Greetings,
I am sorry to be so behind in my posting but illness overtook the cottage for a while. It has been a difficult time but now I am back on my feet or at least my keyboard. the tough part of being ill was not being able to care for my grand children however, luckily my daughter has back up care for the baby and she decided to put her big brother in an after school activities program. I decided for other parents in this same position this might be a viable option and less expensive then traditional day care. So I did some research and came up with some tips on how to choose a successful after school program. I hope you find this information as useful as my daughter has.
What marks a successful after school program? What are the things that you should look for when enrolling your child into one such program? Other than the obvious advantage of learning something new, successful programs incorporate many things that help the development of the child.
Development of social skills is one of the more important objectives of a good after school program. In a recent survey, parents indicated that while they do want their children to respect others, they also wanted them to imbibe skills like getting along with other children and getting used to children outside the immediate circle of friends. Many children find it difficult to make new friends and get along with people outside their group.
Good after school programs place special emphasis on security and safety. They keep children out of trouble and keep them safe. A good after school program should be fun, especially when the children are young. If the activity is fun, you will not have to worry about keeping him interested or motivated.
To be effective, programs should be organized and structured. They must also suit the age of the child. The child must be aware of the purpose of the program, and must be convinced that they are attending the programs to accomplish something.
There are some very reputable after school programs such as the YMCA and The Boys and ?Girls Club of America. There may be some fees involved but most of them are designed to fit even the tightest budgets. The YMCA has scholarships available for low-come families.
There are some after school activities that could be considered such as , Little League Base Ball, Soccer and my grandson belongs to a Basket Ball Team for 7 and 8yr olds whose main goal is to have fun while throwing the ball towards the hoop. Some programs involve the children in planning activities and making decisions. Adults often forget to get the opinion of their children.
The program should have professional and trained staff that loves to interact with children. The
program should maintain a cooperative and supportive attitude Routine evaluations are an important part of after school programs. If the child does not benefit from a class, don't waste time being over-optimistic. Try something new.
You are now ready to look for the perfect after school activity for your child. But don't let us forget that having fun is also an important part of growing up. The child deserves a few hours of pure delight.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Baby beanies: The baby toy of all time?
Greetings,
Over the week end I was layzin around the cottage and trying to think of what to write in my next post when my daughter called to say she bought a "Beanie Baby" for her collection on E-Bay for $25.00. $25.00 I gasped ! Why would you pay such an amount for a toy? Next I questioned are they still around? After all, I hadn't heard of them in quite a while and didn't even think they were still available and I was right.
Baby Beanies haven't been around that much since they were "born" only in 1994 when Ty Warner introduced the first Baby Beanie in the market. Not many people know that a Baby Beanie or more popularly known as Beanie Baby were first made by him. He made the Baby Beanie to be more lifelike by giving it more air. In other words, there was less stuffing inside each baby beanie. The usual baby toys were stuffed to the hilt and they were stiff. While Ty's Beanie Baby was half filled with stuffing and half filled with beans. Hence the name beanie baby. Other competitors sneered and said that his toys would not last long. But exactly the opposite is what happened!
Now, the "original nine" as they are officially referred to are the first nine Baby Beanies Ty Warner made. These are the Spot the dog, Squealer the pig, Patti the platypus, Cubbie the bear, Chocolate the moose, Pinchers the lobster, Splash the killer whale, Legs the frog and Flash the dolphin. Collectors have dubbed them as such since these where the first baby beanies available that were selling at less than $5.00 each. Each Baby Beanie comes with a short poem to introduce it to the toddler. This was written on a red heart-shaped tag that is attached by the animal's ear.
Not much is known how many baby beanies are totally in existence since there are lines developed that create a family of baby beanies. The most famous is the teddy-bear baby beanie that was created. The basic pattern was just re-used and different colors were utilized to create a family. Different names were given to each teddy bear in keeping with the tradition of having a name. Some teddy bear baby beanies are usually used for commemorative uses such as in the Fourth of July or there is a Diana, the Princess of Wales have been made as a commemorative collector's item.
However, the official Baby Beanies were mostly animal shapes such as cats and pigs, dogs and hippopotamuses. These are usually brightly colored and stylized to make them pleasing in the eye. The official baby beanie comes with his or her own name. It has its own date of birth. And most important of all, a short poem that describes its personality.
The Baby Beanie craze happened in the late 1996 when a frenzied collecting of Baby Beanies started. This prompted Ty Warner to retire some of the Baby Beanies to hype up even more the sales and marketing side of his products. There were people who bought wholesale in anticipation of the possible future value of a single Baby Beanie. However, as with other fads that easily rise and can be easily forgotten, the Baby Beanie craze was just another fad that quickly fizzled. Or what the expectation of those "investors" did not materialize at all.
In spite of what happened, Baby Beanies are here to stay,(according to my daughter) since babies usually prefer soft toys that they can easily hug and bite and hold easily in their hand. Baby beanies need not be in the collector catagorie to be appreciated.
Over the week end I was layzin around the cottage and trying to think of what to write in my next post when my daughter called to say she bought a "Beanie Baby" for her collection on E-Bay for $25.00. $25.00 I gasped ! Why would you pay such an amount for a toy? Next I questioned are they still around? After all, I hadn't heard of them in quite a while and didn't even think they were still available and I was right.
Baby Beanies haven't been around that much since they were "born" only in 1994 when Ty Warner introduced the first Baby Beanie in the market. Not many people know that a Baby Beanie or more popularly known as Beanie Baby were first made by him. He made the Baby Beanie to be more lifelike by giving it more air. In other words, there was less stuffing inside each baby beanie. The usual baby toys were stuffed to the hilt and they were stiff. While Ty's Beanie Baby was half filled with stuffing and half filled with beans. Hence the name beanie baby. Other competitors sneered and said that his toys would not last long. But exactly the opposite is what happened!
Now, the "original nine" as they are officially referred to are the first nine Baby Beanies Ty Warner made. These are the Spot the dog, Squealer the pig, Patti the platypus, Cubbie the bear, Chocolate the moose, Pinchers the lobster, Splash the killer whale, Legs the frog and Flash the dolphin. Collectors have dubbed them as such since these where the first baby beanies available that were selling at less than $5.00 each. Each Baby Beanie comes with a short poem to introduce it to the toddler. This was written on a red heart-shaped tag that is attached by the animal's ear.
Not much is known how many baby beanies are totally in existence since there are lines developed that create a family of baby beanies. The most famous is the teddy-bear baby beanie that was created. The basic pattern was just re-used and different colors were utilized to create a family. Different names were given to each teddy bear in keeping with the tradition of having a name. Some teddy bear baby beanies are usually used for commemorative uses such as in the Fourth of July or there is a Diana, the Princess of Wales have been made as a commemorative collector's item.
However, the official Baby Beanies were mostly animal shapes such as cats and pigs, dogs and hippopotamuses. These are usually brightly colored and stylized to make them pleasing in the eye. The official baby beanie comes with his or her own name. It has its own date of birth. And most important of all, a short poem that describes its personality.
The Baby Beanie craze happened in the late 1996 when a frenzied collecting of Baby Beanies started. This prompted Ty Warner to retire some of the Baby Beanies to hype up even more the sales and marketing side of his products. There were people who bought wholesale in anticipation of the possible future value of a single Baby Beanie. However, as with other fads that easily rise and can be easily forgotten, the Baby Beanie craze was just another fad that quickly fizzled. Or what the expectation of those "investors" did not materialize at all.
In spite of what happened, Baby Beanies are here to stay,(according to my daughter) since babies usually prefer soft toys that they can easily hug and bite and hold easily in their hand. Baby beanies need not be in the collector catagorie to be appreciated.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
NAMING YOUR BABY-SOME THING TO THINK ABOUT
Greetings
We have a new grand baby at the cottage her name is Lila Rose not named after anyone in particular our daughter and son-in-law just liked how the two names sounded together.
There was a trend, in the 1980s and 1990s, when it seemed that every new baby born had to have a more outrageous name that the baby born before it. Now reaching their late teens and early 20s, one is left to wonder how these children are living with the names given to them at birth. Indeed, how many of them have chosen to change their names to more ‘normally’ names.
On the other hand, even today it is extremely popular for people to shorten their given names. For example, a baby born ‘Robert’ may well end up being an adult called ‘Bob’.
Unfortunately many new parents are unlikely to see the long-term affect of the name they give their baby. In most cases, new parents decide to give their new baby a name because they either like it or because it is a name that has been used in the family for generations.
In all of these cases, although likely lovingly conferred, the parents of the new baby are unlikely to have done the baby any favors! So, if you are currently expecting a baby, and are looking around for names to give your baby, keep in mind the following:
- will the name last the test of time?
- can the baby’s name be shortened from that which you have given it, and if so do you like the shortened named? For example, there’s a whole lot of difference between being called ‘Richard’ and ‘Dick’ – or is there?
- if you are going to be naming a baby after a name you like, do you think you’ll still like that name in 20, 30 or 40 years time? There can be few things more annoying than having to call someone a name you don’t like, let along when that person is your own child!
- Finally, if you are going to name a baby after a pop musician or famous actor that you like, keep in mind that by the time the baby becomes an adult that ever so popular and famous pop musician or famous actor is unlikely to be known. So, if the name is not a mainstream name, but a more bizarre stage name, then your baby may well end up having to spend most of its adult life trying to explain how it was named after this ever so famous person that nobody knows!
We have a new grand baby at the cottage her name is Lila Rose not named after anyone in particular our daughter and son-in-law just liked how the two names sounded together.
There was a trend, in the 1980s and 1990s, when it seemed that every new baby born had to have a more outrageous name that the baby born before it. Now reaching their late teens and early 20s, one is left to wonder how these children are living with the names given to them at birth. Indeed, how many of them have chosen to change their names to more ‘normally’ names.
On the other hand, even today it is extremely popular for people to shorten their given names. For example, a baby born ‘Robert’ may well end up being an adult called ‘Bob’.
Unfortunately many new parents are unlikely to see the long-term affect of the name they give their baby. In most cases, new parents decide to give their new baby a name because they either like it or because it is a name that has been used in the family for generations.
In all of these cases, although likely lovingly conferred, the parents of the new baby are unlikely to have done the baby any favors! So, if you are currently expecting a baby, and are looking around for names to give your baby, keep in mind the following:
- will the name last the test of time?
- can the baby’s name be shortened from that which you have given it, and if so do you like the shortened named? For example, there’s a whole lot of difference between being called ‘Richard’ and ‘Dick’ – or is there?
- if you are going to be naming a baby after a name you like, do you think you’ll still like that name in 20, 30 or 40 years time? There can be few things more annoying than having to call someone a name you don’t like, let along when that person is your own child!
- Finally, if you are going to name a baby after a pop musician or famous actor that you like, keep in mind that by the time the baby becomes an adult that ever so popular and famous pop musician or famous actor is unlikely to be known. So, if the name is not a mainstream name, but a more bizarre stage name, then your baby may well end up having to spend most of its adult life trying to explain how it was named after this ever so famous person that nobody knows!
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