I often tell my parents that a good book is the best gift for my daughters. Call me old school but with so many bookstores closing their doors, on-line shopping can be a little impersonal…especially if your child’s out of the age group that you’re looking for. This week, our resident teacher/friend, Laura, has some great picks for the 4-8 year old set (next week 9-12). Enjoy…

Fiction

How Rocket Learned to Read Tad Hills  (national award winner)

This is an adorable picture book about a puppy who is a reluctant reader until he becomes hooked on stories read by a wise little bird.  After that, his joy of reading and learning becomes contagious.

Children Make Terrible Pets Peter Brown
Another cute picture book with a message.  This is a great book for kids like mine who love to catch wild animals and who always beg to keep them.

Bad Kitty (series) Nick Bruel
A hilarious tale (er, tail?) about a mischievous kitty who gets into all sorts of alphabetical trouble.  Even readers who have mastered their ABCs will appreciate Bad Kitty’s antics.

Mercy Watson (series) Kate DiCamillo
Oh the things this porcine wonder will do for buttered toast!  This was my son’s first dip into chapter books, and years later he still loves to go back and read them.

Star Jumper: Journal of a Cardboard Genius (series) Frank Asch
Themes of sibling rivalry, escapism, imagination and creativity in this book speak to anyone who has dared to dream big.

Non-Fiction

Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade, by Melissa Sweet
Just in time for the Thanksgiving Day parade, this beautiful and informative picture book shows children how it all got started in beautiful mixed-media illustrations.

Poetry Speaks to Children, by Elise Paschen
A selection of over 90 poems for children, 50 of them read aloud by the poet on the accompanying CD

It’s Not What You’ve Got!  Lessons for Kids on Money and Abundance, by Dr. Wayne Dyer with Kristina Tracy
In these trying economic times, this book can help us talk to our kids about money and abundance, and the feelings that come with having it or not.

Weird but True (series), by National Geographic Kids
Weird, wacky, fun and all true facts based on the wildly popular National Geographic Kids magazine.  This book is always a hit with the 6-9 year old crowd.

The Secret Knowledge of Grownups (books 1 and 2), by David Wisniewski
The title should tell you all you know about why kids would want to read this book, but you’ll like it too!

Happy Reading!

I recently sat down with Carol-Lynn Parente, Executive Producer of the 130 Emmy Award winning preschool show (no, I’m not jealous…really) Sesame Street for an informative talk about their new content and how parents are able to extend that learning with their children.

Sesame Street is quite busy these days introducing their new STEM curriculum for this season.  As you know, STEM addresses science, technology, engineering & math. Even though STEM is all around our children in the real world, it’s quite a large endeavor to deliver this type of content to a preschool audience in an appropriate fashion!

One of the reasons that makes it so challenging is that while comedy is often utilized as a means of grabbing the childrens’ attention, it’s a difficult balancing act when you’re taking on such heavy subject matter like STEM within that same comedic segment.  But in the end, “Penguins and Chickens are always funny” so you’ve gotta find a way.

[See Angela’s interview with Carol-Lynn Parente on PBS.org]

The Sugar Monsters (otherwise known as my kids overloaded on the sweet stuff)—that’s what I’m afraid of on Halloween. They get moody, act crazier than normal and then crash…hard. It’s as if they are addicts—seriously.

So, what’s a parent to do? Cut them off cold turkey? We’ve all heard about those kids who hide candy under their beds because they’re never allowed sweets. Giving them free reign over the candy bag doesn’t seem like a great strategy either–have you met the sugar monster yet?

I’m focusing on children here, but of course, this isn’t only a pint-sized problem. I have to admit that I’m not immune to the temptation: When that Twix bar taunts me with its mere presence, sitting on the counter with the rest of the leftover candy, it’s difficult not to succumb. And don’t even get me started on that big bag o’ candy in the girls’ room that seems to whisper my name whenever I’m near it.

So how do we strike a balance between enjoying enough candy to ward off feelings of deprivation without having to face down the scary sugar monster? When it comes to the kids, I like to refer to the “Golden Rule” of parenting, as presented in Ellyn Satter’s book, How to Get Your Kids to Eat, But Not Too Much: Parents are responsible for what is presented to eat and the manner in which it is presented. Children are responsible for how much or even whether they eat.

What does that mean in a practical sense? We keep candy to a minimum in our house throughout the year. It’s something they’re exposed to outside of the home—at birthday parties and of course, Halloween. Instead, we give them lots of natural sweet treats, which helps broaden their palate and mindset on what constitutes a “sweet.”

Such sweets include:
– Fresh fruits (my daughter has said, “Cherry candy tastes nothing like a real cherry!”)
– Fig or ginger cookies
– Animal crackers
– Raisins and dried cranberries
– Dark chocolate covered raisins
– Dark chocolate and peanut butter
– Homemade cookies (whereby we control the ingredients)

Try not to judge us here, but on the day of Halloween, we let the kids eat essentially what they want, with perhaps a cue or two from us if it looks like they’re not slowing, when it’s obvious that they should. They’re pretty good about stopping though, especially because they’re not used to eating like this. And for the next two days, they’ll have a piece (or two) of candy as their sweet at dessert time. Then we “relocate” the candy (out of sight, out of mind) and see if they ask for it. At the end of the week, the requests are almost nil, so we throw it away.

This removal trick works for adults, too. While my husband and I are pretty strong-willed when it comes to sweets (myself probably more so than my husband), it’s always helpful for it to be out of arm’s reach. It’s also a huge help that our supply of snacks for trick-or-treaters never includes our favorite candy. We’re strong, but not that strong! 🙂

Some families have put their trick-or-treat booty (as well as their leftover candy) out for the “Halloween Fairy,” who replaces it with a present, like a small ThinkFun game, which is a clever idea. Of course, every child is different and every family is different. Just remember to celebrate the holiday with no guilt—make it about the act of dressing up, going out in your neighborhood and visiting neighbors, and less about the actual candy.

Let’s see your Child’s Halloween Photo!

Simply LIKE us on our Facebook fanpage and email a non-professional photo (of your 3 month to 8 yr old) to Angela@AngelasClues.com. The winning photo will be chosen on Halloween – October 31st.

The winner will receive $50 worth of Super Why & Blue’s Clues merchandise and have their winning photo posted on the Angela’s Clues website (your contest entry will serve as permission to post the photo).

All decision making will be final & entirely up to the discretion of our Fearless Judges: Mr. Willy Wonka & Miss Veruca Salt:

I don’t judge the people who do, but for young children especially, I really just don’t think it is necessary.  I can’t imagine there’s a worksheet out there so good that it could ever replace a real experience.  Your child can learn letters, numbers, shapes and colors in the environment all around him.  He can learn to read by looking at books and being read to.  He can learn numeracy by grouping and counting buttons and beads.  He can learn geometry through building with blocks and spatial perception through puzzles and games. Besides being unnecessary, it’s boring and I don’t believe in making learning boring for convenience or efficiency.

I want my children to grow up smart; but I also want them to be well rounded, well-read, engaged, active, thoughtful and interested in learning new things, and I just don’t think workbooks and drills will get them there. From the ever-expanding section of workbooks at Barnes & Noble, I realize many will disagree with me, and that’s O.K.

We’re interested in hearing your thoughts/views on this. As always, feel free to comment below.

We all know that education is the best way to set our kids out on the right path. Unfortunately, some of the worst food choices are at school—where we send our kids to be educated…go figure. So, what’s a parent to do? We need to take matters into our own hands: We need to teach our kids how to make good food choices at home, so that when they’re out in the real world (or at school), they’ve had lots of practice!

Here are some tips on how to help your child make healthy eating choices where they are:

• Eat what the kids eat. Eating healthfully is like any other good habit we want our kids to pick up—reading, exercising, being kind to others, to name just a few. If you want them to do it, you’ll have to do it yourself. So if you typically eat carrots and dip them in hummus, they’ll want to try it soon enough! Mom and Dad make most everything look good.

• Eat meals together whenever possible. Meals are a great time to talk about food choices, how food is prepared, what is a healthy sized portion, what they like, what they don’t like. Don’t be afraid to discuss how fast food and other “not so good” choices are cooked and prepared. This open communication goes a long way to teaching our kids about food.

• Try, try again. Just because your kids might not like broccoli boiled (who does?), they might like it roasted with some olive oil.  Or they might like it sautéed with homemade tomato sauce on top or steamed with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. The point is, just because they don’t like a food one way, doesn’t mean they don’t like the food.  Don’t give up too soon on a good-for-you food.  Experiment.

• Give your child a label lesson. Teach your kids to read labels. Go through the ingredients list and point out what’s in that salad dressing or granola bar. Run through all the words for sugar. Explain to them that if they can’t produce a word (try saying stearoyl lactylate), it’s probably a chemical. My daughter looked at the back of a “syrup” bottle and said, “Mom, there is no maple syrup in this maple syrup!” One very basic lesson to impart: The more ingredients listed, the more unhealthy the food is.

Brush up on the buffet. Set up a buffet style spread, similar to what your kids might find at school, right at home. Put out the food on the counter so the kids can serve themselves. Really, any type of foods can work—the point is that they have to serve themselves. If you want to get really creative, you can put out more than one entrée, side dish, and so on. For instance: Salad, dressing on the side, grilled chicken, barbeque chicken, brown rice, red potatoes, cookies and brownies for dessert. This will give you interesting insight into what your kids might choose, and whether your kids want to go back for more (and for what foods?!). If it’s easier, you can go to a local restaurant that serves buffet style and have the same type of experience. You might be pleasantly surprised at how well your child does! And if things don’t go as well as expected, use it as a teaching moment. Talk, without judging, about variety of foods, healthy portions, and trying new things.

And remember, you have a voice in your community—if you’re unhappy with the food choices in your school’s cafeteria, you should speak up to your school board or parent teacher association.

For more information, visit The LunchBox.org

Earlier this week, Bob Greene shared a number of creative, healthy lunch ideas for children. I wanted to chime in with a few of my own that I pack for my two girls Hope (age 10) and Ella (age 8). The key to making a lunch they’ll love (and you’ll feel good about) is to find fun and creative ways to package healthy foods (fresh produce in a variety of colors, whole-grain breads, beans, nuts, and meats.) Here’s how I get creative:

Make the cut: It takes only a second to cookie-cutter a sandwich. Kids like their food to be bite-sized, so cube or miniaturize everything from rotisserie chicken to cheese to melon. My girls are partial to hearts, princess crowns (although at 10, my oldest will deny this!) and gingerbread boy shapes! But we try to get creative around the holidays. My husband Greg’s favorite is the Halloween shapes!

Skewer: My girls will eat almost anything on a stick. You can skewer cubes of chicken, melon, cherry tomatoes, cheddar cheese and have a sandwich-on-a-stick! (use a blunt edge stick, of course!)

Go for a dip: Kids also love to dip their foods—it’s so much fun to use your fingers and dip! So provide basic sandwiches and a healthy dip. Turkey and cheddar dipped in honey mustard is Ella’s fave; or try Mozzarella and tomato dipped in balsamic vinegar. Raw veggies and fruit with a dip of hummus, guacamole or organic ranch is a crowd pleaser. Even organic chicken fingers in a dip is yummy!

Show some love to your leftovers: Packing a lunch-sized portion of dinner (for example, brown rice, grilled chicken and veggies) and freezing it all together in a container will make for a great future lunch.  Just put the container in the fridge the night before, heat it up in the morning in the microwave and pack in a heat insulated lunch pack. It’s easier for mom and dad, and kids like having a full “dinner” type meal for lunch every once in a while.

For more information on healthy and creative school lunches, visit these sites:

http://momitforward.com/school-lunches-kids-and-healthy-eating

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/appetizers-snacks/healthy-snacks/

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/lunch-ideas/sandwiches-burgers-wraps/hot-dog-mummies-715031/

As you well know, this Sunday is the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. While it remains difficult for us to make any sense out of such a dark day, the flood of conversation will undoubtedly reach our childrens’ ears.

But how do we even begin to discuss these issues?

I sat down with my graduate school adviser,  Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, who is also the VP of Research and Education at Sesame Workshop to open up this discussion.

The bottom line?

– Listen more than talk

– Our kids need to feel safe, secure and assured that their thoughts matter

– Shield them from age inappropriate images and stories

– Be there for them – whole heartedly.  Life is short…and precious

See my interview with Dr. Truglio on PBS.org/parents/theparentshow and let me know your thoughts!

A great Hurricane kids snack/activity!

Have you tried the “banana ice cream” recipe?? My friend Becky told us about this and it is amazing!

– Just freeze peeled bananas (seriously hard to un peel a frozen banana!)
– Blend in the blender (have no power? No problem. Just put in a plastic bag and let the kids SMASH AWAY! More fun that way)
– Add (optional) a little coconut cream for your preferred creaminess or agave for sweetness….

You get a “soft serve” ice cream version of a banana!

TOP: With any favorite ice cream toppings. My favorite is heating blueberries and pouring them over! YUM! (and it only counts as 2 fruits!) 🙂

In 2006 the National Academies issued an alarming report on the United States’ decline in the fields of math and science. The numbers weren’t simply decreasing, but rather dropping at such a rapid descent that our competitiveness as a nation was at serious risk.

Unfortunately little has changed and while we’re still at the top of our game in the pop culture and reality tv genre, we are in serious need of a priority shift.

The tag team leading the charge to make science “cool” is will.i.am (The Black Eyed Peas front man) and inventor/ FIRST® founder Dean Kamen. They have merged forces and created “i.am FIRST — Science is Rock and Roll,” a program designed to alter the way in which we view our scientists…giving them the respect only acquired by uber Rock n’ Roll gods (which have all rallied behind this project). The 1st program was a huge success last night, 8/14/11, and the initiative will continue to positively push math & science into the mainstream where it undoubtedly belongs.

Check it out & spread the word!

“You have teenagers thinking they’re going to make millions as NBA stars when that’s not realistic for even 1 percent of them. Becoming a scientist or engineer is.”

-Dean Kamen