Mary Manz Simon's Blog, page 31
June 9, 2017
Summer “makers”
Students who spent the school year working with motors, switches and gears as part of the “Maker’s Movement” initiative won’t miss a beat this summer.
Science centers, libraries, museums and even camps are inviting kids to use “real” woodworking tools, circuit boards, and soldering equipment.
“Making” has birthed the next generation of inventors, and these kids won’t stop just because it’s summer.
If your flashlight is missing a battery or bulb, check your preschooler’s light saber.
June 7, 2017
Training label readers
Training kids to be label readers will be easier than ever this summer, when children shadow us through grocery aisles.
“Clean” labels, with recognizable and fewer ingredients make it possible for even new young readers to know what’s in a package. A benefit of the healthy living movement.
June 5, 2017
Cutting the cord
Although parents usually think about cutting the cord when planning for childbirth, more moms and dads are “cutting the cord” by dropping pay-TV.
This is high season for pulling the cord as moving vans pull up to homes at the end of the school year.
More kids are growing up watching shows on phones and tablets. Another sign of the times: an increasing number of families use online video services for Family Movie Nights.
June 2, 2017
Dreamy desserts
Will kids grow up assuming that every ice cream treat offers an over-the-top experience?
Last summer’s hybrid confections of cotton candy with ice cream and the popularity of unique ice cream flavors (English breakfast tea, anyone? Popcorn and sea salt to top your cone?) became social media sensations.
Perhaps this year we’ll have a real breakthrough: a dreamy dessert that’s almost healthy.
May 31, 2017
Prevent summer slide
As summer reading programs kick off, we’ll see more co-operative programs between libraries, school districts, zoos, aquariums and museums than ever before.
The softening of borders between these former “silos” is welcomed by educators who seek to reduce the impact of “summer slide,” or the loss of academic skills during the seasonal recess.
Look for programs in which literacy, parenting, nature, health and science all crossover to keep kids mentally and physically active.
May 29, 2017
Online protection in summer
Digital tech has added a complex layer to parenting this summer, when kids are home and devices are so available.
Parents will use a whole list of effective strategies to protect their kids from online dangers once school vacation begins:
router with strict filters
computer in “public” location at home
use of no cost controls that come with software
family rules, for example, everyone plugs into the same power strip before supper or at night
apps that track
As digital dependence grows, we’ll see an increasing number of tactics emerge throughout the year.
May 26, 2017
Mall brawls
Social media has been blamed for triggering teen disturbances at malls.
As a result, an increasing number of shopping centers are banning unaccompanied minors on weekend nights. Although some mall officials add curfews only on holiday weekends, restrictions are becoming more widespread.
May 24, 2017
Kid caffeine alert
Performance enhancing foods are helping to drive the sports nutrition market.
However, young players who reach for caffeinated snacks might respond with nervous jitters; caffeine acts as a stimulant to the central nervous system.
As seasonal sports gear up, stay alert for newly launched snacks and drinks that promise to “pack a punch” for your child.
May 22, 2017
Safe turf?
As we transition between spring and summer sports, parents are asking the annual sideline question: Is artificial turf safe for children?
Health concerns continue to be raised about artificial turf. The two major questions center around potential links to cancer and possible neurologic effects on kids.
Tires, which contain chemicals, are recycled into crumbs that support the plastic blades of the grass.
I share the frustration of parents who have spent several years waiting for answers.
May 19, 2017
How real is too real?
Parents of some middle and junior high students are nervously awaiting the summer reading lists their child will bring home.
Last year, some angry parents were offended by authors who pushed boundaries beyond acceptability for their child’s developmental level.
As books deal with the weighty and complex issues kids face today, some authors do not censor traits and behaviors of their characters. They argue that authenticity is essential to the story.
But how real is too real?
We’ll see where teachers and administrators set the boundaries this summer.
