teacher does not love Crayola?
What's not to love, right?
Bright vibrant colors , crayons, markers, pencil crayons, paint, chalk. From kits to crafts,  there's always something new.
 
If you have never checked out their website , Crayola.ca
Be sure to  check out the Kids Play zone, filled with unique activities for your art lovers. It is jammed packed with craft ideas and so much more.
 
You can filter the age category in the craft section which  definitely makes searching faster and much more user friendly.

Also see Crayola.com

3D FIND IT!

3D Find it!

 

 

If your like me than you probably have a stash of bits and pieces of this and that. Over the years I've collected lots of game pieces that I keep in our craft bin, which is perfect for this.

 

Mix it up, There are no rules .

 

Place items on a flat surface, and have your kids search away.

 

 

 

This is a great way for children interact with colors and shapes.

 

If you have older kids you can change it a bit, put the items in a bag that they cannot see through , so they need to rely on there sense of touch to find an item.  

 

 

 

 



Easter craft for Preschoolers

EASY EASTER BUNNY FOR PRESCHOOL KIDS

 

This is an easy craft for your preschooler to do with a little help from you. 

 

Supply list

 

toilet paper roll

paint and brush         

glue scissors

construction paper for ears and feet

pom poms

googly eyes

1/2 pipe cleaner

 

Pre-cut the shapes for ears and feet, to make a steady base for the feet draw and cut a larger heart  shape cut off the point to make a straight edge

cut the pipe cleaner in half and bend the two pieces into  "v" shapes

 

 

Have your child paint the toilet paper roll , once its dry. glue onto feet shape , this will help keep the roll steady while your child glues on the ears, eyes, nose, and tail

 

 Voila , an Easter Bunny

 

 

Homemade biscuits: perfect for little helping hands

HOMEMADE BISCUITS

 

From start to finish this is a really simple recipe that kids

of all ages are able to help with

or for older kids even make on their own.

 

 

Ingredients : Yield 24 Biscuits

• 4 cups flour
• 2 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup shortening or butter
• 1 can of carnation milk        * can substitute for 1 3/4 cup milk

1. Mix dry ingredients together

 

2. Add in shortening or butter and mix until crumbly

 

3. Add milk and mix until a ball forms

 

4. Roll out on floured surface , it is easier for kids to work with if you break down the dough into smaller balls for them

 

5. Cut into biscuits, we use a glass its easy for kids to use and they like to hear the popping sound it makes

 

6. Bake at 425 degrees for 8-12 mins in a gas oven

                  450 degrees for 8-12 mins in a regular oven

 

Watching carefully in the last minutes.

 

To Freeze: place uncooked biscuits on a single layer baking sheet , freeze 1-2 hours then put them in a freezer bag. Let thaw about 30 mins before cooking them.

Recipe can be easily doubled.



Parenting Styles

 

Have you ever considered what kind of Parenting style you are? While we are all unique , when it comes to the way we parent our children, we are lumped into specific styles. According to clinical and developmental psychologist Diana Baumrind, et al; research has suggested that there are 3 prototypical styles, although the uninvolved style is a more recent addition which is credited to Maccoby and Martin .

Authoritative Demanding and Responsive	This style is characterized by emotional warmth, high expectations, and standards for behaviour, consistent enforcement of rules an explanation for  the reasons behind these rules, as well as the inclusion of children in decision making. It is believed that this method leaves children with a high level of self-esteem and they do well in academics.
Authoritarian Demanding but Not Responsive:	This style is characterized by strict expectations for behaviour and rigid rules that children are expected to obey without question.   Because of the lack of communication in this relationship, even a child living what seems like the ideal life will feel anxious and unhappy, and will lack curiosity and creativity.
Permissive Responsive but Not demanding	This style is characterized by emotional warmth but few expectations or standards for the behaviour, Because of the lack of structure and regulations, these children tend to have lower expectations for themselves and can do poorly in school. They can also be immature and lack a sense of independence.
Uninvolved Unresponsive and Not Demanding	This style is characterized by a lack of emotional support and a lack of standards regarding appropriate behaviour. However there is more to it than just a parent ignoring their children. This process of neglect can start when the child is an infant, leaving them feeling confused and detached right from the start. You may know some of these kids and observe them as finding social situations quite difficult and display very low self-esteem and attachment issues. This style as agreed by experts in the field of child Psychology Is the one to have the most detrimental effect on children long term.

 























I had recently attended a meet and greet, that was designed to introduce parents in my community. Although there were very few participants I had engaged in quite a long conversation with a father about how we parent our children, discussing our similarities and differences.  Although his techniques were not what I would consider my style, I could understand why he held his views. He was definitely a blend of the authority styles , in that he expected his children to obey without question, although providing an explanation when necessary. I found that his expectations for their behaviour left little room for his children to make mistakes. And in his description of his parenting, rewards were few and far between. He was unapologetic for holding his values, nor should he be. He may have thought that I was too soft in my approach. Though we did share many of the same ideals. It was the execution of those ideals in where we differed. One of the interesting topics was the discussion of the ways in which we differed from our spouses. His wife seemed to hold as I do more of the nurturing role, while he , much like my husband is the no nonsense disciplinarian.  

 That got me thinking that perhaps in families where both parents are present ,probably more often than not, parents take on 2 distinct roles one as the nurturer, the other as the disciplinarian. Quite like the good cop - bad cop scenario and also that these roles are more gender specific than our gender neutral society would like to admit.

Don't get me wrong even in my role as the nurturer,  because of the fact that I am a stay at home mom, I tend to have more of the interaction in disciplining my children. However there are quite a few times when I have lost almighty control of the situation , and repeat that old cliché "wait till your father gets home".

 When I think back to my childhood growing up with a single Mother, I can understand perhaps a bit more of the frustrations she had, there was no-one to pass the buck too.  Although I don't agree with many of her choices, she must have felt she had to take one role or the other. She took the disciplinarian role.  As I think about it, that is perhaps why I'm eager and willing to be the nurturer but so reluctant to take on the role of disciplinarian.

 After carefully examining the characteristics of parenting styles, I can honestly say I am a   blend of two styles Authoritative and  Permissive. I may not measure up to the ideal parenting standards and I am certainly not an expert in the field of psychology, but Im ok with the kind of parent I am.

 After all I am the Im:Perfect Parent.