December 5, 2011
Keeping Children Safe! by Jill Starishevsky
I am been doing teleclasses for parents and educators on how to keep children safe from predators. I am doing a live talk in NYC on 12/8 at the Museum of Motherhood. Please let your contacts know. They can register for the free event below.
Thanks in advance.
Jill Starishevsky
Prosecutor, Child Abuse/Sex Crimes
Author, My Body Belongs to Me
http://www.MyBodyBelongstoMe.com
646-262-7418
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/talking-kids-sexual-abuse-10255396 http://keepingchildrensafe-efbevent.eventbrite.com/
November 8, 2011
Young Little Screamers!
Screamers
To live with a screamer is an experience unto itself. At times, I wonder who this creature is screaming in my house, such a far cry from her kind, loving way of being. To listen can be the most difficult thing to bear which warrants removal of me or her from the room. I give myself timeouts so that I can sit in quiet for a moment and gather my thoughts before making my next strategic move to calm the little monster down (I say that in a loving way). Her recent reason for screaming was she was quite tired which facilitated an ordered bath; it did the trick for her. Sometimes, a conversation works, but one thing remains the same. I do not allow the drama to continue, otherwise she is reinforced and it just gets worse. So all I can say is if you have a screamer, you are not alone. And for those who don’t, count your blessings.
January 26, 2011
Homeschooling ~ Really? Beth Baldino is taking it On.
Advantages of Homeschooling
For the last five months, with the help of my partner and support of my ex-husband, we’ve been homeschooling our 8 and 10-year-old children and taking advantage of the many advantages of this approach. The kids were previously attending a very good private school with a devoted and hard-working staff, so it wasn’t as if we were dissatisfied with their efforts. I do feel, however, that I am able to give them more personalized attention tailored to their specific needs than a teacher who is managing a larger group and working within the constraints of a set curriculum. Being able to focus on the children’s specific needs within each subject and provide the individual coaching they require throughout the process allows them to progress at their own pace. As such, they don’t need to spend their “after-school” hours in tutoring for extra support or doing additional homework to ensure they master the skills. This allows the children more opportunity to pursue their own interests, and we still have enough time most days to prepare and enjoy homemade meals together, an activity that is important to me.
May 18, 2010
Sugar…. I like it… do you?
This whole Health Care Debate has me in a tizzy. The question becomes even when we have health care for all, are we looking at the fine print, and more importantly, what is the real issue here. Much of this issue is the state of our health in the nation. Juvenile diabetes is up, Up, UP!! Why you say,… well just take a walk into one of your weekly birthday celebrations. 
It is not enough for the children to run around and have little piece of cake. But now they must be provided with soda, juice, and goody bags full of sweets. No parent would ever deny a child more soda if they are thirsty, especially if it would make them look bad to other parents (do you know what is in a can of soda?)… and you know, these kids get thirsty. I guess water is hardly an option anymore unless the child specifically asks for it. Even at family celebrations, it is only polite to be serving cake, ice cream, and pastries for dessert. Dessert is taken to the next level and the snacks on the shelf in the grocery store qualify for the same category as desserts when I grew up. Parents profess to be aware, but when it comes to this celebration and that celebration we give in… it seems like every day!! I do not claim to be perfect… far from it. All I am saying is there is a lot of talk among parents agreeing on this but when it comes to focusing on your own children and family, it is hard to adjust. That is when the health of our children gets worse, and worse.
April 18, 2010
Your child may not need that booster shot and the law is on your side.
I have a beautiful four and a half year old boy with autism. In our case he showed signs since birth, but was not diagnosed until after the age of two, after his initial MMR vaccine. After so much angst, expense, tears and most of all, effort we were making progress towards healing him. Our son Emerson, “Little Em” was finally starting to say words and look us in the eyes, then came time for his MMR booster shot. We were sick to our stomachs wondering if this booster would cause regression and thwart all our efforts. The vision of injecting him with something that could hurt him further literally brought tears to my eyes. After much research I found a few things out about the MMR “booster” and what our rights are in the State of New Jersey.
May 21, 2009
Planning for Summer Childcare
Planning for Summer Child Care by Sheila Marcelo. Sheila Lirio Marcelo is the founder and CEO of Care.com.
Summer will be here before you know it. Our little ones are counting down the days until school lets out (less than six weeks in many school districts!). When that happens, families will have to fill anywhere from eight to ten hours a day of child care. Summer isn’t only a difficult time to plan and arrange child care, it’s also the most expensive part of the year. The average family can spend up $7,000 per child during the summer months. That’s half of their annual child care budget! I asked our Care.com members if they planned on cutting back for the summer. In this economy, it wasn’t surprising to see that 75 percent planned to find money-saving alternatives this year.
May 5, 2009
Do your children believe what you say? Francis McSweeny PHD.
Do your children believe what you say?
If you’re reading this I know you care about your children, yet your love and caring doesn’t insulate you from problems. Occasionally or more frequently, your children will not listen to you. Why is that? You’re a reasonable person making reasonable requests, yet they don’t listen. There are many reasons why that may happen. Sometimes it is merely and age thing. Infants don’t have the control over their behavior so I’m not talking about them. Older children are exploring their world and finding their limits. Children of any age are finding out the rules of life and in your home. They will push until they hit a wall that doesn’t move. That is why they behave for some people and not for others. You can explain the rules to them but rules aren’t rules unless they are enforced, and many parents are so busy that many rules are sometimes overlooked. If you tell them something is a rule, and sometimes they don’t follow the rule and nothing happens, then it is not a rule. The wall keeps moving. They learn that they don’t need to listen.
-
As seen on The Jersey Tomato Press- Spring is Here - Expert Realtor Frank Guardabascio answers question: How long does it take to sell a house in this area?House Tours is a special section created for home owners, buyers and also those looking for a new home. Experts in real estate will answer your questions. Today, local real estate agent and expert ... […]
- Robin Kulwin new President of Montclair Board of EducationThe board of education voted unanimously to elect board member Robin Kulwin as their new president. Congratulations to Robin Kulwin, who has served the district and will now move up to the top ... […]
- John's Deli - Authentic Italian Cuisine at Retro PricesLike Cinderella, this is one spot that turns on the charm at night. A Nutley restaurant is quietly becoming the hot-spot for local and out-of-towners, since it handily transforms itself from a ... […]
- Essex County Exec DiVincenzo Welcomes new buses for Senior CitizensIf you are a senior citizen, it's not always easy to drive to your doctor appointments. And, even if you have younger relatives who live nearby, most often, they are busy during the work … […]
- Collecting Art: Yes, you too can afford art - MAMThe Montclair Art Museum (MAM) will hold its third juried fair, Collecting Art: An Affordable Art Fair, on Saturday, June 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in MAM's Leir Hall. Local artists will offer ... […]
- Spring is Here - Expert Realtor Frank Guardabascio answers question: How long does it take to sell a house in this area?