Thank You for Helping Teachers
Thank you to everyone who donated to the Teacher Wish Lists campaign!
September, 2011
Code of Secrecy
I talked about secrets in my last blog and received a specific question about how to address the issue of secrets with teenagers. What is a parent to do when it is discovered that your teen, or a teen you know, is keeping a secret about the behavior of a friend or peer from you? How do you get your teen or your tween to share this information with you? This is such a tough call—to report what is going on to someone who can be helpful (think police, school officials, parents of the teen in question) or to keep quiet so that you don’t jeopardize the trust relationship you have with your own child telling you this type of information. I’m sure we all have reference points for this challenge—either we remember when we were teens ourselves, not sharing with mom and dad how friends were drinking over the weekend in fear of being found out as a tattletale, or have encountered this type of scenario with our own children.
Big Sister In-Training
Since our daughter Sophia found out she was going to be a big sister, she has been ecstatic. She talks about how she is going to help take care of the baby, feed the baby and can’t wait for Baby Allen’s arrival. As much as I’m excited that she is on-board with having a sibling, I also was concerned about her knowing what changes in our house to expect and how she can and can’t help.
A few months ago a friend told me about a class offered at Spectrum Health for children ages 3-5 years old that are expecting a sibling. When I told Sophia about it she said she “wanted to go to baby school” so we signed her up. We took the class with her a few weeks ago and I wanted to share a little about our experience.
The hour and a half class started with each of the kids getting a lesson in how a baby is born and then explained what they can expect around the house. It touched on things like lots of crying, babies being up in the night and new rules that you might have at home once the baby arrives. Then the kids all got to practice some basic helping skills on dolls. They were each shown how to swaddle a baby, properly hold them and even fed the baby a bottle, all while being reminded that they need to be with a mom or dad to do these things.
The class ended with a tour of the birthing unit at Spectrum Health and showed the kids where the baby would be born. This was also a great way to get the kids familiarized with where they’ll be visiting their mom, dad and new sibling.
Sophia had a great time and my husband and I had a lot of fun watching her as a big sister in-training. This class really opened my eyes to the huge amount of resources offered by Spectrum Health and their Healthier Communities program. You can learn more about the Siblings Class by watching Maranda Where You Live on Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22. Maranda and our crew tagged along with my family to the class and documented things, so you can get a look at it for yourself in just a few weeks!
Kids’ Art Fest
On October 2, the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum will be putting on a special art event for kids you won’t want to miss.
The Metaphorest Project
Chicago artist, Tracy VanDuinen, teamed up with students at the West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology on his 2011 Art Prize Entry.
Jenison Kids Help with Art Prize Entry
Students at Sandy Hill and Bursley Elementary schools in Jenison worked with artist, Daniel Dancer, on his Art Prize entry.
Kid Inspired Art
Corey VanDuinen has his artwork displayed outside the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum. With 100 2-dimension figures of children, his work was truly inspired by kids around West Michigan.
Making Art Prize Fun for Kids
There are so many ways to get your kids excited about art. Maranda met with an education expert from the Grand Rapids Art Museum about fun activities they’re offering kids over the next few weeks.
Unique Exhibits at Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bank is hosting 26 artists during Art Prize in their downtown banking center.
Kevin Kammeraad’s Puppet Theater
Adjacent to the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, you can find Kevin Kammeraad and his puppet theater. Kevin will be performing all through Art Prize with six shows each day!
Blogs
Maranda's Blog
Keep in step with Maranda as she explores issues affecting your family.
Maranda's Go-To Gal
Insights from the mom who helps Maranda get it all done.
Whitecaps Blog
Whitecaps mascot Crash takes you inside the ballpark.
Cruiser's Blog
Cruiser has the inside track for Craig's Cruisers.
Health & Wellness
Make health and wellness a priority.
Fifth Third River Bank Run
On pace with the Fifth Third River Bank Run.
Healthy Living
Simple solutions for healthy living.
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