PG Magazine - March 2012 - Jamestown | Post-Journal

March 2012 

volume 6 issue 3 

PG 

PARENTAL 

GUIDANCE 

MAGAZINE 

ON THE COVER 

Alexis McDonald 

Photo taken by: 

Kim Weber 

family 

7| DISCOVERING THE BRIGHT SPOTS 

“A Mother’s Journal” 

9| ADVENTURES OF A GREENHORN DAD 

“Music to My Ears” 

education. 

15| HOMEWORK SURVIVAL GUIDE 

A few tricks to help your kids 

manage their homework. 

17| SUGGESTED READS FOR MOM AND DAD 

A few quality book reviews for parents. 

19| EDUCATIONAL ASPECT OF 

CHILD CARE PROGRAMS 

Ask questions to ensure your 

children are getting all they need. 

19| A DAY IN THE LIFE... 

A mother’s visit to preschool! 

health & wellness 

23| CHILD ABUSE AND THE 

DEVELOPING BRAIN 

The ways in which emotional abuse can 

change the future for kids. 

27| FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS 

“Education, Prevention, Intervention” 

behavior 

39| CLEAING CLUTTER AND ORGANIZING 

DURING SPRING CLEANING 

Ten tips to help you get off on the right foot. 

41| MAKING ABSTRACT ART 

WITH CHILDREN 

Ideas for ways to create with kids. 

41| WHY COUNTING TO 

THREE DOESN’T WORK 

One parenting gimmick to avoid 

and what to do instead. 

contents 

BOOK 

REVIEWS 

2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 13 14 15 16 17 1 8 19 20 21 22 23 25 

EDITOR’S NOTE 

KID CRAFT 

CORNER 

WHATS UP 

DOC? 

March 2012 PG MAGAZINE 3


PARENTAL 

GUIDANCE 

MAGAZINE 

communication 

43| THE JOURNEY OF ELIMINATION COMMUNICATION 

Teaching young children how to use the potty. 

45| JUST DEAL WITH IT! 

Helping our kids learn to cope in tough situations. 

teens 

47| TEN TIPS FOR MANAGING 

Using active listening skills to get 

through to your teenager. 

8 WAITING 

ROOM TIME 

KILLERS 

FOR KIDS 

contents 

SEVEN THINGS 

TO DO WHEN 

A TEACHER 

CALLS HOME 

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4 PG MAGAZINE March 2012

intro 

from the editor: 

If you take a look at my family tree, contrary to 

my “strong Swedish name,” I have mostly Irish 

and German roots. My kids will wear green this 

St. Patrick’s Day but as for any other real celebrating, 

I stopped that when I graduated from 

college. I do, however, feel extraordinarily 

lucky. I prefer the word blessed but for the sake 

of the month I will use lucky. 

This overwhelming sense of contentment has 

been brought to the surface, where it has continually 

lingered for days now in a very raw 

form, as the result of reading The Last Lecture 

by Randy Pausch. Many of you probably know 

this story but for those of you unfamiliar with it, 

please take the time to find a copy. It will be 

worth your effort. This gentleman was a husband 

and a father to three small children. He 

was also a college professor who gave his “last 

lecture” because he was dying from pancreatic 

cancer. His approach to life was impressive to 

say the least. It has made me so aware of the 

need to appreciate the gift that life is and the 

time that I am given with my own children and 

husband. 

Many of the things he said moved me, however, 

one of them stuck out and has resonated since I 

read it. “I won the parent lottery at birth – a 

born winner! Awesome feeling!” he said while 

describing his childhood and upbringing. Can 

you imagine for a moment how that statement 

made his parents feel? I don’t know about you 

but I desperately want my kids to feel like that. 

Being a good parent is such a tough job and I 

just want to do it really well so they turn out to 

be the best they can be. I am sure you can 

relate. 

I realize we will all make mistakes along this 

parenting journey and it can be frustrating. It’s 

easy to get stuck on those tough days or to feel 

guilty about yelling a little too loud or serving 

mac and cheese twice in one week but those 

aren’t the things that matter most in the long 

run. Randy Pausch was phenomenal at living 

for the moment, even before his terminal diagnosis. 

That learned ability was part of his lottery 

prize and quite likely one of the many reasons 

he felt that way about his parents. I have 

decided I want to work on becoming better at 

this so that I can offer that example to my own 

kids as well. 

I love my job because PG has such wonderful 

writers and fellow parents for me to learn from 

while I try to make my kids feel like they struck 

it rich with the parents they were given. Being 

an effective yet loving parent is a huge goal of 

mine and when I read articles like, “Why 

Counting to Three Doesn’t Work,” by Bill Corbet, 

I realize I may need to rethink a few things! 

However, I will be keeping Dr. Pausch’s life 

story in the back of my mind as I forge ahead 

on the road of motherhood. 

Which articles do you find the most helpful? 

Remember, we love hearing your ideas and 

feedback. Find us on Facebook or drop me an 

email! 

Hoping you feel lucky this month! 

Kirsten Johnson 

Editor 


PARENTAL 

GUIDANCE 

MAGAZINE 

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR 

Debra Brunner 

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dbrunner@premieremg.com 

EDITOR 

Kirsten Johnson 

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kjohnson@premieremg.com 

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Heather Felton 

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KID 

CRAFT 

CORNER 

Textural 

Woodland 

Friend 

Have fun with your kids discovering different 

textural components you can use to make a 

cute wall hanging for their bedrooms! 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 

• Paint 

• Fabric Glue 

• Scissors 

• Paintbrush 

• Pencil 

• Art Canvas 

• Multiple 

Textured Art 

Supplies Or 

Things From 

Around The 

House 

6 PG MAGAZINE March 2012 

1 

2 

3 

DIRECTIONS: 

Step 1: 

Paint your canvas a background 

color if you want to. Trace or 

freehand a picture of an animal 

or something else the kids love 

(rainbow, sports ball, etc.). If you 

have kids that are a little older 

you can add numbers to each 

section to make it a create by 

number. 

Step 2: 

Layout which supplies you want 

to go in each space to make sure 

they fit the way you want them 

to before you start glueing it all 

down. 

Step 3: 

Glue down all of the 

pieces. Remember you can paint 

or color sections also. (The body 

of this fox was paint with sand 

mixed into it to give it a fun 

feeling for the kids.) You will 

watch as your picture comes to 

life and they will love touching all 

the different components!

family 

Discovering the 

Bright Spots: 

A Mother’s Journal 

In the summer of 2009, there was very little in my life that 

felt familiar. The daily routine that followed my four-year-old 

daughter, Britta’s, preschool schedule had dissipated into a 

summer break. My two-year-old daughter, Elora, had finished 

her first round of chemotherapy to treat a tumor surrounding 

her optic nerve and she was scheduled for the first MRI since 

her diagnosis. Moreover, our family had grown on the morning 

of June 26th when Emery Jayne Watkins was born. I was 

no longer a mother of two. I had three daughters now and I 

found joy in the turmoil of the newness and unknown in their 

embraces. I found peace in writing. 

July 16 - Elora and Charlie went to clinic ending the treatment cycle 

BY LEAH WATKINS 

EDUCATOR, MOM 

as I was still recovering from my C-section. Elora had her lowest blood 

counts so far, so she received just one of the two medications and 

returned home. Monday was Elora’s first day of her two weeks of rest. 

When she woke she asked if she could go see her nurse and go to the 

clinic. We told her she could stay home and play, but she was disappointed. 

What a pumpkin! It is so amazing to experience Elora's peace 

and divine joy. She loves life and is not slowed by whatever limitations 

this tumor is placing on her. 

July 24 - Let me begin by thanking all of you for your prayers especially 

the last two days. 

continued on page 8 ➤➤➤ 


family 

DISCOVERING THE BRIGHT SPOTS FROM PAGE 7 

Elora had an eye appointment Tuesday and her MRI the following 

morning to assess the effects of the chemotherapy on her tumor 

and the impact of her tumor on her eyes. 

The whole process was smooth, and Elora handled it all with a 

calm and willing attitude. She was excited to see her eye doctor 

and to have "pictures taken of my brain." Her approach makes it 

all so much easier for us, and when we are at ease, it reassures 

her. 

The feedback that we received from her eye doctor was positive. He 

assessed Elora and then looked at his findings from April to compare. 

He then turned and smiled at us. He told us how pleased he 

was with what he saw. He loved seeing her happily maneuver 

around the office and need us very little. He feels her visual abilities 

have not declined since April however she does have a vision 

deficit. He determined that she is currently operating with one eye 

at a time. When not in use, the other eye shuts down and drifts 

inward. As you can imagine seeing is difficult for Elora and we 

see her frustration at times. The clumsiness, depth perception 

issues and difficulties "finding things," he felt are due to the 

tumor as well as being a two-year-old still fine tuning spatial 

acuity. He stated that he felt her tumor had not grown due to 

what he saw. He closed by saying, "Remember mom and dad no 

growth is positive. God bless you." We didn't need him to tell us 

that God is blessing and caring for all of us. God is good, and we 

feel His love. 


Youngerman 

Center 

for 

Communication Disorders, 

Diagnostic and Treatment Services 

Speech-Language and Hearing services 

for children of all ages. We provide 

evaluation and treatment of a variety of 

disorders including speech production, 

understanding and use of language, 

stuttering/fluency, auditory processing, 

pre-literacy skills, and voice. 

The Center participates with many 

health insurance plans. Non insured 

individuals pay a minimal fee on a 

sliding scale based on income. 

To make and appointment 

or for information, 

call 673-3203. 

Elora’s oncologist just phoned the results of Elora’s MRI. He sees 

a slight decrease in the bulkiness of the optic glioma. Success is no 

growth and huge success is any decrease. 

We are filled with great joy. 

We pray that the chemotherapy continues to shrink Elora's tumor, 

that she continues to maintain her vision, and that she continues 

to physically and emotionally handle the treatments. Monday she 

starts back up with treatment. We pray that her white blood counts 

have rebounded. 

July 28 - Yesterday we had a family visit to the clinic so that both 

Charlie and I could see Elora's MRI scans. We saw the scan side 

by side with the scan from April. The best way to describe what we 

saw was that the optic nerves and the point at which they merge 

looked less cloudy, more defined. What a great feeling! 

Everyone was happy to see Elora’s bright smile back in the clinic 

and excited to meet our little peanut Emery. Elora began her next 

round of treatment after her blood counts came back with significant 

improvements. Clearly, the last two weeks (with no treatment) 

were good for her body allowing time for healing. 

August 6 - Monday went off without a hitch. Elora was able to 

receive both of her medications. I wonder if the staff catches me 

staring at Elora in awe as she holds so still for all of the procedures 

and maintains an unbelievably positive attitude. When we 

returned home, there to greet us was a smiling daddy, a happy 

Britta, and a sleeping newborn. 

August 19 - Yet another successful treatment completed week 16. 

I am so thankful that Elora’s little body is as healthy as it is and 

that it is able to work overtime. It is important for her to get treatment, 

but it is also important to avoid hospitalization and transfusions. 

We have begun Elora’s two weeks of rest. Charlie and 

Britta left last night for a mini trip to Illinois so that Charlie 

could do his paperwork for the US Marine Corps ending his activation 

and beginning his reserve time again. When I talked with 

them today, they were having a great time together and will be 

home again tomorrow evening. 

I am enjoying my time with Elora and Emery. As I sit feeding 

Emery, Elora sits with her baby doll feeding, burping, and holding 

her "Emery." These moments I will treasure forever. 

The love I felt for my children and the love I received from 

family and friends was enough to pull me through the 

heaviest moments and give me something wonderful to 

hold. I was finding the bright spots and was determined to 

continue the search. Join me again next month as I continue 

my discovery. ■ 

Leah Watkins grew up in Jamestown, New York. After graduating from 

Houghton College, she began teaching. She is married to Charlie Watkins. 

Together they have three daughters, ages 2, 4, and 6.

family 

Adventures of a 

Greenhorn Dad 

Music to My Ears 

OK, so now it's been a little over a month. When I originally 

started writing this column, I intended on spewing my 

thoughts on a weekly basis. Well, news flash for the new dad: 

there hasn't been any time. 

Exactly 5 weeks and 1 day after my little bundle of Viking was 

born, I am finally sitting down to write my first column as a 

dad. The Little Viking is sound asleep in her Under-the-Sea 

themed swing and nestled snugly in her swaddle. Oh wait, 

she's up... 

BY JASON K. BUSSMAN 

TEACHER 

15 minutes later...OK, now she's back down again. I just spent 

the past 14 minutes dancing to some music with her. It took 

her about 2 minutes to close her eyes, 3 more to breathe like 

she was sound asleep, and the remaining 9 minutes for me to 

keep dancing and make sure that she's down for the count. 

Now to the point of this column: Over the past 5 weeks I have 

learned a great deal. Oh, I still have eons to go in my learning 

process as a Greenhorn Dad: that much is blatantly obvious 



family 

ADVENTURES OF A GREENHORN DAD FROM PAGE 9 

every time I watch my father-in-law simply touch my daughter's 

back and put her to sleep. He must be a Viking Magician 

(Did the Vikings even have magicians? No, I think they were 

just barbarian warriors, I could be wrong). Anyways, he's a 

master at the fine art of massaging the Little Viking so she settles 

down and falls asleep instantly. 

On to what we have learned. The most valuable thing that I 

have learned is the fact that our daughter has a tremendous 

gift for quality of music. She must have inherited this ear for 

music from myself, or my wife, or even further back to my 

father and mother. It's amazing how simple things like playing 

music during the day bring forth memories of my own childhood 

as I sit and watch my daughter enjoy the same tunes my 

parents played for me. Bands like Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, 

Simon & Garfunkel, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, and The Beatles 

were staples in my household growing up. In the Little Viking's 

short time here on the planet, she has already been subjected 

to this music as well as other, newer bands like Modest Mouse, 

Duffy, and the like. 

I remember the old adage, "Music soothes even the savage 

beast." Every time I hear it, for some reason the image of Bugs 

Bunny playing a music box for a lion comes to mind. After I 

saw this visual and it imprinted on me as a child I stopped 

really thinking about it. Then, along came my daughter. 

Oh, she's stirring. Hold that thought. 

OK, I'm back. 20 minutes of dancing this time did the trick. 

Now she's out for the count. Oh crap. She's up again. 

OK, now I'm back again. For real, she's out like a light this 

time. I just realized I haven't given any props to my mother-inlaw. 

Well, to be honest, there is probably not enough props to 

be given to that lady. She gave us a heating pad which has 

since allowed the Little Viking to go immediately back to sleep 

when laid in her crib after a 3 A.M. feeding instead of being 

jolted awake by an ice-cold bed. Her calm demeanor has 

worked wonders on my wife, who thanks to her mother, is now 

much more calm when handling crises that arise than I have 

ever seen her. I could go on and on, but I'll stop for the sake of 

you, the reader. 

So, in closing, our Little Viking is acquiring a profound taste 

of good music. From The Beatles to Dave Matthews, Chicago 

to The Raconteurs and Kings of Leon, she is hopefully going 

to grow up to not listen to the Justin Biebers of the world. Oh, 

and on one final note: our daughter is captivated every time 

we play her songs from the "Concert for George Harrison" - an 

excellent sign of things to come. ■ 

Jason K. Bussman is a high school English teacher in the Southern Tier area. 

Originally from Buffalo, NY, he now resides in Lakewood, NY. 

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education 

Homework 

Survival Skills 

Ihave three girls in the 4th grade and I am barely passing. 

I feel like my dad did back in the 70’s when he complained 

about the “new math” and how he couldn’t explain it 

to me. Even since my older kids have been in 4th grade, the 

ways that some subjects have changed is amazing. Kids have 

more homework than they ever have and 4th grade is one of 

the most stressful elementary years with state tests and developing 

study habits. 

Needless to say, homework time at our house is a matter of 

survival, for me and the kids. Now that we’re half way through 

the school year, we’ve learned a few tricks that I would like to 

BY DODI KINGSFIELD 

TECHNICAL SERVICES SUPERVISOR, FREELANCE WRITER & 

AUTHOR, FORESTVILLE 

share in hopes that others find something useful for their family 

to use. 

QUIET PLACE 

Some kids like to do their homework in a quiet place and 

some don’t. For the quiet ones, create a space away from 

household distractions or other siblings doing their homework. 

Put a desk or build one in their room or use the breakfast 

nook while others use the dining room. My daughter uses 

my bedroom (with my permission) where she can read without 

interruption since others can’t go in there. Kids love nooks 



education 

HOMEWORK SURVIVAL SKILLS FROM PAGE 11 

and crannies, so find a fun spot where they can curl up quietly 

and concentrate. 

TURN OFF DISTRACTIONS 

If a quiet place won’t work, it may be as simple as getting 

rid of the distractions for your child to get through their 

homework. Turn off the TV, the radio, keep toddlers and 

pets out of the homework zone, and remove cell phones or 

video games, and no accepting house phone calls from 

friends. Keep your child focused on the homework by keeping 

the house noise and activity level to a minimum. 

CREATE BACKGROUND NOISE 

While this contradicts what I just said, some kids just need a 

little background noise to drown out the rest of the house. 

Classical music, turned down low, is just right for not distracting 

the kids while they concentrate at the table with 

their homework. If you can’t handle classical music, find 

the music of your choice, as long as the kids aren’t sitting at 

the table singing along or playing air guitar instead of multiplication 

tables. 

HEALTHY SNACK 

For kids that do their homework after school, they often 

come home starving and can’t begin to concentrate until 

their bodies have some nourishment. Serve up a healthy 

snack like a bowl of cereal, yogurt, fruit and a glass of milk 


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or veggies and dip. Don’t serve too much to spoil their dinner, 

but enough to get them through an afternoon of hard 

thinking. If homework time is after supper, avoid sweets 

desserts or wait until after homework time so they can focus 

without the sugar buzz. 

DEVELOP STUDY HABITS 

Some kids struggle with homework simply because they 

haven’t developed good study habits yet. Use index cards, 

highlighting, rewriting notes, reading multiple times, mock 

tests, reading out loud, listening to someone else read and 

other study tools until they become habits. Study groups 

work with older kids or encourage the use of the teachers’ 

online tools if available. Bring books home to re-read chapters 

and do the test questions at the end for practice. And 

you can always ask the teacher for extra credit work. 

TIMING 

Different times of the day work for different kids and families 

when it comes to doing homework. Some are able to do 

their homework right after school, while others wait for 

their parents to come home from work. Self-motivated students 

are good at completing homework in study halls or 

even on the bus ride home. Find the time that works best 

for your child when they can concentrate best on their work 

and not get frustrated. 

MELTDOWN SURVIVAL 

The great thing about 4th grade is that it also comes with 

meltdowns, and one of the most preferred times is during 

homework. Learning how to survive meltdowns has 

been the most crucial skill for me personally. What works 

with one child won’t necessarily work with all, but these 

things have helped my household get through particularly 

rough nights of multi-function word problems and 

throwing pencils. 

Regrouping is the key. Sometimes I have to postpone homework 

until the morning. They just can’t do it and frustration 

level is high. Get up early and it’s done in five minutes. 

That’s all it takes. Other times, I have the kids take a bath 

or shower and do their homework afterward. You can also 

go for a walk or just talk. Often the meltdown can be caused 

by a frustrating event at school and they just need to get it 

out of their system before moving on. Don’t fret over the 

meltdown. They obviously need to have one and it feels 

good to get it out. And remember, water dissolves cranky. 

If you’re a parent like me that’s just trying to help, I hope 

one of these ideas allows you and your child(ren) to survive 

another night of long division and prepositional phrases. 

It’s helping my family; I hope these skills can help yours. ■ 

Dodi Kingsfield is a writer and mother of five talented and unique children. 

She has been married for 25 years and resides in Forestville, New York with 

cats, dogs, chickens, ducks and lots of toads. Her expertise includes health and 

wellness, family matters and unique perspectives on life. Dodi also works in 

industry as a regulatory specialist.

education 

March 2012 PG MAGAZINE 13 

Suggested Reads 

for Mom & 

Dad 

THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU, by Jonathan Tropper. 

5 books out of 5 () 

One of my favorite books, This Is Where I Leave You is pure 

adult reading fun. I enjoyed Jonathan Tropper’s novel for so 

many reasons: I laughed out loud on numerous occasions, the 

writing is exceptionally clear, the characters are beautifully 

flawed and real, and Judd Foxman’s narration is profound 

with a dash of bawdy. 

After years of blissful separation, the Foxman siblings are 

reunited by their father’s last wish. Although an atheist, the 

Foxman patriarch wanted his entire family to sit Shiva: to 

spend the seven days following his funeral together as a family, 

under one roof. 

When Judd and his sister and two brothers return to their suburban 

childhood home, their mourning is overshadowed by a 

variety of family dynamics as the week spins out of control. 

The relationship between Judd and his brother Paul is dominated 

by old resentment and awkwardness, Judd's sister 

Wendy secretly reconnects with her past, and the chronic 

screw-up Phillip continues his patterns. The infamous directness 

of Judd's mother, Hillary, a celebrated parenting expert 

despite her children's difficulties, adds even more tension and 

humor to the week. The bomb that Judd’s mother reveals near 

the conclusion is just one of the many hilarious and touching 

BY LAURA DEMERS 

LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST, 

WARREN AREA HIGH SCHOOL 

events that helps her children reach epiphanies about their 

own lives. 

For Judd, these seven days are an attempt to make sense out 

of the mess his life has become. While grieving for his father, 

Judd is newly separated, unemployed and living in a basement 

apartment, all thanks to the long-term affair between Judd’s 

wife, Jen, and his boss, Wade. As if this isn’t enough, on the 

day Judd’s dad dies, Jen stops to tell Judd she’s pregnant. 

Hilarious, sad, and hopeful, This Is Where I Leave You is as 

much about a family's reckoning as it is about one man's 

attempt to get his life back together. This Jonathan Tropper 

novel is a hilarious, raw story about love, marriage, divorce, 

family and acceptance. Any adult who has a family, has been in 

a relationship, or has experienced dysfunction will surely 

enjoy this novel. 

ODD GIRL OUT: THE HIDDEN CULTURE OF AGGRES- 

SION IN GIRLS AND ODD GIRL SPEAKS OUT: GIRLS 

WRITE ABOUT BULLIES, CLIQUES, POPULARITY, 

AND JEALOUSY (Revised and Updated), by Rachel Simmons 

ODD GIRL SPEAKS OUT: GIRLS WRITE ABOUT BUL- 

LIES, CLIQUES, POPULARITY, AND JEALOUSY, by 

Rachel Simmons. 5 books out of 5 () 

continued on page 14 ➤➤➤

education 

SUGGESTED READS FROM PAGE 13 

When Odd Girl Out was first published, it became an instant 

bestseller and ignited a long-overdue conversation about the 

hidden culture of female bullying. 

Today the dirty looks, 

taunting notes, and social exclusion 

that plague girls’ friendships 

have gained new momentum 

in cyberspace. 

In this updated edition, educator 

and bullying expert Rachel 

Simmons gives girls, parents, 

and educators proven and innovative 

strategies for navigating 

social dynamics in person and 

online, as well as brand new 

classroom initiatives and stepby-step 

parental suggestions for 

dealing with conventional bullying. 

With up-to-the-minute 

research and real-life stories, 

Odd Girl Out continues to be the definitive resource on the 

most pressing social issues facing girls today. 

As Rachel Simmons toured the country after writing Odd Girl 

Out, the bullied girls found their voices and spoke to her about 

their pain. Mothers, teachers, counselors, young professional 

women, even fathers, came to 

Rachel with heart-wrenching 

personal stories that could no 

longer be kept secret. 

Here, Rachel creates a safe place 

for girls to talk, rant, sound off, 

and find each other. The result is 

a collection of wonderful 

accounts of the inner lives of 

adolescent girls. Candid and disarming, 

creative and expressive, 

and always exceptionally selfaware, 

these poems, songs, confessions, 

and essays form a journal 

of American girlhood. They 

show us how deeply cruelty flows 

and how strongly these girls 

want to change. 

Odd Girl Out helped girls find their voices; Odd Girl Speaks 

Out helps them tell their stories. ■ 

Laura Demers and her husband, Dave, have been married for 8 years and 

have 2 sons, ages 5 and 2. Laura is currently a library media specialist at 

Warren Area High School, where she spent the past 6 years teaching English. 

Prior to her work in education, Laura was a technical writer and editor in 

North Carolina for 8 years. 

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education 

Educational 

Aspects of Child 

Care Programs 

BY HEIDI WOODARD 

RESOURCE & REFERRAL COUNSELOR, 

CHAUTAUQUA OPPORTUNITIES 

When you are looking for child care, you must keep 

many factors in mind. Some of these factors will include program 

quality, location, hours, cost, and other factors that you 

consider in your specific 

child care search. 

However, it is also 

important that 

your child 

care program 

and child care 

providers have 

developed a 

strong educational 

component to their 

program. You want your 

child to get the highest 

quality program available, 

and you want your child to be 

learning and developing while 

they are in child care. 

If you are looking for a child care 

provider, make a list of questions 

you will ask each provider. These 

questions can include “what is your 

program schedule?” or “what educational 

aspects do you incorporate 

into your program?” Another question you can ask the 

provider is “how do you ensure your program will make my 

child school ready?” When you are looking for child care you 

want to have a pretty good idea of what your 

child will be doing and learning before 

you place 

your 

child in a 

program. You 

want to make sure 

the program meets your 

standards. 

When assessing the educational 

nature of the program, ask what 

items your provider uses to 

enhance the educational aspect of 

their child care programming. Are 

their plenty of art supplies? Are the 

children allowed to be creative and 

draw a picture that think of on their 



education 

EDUCATIONAL ASPECTS FROM PAGE 15 

own? Are there activities that will require your children to problem 

solve and interact with other the children in a positive way. 

Ask to see the programs activity kits/cupboard. Look to see if 

there are a variety of activities the children can participate in. 

Do the activities cover many different educational topics? 

Also, identify what other educational materials your child will 

be using while in child care (flash cards, blocks, music making 

toys/instruments). What are the specific educational topics 

your child will be learning about? Are science and math 

included in the child care’s programming? How will the 

provider expand younger children’s vocabulary? Are books 

available for the children to read? Are there vocabulary words 

posted around the program so the children can read and recognize 

words? Examples could include labeling the toy storage 

at children’s level, the shelf of puzzles may be labeled ‘puzzles’ 

or a container with paint brushes may be labeled ‘paint brushes’ 

on the container. This will help your children recognize 

and read words of the items they may be using on a daily basis. 

You may also want to know if the provider will expand upon 

what you are teaching your child at home. Keep an open dialog 

with your provider so that your provider will know what 

your concerns are. One of the most important questions to ask 

yourself is will your child be learning and progressing on an 

on-going basis in this child care program? Once you find a 

provider that will meet your standards, be sure to have a good 

understanding of how their program runs, and what your 

child will be learning. Talk to your provider on a daily or 

weekly basis regarding what your child is learning. 

Some ways to recognize if your child is learning new ideas and 

concepts in child care are if they start talking about the new 

things they are learning. They may also bring home worksheets 

they have done, or projects they have completed. Talk 

to your children about what they are learning. Ask your children 

open ended questions so they can explain their work. An 

open ended question is a question that will require an explanation 

versus a yes or no answer. 

Together with your child care provider you can ensure that 

your child will be learning and developing. Touch base with 

your provider to see what new concepts they are implementing 

in their program. Also, discuss your child’s progress. Does 

your child excel in any areas? Is your child having difficulties 

in other areas? As a parent you have many responsibilities 

regarding the care of your child. Learning, development and 

education are especially important for your child’s well being 

throughout their lifetime. ■ 

Heidi Woodard is a resident of Jamestown, NY. She graduated from Jamestown 

Community College with honors, and earned an Associates degree in Social Sciences. 

She also graduated from SUNY Fredonia with highest honors earning a 

Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. She is currently employed with the Chautauqua 

Child Care Council a service of Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. 

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ook reviews BY 

PRE K-1ST 

NOTHING LIKE A PUFFIN 

BY SUE SOLTIS (Candlewick Press, 2011) 

* * * 

What is like a puffin? 

A ladder? A house? A 

newspaper? A snake? 

Wait a minute! Some 

of these things are a 

little like a puffin. A 

newspaper is black 

and white. A snake 

hatches from an egg. 

Some things are a little 

like a puffin and 

some things are 

more than a little like a puffin. But 

there’s really nothing like a puffin. This brightly illustrated 

picture book is a great introduction toways of comparing 

contrasting things. Use it in to examine the things 

around you with your favorite little young person. Read 

it and see what you can find that is a little like a puffin. 

Or a frog. Or you! 

VALLE BLAIR 

CHILDREN’S LIBRARIAN 

JAMES PRENDERGAST LIBRARY 

2ND – 4TH 

A BOY CALLED DICKENS 

BY DEBORAH HOPKINSON (Schwartz & Wade Books, 2012) 

* * * 

This is a story of Charles Dickens 

boyhood. If you have ever 

read or seen a movie of A 

Christmas Carol and felt sorry 

for some of the poor children 

in it; well, Dickens wrote about 

them from his own experience. 

He was one of those 

poor children during a portion 

of his life. The story is 

about when his father was 

thrown into debtor’s prison 

for not paying the baker. His mother 

and the younger children went with him because they 

had no place else to go. Charles worked to earn a little 

money each week to take care of himself and help his 

family. But through it all, his mind was filled with stories 

and characters based on the people he saw around 

him. His favorite thing was to sit at night with his pencil 

and slate and write out the stories that swirled in his 

head. When his father was freed, he was finally able to 

go back to school. Charles Dickens kept his childhood 

a secret for a long time, but it is a story worth knowing 

and realizing what can happen when a child’s dreams 

come true. 

MIDDLE SCHOOL 

CAMO GIRL 

BY KEKLA MAGOON (Aladdin, 2011) 

* * * 

Ella and Z, it was always and only Ella 

and Z. She had to protect him and take 

care of him. Because he didn’t see the 

world the way the rest of us do. Reality 

was twisted to fit a world he could 

cope with; a world that fit his idea of 

what was right. At this time he was fixated 

on King Arthur and knights. So 

she tried to make everything that 

happened fit into that world so he 

wouldn’t get upset. That’s a pretty tough order in sixth 

grade. And she has her own problems. Her blotchy skin 

has earned her the nick-name of Camo-Face from 

Jonathan Hoffman and his basketball cronies. Then Bailey 

James moves to town; the only other black kid in 

school. And he smiles at her. Could he really like her? But 

what about Z? When Z freaks out and disappears and Ella 

and Bailey have to go find him because that’s her job, to 

protect Z. But is she really helping? Or just making things 

worse? Does Ella remain loyal to Z or does she strike out 

on her own? If you’ve ever felt on the bottom of the social 

heap, this book will speak to you. And if you haven’t, read 

it anyway. 

HIGH SCHOOL 

THEN I MET MY SISTER 

BY CHRISTINE HURLEY DERISO (Flux, 2011) 

* * * 

Summer is 17 going into her senior 

year and has been living in the shadow 

of her “perfect” older sister who died 

in a car accident when she was 17 

going into her senior year. Summer 

has become rebellious and resentful of 

constantly being compared to her sister 

Shannon. Shannon’s mother is 

very controlling and her father is very 

complacent and they both never seem 

to listen or understand Summer. 

Many things change that summer when her Aunt 

Nicole gives her an early birthday present which is a diary 

she found when she was helping to clean out Shannon’s 

room. She kept it hidden all these years not wanting to 

expose Shannon’s mother to anymore heartache. Summer 

slowly comes to “know” her older sister for who she 

really was through the entries in her diary. Her own perceptions 

of her sister, herself and her parents begin to 

take on new meaning. There is drama and intrigue 

throughout the story as Summer’s thoughts keep being 

drawn by one sentence that caught her eye in the pages 

near the end of the diary, the nagging question she needs 

to answer, was Shannon’s accident really an accident? 

Review by Mary Ann Zimmer 


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education 

A day in 

the life… 

Recently, I had the honor of sitting in on our daughter’s 

multi-age preschool class. By honor I mean that I wrote 

my name on the sign-up sheet outside the hall but to me it 

was an honor, a pleasure, and just some real fun to see what 

happens during a day of preschool. 

An ordinary preschool day for us would be rushing down the 

hall, taking off Caidence’s coat, switching her boots to shoes, 

and me doing the old, and ever so disgusting lick of the finger 

to get the crusted oatmeal off her face from breakfast followed 

by a smooch and a swat on the butt in a “go get’em 

tiger” kind of fashion but this fine Thursday morning was no 

ordinary day that we were about to have. Mama was going to 

school today to “observe”. As we walked in, it almost felt as if 

it were my first day. I have been in the room so many times, 

and seen those sweet little faces so many times, but today was 

different. I was a mom and I was entering their territory. It 

was fun for me to watch some of the kiddos as I entered. 

Some were eyeing me up pretty good and others could have 

cared less and went about their business. 

BY MARY RAPP 

There were several stations of fun set up for us to play with, 

and of course I spied the play dough station and secretly 

hoped that she went for it…she did. We sat there and shaped 

our dough into the heart shaped molds and heard about 

Caidence’s BFF’s family trip to Erie for her mom’s birthday. 

Before I knew it, there was a little boy at our table, chatting 

with me as if I had been there all year long. It wasn’t long 

before I realized that he was sizing me up, but I was happy to 

entertain his curiosity. Once he got his fill he was onto the 

next thing. At this point my perfectly shaped heart molds 

were becoming less and less perfect. I couldn’t help but take 

in everything and everyone around me: the smell of the 

home-made peppermint play dough and the busyness of the 

kids finding what it was that they were going to play with or 

create during their free time. I then noticed a sweet little girl 

who had been watching us for a while finally start to walk 



education 

A DAY IN THE LIFE FROM PAGE 19 

over to fill in the last few empty hearts on the tray. I started to 

smile because of all the different personalities around that filled 

up that preschool room, and I had only been introduced to a few. 

We did various activities throughout the day, and their attendance 

routine was one of my favorites. It wasn’t just your run of the mill 

attendance. The kids had to participate, engage and really take a 

look at their peers and take notice to who was missing. It wasn’t 

just counting who was there, or a teacher calling a name for a little 

voice to say “here”. The kids had to figure out how many of 

their classmates were missing and as they went around the circle 

guessing, one child said five, the next four, and you guessed it the 

next three, and so on. This made me giggle. It was predictable 

and cute. Then a little boy needed a tissue, and you would’ve 

thought that he got the golden ticket. All of a sudden many of the 

little ones came down with runny noses and needed one too. At 

one point during constructive play time, I heard a group of them 

talking about a show on TV and some saying they didn’t like it. Of 

course everyone in the group agreed. One of them being my 

daughter whom I know likes the show. She followed it up with 

“my little brother watches that show,” which again made the evesdropping 

mama smile. 

It really was something though because as much as they ‘joined 

the majority’ in certain circumstances, in others they were completely 

different, taking their own stand. During floor time there 

were some that sat right up front but didn’t participate as much 

and some shouted the answers from the back. They are finding 

what works for them and building up their confidence in the 

process. Preschool is a beautiful thing because it encourages this 

in every single moment of their day. While the children waited 

their turn to work on one of their masterpieces for the art show, 

they had free time. The kids could choose what activity or station 

would occupy their time, all the while learning to do this with the 

others. They were ‘in charge’ of their own time and with it they 

had responsibility and ownership of those precious minutes. They 

were learning to work with each other, learning to share, and 

learning to be their own person. 

I have to say I was sad when our class was over. I would’ve stayed 

there all day long, stuck in that moment. I loved to watch 

Caidence with her peers, and more so, I loved to meet who our little 

girl gets to share five hours a week with. I loved watching their 

little personalities mesh and work together, and even loved to see 

them clash because with it they learned resolution. I thought 

about so many little moments that happened throughout that 

morning for days after my visit. It brought me so much happiness 

to see these little people who we are raising, come into their own, 

and even more happiness to know that this is just the beginning 

for them. I feel like I owe these little sweets a ‘Thank You’ for letting 

me take a glimpse of what exactly goes on in a day in the life 

of a preschooler. To be honest, it was a really great day! ■ 

Let’s 

celebrate National Social Worker 

r 

APPRECIATION ION MONTH! 

March is National Social Worker Appreciation Month. Why would we 

want to show appreciation toward a social worker who works with children 

and families? 

What do they 

do? 

Where are they? 

find housing 

schools 

arrange for jobs 

emergency rooms 

 

provide for medical assistance 

social services agencies 

help with schools 

day treatment programs 

arrange for positive social outlets 

Social workers 

settle for making less and giving more; it isn’t a profession to 

get into if you 

want to be a millionaire. But still, all in all, you will not find 

a 

better job if you wish to help out our society 

and protect the innocent. 

Creative, 

Constructive, 

Compassionate! 

sionate! 

www.resourcecenter.org | 716-661-1057 




Child Abuse 

and the 

Developing Brain 

BY MARY ROCKEY, PH.D., BCBA 

DIRECTOR OF PUPIL SERVICES, 

RANDOLPH CENTRAL SCHOOL 

A recent study out of Boston suggests that emotional 

abuse in the early years appears to shrink a key region of the 

brain that regulates emotion, memory, and learning. The 

study is a counterpoint to recent research that found that children 

who were nurtured early in life were more likely to have 

larger brain centers for memory and emotion. In many ways 

both of the studies support the same notion. 

Previous studies have linked the hippocampus to a host of 

activities. It is thought to be important for forming, sorting, 

and storing new memories and for processing emotions. But 

the hippocampus is also vulnerable to stress. Studies have 

found that people and animals exposed to stress hormones 

over a long period of time have smaller hippocampi than 

those who are not similarly stressed (Goodman, 2012). 

Researchers believe that between the ages of three and five, 

this part of the brain is especially sensitive to stress. It is 

important to note that this study looked specifically at emotional 

and verbal abuse, stressing that lack of nurturing and 

berating children were the most common examples given 

from participants in the study. Researchers further state that 

as parents, we may not see the results of this until years later, 

when the child reaches adolescence. Brain scans however, indicate 

that in those who experience verbal and/or emotional 

abuse, the hippocampus can be smaller than in those who do 

not report such types of abuse. 

The author goes on to say “You have to be careful in terms of 

ridiculing and humiliating children". Parental verbal abuse is a 

severe stressor that's comparable in magnitude to sexual abuse 

or witnessing domestic violence. Think of this when you get a 

little angry and yell a little too loudly at your children. 

Yet, there is good news. "Things like vigorous exercise will 

change it. Mental stimulation will influence it," Teicher says. 

"Changes in the hippocampus are plastic and can be modified." 

This is a great reason to get off the couch and outside to play 

a little ball with your child, or take a walk. ■ 

Mary Rockey, Ph.D., BCBA is the Director of Pupil Service at Randolph Central School.

WHAT’S UP 

Q: What is the cause of my child’s 

vomiting & diarrhea? 

A: The most likely cause of these common symptoms is a viral 

gastroenteritis, a virus affecting the stomach and GI tract. This is a viral 

illness that is often seen in children and adults at any time of the year. 

Is this the illness that is prevented by the flu shot? 

No, it is a common misconception that the “stomach flu” is the same as 

the seasonal influenza that we can get vaccinated against. 

What are other common symptoms seen with viral gastroenteritis? 

This illness will usually cause vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain 

and sometimes fevers. Some children will also experience headaches, 

lethargy, dizziness, and poor appetite. 

How long should I expect this to last? 

Viral gastroenteritis can last anywhere from 24 hours to 1 week. 

How is this treated? 

There are currently no medications that can successfully treat this illness. 

The goal in treating gastroenteritis is to effectively treat the symptoms 

involved. The most important thing to do is make sure you child drinks 

plenty of clear fluids and stay hydrated. A bland diet (sometimes referred to 

as the BRAT diet) should be followed until symptoms resolve. Good foods 

to offer your child while they are sick are toast, crackers, bananas, rice, jello, 

etc. You may also give you child the recommended dose of acetaminophen 

or ibuprofen for any fevers, headaches, or body aches. Foods to avoid are 

dairy products, sugary drinks, spicy and greasy foods. 

When should we seek medical attention? 

It is important to take your child to his or her pediatrician if there are any 

signs or symptoms of dehydration. A child may be dehydrated if they have a 

decrease in urinary output, dry mouth or lips, and/or dizziness. If there are 

any signs of dehydration or the symptoms are lasting longer than a few days 

then it’s a good idea to seek medical attention. 

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Fetal Alcohol Spectrum 

Disorders: Education, 

Prevention, Intervention 

BY TESS KERZNER, LMSW, LMHC 

CHILDREN'S SERVICES COORDINATOR, 

THE RESOURCE CENTER 

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) describe the 

range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother 

drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects on the developing 

fetus may include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or 

learning disabilities, with possible lifelong implications. 

During each trimester of a pregnancy, the central nervous system 

and brain are developing in the fetus. Alcohol exposure 

from the mother drinking can affect the fetus’ developing 

brain structure and brain function in the nervous system, 

resulting in brain impairments, motor abnormalities, neurobehavioral 

disorders, language disabilities, and behavioral manifestations 

later in the child’s life. 

According to a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental 

Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), one in every 100 

babies born each year is affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. 

However, what is found is that FASD is usually not identified 

until children reach school age. It is likely that there are children 

with FASD in every school system, but they are not identified. 

They may have learning problems and attention problems, 

and struggle with the curriculum. 

Children with FASD can have diminished cognition with significantly 

low IQs. For example, inconsistent performance is common. 

Material that is learned one day is forgotten the next, 

then is remembered two or three days later. This is frustrating 

for students, who are trying hard, but without consistent success. 

Teachers may think that the child is simply not paying 

attention. Other common learning challenges faced by these 

children are poor grasp of abstract concepts (such as time or 

money); developmental delays in language, motor, and social 

skills; difficulty reading social cues for appropriate behavior; 

poor sensory integration; and math deficits (counting money, 

making change, maintaining budgets, reading clocks). 

There are human and financial costs to FASD. Parents raising 




FASD FROM PAGE 23 

children with clearly diagnosed FASD report clinically elevated 

levels of stress. This correlates with secondary problems such 

as anxiety, attention deficit disorders and depression. It is estimated 

that the median adjusted annual cost of FASD to the 

U.S. economy is $3.6 billion. Lifetime cost per individual with 

FASD was $2.9 million. Annual state cost estimates vary 

depending on population. More information can be found on 

SAMHSA’s website (www.fasdcenter.samhsa.gov). 

So, how much is too much to drink when pregnant? The 

answer is simple: there are no safe amounts. Pregnant women 

are advised to abstain from all alcohol use, a long-standing 

federal advisory that is also supported by major professional 

societies. 

What if it is too late? What can you do to support a child that 

you suspect may have FASD? Get an evaluation by a qualified 

professional experienced in diagnosing FASD. This could be 

your pediatrician or a referral from your pediatrician. Also, 

educate yourself on intervention strategies that can help your 

child during his or her formative years. 

Early interventions for individuals with FASD should be a high 

priority for parents seeking help for their child. Research suggests 

that appropriate environmental enrichment and motor 

training have the potential to improve behavioral and learning 

outcomes. 

Children benefit from consistent, unwavering structure and 

positive reinforcement. A parent should look at the child’s 

strengths and think about what the child can do. Parents and 

teachers can use bridges to help a child/student reach his or 

her goals. For example, Velcro sneakers allow children to independently 

dress themselves, even if when they cannot tie a 

shoe. Minimize transitions, and give clear and specific instructions 

of upcoming changes in advance. Use a verbal or clock 

signal that a transition is coming. For example, before a specific 

television show is over, tell your child that after the show, it 

will be time to brush teeth and get ready for bed. As the child 

is brushing his/her teeth, you remind the child to pick out the 

book they want to read before bed, and so on. Using visuals 

cues or schedules to reinforce transitions can help the child to 

predict what will come next. Having a schedule or a checklist 

can help your child prepare for transitions (such as preparing 

for school when he/she gets up in the morning). 

For parents and teachers, there is an article on the SAMFSA 

web site titled: “Reach to Teach: Educating Elementary and 

Middle School Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.” 

This article gives more ideas on how to work with children 

with developmental delays and provides a thorough 

understanding of FASD. 

Remember: One drink may be too many for pregnant women. 

Why risk it? ■ 

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Bounce A Lot Playland. This 

place is great to bring your 

kids to play, burn some energy, 

or plan an awesome birthday 

party there. We offer different 

party packages and a whole 

lotta fun! Come check us out! 

HOURS: 

Monday: 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm 

Wednesday: 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm 

thursday: 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm 

friday-saturday 11:00 am - 9:00 pm 

sunday 11:00 am - 6:00 pm 

10% off 

any party 

package 

booked anytime 

during the 

week. 

Field Trips Excluded. 

Expires 4/30/12 

www.lakewoodbouncealot.com 



8 Waiting Room Time 

Killers for Kids 

PORTABLE PLAY STATION: 

Turn a sandwich bag into a bona fide play station. 

Not only can you throw in some of your child’s 

favorite mini toys, but you can also get creative. 

Here’s some fun alternatives that your child may 

not have thought of playing with: 

SIMPLY, YARN. 

About two feet of string is very compact, yet 

entertaining. Not only is it great for classics like 

Cat’s Cradle, but with a little bit of preparation, it’s 

perfect for lacing cards—basically shapes that can 

be threaded using yarn. If you have a tiny 

fashionista, weave it in a braid through her hair for 

a colorful, temporary accessory. Or, you can simply 

hand it over to her and let creativity run it’s course. 

LACING CARDS. 

These durable, portable pictures are easy to store 

flat, exercise fine motor skills, and make your kid 

feel like a little seamstress. To make your own, cut 

out a shape from thick-colored paper, laminate it, 

and punch holes at equal intervals along the edge 

with a hole puncher. Ta-da! Your child will love 

threading the yarn to create a “hand-sewn” craft. 

THE STAPLES. 

Sometimes the old classics are the best. Stick some 

of your child’s favorite coloring books along with 

some crayons. Got a kid who prefers puzzles to 

pictures? Toss in books with word finds, picture 

finds, mazes, and Sudoku with crayons or even just 

paper and pencils. She’ll have the option of 

coloring in her favorite characters, or flipping a 

page over to pen a poem or play a game of tic-tactoe. 

KID-FRIENDLY SMARTPHONE APPS. 

The solution for long wait times can be as easy as 

pushing a few buttons on your smart phone. 

Playing with age-appropriate apps such as Rock ‘n 

Addition UnderSea Adventures or K12 Timed 

Reading Practice provide a quiet, amusing way to 

help your kid practice math or reading skills. Be 

sure to silence the sound to avoid annoying any 

patients or staff in the waiting room. 

Paper clips: Paired with yarn, these become 

fantastic fishing poles. Or, clip to ear lobes or 

fingertips to get fancy. 

Scarves: These inexpensive, lightweight colorful 

squares of fabric are perfect for encouraging free 

play. 

Tiny magnets: Little critters, people, and 

shapes that can stick to metal furniture legs—or 

even a fold-up metal setting that’s stashed in your 

bag. 

HIDE-N-SEEK…IN A BOTTLE! 

This homemade game starts with a clear water 

bottle or the tube tennis balls come in. 

Measure enough small beads to mainly fill the 

container with about an inch of air space. 

Mix into these beads an assortment of items; like 

a penny, Barbie shoe, paper clip, small plastic 

animals, player tokens from games, or anything 

that fits a theme your child likes. Make sure you 

record what is hidden amongst the beads. 

Then pour the mixture into the container. Seal it 

tight, using tape if you have to. 

Your kid will enjoy finding the tiny trinkets as they 

move and roll the bottle around. If there is too 

much shaking noise room, just add a few more 

beads. And if your child becomes bored, just 

switch out the items for a new batch!

k id sca 

co 

ok 

n 

recipe cards 

SPONSORED BY: 

tuna cheesies 

tortilla rollups 

194 FLUVANNA AVE. • JAMESTOWN, NY 

703 W. THIRD ST.• JAMESTOWN, NY 



chicken nuggets 

pb quesadillas 






k i ds c a 

c o 

o k 

n 

recipe cards 

SPONSORED BY: 

TORTILLA ROLLUPS 

INGREDIENTS 

1 (8 ounce) package 

cream cheese, softened 

1 cup sour cream 

1 (1 ounce) package dry 

fiesta-style ranch 

dressing mix 

1 cup chunky salsa 

1 1/2 cups shredded 

Cheddar cheese 

10 (10 inch) flour 

tortillas 

DIRECTIONS 

In a medium bowl, mix 

the cream cheese, sour 

cream, fiesta-style ranch 

dressing mix, chunky 

salsa and Cheddar 

cheese. Spread even 

amounts of the mixture 

onto the tortillas. Roll 

tortillas and chill in the 

refrigerator until ready 

to serve. 

To serve, slice the 

chilled, rolled tortillas 

into 3/4 inch slices and 

arrange on a large 

serving platter. 

TUNA CHEESIES 

INGREDIENTS 

2 (6 ounce) cans tuna packed 

in water, drained 

3 tablespoons mayonnaise, or 

to taste 

1 teaspoon celery salt 

1 teaspoon onion powder 

1 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/3 cup chopped celery 

1/3 cup chopped onion 

1/4 cup chopped yellow bell 

pepper 

2 tablespoons butter 

3 English muffins, split 

6 slices American cheese 

6 slices fresh tomato 

DIRECTIONS 

Preheat oven to 200 degrees 

F (95 degrees C). 

Flake the tuna into a medium 

bowl. Mix in the mayonnaise, 

celery salt, onion powder, and 

garlic powder. Stir in celery, 

onion, and yellow bell pepper. 

Butter English muffin halves, 

place them on a baking sheet, 

and bake 3 minutes in the 

preheated oven, until lightly 

browned. Remove from oven. 

Spoon tuna mixture onto each 

muffin half, and top each 

with a slice of cheese. Return 

to the oven, and continue 

baking until the cheese has 

melted, about 8 minutes. 

Remove, and top each with a 

tomato slice to serve. 

PB QUESADILLAS 

INGREDIENTS 

1 teaspoon butter 

1 (10 inch) flour 

tortilla 

2 tablespoons 

peanut butter 

2 tablespoons grape 

jelly 

DIRECTIONS 

Melt the butter in a 

skillet over medium 

heat. Spread one 

side of the tortilla 

with peanut butter. 

Fold tortilla in half 

so that the peanut 

butter is on the 

inside. Place folded 

tortilla in the skillet, 

and heat 2 minutes 

on each side, until 

lightly browned. 

Slice into wedges, 

and dip in the jelly 

to serve. 

CHICKEN NUGGETS 

INGREDIENTS 

4 skinless, boneless chicken 

breasts 

2 eggs, beaten 

1 tablespoon water 

1 teaspoon chopped fresh 

parsley 

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 

1 pinch crushed red pepper 

flakes 

1/2 cup dried bread crumbs, 

seasoned 

1/2 cup wheat germ 

1 teaspoon dried basil 

1 teaspoon ground black 

pepper 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

DIRECTIONS 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees 

F. Spray a baking sheet with 

non-stick cooking spray. 

Trim any fat from chicken and 

cut into 1 inch cubes. 

In a bowl beat the eggs with 

the water and add the chicken. 

Combine the parsley, thyme, 

red pepper, bread crumbs, 

wheat germ, basil and ground 

pepper. Stir in the oil with a 

fork and mix well to distribute 

evenly. Pour seasoning 

mixture into a resealable 

plastic bag and the chicken 

pieces to coat. 

Place coated chicken pieces on 

the prepared baking sheet and 

bake at 425 degrees F for 10 

minutes, turn the pieces and 

cook for an additional 5 min. 


MARCH 2012 

k i dZ o ne 

a world of imagination 

We have created a series of special puzzles, stories, games and more 

to be featured here in our “KidZone” each month. All are intended to 

promote fun for the children along with offering educational value. 

SPONSORED BY: 


WORD SEARCH 

Account 

Acres 

Angriest 

Arise 

Bangs 

Basis 

Bread 

Carriage 

Carts 

Cheer 

Chewed 

Claws 

Cliffs 

Counts 

Creep 

Ditch 

Elves 

Fence 

Foods 

France 

Hasn’t 

Horns 

Hotel 

Keeps 

Level 

Maids 

March 

Oasis 

Paths 

Pedal 

Person 

Plank 

Possess 

Promise 

Relay 

Scatter 

Sheets 

Slant 

Snaps 

Socks 

South 

State 

Stern 

Sticker 

Swift 

Swords 

Tests 

Thief 

Tired 

Title 

Tunnel 

Walks 

Waves 

Weren’t 

Wreck 

IT’S A-MAZE-ING! 

just the facts 

SOLUTION ON KIDZONE 6 

CUTTING ONIONS RELEASES A GAS 

WHICH CAUSES A STINGING SENSATION 

WHEN IT COMES INTO CONTACT WITH 

YOUR EYES. YOUR BODY PRODUCES 

TEARS TO DILUTE THE IRRITANT AND 

REMOVE IT FROM YOUR EYES. 

ALTHOUGH HUMANS ARE OMNIVORES 

(EATING BOTH PLANTS AND ANIMALS), 

MANY PEOPLE CHOOSE NOT TO EAT 

MEAT AND FISH, THEY ARE KNOWN AS 

VEGETARIANS. THOSE WHO DON’T EAT 

OR USE ANY PRODUCTS MADE FROM 

ANIMALS (INCLUDING EGGS, DAIRY 

PRODUCTS AND HONEY) ARE KNOWN 

AS VEGANS. 

CHINA IS THE LARGEST PRODUCER OF 

GARLIC, PRODUCING OVER 10 MILLION 

TONS IN 2008 AND ACCOUNTING FOR 

OVER 75% OF WORLD OUTPUT. 

KID ZONE 2 


c oLoR me ! ! 

KID ZONE 3 



sudoku 

Place a number between 1 and 9 in each empty cell so that 

every row, every column and every 2 x 2 box contains all the 

numbers 1 to 9. 

ANIMAL NATION 

KOALA 

Phascolarctos Cinereus 

IF YOU EVER MEET AN ELEPHANT 

(To the tune of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” 

or “Glory, Glory Hallelujah”) 

If you ever meet an elephant who wants to join your band, 

it’s the sort of situation that will never go as planned, 

so you’d better tell him “No” and try to 

make him understand, 

before he starts to play. 

KID ZONE 4 

First he’ll stumble and go crashing. 

Then your stuff will take a bashing. 

He’ll be dancing as he’s smashing. 

He’ll act like this all day. 

Then you’ll never make him leave because 

he’s happy as a clam 

and it doesn’t make a difference if you yell at him to scram 

when the only thing he wants to do is jump around and jam 

and never go away. 

He’ll be walloping and whacking. 

Then you’ll need financial backing. 

So you’d better send him packing 

before he starts to play. 

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is an tree-living herbivorous 

marsupial native to Australia, and the only living representative of 

the family Phascolarctidae. 

HEIGHT: Koalas on average grow to be 2 feet tall. 

WEIGHT: About 30 pounds. 

LIFESPAN: As long as 17 years, although high mortality rates (due 

to car fatalities and dogs) for males seeking mates lower their life 

expectancy to 2 to 10 years. 

DIET: Koalas consume eucalyptus leaves and bark from 12 different 

eucalyptus tree species. They also consume mistletoe and box leaves. 

Koalas consume eucalyptus leaves and bark from 12 different 

eucalyptus tree species. They also consume mistletoe and box leaves. 

POPULATION: There are fewer than 100,000 koalas in the wild. 

RANGE: The koala’s historic range stretches across Australia. 

Today they can be found only in Queensland, New South Wales, 

Victoria, and South Australia. Koalas prefer to live in eucalyptus 

forests, coastal islands, and low woodlands. 

BEHAVIOR: Koalas are nocturnal mammals and sleep for up to 16 

hours a day. They are arboreal, which means that they live in trees. 

They do not live in big groups but rather prefer to be alone. 

REPRODUCTION: Koalas breed once a year. Gestation lasts 35 

days, after which one koala is born. The baby koala is very small 

when it is born, and lives in its mother’s pouch for five to seven 

months. After this time, koalas gradually become independent and 

survive on their own. 

CLIMATE CHANGE & OTHER THREATS: Once numbering in 

the millions, koalas suffered major declines in population during the 

1920s when they were hunted for their fur. Today, habitat 

destruction, traffic deaths, and attacks by dogs kill an estimated 

4,000 koalas yearly. 

Increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere from climate 

change are crippling their food supply, reducing the available 

nutrient level of the already deficient leaves, according to 

researchers from several Australian universities. Soon these treeloving 

marsupials may not be able to get the protein they need to 

reproduce. 

Both species are already threatened by other problems: Koalas face 

drought, development and exotic species; and butterfly fish face 

exploitation by the aquarium trade as well as coral die-off from 

excessive fertilizer, sediment and pollution. 

Unless action is taken soon, climate change could just be the final 

punch that knocks them off the planet. 

LEGAL STATUS/PROTECTION: Endangered Species Act (ESA): 

Koalas are listed as threatened. 

Australian national laws protect koalas, but each individual 

Australian state is responsible for the animal’s conservation.

FARM ANIMAL GRAPHING FUN 

KID ZONE 5 


i’m learning to print 

sudoku solution 

KID ZONE 6 



behavior 

Clearing Clutter 

and Organizing 

During Spring 

Cleaning 

Spring cleaning time is here and it's time to get organized. 

One of the biggest parts of spring cleaning is getting 

rid of clutter that you don't need. Use these resources to clear 

out your stuff. Cleaning will be a lot easier if the clutter is 

gone. An organized home can also save you time and money. 

No more lost bills and late fees or searching for those missing 

car keys. A clean home is also healthier. Healthy families 

equals fewer trips to the doctor. 

Along with spring comes thoughts of crisp, fresh air, newly 

budding flowers, singing birds and a sense of renewal. Getting 

organized and doing a bit of spring cleaning, helps to bring 

that wonderful fresh feeling into your home and office. 

Here are ten tips to help you start the season off right. 

ASSIGN YOURSELF A DIFFERENT TASK FOR EACH 

DAY 

Make yourself a schedule that is comprised of one hour and 

BY JAMIE PORPIGLIA GUSTAFSON 

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER 

one task each day. Your schedule may look something like this: 

Monday: Decluttering 

Tuesday: Dusting 

Wednesday: Vacuuming 

Thursday: Scrubbing 

Friday: Organizing and Rearranging 

Saturday: Laundering 

Sunday: Decorating 

Then, spend one hour each day doing your assigned task for 

each room, throughout your house. You'll be amazed at the 

difference you can make in your home by following this simple 

system. 

USE THE PROPER TOOLS 

When cleaning and organizing, it's important to use tools that 

help you get the job done as quickly as possible. For instance, 


ehavior 

CLEARING CLUTTER FROM PAGE 35 

there are now dusting cloths that allow you to dust quickly and easily, 

without any additional sprays. Just dust and be done with it. 

Rubber gloves will help you deep clean, without drying out your 

hands, exposing them to harsh chemicals, or burning them in hot 

water. Racks can hold mops, brooms and other cleaning supplies 

in one organized place, rather then storing them loose and having 

them constantly tip over. An apron with lots of pockets, can help 

you transport cleaning products from room to room easily, so you 

don't have to keep running back and forth to get what you need. 

BE RUTHLESS WHEN IT COMES TO DECLUTTERING 

If you don't love it, and/or you don't use it, it's clutter. Make it a 

quest of yours to be ruthless when it comes to your decluttering 

efforts. You'll have less to dust, less clutter to look it, an easier time 

finding the things you do use and less stress in your life. 

DONATE OR SELL THE THINGS YOU DON'T USE 

If you have items that you don't use, but are in good condition, 

they are prime candidates to sell or donate. Gather all of these 

items together in boxes or plastic bags. Then, decide whether you 

would prefer to donate them or sell them. If you choose to donate, 

consider giving them to your local Salvation Army, or perhaps 

even a shelter or orphanage in town. Many of these organizations 

will even pick up your donations for you. If you choose to sell, you 

might set a date for a yard sale. Or, take some photos of these 

items with your digital camera, and put them up for sale at an 

online auction web site. 

MAKE YOUR SPRING CLEANING AND ORGANIZING FUN 

Don't think of it as a chore. Instead, think of it as a 'feel good' exercise--one 

that will really help you to feel good about yourself and 

your clean and organized environment. Play some lively, fun, 

upbeat music. Dance your way through your home or office with 

your dust rag or vacuum. Get the family involved. Give everyone a 

task, and then do something relaxing afterwards. Set timers and 

play 'beat the clock.' Give yourself time limits for completing small 

tasks, and try to complete those tasks before the timer goes off. 

ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS 

Turn off the TV while you're cleaning and organizing, and let your 

answering machine field your calls. If you have kids, give them 

their own jobs to do, or at minimum, be sure they're occupied with 


something else. The quickest and best jobs are accomplished when 

there are no distractions. 

MAKE YOURSELF A CHECKLIST 

Make a checklist of all springtime jobs that you only do once or 

twice a year. Perhaps you might bring your large comforters to the 

laundromat, bring your drapes, and winter coats, to the dry cleaners, 

store your winter clothes and bring your warm-weather clothes 

out of hiding or check the smoke detectors. If all of these odd jobs 

are on a list, you won't forget to do them. Then, try to do at least 

one or two of these odd jobs per week, throughout spring. 

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE INSIDES 

It's important to clean and organize things that are in sight all of 

the time. But, it's also important to remember those items that are 

out of sight. Spring is a great season to organize your closets, cabinets, 

drawers, bins, boxes, pantry and other inside storage areas. 

Give yourself that spring feeling, both inside and out! 

ENJOY THE WEATHER WHILE YOU'RE WORKING 

Do some outside organizing and yard work, so you can be accomplishing 

something, but also enjoying the nice weather at the same 

time. Gather your gardening and planting supplies in one place. 

Replace old and broken tools. Perhaps you might even get a gardening 

caddie to store your good gardening tools. Clean the 

garage. Keep the garage door open while you're doing so, so that 

you can enjoy the nice weather. 

OPEN YOUR WINDOWS 

There's nothing like taking in a breath of fresh air. As you're cleaning, 

open the windows. You'll be removing musty winter odors, 

protecting yourself from inhaling harsh fumes from cleaning products 

and the fresh air will keep you going. While you're at it, let the 

sun shine in. Open curtains and drapes to give yourself plenty of 

light, for an energy boost. ■ 

Jaimee Porpiglia Gustafson is a Professional Organizer who currently resides in 

Dunkirk with her husband and two children. Organizing and planning have 

been a passion of Jaimee’s since she can remember. She has her Masters in Education 

from SUNY Fredonia and has over ten years teaching experience. She 

also continues to teach part-time throughout the local community. To contact 

Jaimee for organizing services or event planning, you can call 716-679-5979 

or email her at pjaimee@yahoo.com.

ehavior 

Making Abstract 

Art with Children 

“ 

A 

child could have made that!” You have most likely 

said or at least heard that statement in reference to a piece of 

abstract art. Abstract art often goes misunderstood and misrepresented. 

You have to take the time to breakdown and look 

at each of the elements it takes to make an abstract piece of 

art to truly appreciate it. 

Abstract art is a wide category used to define any non-representational 

art; meaning art that does not formally represent 

an object, person or scene. 

Because abstract art is non-representational it focuses more 

on the formal qualities of art like color, line and shape. Also 

focusing on how these qualities can be used to express feelings 

and emotions. 

BY LIZ JONES 

FREELANCE WRITER 

CHILDREN MAKING ABSTRACT ART 

Children enjoy and can benefit from abstract art; it allows 

them to use their imagination, explore art mediums/materials, 

increases problem solving and critical thinking 

along with building their sense of self. 

ART DISCUSSION 

Abstract art is a fun category to talk about with children; it 

gets down to the basics and serves as the perfect example to 

teach the art elements of color, line, shape and composition. 

Look at artwork from famous abstract artists like Jackson Pollock 

(Abstract Expressionist/ Action Painter), Pablo Picasso 

(Cubist/ Collage artist), and Hans Hoffman (Abstract Expressionist/ 

Printmaker). Ask your child what they see, how did 

the artist use color, line and shape to make a picture? What 

kind of feelings do they have about this artwork? 

ART PROCESS 

One of the best things about making abstract art with children 

is it’s a fun and easy concept for them to grasp. They are able 

to learn and focus on how to manipulate the art materials 



ehavior 

MAKING ABSTRACT ART FROM PAGE 37 

they are using without having to think about how to reproduce 

an image of a person, animal or scene. This will help them 

build self confidence as 

they learn how to control 

the paint and 

paint brush, crayons 

or markers to make 

marks and lines on the 

paper. When they get 

into making decisions 

about where to put a 

line or shape, what 

color to use in their 

composition, children 

will strengthen problem 

solving and critical 

thinking thought 

processes. 

Just as you can open 

art discussion with 

your children when 

looking at famous 

works of abstract art, 

you can ask them 

about the art work 

they are making. It’s 

always interesting to 

hear the story behind a 

child’s piece of artwork, also ask them about how they were 

feeling when they made their picture and how did they show 

that in their image. 

PROJECT IDEAS 

The sky is the limit when making abstract art; children can 

explore the world of art through creative play and expression 

learning about themselves and art along the way. Here are a 

couple project ideas to get you started making abstract art with 

your children: 

Stamp It Art: Gather up a variety of recyclables and everyday 

items that represent different shapes and textures; bottle tops, 

card board pieces, yogurt containers, forks, unused comb or 

toothbrush, toy cars, Legos ect. Get out paper, washable paint 

and something to pour a variety 

of colors on. Let your 

kid(s) stamp/dip the different 

recyclables/everyday 

objects into the paint and 

then on their paper. They 

can work on making patterns 

or their own composition. 

Items like play cars, 

forks, combs can be 

dragged through paint on 

the paper to make different 

textures. 

DIY “Kitchen” Printmaking: 

You will need a small 

rolling pin, saran wrap, styrofoam 

tray, dull pencil, 

paper and paint. Let your 

child draw different lines 

and shapes on the tray 

with a dull pencil, be careful 

they do not to pierce 

through the styrofoam. 

Wrap the rolling pin in 

saran wrap, roll through 

their choice paint color 

then roll over the image on 

the styrofoam tray. Next 

turn the tray over and 

“stamp” onto the piece of paper to “print” the image. 

Spin Art: This project is a fun take on action painting, you’ll 

need a kitchen salad spinner, washable paint and paper. Cut 

the paper to size, so that it fits inside the salad spinner. Let 

your child pick their color choices pouring a small amount of 

each onto the paper in the salad spinner. Put the lid on it and 

let them operate, spin the salad spinner. Peak as you go or wait 

till the end to see what kind of image you’ve made; this is a fun 

project for all ages. ■ 

Liz lives in Jamestown with her husband and two young boys. She has a bachelor’s 

degree in Visual Art from SUNY Fredonia. In her spare time Liz enjoys 

exploring the world of art with her children. 



DAY OUT WITH THOMAS TM : 

MYSTERY ON THE RAILS TOUR 

2012 MOVES FULL STEAM 

AHEAD INTO MEDINA 

Thomas the Tank 

Engine TM To Visit May 

11-13 & 18-20, 2012 

Help our favorite No. 1 

engine find the clues and 

solve the mystery! Thomas 

the Tank Engine TM is 

pulling into Medina 

Railroad Museum for 

Day Out With Thomas TM : 

Mystery On The Rails 

Tour 2012 , presented by 

HIT Entertainment, a 

worldwide leader in 

children’s entertainment, 

and sponsored by MEGA 

Brands, a leading toy 

company. This fun-filled 

event offers little engineers 

and their families the 

opportunity to take a ride 

with a 15-ton replica of 

Thomas the Tank Engine, 

star of the popular Thomas 

& Friends TM series. 

Children will take a ride 

along with their favorite 

engine friend on his latest 

adventure and participate in 

Thomas-themed activities. 

The tour, now in its 17 th 

year, will make stops in 

more than 45 US cities and 

is expected to welcome 

more than one million 

passengers in 2012. 

• The opportunity to meet 

Sir Topham Hatt TM , 

Controller of the Railway 

• A Thomas & Friends 

Imagination Station ; 

featuring stamps temporary 

tattoos, hands-on arts & 

crafts, train tables, and 

coloring sheets. 

• Commemorative 

activities, merchandise and 

giveaways including a 

special reveal poster 

previewing new engines 

and a new destination from 

the upcoming 2012 Thomas 

& Friends feature, “Blue 

Mountain Mystery” 

• Storytelling, video 

viewing and live music 

WHEN: May 11-13 & 18- 

20, 2012 

TIME: 9:00 am to 6:30 pm 

WHERE: 530 West Ave., 

Medina, NY 

Tickets for Day Out with 

Thomas TM : The Mystery 

Tour 2012 are on sale now 

and available by calling 

Ticketweb toll-free 866- 

468-7630, or by visiting 

www.railroadmuseum.net . 

Ticket prices are $18 for 

ages 2 and up (service 

charges and fee may apply). 

WHO: Thomas the Tank 

Engine 

WHAT: 

• A 25-minute ride with 

Thomas the Tank Engine 

• Games and activities 

featuring a mystery element 

For more information and 

directions, contact the 

Medina Railroad Museum 

at 585-798-6106 or 

www.railroadmuseum.net. 


Bounce Magic establishment in 

2002 continues to grow and change. 

Our remodeled facility in Orchard 

Park is still a high energy play and 

party facility. This means that you 

and your children can come in and 

play any day of the week at our 

Orchard Park location OR Thursday 

thru Monday at our Amherst 

location. (Amherst is closed on 

Tuesday & Wednesday) If you want 

to have a BIRTHDAY PARTY at 

either location go to our web site 

www.bouncemagic.com or call and 

book with our party coordinator. A 

party at Bounce Magic means there 

is no clean up or set up, we do all 

the work, while you and your child 


Bounce Magic Indoor Play 

& Party Facility 

enjoy making memories with family 

and friends. 

Bounce Magic offers a variety of 

inflatable bounce houses, slides and 

interactive games for all to enjoy. 

Bounce Magic now include craft like 

activities for you and your kids! We 

have the coolest Glitter Art Tattoos 

and Magic Milk Sand art in the 

Orchard Park location. At our 

Amherst location we offer indoor 

gem mining, tattoo’s and colored 

feather hair extensions! Come and 

EAT at Bounce Magic, stop by the 

concession area that offers assorted 

beverages and foods, we now carry a 

GLUTIN FREE pizza. Check out 

our menu the next time you are in 

and see that Bounce Magic is a one 

stop Play, Party and Food facility for 

your family. We know that there is 

sure to be something to please 

everyone. 


Expires 4/30/12

ehavior 

WHY COUNTING 

TO THREE 

DOESN’T WORK 

One parenting 

“gimmick” to avoid and 

what to do instead. 

The following scene is all too common and one I’ve witnessed 

endless times. A toddler or preschooler is in the shopping 

cart and she won’t sit down. Afraid the child might fall 

out of the carriage, the parent orders her to sit down, but the 

child ignores the parents demands. Instantly, the parent “pulls 

out” a parenting gimmick she learned recently and delivers 

the, “One…Two…,” and those of us in the aisle wait with baited 

breath for the final number THREE. At this point, one of 

two possible actions are likely to occur; the child will sit down 

out of fear for whatever usually follows the number three, or 

the child will remain standing and cry or scream in defiance. 

Of course, those of us near this poor mom are wondering what 

she will actually do if the final number three has no effect on 

the little girl. 

THE PROBLEM AT HAND 

Programs that teach parents to count to three are basically 

gimmicks for parents to use to treat the symptom of a behavior 

problem and not the problem itself. They are intended as 

“microwave solutions” for those who are unable to control 

their own emotions or who need a “quick fix” to regain control 

of the situation. Even if one can make the case that these 

“counting” methods do work, it is my belief that they were 

designed to be used in only certain situations and over the 

short term. Adults who read these books or attend the trainings 

make the mistake of believing that counting to three is 

BY BILL CORBETT 

FOUNDER & PRESIDENT OF COOPERATIVE KIDS, 

AUTHOR 

actually a long term solution to misbehavior and try to use it 

in all instances of challenging behavior. What makes it all 

worse is that programs like these are backed by research projects 

and deemed as being evidence based programs promoted 

by some (not all) professionals in the behavioral health 

field. Because of all of this backing, parents easily accept 

counting to demand obedience as a valid method of effective 

parenting. 

WHY COUNTING DOESN’T WORK 

The primary problem with counting to three to create a compliant 

child is the absence of an enormous aspect of effective 

parenting; seeing the world through the child’s eyes. The 

father of individual psychology, Alfred Adler (1870 – 1937) 

wrote extensively about the importance of identifying the 

goals and intentions of any human’s behavior in obtaining his 

cooperation, especially a child’s. One of Adler’s students and a 

famed child psychiatrist Rudolf Dreikurs (1897 – 1972), went a 

step further and actually defined the goals of a child not wanting 

to cooperate. Some of Dreikurs’ goals that provide payback 

for a child to hold out for getting the number three is 

satisfying the need for more attention, power, revenge against 

the parent, feelings of inadequacy, or even just because it’s fun 

to make mommy or daddy get angry. In many instances, the 

child may even be willing to risk personal injury (spanking) or 



ehavior 

COUNTING TO THREE FROM PAGE 41 

not eating (being sent to bed without dinner), just to get these 

basic human needs met. 

THE RESULTS OF A MISGUIDED METHOD 

For one moment, try to imagine what it might feel like if you 

had the desire to get more attention from your significant 

other and it wasn’t being satisfied. Your partner is always too 

busy, gone from the house, or constantly absorbed in something 

else like television or the Internet. You try everything to 

get his or her attention, but to no avail. Then when your partner 

needs something from you, the feeling of resentment rises 

up and you have no motivation to give them what they need. 

They then begin to count with the pending threat that something 

bad might happen if you allow them to get to the final 

number three. Once the number two is announced, you have 

three seconds to decide to comply in order to avoid what 

might happen next, or defy the threat and say, “Bring it on!” 

If this continued to happen over time, what might you be 

motivated to do? Perhaps leave your significant other, or 

become the “good person” and succumb compliantly to a 

tyrannical force. This is what a child may feel who has had the 

“counting” method of parenting used on them on a regular 

basis. 

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD 

If your child is not cooperating with you, it could be a result of 

feeling small and unimportant, or a lack of you establishing 

firm and clear boundaries that she can understand. If you’ve 


been inconsistent and have given in to her demands in the 

past, then she may think, “Why can’t you abide by these 

demands on every trip to the store.” Find ways to help her feel 

powerful and significant by giving her pictures of items to look 

for as you go up and down the aisle. If she feels important to 

you on the trip, she is more likely to help you get your needs 

met. Come up with agreements before going into the store, 

such as letting her pick out the carriage or establishing what 

you are and are not willing to buy on this trip. If she is overtired 

and you’ve taken her shopping with you, there is no 

microwave solution to the problem, she needs sleep. In this situation, 

the best solution is to leave her with a sitter while you 

do the shopping. If this is not possible, you may have to shop 

on a different day. Forcing her to endure the shopping trip 

and comply with your demands does not work for anyone. 

When we make the decision to raise children, we give up some 

rights to have things exactly as we want them, every time. 

Sometimes we have to ask ourselves the question, “Do I want 

to have everything to my liking or is it more important to have 

unconditionally loving relationships with my children who will 

carry on the same with their children?” ■ 

Bill Corbett is the author of the award winning book “Love, Limits, & Lessons: 

A Parent’s Guide to Raising Cooperative Kids” in English and in Spanish, 

and the founder and president of Cooperative Kids. He has three grown children, 

three step children, two grandchildren, and lives with his wife Elizabeth 

teenage step daughter Olivia. You can visit his Web site 

www.CooperativeKids.com for further information and parenting advice.

communication 

T H E J O U R N E Y O F 

E L I M I N A T I O N 

C O M M U N I C A T I O N 

When I was a teenager, my mom gave me a silver 

necklace of an abstract figure running victoriously across a finish 

line. She said, “This is to remind you that life is a journey.” 

I’m not sure what moved her to give me such a token at that 

particular moment, but as a new mom I think about it all the 

time. I’m not one to appreciate the long, grueling processes 

that seem to take up so much of our adult lives. I’ll admit I 

want results the first time; I want things to be simple and easy, 

and the work to get there straightforward. Perhaps my discerning 

mother saw this in me from a young age, and saw that 

I had so much to learn. I am discovering that the processes 

are so important and that we rarely get things right the first 

time. When my husband and I moved into our first house I 

BY STEPHANIE McCRAW 

STAY AT HOME MOM 

was appalled that I couldn’t pick the perfect paint color for 

our bedroom on the first try. (It took three). Now I’m happy 

with the color and I’ve moved on. 

As a mom with a 16 month-old daughter, I am realizing that 

learning to communicate with her is a journey. Recently, I 

wanted to help her potty-train early and avoid the struggle of 

getting a strong-willed toddler to use the toilet, so I came 

across a book on “Elimination Communication” or “EC”. The 

idea of EC is that infants are not born to be comfortable sitting 

in their own waste or going in a diaper, and as soon as the 

parents can recognize some pattern in their elimination (usucontinued 

on page 44 ➤➤➤ 


communication 


THE JOURNEY FROM PAGE 43 

ally around 2-4 months) they should hold them over the toilet, 

or some other vessel designated 

for the use. Otherwise, 

we basically start to 

train the baby to want to go 

in their diaper. 

This was the method most 

likely used by our ancestors 

who had to wash their cloth 

by hand, before the dawn 

of disposables. It’s a very 

natural approach to elimination-independence, 

and 

it makes sense to me 

because it’s intuitive. I 

remember when my 

daughter was a newborn 

and it seemed whenever I 

took the diaper off was 

when she felt free to go. 

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I started communicating 

with my daughter about 

the potty much later than 

most who practice EC. 

When she turned a year 

old I sat her on the potty 

any chance I could get, and 

she was a champ! I was bolstered 

by the fact she was 

going four to five times a 

day and I thought we were 

well on our way to diaper 

freedom. Then came the 

holidays. Our schedule was 

busy and some days I 

would forget all about it. 

After the holidays she started 

teething a lot and didn’t 

want anything to do with the potty. Instead of being frustrated 

or discouraged, I remembered that while potty-training focuses 

on the outcome, Elimination Communication leaves room 

for “potty-pauses” and “misses”. 

These are just moments 

or steps in the learning 

process. Many times when 

you hit a wall, you can stop 

and give up, or you can find 

a creative way to get around 

it. EC encourages changing 

things up, trying new methods, 

and believing you will 

get around that wall. 

Even though we’ve been 

stuck in one of these “pottypauses”, 

I’ve continued to 

communicate with her about 

it on a daily basis. Even if 

you are a busy parent or 

your child is in day-care and 

you are overwhelmed at the 

thought of EC, there are 

small things you can do to 

help them learn. A simple 

thing you can do is pay 

attention to your infant’s or 

toddler’s elimination needs 

and change them often, as 

soon as they go. This will 

help them not get comfortable 

sitting in a wet or messy 

diaper. When you change 

them, talk to them about 

what is going on. Use cue 

words like “wet”, “diaper”, 

“potty” etc. Learn and use 

the ASL sign for potty often 

so they can eventually communicate 

it back to you. 

There are also certain times 

that almost guarantee they will go on the potty, like as soon as 

they wake up in the morning, after a meal, after a car ride, 

right after a nap, or if you feel their diaper is dry and its been 

more than a half hour. 

I definitely feel it’s been worth the effort to start the process 

early. Just this week she took a renewed interest in the using 

the potty, and now is doing more of the initiating. She is very 

aware of when she goes, she makes efforts to sign or pull up 

her shirt when she has to go, and I feel as though our communication 

in this area is getting stronger all the time. I don’t 

worry about the ultimate goal of diaper freedom. I just try to 

concentrate each day on our growing relationship and what 

the next step is on our journey together. ■ 

Stephanie is a stay at home mom and creative writer. She has a bachelors 

degree in English and Philosophy from SUNY Fredonia, and loves to spend 

time researching any topic of her choosing.

communication 

Just Deal with It! 

BY DEBRA FIELD 

MOTHER OF TWO 

There are times when the 

word "sympathy" in a situation is 

the appropriate word, but then 

there are times when the phrase 

"just deal with it" is more appropriate. 

This phrase was brought up to me 

recently by a good friend who was 

going through a trying issue in his work 

life. He wasn't looking for sympathy, 

really, he was looking for a way to have his 

family and friends help him to just deal 

with the situation, live with it, 

manage it and finally get 

through it positively. I personally 

feel that the word 

sympathy pertains to a sickness 

or death of a loved one 

or a mutual understanding 

between people who have 

been through the same type of 

difficult situation. Just "dealing 



communication 

JUST DEAL WITH IT FROM PAGE 45 

with it" pertains to ordinary everyday life and the things that 

you wish you could change or by all means should be 

changed, but they are out of 

your control. 

On a social network I saw a 

phrase that really caught my 

eye. It was a funny saying 

something about why there 

are always bad side effects 

with medications and why 

can't there ever be any good 

side affects listed. How 

come it always seems to say: 

"May cause fatigue, nervousness 

or depression." Why 

can't a side effect be: "May 

cause energy and feelings of 

happiness"? Can you imagine 

how many people would 

WANT to take that pill? 

There are times in all of our 

lives when we feel that we 

are on a high. Everything 

seems to be going our way 

and we can take a deep breath 

and enjoy that for a little while. Notice I said a "little" while. 

Before you know it, something negative comes our way which 

we question. I think we have the good to balance out the bad. 

If things were good all of the time, we wouldn't appreciate 

them. We need unsettling times to appreciate the important 

things we have in life like family, friends and good health. 

We need to teach our kids how to just deal with situations 

when things don't go their way. If we have the "dark cloud 

over your head syndrome" (as I like to call it), our kids will 

feel like that too as they grow up. Sure, there are days where 

we are all entitled to feel that way, but the only way to get 

through this thing called life is to find the peak of sunshine 

through that dark cloud and take control of your own life. 

Once you can find that little break of sun, you will see that 

cloud float on by. Maybe this is the time to look at yourself 

and see what you have the control to change to make things 

work out to better yourself. Maybe it's a new haircut or maybe 

it's to begin some type 

of exercise program 

even if that means just 

walking down the street 

to start. The bottom 

line is, if you tend to 

think negative 

thoughts, you will feel 

that way until YOU 

make the decision to be 

happy and tell yourself 

that you are going to 

take control of your 

own life. If you portray 

confidence about yourself, 

others will see that 

too and this, my 

friends, makes you 

shine. 

We as parents need to 

be as positive as we can 

be with our children. I 

am talking about typical 

everyday life issues here. We all have lost our jobs at least one 

time during our adult lives, some of us more than that. We 

need to teach our children that if we live within our means, it 

won't matter if an unfortunate twist of losing a job occurs 

because we won't be losing the important things in life that 

really matter. When a job is lost, important choices need to be 

made to get through it. Maybe you will have to get rid of some 

of your wants like all those cable channels for a few months or 

downsize that phone that can access the internet. Maybe now 

would be the time you could finally help out and volunteer 

with an event at your child's school since you will have a little 

bit if time on your hands. Our kids love it when we volunteer 

and get to know their teachers. It makes them feel important 

and reassured that Mom and Dad have their best interest at 

heart and are helping them deal with their school years to 

keep them happy, excited, secure and interested. 

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In conclusion, here is my philosophy on 

life: Love with all of your heart, be a 

good listener, laugh at yourself, and 

make yourself limit negative thoughts 

for just a little while. Oh and I almost 

forgot; when it comes to everyday 

annoyances, just DEAL WITH IT! ■ 

Debra Field is married to Darren Field and has two 

children, Andrew and Danielle. She sings in the 

St. James Church Folk Group and works part time 

as the Retirement Distribution Coordinator for the 

Weinberg Financial Group. 



teens 

TEN TIPS FOR 

MANAGING 

OUR TEENS 

BY SYDNEY GIBBS 

The foundation and the key to a healthy, positive relationship 

with your child begins in early childhood and progresses 

into the teen years. As your child becomes a teenager, 

the communication with your child changes. It moves from the 

communication being normally one-way, the parent telling the 

child what to do; to a two-way exchange of thoughts, feelings, 

or ideas. The communication with your child must be both 

active listening as well as talking to your child. 

Active listening is effective when you give your teenager your 

full attention, this means eye contact, and not engaging in 

another activity while listening. Once your teenager has finished 

speaking, then you the listener repeats back to them 

what you heard them say to you. 

10 TIPS FOR TEENS 

• Let Teens Know You Are Willing to Just Listen - to their ideas 

without making judgment, ask questions sparingly. 

When doing this it will foster your teen to feel comfortable to 

share their thoughts and ideas. 

•Be Accessible - Teens often blurt things out or want to talk at 

strange or inconvenient times. Be ready to listen anytime, anywhere. 

Now from personal experience your teen will invariably only 

want to talk when you are on the telephone, or in the middle 

of a talk. No matter how frustrated I felt at the timing (never a 

good time), I knew it was best to end the telephone conversation; 

and/or stop what I was doing to give my teen my undivided 

attention. 

• Try Not to Be Defensive - When teens make generalization or 

critical remarks do not take them personally. They are opportunities 

for discussions. 

This particular tip can be more challenging especially when 

you the parent are sensitive. Usually their comments will be 


teens 

TEN TIPS FROM PAGE 47 

more of an attacking nature, but just know it will be a more 

positive outcome if you don't take it personally. 

• Give Straight Forward Advice or Feedback On Important 

Issues - such as sex, drinking and drugs, but do not keep 

repeating it. They need to hear you and they do hear you, 

even if they pretend indifference. 

In this area I give examples that they could relate too, like 

family members, close family friends, who had experienced 

these issues. I found it made it more real when it was someone 

who they know that was experiencing those same issues. 

• Talk About Yourself Sometimes Instead of the Teen - They 

hate to be the only topic of discussion. 

This is an effective tip when you share your life, your growing 

up experiences when you were faced with the same or similar 

challenges. It makes you relatable and real to them, because 

often they view you as perfect. 

• Set Up and Use Family Time to Your Full Advantage - Get 

input from each person on rules as well as on the consequences 

of breaking rules. Sign agreements, try them out, 

modify as needed. Relax and have fun. 

• Give Lots Of Praise And Positive Feedback - Show care and 

concern. Teens need to hear the ‘good stuff' just like the rest 

of us. They need to know you love them for who they are 

inside, as well as what they can do. 

This is really important to do with anything; you must put 

something positive and constructive into the discussion. 

• Give Them Responsibilities with Every Privilege - that's real 

life. Make them earn what they want and differentiate 

between wants and needs. 

• Teach Them to Deal with Information and Make Decisions- 

Teach them to think critically about what they see or hear, as 

well as how to sort out and prioritize information and to 

accept the consequences of their choices. 

This point is key to allow them to develop, it help them develop 

analytical thinking. It's important to allow them to go 

through their oral thought process, and assisting them with 

their decisions, and the consequences of their decisions. 

• Eat Together - Provides family time to talk and foster feelings 

of warmth, love, and belonging. 

This is really essential element to stay connected in a relaxed 

fun way. ■ 

Courtesy of Articlesbase.com. 


Seven Things to Do When 

a Teacher Calls Home 

DON’T GET DEFENSIVE. 

Your first instinct may be to get defensive or deflect 

blame. However, butting heads with school staff is not 

only unproductive, it can cause unnecessary tension 

with your child’s educator. “The parent must commit to 

seeing her child’s behavior from the teacher’s 

perspective,” says Bill Corbett, author of Love, Limits, & 

Lessons and the executive director of Cooperative Kids. 

Remind yourself that simply addressing a problem is not 

an attack on your parenting techniques. 

ISOLATE WHAT’S WRONG. 

Take time to clarify the behavioral problem with the 

teacher before discussing a solution. Listening to an 

explanation of the context in which the problem occurs 

will not only help you cool down, it can also shed light 

on a possible solution to the problem. Corbett suggests, 

“Ask the teacher to describe specific behaviors she has 

seen so that the parent can identify and watch for them 

in the home setting.” 

BRAINSTORM POSSIBLE REASONS FOR 

BAD BEHAVIOR. 

You know your child better than anyone, and can 

advocate for his needs, so it’s your job to get to the 

root of the problem. Think of things that might be 

influencing your child’s behavior, such as changes at 

home, marital issues, and problems with sleeping and 

eating. 

DEVISE A PLAN TO CREATE CHANGE. 

Once you get the facts, ask the teacher what you can 

do to help, and find out what has already been done. 

Then make a plan together. What would you 

two like to see your child doing in a 

few weeks? A month? Suggest 

ways the teacher can help in 

the classroom, and listen 

to her suggestions 

for changes you 

can make at 

home. You may think you know best, but remember— 

teachers have ample experience dealing with hitting, 

bullying and other problems. 

TALK TO YOUR CHILD. 

Ask how he sees the problem and listen to his opinion. 

Take his version of the story seriously. You may discover 

why he is misbehaving or that he doesn’t know what 

behavior is expected of him. Explain why his actions 

were unacceptable, and make it clear you won’t 

tolerate mischief during class. 

CONFESSIONS AND CONSEQUENCES. 

If your child admits he acted badly, it’s important to 

have him apologize to anyone he may have hurt, and 

suffer the consequences of his actions, whether that 

be taking away a favorite toy or banning TV for the 

week. On the other hand, if he comes clean right away 

be sure to thank him for being honest. When he 

knows you’re concerned and you want to work 

together, he may be more willing to change. 

ARRANGE TO FOLLOW-UP. 

Consider meeting with the teacher, principal or school 

psychologist to stay on top of the situation. Creating a 

unified front with educators will encourage both sides 

to effectively address any future problems, and work 

together to find solutions. If necessary, the school can 

also point you in the direction of alternative resources 

outside of school to help your kid deal with any 

emotional issues he may have. 


F ido 

FEATURE 

YOUR DOG’S GOOD LOOKS 

START FROM THE INSIDE OUT 

Let’s face it - when it comes to a dog’s looks, people often think 

that theirs is the most gorgeous they’ve ever seen. They hold 

their head high on walks around the block, and think no dog at 

the park stands a chance against their pooch’s appearance. 

But constant grooming and doggie outfits can only go so far - 

real beauty lies in a dog’s overall health. After all, inner health 

equates to real outer beauty. 

Following are a few tips to help your dog look and feel his best 

to help bring out his inner beauty: 

1. STAY ACTIVE - When you’re on-the-go, it’s easy to 

neglect your dog’s exercise regimen. On days when you’re 

dashing out to make it to the office in time for a 9 a.m. 

meeting, oftentimes your morning walk leads you to the closest 

tree and back again. It’s no surprise that when you have guests 

over, they comment about Fido’s rounder belly. Set your alarm 

a few minutes early so your dog can get the activity he needs to 

keep the weight off and keep his healthy figure. 

2. CLEAN YOUR CANINE’S CANINES - Like you, your 

pooch may not love getting his teeth cleaned, but it’s certainly 

not a step you want to overlook. It’s important to keep an eye 

on your dog’s teeth, as oral health issues can be both a 

symptom and cause for other health problems, including heart 

disease. Not only 

do your dog’s 

pearly whites 

enhance its smile, 

good oral care 

can help prevent 

health issues too. 

3. GIVE ‘EM 

SOME LOVIN’ 

- Although you 

think your dog 

may be the best, 

does he know 

that? Giving your dog extra cuddle time and pats on the back 

can help enhance your dog’s mood. How you act toward him 

will only help boost his confidence in your relationship, as well 

as his connections with other humans and dogs around him. 

4. EAT RIGHT, LOOK GREAT - You may realize that 

selecting foods with natural, nutritious ingredients can make 

all the difference for your dog’s health. However, for a 

difference you can see, choose a dog food with high-quality 

natural ingredients, fortified with vitamins, minerals and trace 

nutrients, like Nutro Natural Choice dog food, that target 

specific needs of your pet. Benefits include a healthier skin and 

coat, healthy joints to help enable range of motion (especially 

important when your dog shows off his tricks at the park), 

great digestibility (for easy clean-up) and keeping your dog 

lean. 

Although it may be fun to keep up with the latest fashions and 

looks for your pet, don’t forget to keep an eye on his health. 

When all is said and done, you’ll be happy you focused on the 

benefits that keep your dog looking great and feeling great as 

well. For more information on the visible difference provided 

by Nutro Natural Choice dog food visit www.nutro.com. 

Courtesy of ARAcontent

PG Magazine - March 2012 - Jamestown | Post-Journal

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