Mary Manz Simon's Blog, page 17

Self-care on vacation?

Like generations of parents before them, Millennial parents are struggling to find the elusive sense of balance in the middle of busyness.

The need for parent self-care is being reflected in time designated for parent relaxation as family travel is planned this summer.

Although the goal is to return home feeling rested and relaxed, a healthy balance for mom and dad can still be elusive when on vacation.

Cross-shopping

Remember when running to the store simply meant that?

Grocery shopping has become complicated! Kids have so much input on what we buy, it’s hard to keep track of individual preferences. Plus, children seem to change those preferences weekly based on what’s worth trading at the lunch table.

Simply filling the pantry requires active thinking and planning around busy schedules, value, convenience and oh yes, there are budget and nutrition concerns, too. Cross-shopping multiple stores might increase quality and menu options while reducing cost, but it certainly is exhausting.

VR struggles

Although there’s a lot of chatter about VR (virtual reality) data show that children aren’t frequent users.

Concerns about exposure to inappropriate content via VR is a major issue for parents. In addition, health concerns, lack of knowledge and cost are contributing to the slower than expected consumer acceptance.

Summer reading lists: a new reality

After horrific school shootings and incidents of violence during this past school year, elementary and junior high summer reading lists include at least title with a theme of survival.

Some books are set in catastrophic events that really happened; others are fiction, but most showcase personal resilience and strength.

Middle graders are especially attracted to these adventures. Whether tied to a specific historical event, the environment, a character or person, stories on lists this summer might have a new reflection of realism. What a sad commentary on the times in which we live.

Shame on who?

There’s nothing fun about the “Shame Game” some parents play.

Online shaming, or disciplining a child by embarrassing him on social media, is nothing more than adult bullying.

As an early childhood educator, I know children begin to care about their reputations as young as age five. I’m horrified by some of the incidents shown online.

Public shaming of a child sadly reveals an adult bully who needs to learn more effective parenting techniques.

Forgive, forget and read

An amazing number of treasures are uncovered each spring, as students clean out backpacks, desks and clothes drawers to mark the end of the school year.

Last fall, the three major public library systems in New York City offered a single day of unconditional amnesty to everyone age 17 and under who had late fees. What a benefit, for students whose accounts had been blocked because they hadn’t paid the fees.

I was hoping other library systems might offer a similar program of unconditional amnesty to mark the end of the school year. Reading lists will be coming home soon, and it would be wonderful to forgive and forget, so students could dig into books this summer.

Phoneless summer fun

There’s still time to plan a phone-free summer vacation.

Now trending, parents can even hire travel companies to provide child-friendly itineraries that are totally phone-free. Some adventure companies use the marketing ploy, “no cell service,” to attract those who want to kick the smartphone addiction.

Although some hotels offer unplugging as an amenity, others add a fee for offering an “unplugged retreat” or digital detox.

Kid power

“Where should we eat tonight?”

Researchers say that 90 percent of millennial parents order food from a restaurant at least once a week. Almost half of those restaurant visits include children.

Have you noticed how marketing campaigns target kid-friendly

themes? Both fast food and fast casual restaurants have obviously been paying attention to data: nearly half of parents let their children answer the question, “Where should we eat tonight?”

That’s real kid power.

Where’s my pizza?

If your kids pester you with that question, Domino’s will give you the answer. Their app will track your order.

Perhaps you talked to Dom (the voice assistant) when you ordered, or simply ordered via Twitter using their pizza emoji, but however you order from Domino’s these days, technology is involved.

Smart speakers, smart families

Moms and dads are using voice-activated speakers to help them parent.

Researchers say parents use smart speakers to make lists, manage the family calendar, check sports scores and search for information about local sites.

But smart speakers also fit into the daily routine for kids: they like listening to music and asking to hear jokes.

Sounds like kids already see the benefits of a digital assistant!