More Playtime for Kids!!!

Here's some soothing medicine for stressed-out parents and overscheduled kids: The American Academy of Pediatrics says what children really need for healthy development is more good, old-fashioned playtime. Well hurray for that!! Many parents load their children's schedules with get-smart videos, enrichment activities and lots of classes in a drive to help them excel. The efforts often begin as early as infancy.

Spontaneous, free play -- whether it's chasing butterflies, playing with "true toys" such as blocks and dolls, or just romping on the floor with mom and dad -- often is sacrificed in the shuffle, a new academy report says. Numerous studies have shown that unstructured play has many benefits. It can help children become creative, discover their own passions, develop problem-solving skills, relate to others and adjust to school settings, the academy report says. "Perhaps above all, play is a simple joy that is a cherished part of childhood," says the report, prepared by two academy committees for release Monday at the group's annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.

A lack of spontaneous playtime can create stress for children and parents alike. If it occurs because young children are plopped in front of get-smart videos or older children lose school recess time, it can increase risks for obesity. It may even contribute to depression for many children, the report says. Social pressures and marketing pitches about creating "super children" contribute to a lack of playtime for many families. But so does living in low-income, violence-prone neighborhoods where safe places to play are scarce, the report says.

It says enrichment tools and organized activities can be beneficial but should not be viewed as a requirement for creating successful children. Above all, they must be balanced with plenty of free play time, the report says. "In the current environment where so many parents feel pressure to be super parents, I believe this message is an important one," said Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, the report's lead author and a pediatrician at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Noted pediatrician and author Dr. T. Berry Brazelton praised the academy's report. "I hope it will have some effect," Brazelton said. Children overscheduled with structured activities "are missing the chance they have to dream, to fantasize, to make their own world work the way they want it. That to me is a very important part of childhood," Brazelton said.

This was reported on CNN and it's too good - NOT to reprint.
- LT

A Mother's wisdom

I thought this was funny even if some of it is a little abusive...MY mother NEVER ever said any of these things to me! And I can't imagine saying most of them myself...but it is humorous nonetheless!

I OWE MY MOTHER

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE .
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
" Because I said so, that's why."

5. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

6. My mother taught me IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

7. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS .
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

8. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

9. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

10. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

11. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

12. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

13. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION .
"Stop acting like your father!"

14. My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

15. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home."

16. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when you get home!"

17. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

18. My mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

19. My mother taught me HUMOR.
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

20. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

21. My mother taught me GENETICS .
"You're just like your father."

22. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

23. My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

24. My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

Mean Moms!

I got this email today and thought it was really cute...enjoy!

Someday when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will tell them, as my Mean Mom told me:

I loved you enough . . . to ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home.

I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover that your new best friend was a creep.

I loved you enough to make you go pay for the bubble gum you had taken and tell the clerk, "I stole this yesterday and want to pay for it."

I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that should have taken 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, and tears in my eyes. Children must learn that their parents aren't perfect.

I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your actions even when the
penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart.

But most of all, I loved you enough. . to say NO when I knew you would hate me for it.

Those were the most difficult battles of all. I'm glad I won them, because in the end you won, too.

And someday when your children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them.

Was your Mom mean? I know mine was. We had the meanest mother in the whole world! While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast. When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches. And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from what other kids had, too.

Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were convicts in a prison.

She had to know who our friends were, and what we were doing with them. She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.

We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work. We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, empty the trash and all sorts of cruel jobs. I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do.

She always insisted on us telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds and had eyes in the back of her head. Then, life was really tough!

Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up. They had to come up to the door so she could meet them. While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16.

Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other's property or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault.

Now that we have left home, we are all educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents just like Mom was.

I think that is what's wrong with the world today. It just doesn't have enough mean moms!

Heating up Baby's bottle

Never Heat Your Baby's Bottle In a Microwave Oven.
Yes, microwaves are convenient. But they have a nasty habit of heating food unevenly. Your baby could burn her tongue, throat or stomach. Have you ever been surprised by a hot spot in your food? That's something you don't want to happen to your baby's tender mouth. It is much safer to take the chill off your baby's bottle with warm water.

What Does Your Baby Like?
Some like it warm, some like it cool. How does your baby like her formula and breast milk? You can feed her with bottles of formula or breast mild straight from the refrigerator, at room temperature, or slightly warm. Remember, bottles should never be hot. Try a few feedings at different temperatures to see what she likes best.

Warming Your Baby's Bottle.
If your baby prefers warm formula or breast milk, then follow these steps, and never use a microwave oven. Place baby's bottle in a bowl of warm (not boiling) water or swirl it under warm tap water for a few minutes. Gently shake the bottle to warm the formula or expressed breast milk evenly. Shake a few drops onto your wrist to check the temperature. If it isn't too hot for you, it is probably just right for your baby.

NO MICROWAVES FOR BABY'S BOTTLES

Why microwaves should never be used to prepare bottles:

-Control the temperature of the bottle. It is very easy to overheat a bottle in a microwave oven. The bottle may feel cool to the touch while the liquid inside is much too hot for your baby to drink. Sometimes it can also create steam that can burn your baby or you.

-Preserve the protective properties of breast milk. Breast milk can lose its natural protective properties if a microwave causes overheating.

-Avoid serious accidents. Because the bottle is closed tightly, a pressure build-up from steam can cause it to explode in a microwave oven. This won't happen when you heat bottles with warm water.

The Grinch Who Rocked Christmas

I know I'm early - but I do love Christmas! As a Kid I loved the Grinch. Here's a fresh soundtrack with some great favorite scenes edited together. It's just not the same having the DVD to play for the kids. I used to watch the TV listings for it to air on television, and still watch it when it's on.

Children say the darndest things

Though written by little ones this is for mature audiences! These are some funny things that children wrote about the sea....Enjoy a little Monday giggle!

1) This is a picture of an octopus It has eight testicles. (Kelly age 6)

2) Oysters' balls are called pearls. (James age 6)

3) If you are surrounded by sea you are an Island. If you don't have sea all round you, you are in continent. (Wayne age 7)

4) Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson. She's not my friend no more. (Kylie age 6)

5) My uncle goes out in his boat with pots, and comes back with crabs. (Millie age 6)

6) When ships had sails, they used to use the trade winds to cross the ocean. Sometimes, when the wind didn't blow, the sailors would whistle to make the wind come. My brother said they would be better off eating beans. (William age 7)

7) I like mermaids. They are beautiful, and I like their shiny tails. How do mermaids get pregnant? (Helen age 6)

8) Some fish are dangerous. Jellyfish can sting. Electric eels can give you a shock. They have to live in caves under the sea where I think they have to plug themselves into chargers. (Christopher age 7)

9) When you go swimming in the sea, it is very cold, and it makes my willy small. (Kevin age 6)

10) Divers have to be safe when they go under the water. Two divers can't go down alone, so they have to go down on each other. (Becky age 8)

11) On holiday my Mom went water skiing. She fell off when she was going very fast. She says she won't do it again because water shot up her fanny. (Julie age 7)

Ah, the wisdom of children!!