Make Time for Family Time

Make Time for Family Time

Julia @ Kids Matter

          It really seems like, more and more, a two income household isn’t a choice, it’s a necessity. As the cost of living increases and pay remains stagnant, more parents find the daunting reality that daycare teachers get to spend more time with their children than they do. As shocking as that sounds, most of you know what I mean. I was a preschool teacher and I can tell you that the bond between teacher and child is very strong. I’ve had parents call me at night because their children couldn’t go to bed without talking to me first. I’ve had children throw tantrums in a restaurant if they happened to see me eating there too, and I was not sitting with them. I have left a date sitting alone while I joined the child for dinner.

           Many parents have confided in me that they feel guilt about how little time they have with their children. When they broke it down, they realized that during the week they spend maybe four hours a day with their children, while the teachers get to spend ten.

           Teachers usually have a reward system in the classroom, like a sticker chart. This is a cute and awesome way to get your little ones to learn responsibility, and create opportunities for family time. Have a Sticker Chart in your home, in a location that everyone visits. Reward your child daily with stickers if they: behave, do chores, get a good report from their teacher, or any other age appropriate rules you agree on when making the chart. By the end of the week, if your child has a sticker every day they are rewarded with a treat.

              Give your child “family responsible choices” as treats, and try to avoid buying a toy as a reward. An example would be to allow them to pick between two treats like, choosing a game the family will play together, or helping to make cookies for family game night. Family responsible choices affect the whole family. This way they learn to understand how choices affect a group, and not just themselves. Allowing them to pick out a toy each week is nice, but it doesn’t really teach them how their efforts throughout the week help the family as a unit. Letting them have a toy as a reward is like your child earning a paycheck. That ‘paycheck’ really only benefits the child and not the whole family.  
         
           You can’t help your work schedule, so don’t allow that to bring you down and feel guilty. Instead, on weeknights, turn the TV or game systems off, and sit down to dinner together and talk about the day. The weekends should have the same structure as week days with bedtimes, naps, etc., but devote a lot of time to family time. Ride bikes, go to the park, see a movie, make/decorate a cake, feed the ducks, or go to a museum. The possibilities are endless when you make more time for family time.

Parenting in the Tech Age

Parenting in the Tech Age

Julia @ Kids Matter

          As a child who grew up in the 80’s, I am always fascinated by the behaviors of kids today. I guess I understand now, why my grandfather would shake his head in disgust at my torn jeans and Pink Floyd T-shirt. I’m starting to understand his way of thinking as the torches are passed to the children of the “Gen Xers” generation.

           Last time I wrote to you about “#LookUp”, so it is only natural that this blog would follow that course. My blog is in response to the tragedy in Wisconsin; two 12 year old girls attempted to murder their “friend” in order to be accepted into a fantasy website.

          I am not going to give you the gory details of this gruesome and morbid tale. What I will talk about though, is how we as people, in one of the most technologically advanced societies in the world, can work to not let something like this happen. To keep children from being engrossed and lost in a website that is FAR above their emotional and mental capabilities.

          I have to wonder if technology, social media, and accessibility are making us lazy. (We don’t have to work hard for anything.) Kids don’t ask what a word means anymore, they simply “Google it”. They use search engines instead of adults as a source of information.

          Do you ever think about what our grandparents went through compared to what we go through? Our grandparents starved during the Great Depression. They faced throat ripping dogs and fire hoses to keep them from a “whites only” drinking fountain. They fought in WWII and brought a tyrant to his knees. What can we take from our grandparents and their struggles? What would our grandparents say about how parenting has changed? Are there ways to plug in their teachings and parenting today? Absolutely!

          First, take control; our grandparents were always in control. You are paying for the internet and electricity, so you make the rules. Kids despise but require rules, so stick to your guns no matter how they protest. Don’t let your kids have a computer in their bedroom. Have a family computer in a neutral zone of your home. Work with computer experts on how to monitor your child’s online activities. Sit near your child while they do homework on the computer.  

          Ask them what they are working on and discuss it. When I was in school, my mother and I would talk every day about my history class. We talked about Watergate, The Gettysburg Address, Vietnam, ‘One if by land, two if by sea’, and where she was on November 22, 1963. By engaging with your children during homework and computer time, you are finding out more about their lives and what struggles they go through with school work, as well as the cruel politics that are school life.

          Stay involved, ask hard questions, expect shocking answers, require honesty at all costs, build trust, keep and respect space, and most importantly, remember they are curious. They are designed to be inquisitive about everything. It’s up to us to talk to them about their curiosities and the consequences. Ask them their opinion of what happened in Wisconsin. What do they think about what happened? What do they think should happen now? Listen. Discuss. Learn. That is life at its zenith and worst. Avoid the horrors those three poor families are facing today.   Do your best to prevent having to one day say, “If only I had known, asked, or listened.”

Classroom Rules for Your Staff!

Classroom Rules for Your Staff!

Julia @ Kids Matter

          In my years as an early educator, I was constantly going over classroom rules with eager to please preschoolers. They learned that list by heart in circle time. Practicing those good policies seemed to mysteriously disappear when it came to certain situations within the day to day life of a four year old.

          So, why don’t we have basic rules for our staff as well? The State Regulations are black and white and have very little room for variance. Does your staff know all the state regulations? It is imperative that your staff does, and it is up to you to make sure they have that knowledge.  Have monthly quizzes with regulation questions for your staff, to keep them up to date!  You should be doing a daily classroom walk through and schedule hour long observations monthly in each classroom. You should also have a quarterly staff meeting to go over rules and events. Having a professional development day listed in your parent handbook, as a closed center day, is also a great idea. Host several trainers that day to come and teach your staff new ideas and techniques to use with all age groups in your center.           

          True leaders encourage their staff members to want to do their very best. Here is a list of rules that I feel are vital to having successful and happy staff:

Rule #1

Smoke free campus.

Idea: ½ Hour or hour lunch breaks to leave campus.

Rule #2

No cell phones.

Idea: Walkie-talkies in rooms to communicate in emergency situations.

Rule #3

Have a tasteful and appropriate dress code.

Idea: Employee uniforms like T-shirt or polo and nice jeans or khaki pants.

Rule #4

No outside food or drink.

Idea: Provide a peaceful and fully equipped break room.

Rule #5

No personal visitors in the classrooms.

Idea: Allow for personal visitors to drop items off or say hello only in your office. Have a substitute teacher step in that classroom to free up the teacher.

Rule #6

Use a strict call in sick policy.

Idea #6: Allow your full time staff a few extra PTO days throughout the year. Teaching little ones is stressful and exhausting. By allowing a few extra days on top of their vacation and sick time, it will help with calling in issues.

Rule #7

Classroom cleanliness should be a priority.

Idea: Post a cleaning checklist in each classroom. Make sure, every morning, that a walk through is done upon opening the center. If a director does not open the center, entrust a lead teacher to do this job.

Rule #8

Limit foul language.

Idea: Provide a list, in your employee handbook, of vocabulary or slang that people don’t always realize is inappropriate for use around children.

Rule #9

Teach social media etiquette.

Idea: You should not ask for access to your employees’ Facebook or Twitter pages. But, have them sign a pledge, upon hire, saying they will not use it as a means to discuss, bully, harm, or intimidate fellow co-workers, children, or families within the daycare center.

What other rules do you use in your daycare that might help others?

The Family Vacation: a Relic of the Past

The Family Vacation: a Relic of the Past

Julia @ Kids Matter

            Sadly, fewer and fewer families are going on vacations these days, and there are many contributing factors as to why. A lot of parents can’t take the time off for employment reasons, can’t afford it for financial reasons, or need to surplus any personal time for when their little ones get sick. One way to get through these road bumps is to take mini-vacations once or twice a year, then plan for a bigger vacation every three years. It may seem easier to plan around government holidays in order to save a day from your personal time pool, but hotels may be pricier around holidays, so beware.

            If you live in an area like where I live, you may have access to several places of interest within a four hour drive. Living in Louisville allows me the ability to go to cities like Cincinnati, Gatlinburg, Indianapolis, Nashville, Chicago, and St. Louis. These cities, and ones near you, have many sites for a family to enjoy! Shop the travel sites for discounts on hotels a few months before your trip or check Groupon for Bed & Breakfast deals. I used a Groupon for a B&B just outside of Cincinnati one year, and we had a whole three bedroom house to ourselves for only $100 per night!

            It is a good rule of thumb to research restaurants in your destination city and plan an eating budget. Try to avoid touristy spots and search out city websites to see where the locals go! You can view menus and pricing, which can really get your food budget down to a science! Another money saver is staying where complimentary continental breakfast is served daily.

            A BIG vacation takes a lot of time, rigorous planning, and a killer budget. Do not let that intimidate you! The sky is the limit when you give yourself a few years to plan. Take your family some place they will never forget; Disney, New York City, New Orleans, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, or Paris! A good way to save for this kind of trip is to research the cost of hotels, transportation, food, shopping, and if overseas, the currency exchange rate.

            The 52 week money savings challenge can really help you save. If you do it for a few years in a row, you will be all set. Each week of the year, starting in January, you will place money in savings. Your money progresses along with the week’s number you are on. (Example: Week 1 you would put $1 in savings, Week 2 you would put $2 in savings, and so on.) By the end of your 52 weeks, your grand total savings will be $1378.

            Family vacations should not be a relic of the past! Spend time with your children in a new environment. Show them this great country of ours and all of her historical splendor. Showing a child the beach for the first time or looking out over New York from the Empire State building is incredible! So, pile the family into the car, pack a cooler of snacks, drinks, and lunches, and head to a new destination for your children to explore!

Happy Summer!

#LookUp!

#LookUp!

Julia @ Kids Matter

            My Facebook app just alerted me to the fact that several of my “friends” have enjoyed and liked my quick wit and Twitter constantly bleeps at me, to let me know that someone I have never met is now “following” me. I am sooo popular and loved by social media!

            WHAT AM I DOING??? What are any of us doing? Have we lost touch of who we are? Why is it that kids today can barely speak, let alone write the English language? Why do I see parents simply hand over their $700 phone to their seven year old for entertainment instead of a book? I have asked parents what their kids are looking at or playing on their phone; I always get the same responses, “It keeps him quiet,” and “… because she sees me on it and wants what I have”. That last statement really hits the bulls eye, “… because she sees me on it and wants what I have”. Recently, I ate at Red Robin and everywhere families sat in similar situations; kids jumping and screaming in the booth seats, higgledy piggledy, while their parents looked down at their phones, simply ignoring them.

The table at meal time should be a time for family conversation and recapping each other’s days. Studies have shown that children and adolescence that have at least four meals per week at the table with their family are more emotionally and socially sound than those families who don’t eat together. Also, they have a lower risk of smoking and drinking, as well as higher grades in school. Research states that the reason for these results is due to families eating meals together, at the table, without electronics as a distraction. Your family enjoying a meal and conversation together provides structure, boundaries, and a sense of belonging for your child. All these things are needed for the developmental health of your children.

            It may seem hard enough just to get your teens to the table, let alone to the table without their phones, but if you set that rule early and stick to it for yourselves and them, you will have far more socially adjusted and happy children.

            I recently saw a Youtube video. It was a young man who wrote and performed a spoken word film about unplugging ourselves from our phones. The central message is about getting back to communicating with one another, and more importantly with our kids. Put down your phones, show interest in your kid’s lives, and eat dinner at the table. Show them and teach them that your family unit is, and always will be, more important than whatever is trending.  

The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports

The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports

Julia @ Kids Matter

               If you, like me, were a kid growing up in the great Commonwealth of Kentucky, there are several things about the first Saturday in May that you are born knowing…

1.   Hats

2.   Plecher, Lucas, and Baffert are household names.

3.   Secretariat’s real name was Big Red, and his colors blue & white.

          But what is it like? What is it like for a Kentucky girl like me, who rode horses like her mother before her? What are my traditions with the Derby? For me, I usually don’t attend the Derby or parties; I like to watch the coverage all day at home with my mother and brother. Derby Day is a HOLIDAY! We love to snack, drink, snicker at clothing choices made by female attendees, and sneer vehemently at certain trainers whose techniques we don’t agree with.

          We watch the races leading up to the “big one” with a certain impatient edge that comes with Derby Fever. Then, I hear the famous, “RIDERS UP!” and small flutters occur in my belly. The trumpet calls the riders to post. “My Old Kentucky Home” by Stephen Foster plays, and I choke back a sob of Kentucky pride as these magnificent creatures trot to the gate. Millions of eyes are on my home, my state, my commonwealth; I couldn’t be happier.

          Like any athlete, you see the determined and slightly wild look in the thoroughbreds’ large rolling eyes. Their nostrils flare, sensing the thousands of people and their excited energy. The flanks tighten and mouths slightly froth at the anxiety to be free and run their hearts out. They line them up, which can take a few minutes if you have some unruly ones who are spooked by the smallest things. My breath is held as lock them in. My mother instinctively curls her hands, as if once again holding reins, and turns to me and states, “I just want a clean round…”

          AND THEY’RE OFF! Two heart stopping minutes of jumping, screaming, pleading, cursing, crying, and cheering that seem to last an eternity. When you think you can’t scream any harder you hear the famous, “AND HERE THEY COME DOWN THE BACK STRETCH!”

          There are between 12 and 22 thundering horses with dirt covered jockeys looking for the outside break. And millions of spectators screaming in unison, “GO BABY, GO BABY, GO BABY!” Then someone crosses the finish line. Was it the favorite, the first timer, the filly, was it your pick?

          It’s over, and we are finally able to breathe once more. We instantly begin to chatter about the race highlights before the famous roses are draped across indeed, a ‘good baby’.

          If you don’t watch the Derby, you should! It’s A-mazing! You can find all things Derby at http://www.kentuckyderby.com/visit/security-information. Local coverage (in Louisville) is from 7AM – 10AM with NBC national coverage starting at noon on NBCSN and 4PM on NBC with race time approximately 6:20PM and show ending at 7:30PM. (All times are EDT)

          Two recipes common on Derby Day are “Derby Pie” and Mint Juleps. You just have to give them a try!

“Derby Pie”

The pie was created by George Kern and his parents in their restaurant in Prospect, Kentucky.  It is a chocolate and walnut mixture, in a pastry crust.  The original recipe has remained a secret, so we do not have that recipe.  Following is a recipe for possibly the best pie I have ever had.  So, try it... you’ll like it.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup pecans, chopped

9 inch unbaked pie shell

Directions:  Combine all ingredients except the pie shell.  Mix well.  Pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until brown on top.

Mint Juleps (Mock)

Ingredients:

4 -5 mint sprigs

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups cold water

3/4 cup lemon juice

1 1/2 quarts ginger ale (or Ale8 1)

Thinly sliced lemon (to garnish)

Directions:

1. Rinse mint and discard stems.

2. Mix sugar, water, and juice in medium bowl.

3. Stir in mint leaves.

4. Let stand 30 minutes.

5. Fill large pitcher with ice.

6. Strain liquid over ice.

7. Add ginger ale and lemon slices.

8. Serve in tall glasses with lemon slices to garnish.

Happy Derby Day Everyone!

Girl Scout Cookies

Girl Scout Cookies

Julia @ Kids Matter

          Recently, I read an article and a blog about the outrage the writers felt over the sale of Girl Scout cookies. Because Girl Scout Cookies are an American institution and a greatly anticipated part of the early spring season, I would like to take this opportunity to respond to that complaint.

          As I read those opinions I started to get a little offended. The attack was on the Girl Scouts and how blind they are to the message they are sending out to young ladies. Their criticism of the Girl Scouts was the selling of cookies loaded with sugar, fat, and oils. It is MY responsibility, not that of a seven year old young lady, to put down the cookie and watch my own weight.

          I, along with countless others, live in a very income based area of town. We call it home. When I see Girl Scout outside the neighborhood grocery selling cookies, I am proud that those girls and parents have chosen to be a part of the Girl Scouts of America, versus more dangerous groups in our neighborhood.

They are learning and earning the money to go on trips to the zoo, a camp-out, the aquarium and etc. These are trips their families may not be able to afford for them to do. Selling something such as environmentally safe light bulbs would not really go over very well, but cookies always do. Cookies are a nod to the origins of GSA; they have a long and tasty history.

          Girl Scouts are not just about cookies. Cookie sales only take up 25% of their time with the remaining spent doing many other activities. The Girl Scouts of America is an economically, environmentally, and socially responsible organization that teaches young girls how to be strong, confident, and resourceful women. When I have a child, if I have a girl, I want her to be a scout. Not so that I can hoard boxes of Thin Mints in my home, like a troll with gold, but so my child will be part of a group of women who focus on learning, growing, and becoming leaders.

          Scouts are a wonderful and inexpensive way to get your child involved in the community. Girl scouting supports academic engagement and achievement, with an emphasis on helping girls succeed in school. Girl Scout programming has great benefits for girls and helps prepare them to go on and get a college education.

If you, like me, were once a Brownie, say the words;

"Twist me and turn me and show me an elf, I looked in the water and saw Myself”

For more information on the wonderful work done by the Girl Scouts of America, please visit their website!

One Day We Are ALL Irish!

One Day We Are ALL Irish!

Julia @ Kids Matter

       One day a year, March 17th, we are ALL Irish. That is St. Patrick’s Day; a fun, festive day when, if not festooned with green, you may get pinched. But, what is the history of this holiday? Who was Saint Patrick? Are the legends true? Did he really rid the Emerald Isle of Snakes?!

          Actually no, that is not why we celebrate the official Apostle of Ireland. He is celebrated for bringing the Catholic Church to Ireland and teaching his faith using the three sided clover as a visual aid. The clover is still the country’s official flower.

          His death on March 17^th, 461 A.D. is the day we celebrate to this day. But, how did the Irish in the first century celebrate compared to how we celebrate today? The Irish would attend services in the morning. They then had celebrations feasting on bacon and cabbage, then dancing and singing well into the night! There were no parades, no wearing of green, or cheering lads with a pint of green beer! Those traditions didn’t come until much later and were initiated by Irish immigrants in America.

          The first celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day in America was in the early days of the thirteen colonies. It was organized by The Charitable Irish Society of Boston. The society's purpose for gathering was simply to honor its homeland; however, they also coordinated charitable works for the Irish community in Boston. They attended services and had a special dinner later that night. These celebrations were very similar to the traditions of the ‘Old Country’.

          The first St. Patrick’s Day parade occurred in New York City in 1762, when Irish soldiers, serving in the English Army, marched the American streets reconnecting to their Irish roots. This act inspired all those of Irish blood to participate. Today, it is not only the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade, but also the largest parade period in the world, hosting 150,000 people and taking five hours to complete! Other major cities that have large Irish populations such as, Savannah, Chicago, Boston, and Philadelphia have parades of upwards to 50,000 participants each year.

          In Chicago, they dye their river GREEN, with vegetable dye! It is the most fantastic shade of green and lasts for several hours. As you can see from the picture above, it’s amazing! As part of the Washington D.C. celebration, the White House also dyes its front fountain green.

          So, join me and thousands of others this Saint Patrick’s Day. Put on your best green shirt and dance a jig to celebrate the life of one of the most beloved Saints in the world!

Erin Go Bragh!!

For additional information on St. Patrick’s Day please visit:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charitable_Irish_Society_of_Boston
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick's_Day_in_the_United...

Meet the Child Care Council Staff

Introducing Julia W

Melissa @ Kids Matter

               I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Eligibility Specialist, Julia W. in the Jefferson County office. Julia has been employed by the CCC for about 18 months. Julia pursued employment with the CCC after having been a director at a daycare center. Julia felt that being a director in a daycare wasn’t doing enough to promote child advocacy. She felt that the CCC could give her the opportunity for the “grass roots” level of advocacy she desired.

               Julia, or “Peacock” as she is known to her husband, was recently married in a unique Halloween themed wedding. Julia met her “Mr. Right” when she was just a child, as he was the best friend of her older brother. Having no interest in each other romantically, they both pursued other options in life partners. After both found themselves in a “lost period” (post relationship break-ups), they reconnected via Facebook, and the rest is history. Julia says she was attracted to Mr. Right because, as adults, they discovered that they had much more in common personality wise than they’d previously thought. Julia has a unique sense of humor, and says that Mr. Right “gets her humor”. She says she fell in love with his “completely romantic style, humor, intelligence, and the fact that he is her polar opposite politically”.

               Julia explained that Mr. Right calls her Peacock because when they were dating, she would “peacock” for him every time they saw each other. He says she is beautiful and rare like a peacock. He proposed marriage while they were visiting her family for Christmas Eve. He began by playing “You’ve Got the Touch” by Stan Bush which has special meaning for them. He got down on one knee, proposed, and of course, she said, “Yes”.

               Aside from being employed with the CCC, Julia adds professional actress to her resume. She performed in musical theatre for over 10 years and only stopped when she met her previous spouse. While working as a professional actress, she lived in London for over a year and loved it. During her time as an actress, she also lived in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, NY. She describes her time there with humor and love and says she was NOT afraid of the neighborhood because, in true peacock style, she “was destined to be there”.

               Julia moved to NYC one week after 9/11/01 and describes the time following her move there as sad. She commented, “No one had a job and stockbrokers were applying to work at McDonald’s”. She states that while taking the subway to work, the rage, pride, sadness, ego, agony, resilience, and political feelings of the people were all palpable. However, none of this ever deterred her from living there and continuing her life as normally as possible.

               Working in the office with Julia is a treat. I feel privileged to call her my friend AND co-worker. She’s as lovely as she is charming with her warm, funny, sweet, and passionate style.

Who Was Saint Valentine? Does He Know How His Holiday Makes Us Feel?

Who Was Saint Valentine? Does He Know How His Holiday Makes Us Feel?

Julia @ Kids Matter

Date: Valentines Day, February 14^th 1993.

Heroine: Me. Action: The 4^th delivery of red/pink roses to yet another skinny, beautiful, and popular female.

Place: High school classroom of heartless athletics coach who was given the required task of teaching world history; a job he should NOT have been given, and was not qualified to perform.

          To a chubby unpopular girl, it is one of the most undesirable days of the year. It’s a constant reminder that you have no boyfriend, still haven’t lost any weight on your diet, and are still too scared to wear contacts. Now, I did get flowers every year from my mother, who knew my pain and tried to comfort me through it.

          But why do we feel this way? Why is it that we need Valentine’s Day to make us feel pretty, loved, and desired? Who was this hack Valentine anyway? Does he know that single people everywhere are made to feel like MAJOR losers every February 14^th?

           There are several differing stories of the martyred man, Valentinus. One is that the Roman Emperor Claudius II decided that single men make better soldiers that those with wives. Like most bone headed moves made by an early aged emperor, he banned marriage. Valentinus found this as idiotic as I do and began secretly performing marriages. This did not bode well and he was put to death.

          Another popular theory has our hero being jailed for helping Christians escape Roman prisons, where they were beaten and tortured daily. It is said that Valentine fell for a woman, believed to be the jailor’s daughter, and sent her a note before his death signed, ‘From Your Valentine’.

          My uneducated opinion is that the man, who secretly married people behind the back of an emperor, is romantic and worthy of a day celebrated in honor of love. I do believe he was imprisoned for defying Claudius. However, and I also believe he fell for a woman while there and gave her the very first ‘valentine card’.

          I think back, and laugh, to when I was 17 and having flowers sent to me in history class being a matter of life and death. I now know what Valentine meant for us all to learn. Love is love and it is everywhere you look.

          The love of my single mother struggling to make ends meet, somehow finding the money to send me very expensive flowers… that is love. I think that is what St. Valentine would like to see in honor of his name.

          Happy Valentine’s Day to you and to all those we love. Let’s go back to our childhoods and pass out valentines to one another. Mail a Valentine to your mother and buy some small old school Star Wars themed ones for your coworkers. Place a small heart shaped piece of chocolate on their desk along with it. You will feel quite warm for passing on a little love.

Decorating that Turkey Table on a Budget!

Decorating that Turkey Table on a Budget!

Julia @ Kids Matter

          I am literally salivating over Thanksgiving as we speak. I love Turkey Day for not just for the excuse to pig out on as many side dishes and as much turkey, gravy, and pies as I can. I love it for the décor! I am a huge fan of decorating for the holidays, and I always have champagne tastes on a beer budget! So, I try my hardest to have a new theme every year, but with things I can find around the house and yard. Check your yard for fallen branches. You can simply hang a branch over the table and from it hang pictures of past Thanksgivings (unless you have a chandelier there, then perhaps hang it somewhere else where it will be a focal point). This is such a warm, welcoming, and chic decoration that displays pictures of your loved ones.

          The table is my favorite to decorate! My favorite table linen to use this time of year is a rich golden color accented with bone white plates. Rust colored napkins with a leaf pattern sewn in them lay snuggly under my great grandmothers silver flatware that has been painstakingly polished to a gleam by yours truly! (A job I inherited at a VERY young age, to earn the right of inheritance of the said silver later in life.)

          Up next are simple accents of décor on the main table and buffet, or bar. I cut small round holes in the tops of squat round apples. Seal the holes with candle wax letting some wax drip over the bulb of the apples. I placed a tea light in each apple and line them up on the table.

          My center piece is a trio of gold, cream, and brown pillar candles that are on a trio stand with acorns tied in between each candle. I then sprinkle the fall leaves I had collected and cleaned earlier in the week on the table around the apples.

          I am a HUGE fan of smelly goods! I know the house will smell of turkey and pie, but give it a little boost! Make sure to put money in the Turkey Day budget for some good smelling candles or scented oils with aromas of fall. I personally love candles for ambiance and scented oil for fragrance.    With that being said, get yourself some decorative candles and holders from the Dollar Store to save money and spend that saved dough on scented oil and burners. My personal favorite place to get scented oil is The Body Shop. I have bought it at many places, but none of them can hold a candle to The Body Shop. I have just two burners for my 3500 square foot house; one for upstairs and one for downstairs and they cover the WHOLE house! The oil lasts a very long time and the Satsuma scent is a winner every time! It works for holidays and for summer.

          So take a look around your house for items to use as décor for Turkey Day. I am sure with a little imagination you can have a very festive day! Also, Pinterest is a resource that is a mecca for craft nerds like me. Start pinning and you don’t stop- it’s more addictive than raw cookie dough.

           Think of what you are thankful for and when you are about to pull your hair out this year with menu options, décor issues, Aunt Elsie and her horrid annual Jell-O salad (which you dread like the plague) remember, there are little ones out there who have no food. Take them something. Make it something good not just that can of old beans in your cabinet. Add a few extra boxes of instant mashed potatoes, mac-n-cheese, and chicken & stars soup to your shopping cart and know that a child is thanking you on Turkey Day.         

Have fun this year! Happy Thanksgiving and remember to thank someone every day. Thank your boss, your babysitter, your family, your waste management team, your mail carrier, and everyone!

Peace, Love, and Wishbones…

From The Director’s Chair: How to Cook a Turkey

From The Director’s Chair: How to Cook a Turkey

Julia @ Kids Matter

          As we all know, fall has come! Mother Nature has certainly changed from her short shorts and flip flops and brought in some seriously colder than normal temps! It is October, but we are having November-like weather here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  Naturally being a HUGE fan of colder weather, I find myself daydreaming of all things fall and winter!

          I am even listening to Christmas music…SHHH! Don’t tell anyone! I am a bit ashamed of it personally, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE the holidays! Halloween is upon us and Christmas is 2 months away! But wait! There is a very important fall holiday in between... The ever popular and important Thanksgiving. The American ‘My Diet can sit on a tack’ holiday where we eat, watch football, fight with family, and give thanks for all of the above.

          Now, while you are sitting there flipping through the latest Paula Deen or Martha Stewart mag for new recipes there is a very significant recipe you need to bring to your classrooms. How to Cook a Turkey!

          Preschoolers and Pre-Kindergartners absolutely LOVE this Thanksgiving project. When I was in the classroom, I did this activity every year. We always did journal entries in my classrooms before lunch.  Every day I would give them a topic for their journals. They would draw what their story or entry was about. They would then bring the picture to me or my assistant and we would ask, “Tell me about your picture?” It is vital that you know to ask that question.  Never ask a child, “What is this?”  A child sees it clear as glass for what it is, and they expect you, their mentor, to know as well.

          This now brings me to the journal entry I looked forward to all year. “Class, today’s journal topic is, ‘How to Cook a Turkey.’ I would like for you to think very hard about what you will need to stuff the turkey, how to cook it, and how long it will need to cook. Begin please.”

          For ten minutes, they would color, draw, giggle, and change paper, until they had the best recipe they could muster. I would await their pictures like a kid at Christmas. And soon, I would be awarded with the first drawing. I did this exercise for many years, but one child stands out as being my favorite. I still, to this day, remember every word. I know I must have read it half a million times, and it hung on my bulletin board until Christmas. Now, put those expensive holiday cooking magazines down and follow this recipe to the “T” for turkey!

“How to Cook a Turkey” By Andy, age four

Me: Okay Andy, tell me about your picture. And let me just say, it look fabulous.

Andy: Thanks Miss Julila, I have a feeling about this one.

Me: You do? How so?  Walk me through it, if you please.

Andy: Well, you have to cook a turkey in the oven at 7000 degrees. Then you have to yell at Dad to get off his duff and vacuum the living room already because his mother will be there soon, and the Packers will probably win anyway. See, there is Dad watching the Packers. Then you stuff it {the turkey} with chicken nuggets, gummy worms, cupcakes, catsup, French fries, pizza, and a sundae that comes in a small baseball hat. Then Dad comes in and smells it and says it’s perfect and it’s done.

Me: How long does it take to cook a turkey at 7000 degrees?

Andy: Ten minutes!

Me: Really? That’s it? Ten minutes?

Andy: That’s all buddy!

Me: What do you like to eat with your turkey for Thanksgiving?

Andy: Orange potatoes and eggs.

Me: Okay.

Andy: And pie.

Me: Do you have a favorite type of pie?

Andy: Apple is good, but only if it is cold.  I don’t want ice cream melting it.

Me: Well, is there anything else you would like to tell me about cooking a turkey Andy?

Andy: Yeah, it has to be ortantic {organic} or else my aunt will get fat.

Me: Awesome. You sir, are Awesome Sauce!

Andy: You are Awesome Turkey Miss Julila! Can I play Blocks now?

          Now, imagine that conversation about 24 times… It really doesn’t get much cooler than that. They have such a wonderful time with journals, but you have to write down everything they say! So, you must be able to write quickly! What they are saying is sheer gold!

          Next time, I plan on bringing a little décor and cooking tips. I love to cook/bake, and this time of year I start to try new recipes for T-Day. Until then, start journals in your classroom, get young minds creatively thinking, and ask a three or four year old how to cook a turkey. You will never laugh harder in your life.

Well, that is all for now from The Director’s Chair…