How do I Raise Happy and Successful Goal Setting Kids?

Parent Newsletters - Issue 31

No Limits Learning
kids goals Ezine

Issue 31, March 24th 2007

IN THIS PARENT NEWSLETTER

1. A WORD FROM THE EDITORS

2. LEARNING CAN BE FUN (COOKING WITH YOUR KIDS)
3. IMAGINATION AND CHILDREN
4. KIDS CORNER COOKING AND CRAFTS
5. TICKLE YOUR FUNNYBONE (JOKES FOR KIDS BY KIDS)
6. WORDS OF INSPIRATION
7. SPONSORS

1. A WORD FROM THE EDITORS

Welcome to the next issue of the kidsgoals.com Newsletter. Cassie and I want to thank all our subscribers who take the time to email us with suggestions or questions. Your emails are VERY important to us, not only to let us know how we are doing, but also to let us know what you would like to see in upcoming articles. One such email struck a chord in us. A Father (Brian) wrote to us after reading our article on "Learning and Education" that while education was very important there was something equally important that children need to learn and that is how to use their imagination. He commented that it was sad that so few children actually learn to use their mind in this way. Cassie and I agree wholeheartedly and thus the first article is about how to help your children learn to use their imagination.

We are also firm believers that learning should be as much fun as possible, so with that in mind the second article is about cooking with your kids. When you cook with your kids you are not only teaching them the obvious, how to cook, you are also teaching them math and chemistry and having a blast while doing it!! It is also an excellent way to bond with your children.

Monicka

2. LEARNING IN THE KITCHEN

Children seem to really like helping in the kitchen. Whether it is opening a can or helping to crack eggs for a cake they are more than willing to lend a hand. Why not use this time to bond with your kids? Cooking can also be educational because a child will learn about counting, measuring, fractions, time, chemistry, social studies, the list goes on and on. Your child will not only be learning, but having fun at the same time and even children as young as three or four can join in.

You can start the educational process by having them help you make a shopping list and plan some of the meals for the week. Menu planning involves problem solving and creativity. Once you decide which recipes you are going to try you can get out the cookbooks and have your older kids help you read what is needed and get them to make out a grocery list. You can try recipes from other countries to teach your kids about different cultures or even something from a different time period, which will give them a bit of a lesson in history. You can explain to them that we didn't always have the modern conveniences we have now and cooking meals for a family used to be a lot harder.

At the grocery store you explain to your children that not all of the things they see in the store are made or grown in your own country. Some products come from other countries; such as grapes may come from Chile or avocados from California or Florida. You can explain that in some countries it is warm all the time and they can grow produce year round, and it is shipped to us so we can even have things like bananas in the winter. For the older kids you can give them a bit of a lesson in economy by showing them that just because the price on the label of a bulk product such as a larger jar of peanut butter may seem higher it is sometimes more of a bargain ounce for ounce or gram for gram, than the smaller less expensive jar.

In fact, there are a myriad of things that cooking will teach your child:

* Cooking encompasses all three types of learning styles, hands on, visual and even auditory

* Cooking utilizes reading, fractions, counting, sorting, money, chemistry, science, social studies, geography, art, history, health and many more educational areas

* All the processes in cooking such as stirring, chopping, whisking, kneading etc will help your child develop hand/eye coordination and hone his fine motor skills

* Cooking teaches safety and responsibility

* Cooking helps your child use his creativity and imagination

* Cooking promotes self esteem and a sense of accomplishment

* Cooking encourages the development of social skills

The benefits of cooking with your child are many, and even though making your kids a part of the meal planning and cooking process may require a little extra time, patience, and some extra tidying, especially when the children are younger; when you see their happy smiling faces and know they are learning something important in the process, it is well worth the effort. And the biggest bonus of all is that you will get to spend quality time with your children. If you ask me, it is a win/win all around!

Happy Cooking!

by Monicka

P.S. Check out Cooking with your child for lots of child-friendly recipes

3. IMAGINATION AND CHILDREN

Imagination, Learning and Intelligence

Some children are more "into" science, and other children are more "into" art. As a kid I was always a little scientist. I loved lists and diagrams and charts, and was rarely drawn to art or drawing.

In art classes at school, children are encouraged to use their imagination and express it creatively. I realized when I learned about Benzene Rings in Chemistry that the imagination is just as important for every topic a child might want to be good at - whether one of the sciences or one of the arts!

In the 1800's, the structure of Benzene was under much debate among scientists. Although they knew it was made up of Carbon and Hydrogen atoms, the scientists were puzzled as to how the atoms were connected.

A German chemist called Kekulé finally solved the mystery - using his imagination. Here's his story:

"I was sitting, writing at my text book, but the work did not progress; my thoughts were elsewhere. I turned my chair to the fire and dozed. Again the atoms were gamboling before my eyes. This time the smaller groups kept modestly in the background. My mental eyes, rendered more acute by repeated visions of this kind, could now distinguish larger structures, of manifold conformation: long rows, sometimes more closely fitted together, all twining and twisting in snake-like motion. But look! What was that? One of the snakes had seized hold of its own tail, and the form whirled mockingly before my eyes. As if by a flash of lightning I awoke; and this time also I spent the rest of the night working out the consequences of the hypothesis."

Another great scientist who was famed for using his imagination was Thomas Edison. When Edison was struggling with a problem, he often catnapped and daydreamed - and had many breakthroughs by using his imagination in this way.

At the other end of the spectrum, I regularly "see" my husband, who is an artist, using his imagination. Actually, what I see is him saying "I've got a lot of work to do today," then vanishing to the bedroom or lying down on the couch with his eyes closed! And I usually think - why is he being so lazy when he has work to do? Then a while later he'll suddenly get up and produce some amazing painting or sculpture. And I realize he wasn't being lazy - he was working with his imagination! He often tells me that he sees his future paintings in his dreams as well - dreaming is another great way to use your imagination.

So - how to help your child use his imagination for learning? Anything you can do to encourage him in the use of his imagination during play and every day life is a good thing - for instance:

* Encourage your children to play games where they take on roles from their favorite books or TV shows. Even better, play with them and develop your own imagination at the same time!

* You can teach your kids to tell stories with a few little dolls and the simplest of props - if they have an enthusiastic audience in Dad or Mom they will love doing this and it will help them develop their imagination.

* Give them something "ordinary" to play with and encourage them to think of lots of fun uses for it. An empty cardboard box can become a boat, a house, a bed... the possibilities are endless and this kind of play is often more stimulating to the imagination than expensive toys.

* Encourage your child to tell you about his dreams - ask him first thing in the morning as he is more likely to remember - this helps him develop his capacity for dreaming creatively, and shows him that you are interested in him and his imagination.

In addition, you can teach your child a problem-solving approach to study problems that will encourage him to use his imagination. At its simplest, this can take be taught as follows:

* Write out the problem on a sheet of paper. It might be the topic for a science essay for example. For instance, your child might have an essay to write on "How plants grow."

* Add notes of different things that you think might be relevant. Photosynthesis, water, minerals, soil, and so on. This can be a list or better still a colorful mind map.

* When the ideas dry up, go and have a lie down! On the couch or on a bed, but somewhere quiet. No TV or distractions. And just close your eyes and start imagining (suggest "tell yourself a story in your head about it" if your child seems unsure what you're asking him to do).

* When you feel ready, go back and tackle the problem or essay! It is likely to be easier, flow more readily and be more creative and fun to write.

Whether your child is more of a scientist or more of an artist, encouraging him to use his imagination is a wonderful way to help him find more enjoyment - and more success - in all kinds of studies.

By Cassie

4. KIDS CORNER COOKING AND CRAFTS

No bake oatmeal chocolate peanut butter clusters

(with adult supervision).

A very sweet cookie/candy treat that the kids will love to make as well as eat.

• 1 1/2 Cup butter
• 1/2 Cup cocoa
• 2 Cups sugar
• 1/2 Cup milk
• 3 Cups quick oats
• 1/2 Cup peanut butter (optional)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine butter, cocoa, sugar and milk in a large saucepan; stir and simmer on medium heat, until bubbles form around the edge of the saucepan, and mixture appears smoothly blended.

Remove from heat.

Add oats, peanut butter, and vanilla. Stir thoroughly.

Drop by rounded tablespoonful on waxed paper; cool and enjoy!

COFFEE FILTER BUTTERFLIES

(nice spring project for the younger ones)

• 1/2 black pipe cleaner per butterfly
• Paper coffee filter
• Water color paints
• Paint brush
• Water

1. Make a mixture of water and paint on a plate (paper plate if you have one then you can throw it afterwards)

2. Flatten the coffee filter and place it on the plate; the paint and water will soak through. Set aside on paper towels to dry.

3. Fold the pipe cleaner in half. Remember, you are only using half of a pipe cleaner to begin with.

4. Fold the coffee filter accordion style, in about 1/2" pleats.

5. Position the pleated coffee filter into the bent end of the pipe cleaner. Center the filter at the bend.

6. Twist the pipe cleaner around the filter to secure it in place.

7. Bend the tips of the pipe cleaner over about 1/4" to create the antennae.

8. Fan out the butterfly wings.

9. Hang with fishing line from the ceiling and it will look like your butterfly is really flying!

5. TICKLE YOUR FUNNYBONE (JOKES FOR KIDS BY KIDS)

Q: What does a termite eat for breakfast?
A: Oakmeal

Q: What is the best thing to put in a pie?
A: A fork

Q: What drink do balloons hate?
A: Pop!!

A Food Riddle
Throw out my outer.
Keep my inner.
Eat my outer.
Throw out my inner.
(An ear of corn)

6. WORDS OF INSPIRATION

"Never let formal education get in the way of your learning." --Mark Twain

"By learning you will teach and by teaching you will learn." --Latin Proverb

“What we learn, we learn by doing.” -- Aristotle

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." -- Albert Einstein

"Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it, we go nowhere." --Carl Sagan

"It is not so very important for a person to learn facts. For that he does not really need a college. He can learn them from books. The value of an education is ... the training of a mind to think something that cannot be learned from textbooks." --John Dryden

7. YOUR FEEDBACK

If you would like to request any topics for the newsletter for 2007, please email Cassie or Monicka at kidsgoals.com.

Thank you, from Cassie and Monicka

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