September 2018 - Growing Up in Santa Cruz

September Baby Photo Contest

growingupsc — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 17:20:08 +0000

September Baby Photo Contest Voting has ended! Check out our cute little winner! Whichever photo gets the most votes by September 19th will be on the cover of the October issue of Growing Up in Santa Cruz! Voting ends on September 19th Only 1 vote per person Please vote by leaving a comment on this post with the number of the photo you are voting for

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September Student Art

growingupsc — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 22:26:45 +0000

September Student Art Ivory, 10, did this mixed media art on canvas at Cherryvale Art Farm. The underwater scene combines collage and acrylic painting. This 5 by 6 inch acrylic and water color drawing is by Mata Overby, 9, a third grader at Tara Redwood School as part of the Creative Compassionate Cultures program. Mata says “It Is the perfection of the colors in the rainbow and it reminds her of all the colors that are represented with the CCC,” according to her teacher Lisa Dreyer-Campiglia. Fifth grader Jianna Muzzio’s owl painting was done at Good Shepherd School and was on display at Cafe Ella in Watsonville. It will be displayed through the fall at Ella’s at the Airport, with other student art work. This card is also part of the Compassionate Cards series from Tara Redwood School. Artist Ethan Ankeny just graduated from Tara and it is a watercolor and ink, 5×7.

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What Do Theme Parks Do When Summer is Over?

growingupsc — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 01:03:22 +0000

What Do Theme Parks Do When Summer is Over? Always Amused: September 2018 By Erik Chalhoub Photos by: Erik Chalhoub. ALL NIGHT LONG it’s a bit like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when Santa Cruz kids get a chance to camp at the boardwalk all night this month. School is back in session, summer is nearly over and the weather is mild. September is here, and that means it’s one of the best times to visit a theme park. Yes, there may be fewer days and hours the parks are open, and the kids are busy with homework, but now is the time to hit the roller coasters, take a spin on the merry-go-round or take a splash in the pool. Why? The crowds (or lack thereof). Frequent park-goers know that June through August are the busiest months of the year in terms of attendance. Yet, September is that odd in-between month when the end-of-summer lull kicks in, just before Halloween in October begins the busy holiday season in November and December. But parks are trying to keep the summer momentum going by offering a number of different events in the fall to keep those turnstiles spinning. The Boardwalk Fall Campout returns from Sept. 21-22, a unique overnight event that allows guests to camp out right along the ‘walk. The event, benefiting the American Cancer Society, includes a movie on the beach, dinner and breakfast, a sand castle contest and more. Girl and Boy Scouts can also get in the overnight fun. The Fall Girl Scout Overnight is Oct. 5-6, and its Boy Scout equivalent is Oct. 12-13. The Boardwalk also has some- thing just for the parents. The park recently announced its first-ever “Bites & Brews,” taking place Sept. 29 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will pair a selection of local craft beer with dozens of Board- walk menu items such as corn dog bites, lobster tacos, deep fried Oreos and more. Participating breweries include Discretion Brewing, East Cliff Brewing Company, Elkhorn Slough Brew- ing Company, Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing and many others. “We’re excited to highlight our area’s best craft beers and our park’s tastiest food,” said Boardwalk event director Karley Pope. “We anticipate some epic pairings.” Tickets and more information for all these events can be found at beachboardwalk.com. Summer may be almost over, but it doesn’t mean you can’t still zoom down a water slide and splash into a pool. Raging Waters in San Jose is open through Sept. 9, and Califor- nia’s Great America’s Boomerang Bay water park closes Sept. 3. Gilroy Gardens’ Water Oasis stays open the longest of them all, closing on Oct. 7. Speaking of Gilroy Gardens, its always-popular petting zoo has recently returned, running through Sept. 16. The park is also getting into the Halloween spirit early, as its annual “Halloween at Night” event opens Sept. 21, running through Oct. 28. So does California’s Great America, with Halloween Haunt kicking off for its 11th year on Sept. 21. With all these events still to come, are fall and winter the new “summer” in terms of attendance for theme parks? According to Cedar Fair, the company that owns 12 theme parks across the country, including California’s Great America, the chain saw a three percent decrease in attendance for July. This is after attendance during the second quarter in 2017 flattened after a record 2016. Six Flags saw a modest attendance increase during the summer of 2017. While other major theme park companies have not yet announced their summer attendance numbers for 2018, informal reports from visitors nationwide have stated that the summer season this year just didn’t seem as “packed” as it has been in years past. Some have even likened Disneyland’s summer as the “new offseason,” with rising ticket prices during that time deterring visitors. Theme parks are still a growing business, with the annual Theme Index and Museum Index report stating that attendance for Northern America parks grew by more than three million from 2016-2017. Attendance numbers have always fluctuated historically. But Cedar Fair’s announcement is something that industry followers are keeping a close eye on. Writer Erik Chalhoub has never found a roller coaster too fast or a haunted house too scary. He travels the country riding the best thrill rides. He’s a former Cabrillo College student who is now editor at the Watsonville Register- Pajaronian.

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Why One Child Turns Out So Well, But Not the Other

growingupsc — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 23:43:32 +0000

Why One Child Turns Out So Well, But Not The Other By Chris Jackson Have you ever thought, “I just don’t get why all my kids didn’t turn out well; I parented them all the same, so what went wrong?” Bingo. That’s just it: if you want all your kids to turn out the same (well-adjusted), parent them differently. When you parent them the same, they can and do turn out differently (and often not in a good way). You may have heard the recent news about a local police chief’s son who was arrested. On the department’s Facebook page, the chief stated, “His sisters (one corporate and the other about to start law school), are at a loss to understand any of this. It’s difficult for us to comprehend how one of three kids who grew up with the same parents, under the same roof, with the same rules and same values and character could wander so far astray. We simply don’t know why, or how we got here.” Over the years, I’ve heard many parents, including my own, struggle to understand the same thing. The path to becoming well adjusted is different for each child, so when all siblings are given the same path, they turn out differently. I’ve seen families in which one sibling has friends, a job, and the means to live independently, while the other doesn’t get along with anybody and de- pends on others to get by. Parents in these families ask how that could have possibly happened, given that both children were parented the same. The answer is that the child who is off course needed some differ- ent rules, structure, consequences and experiences growing up. Providing these uniquely for each child is more work up front, but it’s less work on the back end when your kids are older. A child best receives her sense of worth and direction from her parents in ways specific to that child. We may not be aware of the fear, hurt and pain some of our children feel. Misbehavior and dependency are often driven by one’s emotional injuries. In order to turn out well-adjusted like their siblings, these emotionally injured children need structure and support from their parents that’s different from the kind given to their siblings. I have the utmost respect for the chief’s lifetime of service and sacrifice, and I’m grateful for all who put their lives on the line to serve in law enforcement. I can’t imagine what the chief and his family are going through. I can’t imagine what the victim in the case and his family are going through, either. As you read this now, you may be wondering how your children turned out differently, or wondering if they will. With the revelation that children can and will often go astray under uniform parenting, I’m hoping to en- courage parents like you to consider ways to meet your child’s needs differently from the way the needs of his siblings are met. Until next time, parent well. Chris Jackson is the afternoon drive DJ at KFOX radio and is working on a book about raising your kids like rock stars.

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Five Ways to Build Your Child’s Critical Thinking Skills

growingupsc — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 23:21:56 +0000

Five Ways to Build Your Child’s Critical Thinking Skills By Jan Pierce Everyday life involves a lot of prob- lem-solving. How do you encourage your children to get along with others? What’s the best way to help your child learn to manage money? Should you let your kids play video games and which ones are off-limits? Without realizing it, you’re making logical decisions every day, and your kids need to learn how to make sound, logical decisions as well. Not just in their social and emotional lives, but in their reading, their writing, and their math and science explorations as well. In short, the child who knows how to think logically will be a better student who comprehends his or her reading at a higher level, is able to think creatively to solve math and science problems, can communicate clearly and may even score higher on IQ tests. Critical thinking is a complex skill learned over time. It involves being able to evaluate information for accuracy, interpret information, make predictions and inferences (conclusions based on evidence and reasoning), recognize fact vs. opinion and explain one’s thinking clearly. So….it’s kind of hard. But, there are simple ways to build these logical thinking skills and you can begin to teach them in easy and fun ways. Here are some skills to work on at home to ensure your child is a strong, clear and logical thinker. Analyze Analogies Analogies are comparisons between two different things. They show a relationship between two items. The skill involved requires your child to first identify the relationship and then select the words demonstrating that relationship. The use of analogies increases understanding in virtually all areas of learning. For example: day is to light as night is to ____. To solve this analogy, you first see that it is light in the daytime, then supply the opposite concept, dark, to night. Or, book is to read as song is to _____. One reads a book. What do we do with a song? We sing it. Analogies can demonstrate a number of relationships such as part to whole, opposites, cause and effect, or degree of intensity (cool is to freezing as warm is to ____.) You can find workbooks with analogies in them or try the following websites to practice solving analogies. Kids enjoy doing them and you might create a family game in which you create your own analogy problems for one another. www.funtrivia.com (search analogy quizzes) www.study.com (search analogies) www.learninggamesforkids.com (search under vocabulary games) Create Categories and Classify Items Sorting items for like attributes has always been fun for kids. For example you can sort buttons by color, size, number of holes, shape, etc. You can group animals into size, habitats, pets vs wild, stripes and no stripes or any other categories you create. And what kid wouldn’t want to sort M & M’s by color? You can go further and have Children graph their information in a simple bar graph or pie chart. Classifying items builds both math and language skills and leads the way to simple science explorations. www.mensaforkids.org (classifying animals) www.kidsbiology.com (go to animal classification game) www.education.com/worksheets/ graphing Identify Relevant Information In the process of problem-solving, it’s crucial to be able to pull out the information that matters. For example, consider the following sentence and the question to be answered: Tom had four quarters and three dimes. He also had a frog in his pocket. How much money does Tom have? Obviously the frog in the pocket is not important to determining the correct amount of money. But selecting out only pertinent information can be quite challenging. Go to www.study.com and search for relevant information in math. You’ll find videos followed by simple quizzes to practice this important skill. Test Hypotheses A hypothesis is an educated guess based on the current information known. Your child needs to be able to consider what is known and predict what might happen next, then test it out to see if the hypothesis was correct. This is an important skill in all of learning. When your child is reading a book, ask: “What do you think will happen next?” Then after reading you can evaluate the accuracy of the prediction and determine why it was or wasn’t right. In math and science it’s also important to make logical hypotheses and then go on to test and evaluate them. Go to www.study.com and search for “How do you Develop a Hypothesis.” Distinguish Between Evidence and Interpretations of Evidence (Facts vs. Opinions) In this day of information overload and cries of “fake news” all around, children must know how to recognize facts from the opinions of others. Facts are always true. Opinions are beliefs held by an individual and can vary from person to person. Help your child learn the difference between fact and opinion. Watch the You Tube video on Fact and Opinion by BrainPop or visit www.pbskids.org/arthur/games/factsopinions Critical thinking is a skill that grows over time. Ask your children to answer questions in their own words and clarify what they mean. Point out that some problems have more than one correct answer or more than one way of arriving at that answer. Help them see how emotions and motives can affect thinking. Encourage them to write out their answers to questions to build skill in coming up with clear and concise answers to problems. Kids benefit when they have opportunities to practice problem solving using critical thinking skills. And don’t forget that old-fashioned conversation around the dinner table is a great time to pose questions that require clear, logical thinking.

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Around Town September 2018

growingupsc — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 23:02:44 +0000

Around Town September 2018 Gift of Straight Teeth On Friday, August 3, a young woman’s life was changed forever. Dr. Brian Schabel and Dr. Vivian Chan, a husband and wife team of orthodontists and owners of North Coast Orthodontics in Capitola, gave a 16 year old foster child the gift of a lifetime: free orthodontic treatment. Earlier this year, the orthodontists launched a new community initiative they coined, ‘Spread the Aloha.’ Through this program, they will be giving back to the community on a grander scale. The first ‘Spread the Aloha’ initia- tive was a free braces giveaway. The community was encouraged to nominate a deserving individual to receive free orthodontic care at North Coast Orthodontics. Over 100 nominations were submitted and the doctors along with a judg- ing panel, chose Mikaylah. Mikaylah has had a tremendously difficult life so far. Her story touched the hearts of North Coast Orthodontics. Mikaylah was nominated for free treatment by both her social worker and teacher. When asked what she would do if she won the lottery, Mikaylah told her teacher she would fix her smile. The orthodontists, the team at North Coast Orthodontics, and those closest to Mikaylah surprised her at what she thought was a new patient consultation. “It was truly touching to see her expression when she learned that she was the recipient of this award. This young woman is very deserving of this life-changing treatment. We can’t wait to watch her smile and her confidence transform,” says Dr. Schabel. Dr. Brian Schabel and Dr. Vivian Chan have launched their second ‘Spread the Aloha’ initiative which will honor our local heroes. To nominate a local hero who has gone above and beyond the call of duty, please visit www.spreadthealoha.org. Scotts Valley All Girls Cub Scouts Pack 673 Invites Girls Ages K–5 to Join In the spring of 2018, The Boy Scouts of America opened the doors of its flagship elementary-age character development program letting young girls join Cub Scouts for the first time since starting in 1914. Girls are now having the same opportunities that boys have had in the 100-plus year history of BSA in the US, and what many countries have been doing for decades as coed scouting programs. “There are several local Full Family Cub Scout Packs but Pack 673 is the only all-girl Cub Scout Pack in the region including Santa Cruz county and the Silicon Valley/Monterey Bay Area. When we opened our pack we had just nine girls and we quickly grew into one of the largest all-girl packs in the country,” said Christine Wilkinson, Pack 673 Committee Chair. “Pack 673 incorporates all the great things scouting has to offer from leadership to first aid, citizen- ship to camping and survival skills, and just lots of fun, all around. We’re looking forward to expanding and welcoming new members into our dens.” Pack 673 has a strong theme of environmental stewardship and outdoor recreation. With all the wonderful parks and open spaces all around the Santa Cruz Mountains, members have many opportunities to get outside to enjoy, learn about, and take care of the region. Since the Charter Signing in February of 2018 the girls have already had a wide range of experiences. Learning and practicing to be good stewards of the Earth through performing community service, learning leave no trace principals, character development as well as mental and physical fitness. Activities this spring and summer included attending the Puppetry Institute, Pinewood Derby, Scout- o-Rama, Day Cub Camp with Nature Lodge, Felton Fire House visit, with a female firefighter, community service project for Native Animal Rescue, San Jose Giants game overnight camping on the ball field, and starting the Monterey Bay Hikers Program; completing the Nisene Marks Hike. Pack 673 is inclusive for all types of girls and families. Social skills and individual growth is an impor- tant piece of Pack 673 and the pack is working towards individual and common goals including team building, life skills, self-reliance, resilience and encouraging adventure. Families join Cub Scouts for a variety of reasons. Fathers are excited to share their scouting experience with their daughters. Some families may be new to the area or have children with mild special needs and Pack 673 provides an inclusive social net- work. Pack 673 also facilitates an education for those who love nature and want to go hiking or camping but aren’t sure where to go or what equipment is needed with kids. Pack 673 members also join for the chance to experience something new, to earn awards and participate in community service projects. Cub Scout Pack 673 is welcoming new members to join and is hosting a Sign Up Night at La Madrona Athletic Club on Tuesday, September 4 at 6 p.m. All girls in the Santa Cruz County area in grades Kindergarten through 5th are eligible.

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Eat Your Spinach: Birth Matters September 2018

Laura Maxson — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 22:43:49 +0000

Eat Your Spinach: Birth Matters September 2018 By Laura Maxon, LM Popeye popularized spinach for instant strength, but when it comes to iron-rich foods, there are others that pack a bigger punch. Foods rich in iron are necessary to build red blood cells, which are key to delivering oxygen to every part of the body. Iron helps us feel energized and be better able to fend off infection. During pregnancy iron is vital for both mother and the developing baby. Women are screened for true anemia (very low iron) in early pregnancy so iron supplementation can be started right away. True anemia shouldn’t be con- fused with the expected dip in iron levels mid-pregnancy reflecting a normal expansion of blood volume that is taking place. Blood plasma increases quickly with the slower growing red blood cells lagging behind, causing the dip. Blood volume expands by close to 50% to support a growing baby and to prepare for normal blood loss at birth. Normal iron levels at the beginning of pregnancy will often remain in the normal range, but someone beginning pregnancy low in iron will likely become anemic by mid-pregnancy without some dietary intervention. Adequate iron levels can make a real difference in how good a new mother feels after birth, adding a buffer if there is greater blood loss then expected. A new mother who is anemic may feel dizzy and weak after birth, and be more susceptible to infection after losing even a small amount of blood. It is recommended that at least 27 milligrams of iron be consumed every day during pregnancy to build good iron reserves in the baby and mother. Although many prenatal vitamins have extra iron, much of that daily requirement can be met through food sources. Most every- one knows that eating meat, especially red meat or the dark meat from poultry, is high in iron. But, of course this isn’t going to work for vegans or vegetarians. In that case, beans, beans and more beans usually top the menu. Iron from an animal source is called heme and is more readily absorbed than plant-based, non-heme iron. Here are a few easy ways to increase iron absorption, especially from non-meat sources: n add vitamin c to any meal containing plant-based iron to increase absorption dramatically. n avoid consuming calcium in the same meal as iron-rich foods. n try hummus with raw green pep- per slices as dippers. n trail-mix with pumpkin seeds, cashews, and dried apricots will provide quite a punch of iron. (dried pumpkin seeds are very high in iron.) –Add orange segments to a spinach salad to provide Vitamin C for better absorption. –Sprinkle kidney beans on a salad and sesame seeds on anything! –Make chili in a cast iron pot or skillet for an added iron boost. The tomato sauce not only provides Vitamin C to enhance absorption of non-heme iron in the beans, but also leaches extra iron from the cast iron pan. Add a small amount of meat to maximize absorption of this great, iron-rich meal. –Shrimp and canned sardines (up to 12 oz a week) can be safely consumed by pregnant women and are high in iron. –Snack on dried figs or dried apricots with a handful of almonds. –Iron-fortified cereals such as cream of wheat or boxed cold cereals can provide an easy addition of iron. –Sip some nettles tea. –Liver is not recommended in pregnancy because of high levels of Vitamin A. Some iron deficiencies in pregnancy may be caused by recent miscarriage, low levels of B-12 or folate or severe morning sickness. Postpartum anemia generally comes from blood loss at birth. Pitocin induction and augmentation increase the risk for hemorrhage and cesareans generally result a blood loss of 4 cups or more. Being a little low on iron is different from being anemic. While food-based iron is the preferred method to add iron to the diet, iron supplements may be needed. Iron such as ferrous sulfate can cause constipation, so increasing fiber and liquids in the diet can help minimize this side effect. Many have successfully used plant-based iron supplements, such as Floradix. Please note that iron pills are a leading cause of poisoning in children. Take care to keep any supplements well away from the kids. Laura Maxson, LM, CPM, the mother of three grown children, has been working with pregnant and breastfeeding women for over 30 years. Currently she is the executive director of Birth Network of Santa Cruz County and has a homebirth midwifery practice. Contact her at midwife@scshop.com or postmaster@birthnet.org

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Santa Cruz Montessori School Goes Solar

growingupsc — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:50:59 +0000

Santa Cruz Montessori School Goes Solar ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL ENERGY Santa Cruz Montessori’s 160 solar panels will give the school 98 percent of its energy and save $17,000 a year. Patience is a virtue. A decade of patience makes miracles happen. In 2008, the Santa Cruz Montessori (SCM) board approved a strategic action plan for the greening of the school. Junior high students in the Wavecrest class were tasked with organizing a Green Science Fair to determine the most effective way the school could go green. The winner: solar panels. Enter the villain, the economic downturn of 2008. With a shrinking economy, greening plans had to be put on hold. Fast forward ten years. The tireless efforts of a capital campaign raised $265,000 through the generosity of parents, grandparents, friends, charitable organizations, and community members who contributed to Santa Cruz Montessori’s Going Solar. As a result, SCM is now 98% energy independent thanks to the 160 solar panels that have been placed on roofs of the school that are well oriented for sun exposure, and the school also has a new roof on the Primary building. Installed by NorCal Solar in the fall of 2017 and the spring of 2018, the solar panels produce over 104,000 kWh (kilowatt hours) annually, enough to save SCM $17,000 in 2018 alone. At that rate, the solar panels will pay for themselves in about fifteen years. Just as important is the reduction of the school’s car- bon footprint—each year the savings in CO2 emissions will be the equivalent of planting nearly 2,000 trees. “We are thrilled to have environ- mentally friendly solar panels,” noted Head of School Kim Saxton. “We are not only saving money, but are also making a positive environmental impact.” Maria Montessori, founder of the Montessori system famously said, “The land is where our roots are. The children must be taught to feel and live in harmony with the Earth.” The greening of SCM is another step in that educational process, a model for students on how they can be responsible environmental citizens. Next addition to the solar panels project will be an informational kiosk that will have information for students about how solar energy works. The students will also have access to a digital display of the school’s savings—projected at $85,000 over the next five years— and will be able to track the school’s reduction of CO2 emissions, targeted at 81 tons each year. The kiosk will also acknowledge the generous donors who made this project possible. All thanks to an under-valued virtue in today’s wired, multi-tasking world: patience.

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Tips for Boosting Your Child’s IQ

growingupsc — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:34:11 +0000

Tips for Developing Your Child’s IQ: Develop a Can-Do Attitude By Jan Pierce Here’s a hot topic for all caring parents. What can you, as a parent, do to optimize your child’s successes in learning throughout life? We’ve all heard of the nature/nurture arguments that say a child is born with a certain learning capability and their environment merely promotes or inhibits reaching full potential. And, that is true. However, the most recent thinking in the world of learning is that the environment a child experiences has a great deal to do with whether or not a child reaches that full potential. Further, the attitude the child takes into school and learning all of life’s lessons determines how successful he or she will be. It’s a fact that a child’s brain has reached 90% of its adult size before entering Kindergarten. The growth in the brain from birth to age four or five is amazing and much of a child’s learning success depends on healthy, positive learning environments provided during those first years. However the brain continues to organize and restructure information all through childhood and into early adult life. So what can you do to support the highest levels of learning for your child? What Helps and What Hurts Lots of companies have produced products designed to increase early learning. Some have claimed babies can learn to read and others promote hours of screen time to develop language, math understandings, music appreciation and much more. Most of these products have proven to be of little value if not actually harmful to early learning. We know now that screen time for children under the age of two can be detrimental to brain development. We also know that interactions with other human beings are the best way to pro- mote language learning, basic literacy, math understandings and so much more. There are toys and games proven to be educationally sound. One of the best is simple blocks or other building/connecting materials. Time spent exploring with such open-ended materials pro- motes cognitive skills. Some board games build math understandings such as one to one correspondence and patterning, while some video games build spatial skills and working memory (the ability to hold, process and manipulate information while problem-solving). Any activity that promotes critical thinking skills (logical problem-solving) is time well-spent. But in general children learn best the “old-fashioned” way: they play, create, imagine, exercise, and explore while interacting with others in safe environments. They ask questions, make predictions and try out solutions to problems. They learn as they play. In American culture children are more motivated to learn when they have some choice in the subject matter. They seem to put out more effort and are willing to work harder and longer when they study something they love. What Matters Most Perhaps the most important new understanding in early learning is the fact that children can either shut down or expand their learning successes based solely on the way they think about themselves as learners. Children who believe they can’t improve their intelligence—“get smarter”—are far less able to enter any learning activity with a positive attitude. They tend to think they will either win or lose rather learn and grow. Even if they believe they’re “smart” they fear failure and thus define mistakes as proof of their lack of ability. Every learning task is another hurdle that means risking their learning reputation. On the other hand children who believe they can learn more and improve their understandings will enter a learning activity with a can-do attitude. Mistakes are seen as landmarks along the road to better understandings, not failures. (Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success) This concept can’t be overstated. A child’s mindset for learning can either open the door to an exciting world to explore and enjoy, or become a series of tests filled with worry, tension and potential failure. How to Get There One of the ways to free your child from becoming a fearful learner is to refrain from praising their innate abilities, saying “You’re really smart at math.” This is tough. We’re used to telling our children how smart they are and praising their performances based on their capabilities in an effort to build self-esteem. But when children come to believe they’re only smart when they “get it right,” they learn that anything other than perfection is failure. Then any mistake is counted as a lack of intelligence rather than identifying an error as exploration leading to further understanding. Your child needs to believe he or she can learn more. Instead, we need to praise a child’s efforts, perseverance and strategies. Instead of saying, “You’re a great artist,” you could say, I like the blues and greens in this drawing. You really worked hard on this.” The focus is on the product and the effort the child made creating it. Children do need praise, but they need the kind that builds resilience and that “can-do” attitude toward learning. Rather than, “You’re really smart at math” you might say, “I can see you’ve been working hard on subtraction.” Or “You found a great way to get those answers.” Freedom vs. Fear Next time your child is immersed in a creative play activity, sit back and observe. I recently watched a three and a five year old as they played with blocks and miniature animals. They built fences and roads, and kept up a running commentary on what they were doing. No one argued with them when they put the shark into the cow pen. There was no right or wrong, no winning or losing, just healthy, imaginative play. As parents we can strive to build that kind of freedom into our child’s self-concept as a learner. Yes, there is a lot to learn. Yes, there are right and wrong answers. But also yes… he or she can keep learning and be successful with hard work and that ever-so-productive can- do attitude. Jan Pierce, M.Ed., is a retired teacher and freelance writer. She is the author of Homegrown Readers and Homegrown Family Fun. Find Jan at www.janpierce.net

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Home: September Book Recommendations

growingupsc — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:25:36 +0000

Home: September Book Recommendations By Michelle Spence With the kids back in school, there is a return to routine—often absent during the carefree days of summer. It’s an exciting time that can also be overwhelming with school schedules, sports, activities, homework, and more. One of the most important anchors for kids is home—not just the physical space, but the feeling it provides. Happily, young readers can turn to books to experience the comforts and coziness of home and family whenever it is needed. A House is a House for Me Written by Mary Ann Hoberman Illustrated by Betty Fraser Mary Ann Hoberman begins her rhyming story simply enough, naming hills and hives and holes as the houses for various creatures. But before long, she has expanded her definition of shelter to encompass a peach (a house for a peachpit), a mirror (a house for reflections), and a throat (a house for a hum). Cuddle up with this book, which of course is a house for a delightful story! A House that Once Was Written by Julie Fogliano Illustrated by Lane Smith Just published, this quiet tale of mystery and intrigue reveals an old house in the woods, now overrun with tangled vines and spindly trees. With a blue bird for company, two children climb in the window and imagine the “someone who once was… who’s gone but is still everywhere.” After spending the afternoon rummaging for clues and wondering how much the house remembers, the kids retreat to their own cozy home and relish the dinner on their table. This House, Once By Deborah Freedman Follow along as we dreamily behold each of the elements that makes a house a home, from the front door “once a colossal oak tree” and the bricks “once mud that oozed around roots” to the window that “was sand once… melted to glass.” Misty, almost velvety watercolors reveal both the history and the now of this house, as we come to see how our own home fits into the world outside our door. The Lost Lake By Allen Say An old favorite of ours, this story vividly captures the way a trip to the mountains can bind a family. Luke is spending the summer cooped up with his work-from-home father in a nameless big city. As an escape, Luke constructs a makeshift collage of magazine photos showing mountains and rivers and lakes. His project inspires a father- son backpacking trip to Lost Lake, replete with a long drive, heavy packs, and walking sticks, as well as the requisite off-trail hiking to get away from the crowds. Just goes to show, sometimes you have to leave home to find home. The House in the Night Written by Susan Marie Swanson Illustrated by Beth Krommes Beautifully detailed black-and-white drawings illustrate this progressive tale of a house in the night as a child settles down to sleep. With a soothing tone and a whispering hush, the child is tucked into bed under- neath the watchful moonlight. Michelle Spence is a children’s bookseller at Bookshop Santa Cruz. Her favorite books are the ones her kids can quote by heart.

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