Encouraging Young Writers: Make a Writing Caddy

by Valancy

Whenever I am writing a grocery list, my kids love to highjack my pen and paper and fill the page with their own scribbles. My son, who is four, enjoys making his own lists and telling me what each scribble means (usually his favourite foods that he wants to buy at the store). My daughter, who has just turned two, specializes in covering up my own words with ink first, and then filling the rest of the page with loops or a series of vertical lines.

I know that this enthusiasm for making their own marks is an important precursor to literacy and writing skills, and I’ve read the expert advice that says to encourage these developing skills by making writing materials readily available. The thought of toddlers and preschoolers with free access to Crayola can strike fear in the hearts of parents. Especially those with white couches. I had never really shared that worry when firstborn my son was younger, as he was naturally cautious and was very good about keeping his art more or less on the paper. His younger sister, on the other hand, tends to be a bit more carefree and experimental. I have to admit that over the past year or so I’ve reserved crayons and markers for supervised craft time exclusively, and then only in locations with surfaces from which crayon and maker are easily washed off.

However, now that my two-year-old daughter can (usually) be trusted not to draw on the walls and the furniture, I figure it is time to have some writing and drawing materials available whenever the kids wanted to use them. Looking around the internet for some inspiration on how to best organize the supplies and make them easy to access for the kids, I discovered this lovely writing caddy from PlayfulLearning.com

I love the fact that everything is neatly contained and organized, and the caddy is portable, so the kids could use it wherever they were inspired to write – at their own kid table in the family room, the coffee table in the living room, the kitchen counter, etc.

While you can buy this caddy, stocked or empty, directly from PlayfulLearning.com, it is a bit out of my budget. As a more affordable alternative, I bought an inexpensive cutlery caddy, and stocked it with art supplies that I already had on hand. I found this great bamboo caddy on Amazon.ca, which was perfect because it had one long cubby that is perfect for storing paper.  (Tip: if looking online try searching for “cutlery” or “flatware” caddy.)

I did splurge and purchased some high quality children’s pencil crayons. These Lyra Ferby pencil crayons are short and fat, which makes them easy for small hands to grab, and the triangular shape is recommended by preschool and kindergarten teachers to encourage the development of the proper pincer grip. According to the manufacturer, these pencil crayons are also supposed to have rich colour lay-down and be resistant to breaking, and so far they’ve been living up to those promises. They really are lovely to draw with; they feel so silky on the page. I ordered mine online, but you can also find them locally in Ottawa at 3 Little Monkeys .

I also stocked the caddy with some small empty notebooks, loose paper, envelopes, old Easter Seals and World Wildlife Fund stamps, and other “treasures” from my stationary drawer. To help my son, who is starting junior kindergarten this year, practice his letters, I also found some free letter sheet printables online. (See below for links.)

Both kids loved their new writing caddy right away, and have been using it regularly since.  Even my 26-month old will pull it off the shelf herself when she wants to draw, and both she and her big brother have been surprising good about returning the crayons and markers to the caddy after using them. There have been a few incidents with an uncapped marker too near the couch, but it really has been only a few times. Thank goodness for washable markers and easy to clean microfiber!

Free alphabet printables:

Uppercase & alphabet charts at PlayfulLearning.net: http://www.playfulearning.com/Playful_Learning/Writing_Playful_Learning_Experiences.html

Learning ABC’s worksheets from Classroomjr.com: http://www.classroomjr.com/learning-abc/

Individual letter alphabet handwriting practice sheets from Mywaytoo.com: http://www.mywaytoo.com/Pages/alphabet.html

Block printing alphabet practice worksheets from k12reader.com: http://www.k12reader.com/handwriting-practice-worksheets-block-style-print/

Traceable alphabet worksheets for preschoolers from Kidslearningstation.com: http://www.kidslearningstation.com/preschool/teach-printing.asp

Oh the Lessons They'll Learn

by Frank

It's that time of year again. As home-parents are falling back into their no-kids-during-the-day routines, the kids are back at school. Summer memories slowly being shoved out of the way to make room for science, math, geography and verbs. And that's just what they'll be tackling in school "A". It's the stuff they learn in school "B" that'll make or break them." What's school "B"?" you ask. We've all been to school "B". It's where you learn the big subjects; Courage,betrayal,friendship,fear,despair...and the list goes on. School "B" is known by many names, but for us today, we'll call it the School Yard.

Think about that for a second. What lesson from your childhood do you still carry with you and use on a daily basis? Is it the long devision, what Zr is on the periodic table of elements, what the capital of Botswana is? Or, is how to deal with someone pushing you around, playing fair with others or dealing with a broken heart more inline with what we do daily? The lessons we learn in the school yard are huge and they're the situations that we will continuously deal with for the rest of our lives. Wether you're in the school yard or at the office, dealing with a bully or knowing how to console someone when they're hurt are pretty handy skills to have.

The problem is it's not being talked about enough. Kids will go out to recess and experience stuff that they will remember for the rest of their lives. I can remember vividly a dodgeball game in the second grade (over 30 years ago) when I was the last man standing on my team facing 8 opponents. I was sure to lose. A crowd had gathered to watch me be destroyed. So when I picked-off the last one, everyone cheered and my team rushed me to pat me on the back. Pure awesomeness. Of course I also remember being so ashamed at being picked last for a game that I started to quietly cry and slinked away un-noticed. Not so awesome. These emotions can be tricky to handle as adults much less as children. What I would like to see is an hour, every day, of in-class time dedicated to talking about social situations. You might say that's a bit much, but I don't think so. I know the guy who cut accross four lanes of traffic this morning just to get a coffee could have used some lessons on playing nice with others or a quick lesson on not being such a (fill in your own expletive here). If it isn't being talked about at school, then it's us parents who need to pick up the slack, because the lessons learned in the school yard are the ones that matter most. I don't care how smart Billy is. If he gets to the school yard and kicks around kids smaller than him or if he spends the whole time sitting alone, wishing he were someone else...knowing what the chemical structure of water looks like isn't worth too much.

Need some ideas or a place to start? Check out this handy site on bullying: www.bullyingcanada.ca

Kids need to learn how to deal with everyday situations and emotions. These lessons are the ones we build on and shape who we will be as adults. Play nice with others? That's a good lesson. I use that one every day. It's been 21 years since I've used a long devision. I'm just saying.

So, which life lessons did you learn in the school yard?

Frank Burelle is a Husband, Father, Cartoonist and Photographer from Cornwall Ontario. www.frankburelle.ca twitter@frankburelle

How safe is your car seat?

In the Spring my husband was in a collision with two of our kids. I had no idea that car seats that didn't seem damaged in a collision needed to be replaced, especially not the one that sat empty. Rae gave me some great advice and I asked her to share some car seat safety tips with us here. Thanks Rae! ~Lara by Rae

You know, I've worked in the baby industry for almost a decade, though babies have always made my brain go a little silly and squishy.

I became a car seat technician in 2004 - more about that later. Let's go back to 2002:  We were 20, in university and didn't have a car. We were really mad that you had to leave the hospital via car with a car seat! We had no local family, and just took the bus everywhere.  Thus it became that we had a car seat for L (a bucket seat) that we used for other people's cars.  I had read the manual, but I was never quite sure I was doing it right.

When we got our first car, L was 14 months old. We got a new seat for the new car as she was forward facing (according to the 2002 standard). It was an all black Alpha Omega 3 in 1. It was the best bang for our buck.  I stored the bucket seat in the basement because I knew that we wanted a second baby.

Because having a car seat is mandated by law, I thought for sure there would be a place to have our installation checked.  At that time, the city of Ottawa ran inspections by appointment with a couple of firehalls. The list was always months long. I called A channel and complained loudly.

Sandra Blakie came to see us and did a lovely story. Alas less than 6 months later the city stopped doing it. I have heard many a tale of fire fighters that still do it, though their certifications are long out of date.

I was friends in University with the now Executive Director of Seats for Kids. We talked at length about my complaints and she convinced me to become a technician with her group.  I didn't even know such a position existed, but wanted to learn more! The night after my course, I went home and fixed my car seat.

Since then I have become an instructor in my own right, and now teach other people what I know.

I could tell you a lot of funny or horrible things I've seen since 2003, but instead I'll tell you the most important things you NEED to know about car seats:

1. The best car seat on the market is the one that fits your child and your car appropriately, and that you can use correctly.  What fit in your sisters 2002 car, may not fit in your 2003, or your respective children!

2. Snug is safe! Your car seat should not move more than an inch side to side at the belt path. Don't just jiggle the seat. Try to push or pull it firmly side to side to check.  Your child should also be snug.  This means no bulky coats, bunting bags or swaddling between them and the harness. Dress your child comfortably, buckle the harness and then put blankets or their coat over them.  You want the harness to always be one finger tight at the collar bone, and for the chest clip to be level with the armpits!

3. Projectiles. Look around your car. In a collision what is going to fly around? Everything. Purse, coffee cup, snow brush, lap dog (get a harness for your friend! Seat belts save!), toys, and everything else that isn't secured is going to hit things and people. Keep it in the trunk/get a cargo cover/minimize what you keep in the car!

4. Used Car Seats: please don't buy or use a car seat you are not intimately familiar with the history of even if there is a yellow sheet with a legal blurb and a signature saying it's fine or even if it came from your sister's husbands aunt. You can never guarantee it hasn't been dropped, or in a collision. It's also possible the seat could be expired or have a public notice.

5. Car seats are single user and single collision item. If there is damage to your vehicle you need a new car seat. If you drop a seat from 3' you need a new one - that's a collision. Your insurance will likely cover car seats. Confirm with your broker! If you settle outside of insurance, ask that the seat(s) be replaced.

6. Last but not least. Car seats are for cars and babies are for arms. Car seats have evolved, but they still keep newborns at 40-45 degrees so that they can both breathe and sleep in cars.  45 degrees for long periods is hard on little bodies and studies are starting to show flat head syndrome and SIDS on the rise as we carry our babies more in car seats than caresses. Use a sling, snuggly, Bjorn, wrap, whatever - just leave the car seat in the car!

I bet most that read this are checking their car seats shortly after. If you are not sure about your install or the age of your seat, Ottawa has some great resources:

Seats for Kids (SeatsforKidscanada.com) - a not for-profit, volunteer group that hosts 1-2 clinic per month. They ask for a donation of $20 for paper printing and water costs. Their clinics fill very quickly. They also teach courses once a month!

Ottawa public health runs a phone line and can help you find resources for a car seat if you need financial help. The city of Ottawa no longer offers inspection services in any form.

And then there's me! I'm kind of a Jill of all trades. When I left the insurance world in 2010 I decided to throw all the skills I had on to the table and start Chartreuse Industries.  To promote our Car Seat Inspection services, I'll be giving away 5 free inspections* valued at $30 each. Leave a comment to qualify. Extra entries for following @chartreuseindus on Twitter or liking their Facebook page.  Contest closes Wednesday October 12 at 5 pm.

85-90% of people have their seat installed or use it incorrectly. I hope we can correct yours!

*the fine print:

All winners must have their seat inspection performed by appointment at the Chartreuse Offices (Fisher/Meadowlands). One seat inspection per family. Additional seats will be charged at regular $30 rate.

Happy Birthday Sparty!

This past Sunday Spartacat celebrated his 19th birthday at Saunders Farm.  Spartacat and Saunders Farm = double the fun! This was a sign up event for the Sparty's Kids Club, so for $20 we signed V up, got a cool  Sens cup, some posters and coupons as well as free admission for her and 2-for-1 admission for hubby and I. Deal! Just after we bought our tickets and signed V up we ran in to the birthday boy himself. V *loves* Sparty in theory and on TV. In real life however a 6' tall, fuzzy lion causes her clam right up and cling to my leg. This unfortuntely makes it difficult for me to take pictures of her with the birthday boy, but here he is greeting his adoring public.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neeroc/6207614207/

The nice thing about this event is Sparty is *everywhere* we saw him at the ticket booth, on the attractions, at the shows and everywhere he's interacting with everyone, adults and children alike.  So if you have a little (or big) Sparty fan on your hands, this is a great chance to grab a picture with him.

This is the second year we attended, last year V was just shy of three, and maybe a bit young to fully enjoy the day. Luckily the rocky start didn't mar her fun for the rest of the day, this year she was a partying machine! Saunders has some new attractions, including the Jumping Pillows  (huge airbags):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neeroc/6208128512/

as well as the crowd favorite mazes.  I mentioned this is the second year we've done this, and we have yet to venture in to the mazes. There are so many other things going on, from a puppet show:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neeroc/6208723066/

a corn launch and apple toss:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neeroc/6208719460/

and tonnes of play structures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neeroc/6208720482/

that I'm sure we have several more years before we cover all of the park.

The Sens also had a great bouncy Sparty and gigantic inflated slide set up. We were lucky to be able to pull V off either of them:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neeroc/6208130540/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neeroc/6208129422/

It was too cold for some items like the splash pad, but the rain and damp didn't stop anyone from enjoying the slides, the pumpkin patch or the petting zoo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neeroc/6208205501/

But the highlight for us this year was down this tree-lined path:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neeroc/6208134542/

Yes, for the first time ever we were able to take V with us on a Haunted Hayride!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neeroc/6208039413/

There were some startling moments, but for the most part she really enjoyed the ride. I'm sure it would be  a much different story at night, but that's why they don't recommend the haunted night attractions for children under 10. (Although hubby and I might go back for the hauntings!)

I can't wait for next year's event, the one change I hope they make is that they give a bit more advance notice. We only received our invite on Friday,  which was unfortunately not enough time to let others know in advance. If you have a little Sens fan I highly recommend the Sparty's Kids Club, they usually provide a tonne of loot, great events, tickets for members and discounts to other local attractions. Word is the kits will be available in the Sens stores starting October 15th.

Coreen is a geriatric mother living with her husband (hubby) and 3.75 year old daughter (V). She works in IT Security but doesn't yet know what she wants to be when she grows up. She also blogs at One Day this Blog will have a Snazzy Name (and is open to naming suggestions because really.)

Photography : time to hit print

by Sara If you're like most parents you probably have hundreds if not thousands of photos stored on your computer or your camera's memory card.  And if you're like most parents the most recent photos on your walls are probably from two years ago.

With digital photography it's a lot easier to take and store photographs but it also makes it a lot harder to print and frame them since you can see them anytime you want on your computer.

Here's my advice: Just do it!  Just print your photos.

They don't need to be professional shots; they can be any photo you love, like, or even just a moment you want to remember.  They don't have to be huge: 5x7 or 8x10 will do.  They don't have to be expensive; may I suggest Costco or www.kodakgallery.ca (they ship to your house for $2.99)? They don't need to be professionally framed; all my frames are the Ribba series from IKEA (a nice 8x10 frame, with mat, is $12.99).  If the thought of creating a symmetrical arrangement is stressful then just hang them willy-nilly in a cluster at different heights and different spacing's so that the chaos looks intentional ;)  Or hang just one on each wall (make sure its proportional to the wall - the massive two-storey space in your living room needs more than a 5x7): I hang most of my 5x7's on the those awkward 1.5-3 foot spaces in between doors and rooms.

I have several poster-size enlargements in my living room / dining room / studio and those photos haven't been rotated or changed in over a year.  I'm hoping to get some new shots from our upcoming family photo session to replace the ones that are framed.  The rest of the photos in the house (mainly 8x10's) are changed every 4-12 months.  The photos I take down are either passed on to family members, put in an album, discarded, or, for larger prints, stored in an Artist Portfolio & Presentation Book (like this one, available in different sizes at Michael's).

I think choosing which photos to print is often paralyzing: it's not perfect; not everyone loves it; I'm not sure if I should choose this one or this one; I don't know where to hang it etc.  As a photographer, I still face the same dilemma - too many photos, not enough walls, not enough time.  My first step is always deciding where I wanted to hang photos, choosing what size frames I wanted on those walls, and then choosing the photos to fill those spaces.

Sara is a photographer and mom to a 5-year-old ” firefighter” and 3-year-old “monkey”.  You can also find her at her blog, My Points of View.