Fundraisers Teach Life Skills

Any parent(s) with children probably have participated in fundraising in some point in their lives. And if, as a parent, you’ve had the pleasure of participating in fundraising then you probably understand how difficult and rewarding fundraising can be. Whether it’s for a cheerleading tournament, basketball uniforms, new computers in the school library, or funding for a new program–fundraising has a small meaning somewhere in our child’s life. But more importantly a good fundraiser teaches our children important life skills.

*Being a part of a team. When a child fundraises he/she works with: the parent, the teacher, the PTO moms’, children that are apart of the same initiative(peers and classmates), and his/her best friend.  This helps teach our children how to work with people in a variety of respects–from the people we love, to the people in charge, to friends, to acquaintances–all of course with the knowledge that by working with the variety of people we are “helping” reach that goal.

*Making a difference. Every time your child goes door-to-door, or hands dad that catalogue to give to his work colleagues, that child is making a contribution toward the larger fundraising goal. As the saying goes “Every one counts”. The fact that even selling 3 items gets us one step closer to buying uniforms teaches our children that we all contribute toward a bigger meaning, even if our contributions seem small.

*Meeting a goal. We all have goals we aim to meet in our lifetimes. Fundraisers  create some of our FIRST opportunities in meeting a targeted or measurable goal. Fundraisers motivate us not only for the prizes and rewards we receive–we also are motivated by our desire to sell X amount because it makes us feel proud. Working to meet a goal creates a competitive spirit in us and teaches us the value of accomplishing milestones.

*Sales. Fundraisers teach our children how to “sell” themselves. How to sell the “product” and “service”. And how to demonstrate “value”.  Sales also teaches our children to continue to pump forward no matter how many people, say “No thanks” or “Not today.”  Learning to be confident, to “sell”, to overcome rejection, and to persist is a great skill that we can carry on in many pursuits.

Of course there are other large life skills that come with fundraising, but as a child these are the main life lessons I took from fundraising.

Teaching your kids about savings and finances

For parents that are interested in teaching their children about finances, savings, and how to avoid a terrible economic position, the information below should be very helpful.  I found this information on the Alliance for Investors Education website. It’s title: “Teaching Your Kids About Saving and Investing: A Guide for Parents“. The section features the following 10 web resources as a financial “savings” guide for parents:

1. Investing ABCs: Teaching Your Children About Stocks – http://tiny.cc/cq9nb, AICPA’s 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy.
2. Gen I Revolution – http://tiny.cc/o3stv, Council for Economic Education.
3. A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Planning for College Expenses – http://tiny.cc/qxlt8, CFA Institute.
4. Choose to Save: Savingsman Episode 5: Saving Early – http://tiny.cc/1epiw, Employee Benefit Research Institute.
5. Tips for Teaching Students about Saving and Investing – http://tiny.cc/f9sp3, Securities and Exchange Commission.
6. Teach Your Children – http://tiny.cc/xgyow –- Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.
7. The Basics of Saving and Investing – http://tiny.cc/oo6a5, Investor Protection Trust.
8. Cover the Basics Before Your Child Leaves the Nest – http://tiny.cc/k4dr9, National Endowment for Financial Education.
9. Great Minds Think: A Kid’s Guide to Money – http://tiny.cc/rtcuo, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve.
10. Fraud Scene Investigator –- http://tiny.cc/5w7ga, North American Securities Administrators Association.

Should Obama send his kids to public schools?

I don’t follow politics, but found this article, from “The Week”  and it was very interesting. As far as what I know, it happened during a “Today” Show interview, when Obama was asked a controversial question. “Could your daughters get a comparably “high quality, rigorous education in a D.C. public school?” The question was asked, because currently Obama’s two daughters go to a private school in D.C that costs a whopping $31,000 per year. Obama(from what I know) is also working on public school system reform policies that aim toward higher standardized test scores, amongst other “school goals”.  But the real reason the question was asked, was to “test” Obama and his commitment to the public education system.  Well this was Obama’s answer: “The answer’s no right now. The D.C. public school systems are struggling.”

Well at least he was honest, right?

Of course this sparked a lot of controversy especially amongst Americans whose children ARE in the public school system, and who don’t have the option of going to an expensive private school. Equally troubling(when pundits weigh in) is that Obama has an interesting stance on private education.  Again since I’m not a follower of politics, I’m really unsure of what he is doing to ensure that public education systems(around the USA) are changed for the better. HOWEVER what I can say is that since “change” doesn’t happen overnight, then obviously it makes perfect sense that if he has the money, he’d send his kids to the best school he possibly could. And after all, isn’t that the way it is in our country?  The one’s with the wealth, will probably send their children to the best schools, and live in some of the best neighborhoods. I know it held true for my family. Once my dad begin really making money, the first thing he did was move us to a better school district, (one of the best he could) and into a better neighborhood.  What Obama’s doing, isn’t completely different from any other wealthy American that wants the best for their children. On the other hand, being his position, his “role” as role-model, and his stances on education, I can see why people are disappointed in his response.

Anyway, these were some of the opinions of pundits that weighed in on this article:

–“He’s just being honest: Oh c’mon, says Michelle Cottle at The New Republic, this is a cheap, tired excuse to “revive the eternal debate over whether it is immoral for presidents (especially Democratic ones) to send their children to private schools.” Even the best public schools don’t compare to Sidwell Friends, “one of the most elite — and elitist — schools in the country.” Like the flap over the first dog’s purebred status, this an “absurd political ‘controversy.'”
—“Obama comes off badly, given his position on school vouchers: The issue isn’t that he’s making the choice to send his daughters to a private school — “good for him” — but that he’s “denying” other “parents the ability to send their kids to a better school,” says Jason Pye at United Liberty, noting that Obama “has supported the end expiration” of a “popular” D.C. school-voucher program.

“-And his public-school initiatives won’t correct the inequity: Obama’s educational policies — which “scapegoat teachers, make standardized test scores all-important, and embrace market-driven reforms” — certainly won’t help public schools offer the sort of education Sitwell Friends can, says Valerie Strauss in The Washington Post. The president’s initiatives make little mention of “parental involvement, early childhood education, after-school programs…all of the things that a student at Sidwell could expect to get.”

What do you think?

Study: Mom’s education level is connected to child mortality

Taken from the Washington Post:

“It turns out that pencils and books for mothers might be as important as vaccines and drugs for babies in reducing child mortality in the developing world.

That’s because a mother’s education level has a huge, if indirect, effect on the health of her children. That relationship, observed in many small studies in rich countries, turns out to be true everywhere on the globe, according to a new study.

Half the reduction in child mortality over the past 40 years can be attributed to the better education of women, according to the analysis published in the journal Lancet. For every one-year increase in the average education of reproductive-age women, a country experienced a 9.5 percent decrease in child deaths.

“The effect of educational expansion on child health has been enormous,” wrote Emmanuela Gakidou, the lead author and a researcher at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

Read the rest here.

Opinions?

State urges Moms to Breast Feed

Since I’ve never had a child, I’ve never had the pleasure of breast-feeding, but I do have friends with young children and I do have some insight based on their experiences with breast-feeding. To start, in many ways breast-feeding is extremely beneficial. It’s said to make children smarter. It bond’s the child to his/her mother. It’s economically feasible.  These should all be the reasons that a mother should breast feed, correct? Well, not really…

Some of my friends have admitted to me that the reasons they weren’t able to continue breast-feeding was because it was painful, it takes too much time,  it’s too sporadic, and formula is just convenient. Fair enough. I’ve never had a child, so I’m just going to take what my friends have stated as legitimate, valid reasoning as to why breast-feeding just isn’t for every mother.

That being said, I came across an article the other day about the state of Michigan urging mothers to breast feed. I actually thought it was a little odd.  I’m of the opinion that even with the benefits of breast-feeding the “State” really should not have much influence on what route a mother decides to take with her child.   The article made some pretty interesting points:

“Seven in 10 Michigan mothers breast-feed their babies at least one time — fewer than in most states — and those rates decline quickly in the first months of life.”

“So the Michigan Department of Community Health has rolled out a nearly $1-million advertising blitz with the message: Breastmilk: Every Ounce Counts.”

“”Our job is not to decide whether moms should breast-feed … or not breast-feed. That’s their choice,” said Julie Lothamer, breast-feeding and nutrition consultant for the Michigan Department of Community Health. “I just don’t want anyone to ever say, ‘No one ever told me’ ” about the health benefits.””

You can read more here: State urges moms to nurse | freep.com | Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/article/20100914/FEATURES08/9140308/State-urges-moms-to-nurse#ixzz0zdADW3u8.

What do you think–is the state really trying to just encourage and inform mothers to be aware of their options OR is this just an attempt to really manipulate mothers in Michigan to spike up the number of breast-feed babies? And is formula really all that bad?

Teachers Protest Against Being Graded

Taken from the LAWeekly Blog:

“In response to The Los Angeles Times series that published data purporting to show teacher performance and quality, hundreds of educators from the local teachers union demonstrated in front of the Times building Tuesday, accusing the paper of reckless and shoddy reporting. The Times recently released a database rating the performance of 6,000 Los Angeles Unified School teachers.

Members from the United Teachers Los Angeles union blocked off a portion of 1st street between Spring and Broadway, loudly denouncing the Times.

The Times has used what’s called “value-added analysis” that purports to show the impact a teacher has on a student’s achievement test scores. The series has been hailed as an important eye-opener by parents, school reformers civic leaders and Education Secretary Arne Duncan; others, including the union, have questioned whether value-added analysis is a good measure of teacher quality.

“These so called journalists use the so called value-added analysis to publicly humiliate John Smith,” said Michael Ontell, a 4th grade teacher from Liggett Street Elementary School in Panorama City, who drew attention to a teacher mentioned in the Times report. “Some of my colleagues feel despondent over the rankings.”

In a “Spartacus” like moment, Ontell said that he was proud to call himself John Smith and led the crowd to chant “I am John Smith!” Smith’s fifth grade students consistently start out the school year slightly ahead of students in the classroom next door, but wind up trailing badly by the end of the year, according to the Times report.

During the rally, Jason Felch, one of the story’s authors, stood on a balcony of the Times building with a few others looking down on the crowd. Some protesters pointed at the journalist and yelled “That’s him in the plaid. That’s the bastard who wrote it!” During his speech, UTLA President A.J. Duffy egged the reporter to come down and face the angry mob. Felch just waved back in response.

Elizabeth Hammond, who has been teaching at 96th Street Elementary School in the Watts area for 13 years, expressed dismay when she first read the Times story.

“I was horrified and I called to cancel my subscription,” Hammond told the Weekly. “The article doesn’t take into account the social conditions that the kids go through.” She noted that most of her students live in crime-ridden neighborhoods with some often coming into her class hungry and without shoes. (The series actually pointed to teachers thriving in difficult conditions.) Hammond also blasted the newly opened $578 million Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools complex, arguing that the money should have gone to schools that badly need the funds. (The money came from a bond issue for school construction and can’t be used for ongoing operations.)

At the close of the protest, union leaders delivered their own assessment of the paper carrying a large and uncomplimentary “LA Times Report Card” banner inside the Times building.

Read LA Weekly’s recent piece on the Times series and the union’s longstanding efforts to prevent data from reaching the public.

Media & Teen Pregnancy

Supposedly the rate of teen pregnancies is at reasonably low rate–at least in terms of where the rate was in the mid-late 1990’s.  And though this doesn’t take away from the fact that the teen pregnancy rate could be lower, it does make a case for the fact that in many ways teens are making better decisions about sex OR that teens have more alternatives and solutions to prevent pregnancies from occurring than what they had in the 90’s.  I know when my mom was growing up–birth control, Plan B, and some of these newer methods weren’t available or weren’t accessible in the way that they are now.

A lot of the changes that we see in attitudes toward responsible sex, sex education, and teen pregnancies are the direct result of changes in our society and the way our society values sex, pregnancy–amongst other social issues.  Yet one thing that is a little surprising–when we consider the decrease in the teen pregnancy and the changes about sex and teenagers in our society is the sudden increase in television about teen pregnancy and/or teen sex.

The “increase” could be a result of what I mentioned earlier: the change in attitudes about these matters amongst Americans. But as stated in an article that I posted a week ago about the media’s impact on our children–it seems that the media may be influencing opinions about these matters in ways that are directly harmful for our children. Shows that make teen pregnancy seem, “cool”, or as if it is “in”, makes teens think that being a pregnant teenager is “fine” or even “manageable”. And while we don’t want to ostracize teenagers that are pregnant or make it seem as if it isn’t doable(because it is), we also don’t want to spread the message that having a child at 16 is something desirable or even “trendy”.

Though certain television shows state that they are creating content to PREVENT pregnancy, the overall message in the shows, the feedback amongst the viewers and the types of viewers watching the shows actually indicate the opposite. Shows like Teen Mom, 16 & Pregnant, the Secret Life of American Teenager, etc–are all shows that seem to be extremely popular amongst the teenage crowd. All of these shows center around “teen sex” and “teen pregnancy”.  And they all seem to send a message to teens that teen pregnancy is “cool”. Whether or not the shows intend for that to be the message is a different story–but the viewers, and the responses seem to point in that direction.

So my question is: is this trend regarding television and teen pregnancy, something parents should be concerned about or something that is simply a direct reflection of society’s “open” attitude about these matters–now more than ever? Do your teens watch these shows? Do you watch them? What message are these shows sending to viewers, in your opinions?

Children & Money

I’m like Kristen from the Bad Girl’s club. I’m an adult with a child’s mentality toward finances.

I blame it on my parents.

I read an article by the Washington Post about teaching children to manage money.  If you read the article some of the most important points was teaching a child how to closely manage their money early on so when they’re older and have to face the responsibility of paying bills, living on their own, and handling finances they can do so in a responsible manner. And starting “money management” with your child at an early age, really helps in paving the way for responsible money handling behaviors as an adult.

In my own home I never was taught how to manage money. Starting at age 16 I was handed a Macy’s Credit card and told I could shop whenever I wanted and they would pay the bills for me. I was given a ton of money each week to use for food, gas, etc. I was never required to pay my credit card, cell phone, or car insurance. My parents paid for it all.  Matter of fact other than entertainment, my parents pretty much allowed me to use as much money as I wanted when I wanted and they paid for it. This went on until my senior year of college at the age of 21. I was used to having rent paid by parents, clothing, food, etc. I would spend hundreds of dollars on food each week, thousands of dollars on clothes, and don’t even get me started on credit cards–to which my parents always and religiously paid for. There was never any financial responsibility instilled in me. If anything I was a spoiled daddy’s girl without a care in the world, and with a very shallow perspective on finances.

When my parents finally cut me off I was getting ready to graduate from college. And you know what happened to those credit cards they were paying–the ones that I had racked up on clothing, food, and entertainment? I was told that it was my time to pay the credit cards. I was then told I had to pay my own car insurance, and then finally I was told it was time for me to pay for my own place to stay and my car payments, and everything else.  At that point I nearly passed out. I was going to have to be an adult and actually pay bills?  And I was going to have to pay that much toward my pills? Oh God please help me.

Unfortunately at that point I had developed financial habits which were difficult to break. And so you can almost imagine how it’s been for me when it comes to budgeting and learning how to manage my  money. Apparently my parents habits were not so great either–hence what created a situation where I had no money-management skills. Obviously I had no one to learn from.

Question of the day: How many of you TEACH your child how to manage money?  How do you plan to prepare your child for financial responsibilities?

Sweet Quick & Healthy Common Knowledge Snacks for Kids

Yesterday I posted a rant about a friend who feeds her children a ton of junk because “healthy” food tastes nasty to her. So I actually created a list of healthy snacks that taste sweet, that are quick to make and some of which are pretty inexpensive(others which are not). A lot of these snacks are snacks that are very common and completely heard of. This list isn’t meant to provide new kid-friendly healthy snacks, but merely to emphasize and reiterate what is already out at your disposal, that doesn’t require a ton of time to make, doesn’t require a lot to purchase, and that a child can make on his/her own depending on the ages.

So here goes:

1. Apple slices and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. I recommend using small granny apples(not the large ones). Cut the apple in 5 sections, and allow the child to dip the apple slices in the peanut butter. Quick, tasty, common and inexpensive, and under 200 calories with plenty of protein, vitamins, and just enough sweetness to satisfy taste buds.

2. Angel Food Cake. Cut a thin slice , top the slice with 3 sliced strawberries, and light whip cream. Again relatively inexpensive, sweet, light, and fluffy tasting. Great for vitamins, and low in fat and less than 200 calories.

3. Graham crackers and bananas. I recommend half of a banana-cut in slices-and two graham cracker sheets. Simply put 3 banana slices on each gram cracker sheet and put a little whip cream on top and bon petit. Inexpensive, great for potassium and iron, and very tasty.

4. Slightly frozen Blueberries and Hershey sauce. Put 1/2 a cup of blueberries in a small cup and drizzle the blueberries with Hershey’s chocolate sauce and half a packet of splenda to top it off. Put in the freezer for 40-60 minutes. Taste like chocolate covered fruit. And very good cold. Full of antioxidants, and vitamins and under 200 calories.

5. Frozen Vanilla yogurt cups with assortments. Use Dannon Light & Fit Vanilla small yogurt cups. Place in freezer for about an hour and half, take out and have children add a variety of their favorite ingredients-smashed gram cracker pieces, strawberries, chocolate sauce, a few pieces of candy, etc. Low in calories, great dairy and low in fat.

6. Cinnamon teddy bears with cream cheese and strawberries. Using only about 15 Teddy grams, light cream cheese of any flavor (preferably one under 100 calories) and a few strawberries. Mix it all in a bowel and the children are sure to enjoy.

7. Frozen Citrus. Using either Oranges, Clementines, Grapefruits or pineapples. Place the selected fruit in the freezer for up to 2 and half hours. Take out the orange (or fruit out) cut in half or in pieces, grab a spoon, dig in, and enjoy!

U.S. Pediatricians Decry The Media’s messages to our kids

Taken from the LA Times:

Parents, lawmakers and media executives are given plenty to think about in the American Academy of Pediatrics’ policy statement published Sunday. Kids today are bombarded with inappropriate sexual messages and images, the AAP committee said; everything from graphic sexual lyrics in songs to ubiquitous erectile dysfunction drug advertisements that air all hours of the day and night.

“Television, film, music, and the Internet are all becoming increasingly sexually explicit, yet information on abstinence, sexual responsibility, and birth control remains rare,” they write.
Among the points the panel makes:

– Only three reality dating shows were on the air in 1997 compared with more than 30 today, including “Temptation Island,” which “bring participants together for the sole purpose of seeing who ‘hooks up,’ ” the authors said.
– In a national survey of 1,500 10- to 17-year-olds, nearly half of the Internet users had been exposed to online pornography in the previous year.
– A national survey of 1,300 teenagers and young adults found nearly 20% had sent or posted nude pictures of videos of themselves.
– Advertisements featuring women are as likely to show them in suggestive or revealing clothing or nude as fully clothed.

Meanwhile, the paper notes, television resists running advertisements about birth control — including emergency contraceptives — but erectile dysfunction ads appear during family TV hours. The ads, the doctors say, can be confusing to younger children and should appear only after 10 p.m. Others have complained about the number of ED ads on TV. Rep. Jim Moran, a Virginia Democrat, sent letters last year to the heads of three major pharmaceutical companies calling on them to moderate advertising for ED drugs.

Kids get a lot of their knowledge about sex through the media, the authors write. Perhaps we should take a good look at what we’re telling them.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/29/news/la-heb-sex-20100829