Pumpkin Carving Tips

Everyone enjoys jack-o-lanterns at Halloween, but it can be frustrating to carve one. If you haven’t done very many of them, it’s best to start out with a simple design. The traditional jig-jog smile and triangle eyes and nose are pretty easy for anyone to do.

Here are some pumpkin carving tips to get you ready for Halloween:

There are kits that come with patterns, but some of them are a bit labor intensive. There are special pumpkin carving tools, including small saws, that make it much easier and safer, especially for children. It is best to use a sharp knife, as a dull knife is harder to control. Only let older children use knives with supervision. Be sure to always cut away from you so if the knife does slip you are less likely to have an accident.

One of the biggest things to remember is to not carve your pumpkin too soon or it will be mush before Halloween. When you cut the top of the pumpkin, be sure to cut at an angle so the top doesn’t fall in. Using an ice cream scoop makes easy work of cleaning out the pulp and seeds. Once it’s cleaned out, you are ready to start working on your pumpkin creation.

Draw out a design on paper first to see if you like your idea. Then, draw it on the pumpkin with a non-permanent marker so you can make changes if you don’t like the way it comes out on the pumpkin. Be sure to make the openings large enough to let air circulate for the candle. However, battery powered candles are also a good idea, especially if there are going to be young children around. If you do decide to use a normal candle, make sure it isn’t too tall for the pumpkin and it has a level place on which to sit inside.

Start carving in the middle of your design and work your way out. This way you have more surface area around where you are cutting. You don’t have to take whole sections out at once so cut in small segments. Carefully poke the cut out segments straight out as you go.

To help your pumpkin last longer, seal the exposed edges to keep it from drying out. If it’s going to get cold enough to frost, bring the jack-o-lantern inside for the night. By day, keep it out of direct sunlight.

An alternative to actually carving the pumpkin is to scrape out a design, without cutting all the way through. By taking away part of the darker orange, leaving the lighter color showing you allow your creative work to last longer. Younger children could also paint or cut out shapes from construction paper to decorate the pumpkin. To attach the pieces use straight pins. This also gives the little ones something to do while older children and adults are using the knives.

Kids and Household Chores

After a hard day’s work, we like to come home and engage in something which will take our minds off the day’s events, whether it’s tending to the garden, or finishing a birdhouse for the back yard. Kids need the same kind of release when they come home from school.

In order to help them get rid of the day’s stresses, a great idea would be to assign household chores. Making a list and sticking it on the refrigerator so that whether you are home or not, your kids will be able to determine what has to be done that day.

Chores can range from raking leaves, mowing the lawn, cleaning up their rooms, changing the beds, or doing a load of laundry. If you have a pet at home, walking the dog as soon as the kids come home is not only a great exercise for the kids, but you can be sure your pet will be grateful too.

Perhaps you’ve already taught your kids to begin the preparations for dinner, such as setting the table, taking the meat or chicken out of the freezer, or washing the vegetables to be served that night.

Age appropriate chores for kids not only aids your kids in releasing tension, irritability, and a need to act out, but helps you to keep your house in order as well. Again, depending on the age of the kids, there are a variety of chores they can do to help you and them. In addition, you may wish to add on a reward of some type or a small compensation for their achievement.

School work and tests can drain kids emotionally, and having a few simple household chores will energize them and give them a sense of accomplishment and self-worth.

Grade School Show and Tell

Some kids can’t wait to go back to school to be with their friends and talk about what they did over summer vacation. Other kids, on the other hand, dread going back because they loved being home, spending time with the family, and engaging in all kinds of activities.

Once back at grade school, however, kids settle in pretty quickly and look forward to learning new things and making new friends. One of the activities most kids look forward to is when they are asked to bring in something special for “Show and Tell” day.

This is a special day for them because they have an opportunity to tell the other children in their class all about this one item. Most likely they will be asked by their friends what they are going to bring, but they keep it a secret until the day arrives.

What are some of the things kids may bring into school for show and tell? Here is a list of some of their “favorite things.”

Bobby may bring in a baseball signed by his favorite ballplayer and tells the class how he was able to obtain it and the signature.

Betsy may have gone to Disneyworld over the summer and brought in a scrapbook she created with pictures to show the class.

Teddy loves NASCAR racing, and he brings in his favorite replica of the winning car while discussing the race and driver.

Jenny has a favorite stuffed teddy bear and she tells the class why it’s her favorite and how she chose the bear’s special name.

Johnny brings in an unusual rock which he found when camping with his had. He talks about why the rock is special and why nature is so important.

While it’s fun for kids who share stories about their favorite toys, stuffed animals, adventures, vacations, pets, dolls, magic tricks, and scrapbooks; it’s also part of the socialization process. For children who are shy, standing up in front of a class and talking about what they brought to school can increase their self-esteem.

Children In School - The School Savvy Parent

The School Savvy Parent 365 Insider Tips to Help You Help Your Child

The School Savvy Parent

The School Savvy Parent is a 199 page paperback book that answers some of your questions about your child’s school experience. This guide, full of insightful and funny tips was written by teachers who are also parents, with 40 years of experience between them.

This book is a must have for anyone who has children in school. It is a compact guide full of tips on common sense issues that happen everyday.

It is clear and concise and covers a wide variety of issues. From beginning the school year, health and safety, talking with teachers, helping your children set goals, personal responsibilities and more, this book gives you tips that will make the school year less stressful. The anxiety of a new school year can cause headaches for not only the child but the parent too. But with this book those problems can be alleviated from the very beginning.

This book will give some examples of how to get your child to start a conversation about how their school day went. This will in turn help you to catch any problems that may be arising before they get out of hand. It also will help you to know when your child needs to be praised for the exceptional job they are doing.

It is also a wonderful guide for new teachers. It helps you to understand where a parent may be coming from and how to help them to help their children.

Although The School Savvy Parent won’t help with very serious issues you may have with your child, there is a handy reference guide within the book that refers to other books that may be helpful in these situations. Once the big problems are taken care of you can go back to this guide for your everyday school experiences.

Teenage Eating Disorders - On The Rise

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, 10 million females are currently dealing with eating disorders such as anorexia, and bulimia. It is also estimated that 25 million more are struggling with the bingeing and purging disorder. Among these disorders, however, anorexia is the most prevalent and has become a pandemic in our society. Yes, teenage eating disorders are on the rise.

While these statistics are frightening, you as a parent can recognize the signs and help prevent your child from becoming a statistic. Let’s focus in on anorexia, since it is the most serious and debilitating of all eating disorders.

Here are the signs and symptoms to look out for in your child.

1. Is she losing weight at an alarming rate?
2. Are her clothes too big for her?
3. Has she taken on a paler look?
4. Is she spending more time in her room than usual?
5. Does she make excuses for not eating dinner with the family?
6. When she does sit at the table for family dinner, does she move the food around her plate simulating that she is eating.
7. Have you heard her comment she is too fat?
8. Does she seem lethargic and guarded?
9. Is she having many unusual mood swings?

If you notice any of these signs, your child is probably anorexic. To be certain, you would have to confront her at a time when she is just coming out of the shower or bath so that you can look at her body. Then, you can confirm your suspicions. Remember, you can place your teen in front of a mirror to show them they are not fat, but fat is all they see. You can’t convince them otherwise.

As an anorexic, your child will experience dizziness and fainting spells. Symptoms will advance including damage to her kidneys, her menstruation will cease, and her muscles will begin to feed her body. Finally, upon diagnosis, the doctor may recommend hospitalization wherein she would have to be tube-fed, followed by rigorous counseling.

Teenage eating disorders are on the rise, and they can be a devastating consequence to a child’s early perception of what they think they look like. Karen Carpenter and other famous celebrities succumbed to anorexia at young ages, and it is important for all parents to become knowledgeable on all eating disorders which may affect their kids.

Should I Enroll My Child in Preschool?

Deciding whether or not to send your child to preschool is a question only you can answer because you know your child better than anyone. There are certain criteria, however, which can determine whether or not to send your child to preschool.

Research indicates that most preschoolers begin at age two to four, and while it seems very young, it is nonetheless an important starting point in your child’s educational experience.

Experts tell us that children who can speak in short sentences are usually ready for preschool. Moreover, they tell us that if your child can be understood by others, they are most likely a good candidate.

Most children who are about to attend preschool may exhibit separation anxiety. While this is normal for a short period of time; minutes, according to experts, those children who are fearful and cry for longer than a half hour are not ready for preschool.

Listening skills and being able to follow directions are two key components in determining whether or not your child is ready for preschool. In addition, experts advise parents to ascertain whether the child gets along with other children and can participate in play groups without incident.

Another key component for preschool is whether or not the child can pay attention to the teacher, and sit quietly and focus on their assigned project.

The age at which you send your child to preschool can only be determined by you and your assessment as to whether or not the child is ready, capable of listening and taking direction, playing with other children, sharing, and interacting in a friendly and polite manner.

You may not choose to send your child to preschool at such an early age, which is absolutely fine. You can begin teaching your child at home, and when you feel the child is physically and emotionally ready, a decision can then be made. There is no age defined time nor any law that says you have to commit to preschool at the tender age of two.