Got a minute?  Since that's about all the free time you have, here's one minute of information about Cyber Bullying Terms from Vanessa Van Petten

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To find out more about Vanessa Van Petten, her books about parenting teens, and her blog "On Teens Today" go to:
www.OnTeensToday.com

Materials:

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup water

Food coloring or tempera paint

Tub  

Combine all ingredients. Pour mixture into tubs for the child. See what happens!  Add more cornstarch.  What happens?  More water.  What happens?  This is a rich tactile experience.

More Quickest Crafts... 

Like it or don't, here are the facts:

The Department of Justice reports that there are only 115 stereotypical kidnappings per year, in which a stranger or acquaintance abducts a child to hold for ransom or abuse and kill him or her.  Who are all those other missing kids?  Some are kids who have been taken by non-custodial parents or relatives.  Most are teenagers running away with friends or lovers.  Who are all of these "sexually abused missing kids"?  Teenages who are too young to have consentual sex, but old enough to like it.  How long does it typically take to get the missing kids back home?  Less than 24 hours.  Do we need to have high blood pressure over the possibility of little Timmy being abducted in the supermarket?  Not likely.

I'm not making this up.  The facts just don't support the fear and hype we have all come to believe and I, for one, am greatly relieved. 

Read the Justice Department report...  

Download the PDF of the report directly from this link...  

Although we know that the American child abduction rate is way over hyped (see post "There are only 115 kidnappings per year") it is still a parent's responsilibity to teach a child how to negotiate safety situations.  Parents can probably go off the high blood pressure medication they've been prescribed for their worry over child safety, but they still are the primary educators of their children and have to deal with some level of stranger-danger education.  Throughout life kids are going to encounter wierdos and an important life skill is being able to recognize and deal with them. 

The internet does put children, especially teens, in the path of malevolent strangers.  Don't let this worry you too much.  Your kids are smart and with your guidance they can develop a healthy level of cynicism that will give them good judgement about situations that could lead them into trouble.  The challenge for many parents is, when it comes to the internet, they don't know where to start.

Here is one option.  Web Wise Kids has a series of educational computer games, for parents, kids, teachers and law enforcements officers, that teach internet safety.  The parent education program is called "Wired With Wisdom" and it walks even the most un-tech-savvy parent through social networking, e-mail, cell phone use, instant messaging, and general internet safety issues.  The kid games are designed for tweens and teens.  They are actual computer games that take kids through the experience of being hood-winked by internet predators, so they can learn to recognize the signs and avoid the real thing. 

The games cost between $20 and $40 each.  You can preview videos of the game content at the website www.WebWiseKids.org

There is a new website for enthusiastic aunties who want to be all the auntie they can be.  It is called Savvy Auntie .  Many wonderful would-be moms enjoy exercising their maternal instincts on their beloved nieces and nephews and the children of their best friends.  (And we are all glad they do because "aunties" usually equal free babysitting.)  These enthusiastic aunties read parenting websites and magazines, and listen to parenting podcasts so that they can learn to be wonderful caregivers and to their tiny friends.  Savvy Auntie is, in essence, a parenting website for non-parents.  How is it different than other parenting websites?  It reads like an Intro To Parenting class, with one-page articles defining things like how to buy an age appropriate book for a child.  The site has a page dedicated to ideas for activities, gift suggestions (with an option to buy now, of course), expert articles, and a community of aunties to join.   

All in all it seems like a good resource for childless aunties and best friends who love to be involved with the kids.  

www.SavvyAuntie.com  

I am so happy that my children are getting out of that baby stage and are becoming interested in fun big kid things like dinosaurs and bugs!  I was fascinated by all kinds of gross outdoorsy things when I was growing up, like bugs, tadpoles, frogs, slugs, even dead mice I'd find (we lived in the country).  My boys are no different, but they don't have to scavenge for bugs to raise and I don't have to worry about creating the correct habitat or worry about what to feed them, because I have the internet! 

I discovered a website called www.InsectLore.com through one of my favorite podcasts Jumping Monkeys (all about raising kids in the digital age).  Through insect lore you can order a wide range of outdoorsy enrichment projects for your kids including: insects (food and habitat included), water creatures, root view gardens, and carnivorous plants.  My son's preschool teacher has heard of this website and says she has ordered insects from them before too.

Here is what we ordered and my report on each one:

Butterfly larvae (caterpillars).  We've had them for about 1 1/2 weeks and they are now turning into cocoons which we will soon transfer into a butterfly habitat.

Root Vue Farm which is a see through planter where you can watch carrots, onions and radishes grow beneath the earth.  After about one week radish shoots started to come up, and a few days after we started to see carrot and onion shoots.

Ant Hill Living Ant Habitat  The anthill came, and it is super-cool, but you have to send away for the ants seperately and they have not arrived yet.

What I love about these products is how quickly kids can see results.  We all know that little kids don't have a sene of the long term.  With the Insect Lore products kids can see evolution within a matter of days.  My 4 year old is very excited to "do his chores" each day, which means he goes out and waters his Root-Vue Farm and check's its progress.  The caterpillars are always on the move, spinning silk, eating, moving around and preparing cocoons.  Even my two year old likes to check in on them several times a day.

Hearty endorsement here for Insect Lore
www.InsectLore.com

I am not ashamed to say that I lifted these quotes directly from the Parents.com article "Biggest Toy Recalls of 2008 "  These parents sum up exactly why I never read nor publish Toy Recalls in The Momstyle News.  I read about one art game that was recalled because a 10 year old girl ate the paint pellets.  A 10 YEAR OLD GIRL ATE THE PAINT PELLETS!  And she had some kind of hallucenagenic reaction and could have died.  People, a girl this silly is going to die of something else equally moronic eventually.  I say give her a Darwin Award and leave the toy company alone.

	beth.vaughn wrote: A rocking horse that can rock forward and backward creating a fall hazard. You've got to be kidding me. Rocking horses rock back and forth....duh!!! This was the worst list I've ever seen!!! 7/16/2008 11:57 AM CDT
	Lillian A. wrote: Do parents ever watch their children play any more? Do they not take responsibility for what toys their children play with? I think that these recalls are over the top. Must be a make work project. 7/16/2008 9:14 AM CDT
	c_mayne69 wrote: wow i can understand the worry with lead, but seriously they say these toys have the potential of breaking, well so does everything else. well then babys should be allowed to use soothers because the nipple part can break off and be choked on, i think alot of this stuff is a load of bull. there was never recalls when i was a kid. 7/15/2008 2:37 PM CDT

This week's topics:

Whole Milk Is Now Uncool

Smart Television Alliance

Smarter Kids Make Their Parents Better

Newsflash - Pollution Is Dangerous

Military Kid Education Law In Effect

Brangelina Babies

Poll Results: Do you let your kids play with sticks?

Vote: How do you get your kids to eat healthy?

AAP 2008 National Art Contest

Quick Craft: Colored Rice, Noodles and Salt

Kid Friendly Recipe: German Apple Pancake

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A non-toxic alternative to glitter and sand for the young artist.  Use with white glue on paper as a gollage medium or it can ge blued on other surfaces to add texture.  Teach your little ones their letters, by placing the rice on the letter written in glue.  After it dries, they can trace the letter with their finger tip.

Get the recipe...  

Get recipe... 

Early Head Start Researchers have studied the dynamics of the famlies with children under the age of 3.  Their findings showed that a parent's economic resources as well as quality of parenting influenced a child's cognitive development.  (Yes, we all know that.)  They also observed that the quality of parenting was superior when the child demonstrated cognitive achievements.  Parents were more encouraging and supportive of children who demonstrated developmental achievements.  

In other words, this becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.  Parents who are able to encourage cognitive growth in their children have children who demonstrate cognitive growth and that achievement makes parents want to encourage more cognitive growth.  

Researchers are advocating for family aid programs that not only give families financial assistance, but also provide some level of family enrichment to help parents become better role models for, and educators of, their children. 

Read the full report of the study...

  Do you let your kid play with sticks?

20% said Heck no, they'd put someone's eye out.

80% said Why wouldn't I let my kid play with sticks? 

Why do I ask?  I went hiking in the woods with a group of families and one mother reprimanded her 5 year old to stop playing with sticks.  I thought, "Huh?!"  And there my 2 and 4 year old stood, guilty as sin, wielding a five foot stick each.  I considered whether or not I should tell them to put their sticks down.  Instead of relying solely on the committee in my head, I posed the question to moms.  Turns out most would have let them play with the sticks like I did.

Meet other smart moms like yourself at The Momstyle Network

Go to: 

momstylenews.ning.com 

I mean seriously, why are there so many articles about "How to get your kids to eat healthy?"

How do you get your kids to eat healthy?

a. I serve healthy food. (Duh)

b. I let his conscience be his guide.

c. I beg and bribe.

d. I let him get sick on nachos then offer him a nice refreshing carrot.

e. I don't.  I grew up on Twinkies and Kool-Aid and I turned out fine. 

Vote at the Momstyle Network...  

Meet other smart moms like yourself at The Momstyle Network

Go to: 

momstylenews.ning.com 

This week the American Academy of Pediatrics basically said, "Since kids keep being obese we will change science to make them be skinnier."   For the past 10 years the AAP has been recommending whole milk, instead of reduced fat milk, for kids between 1 and 2 years of age.  The reason was that whole milk is rich with fat soluble vitamins that a growing toddler needs to thrive.  But now, because so many children are showing up with unhealthfully high cholesterol levels, the AAP has changed their recommendation.  They now recommend that toddlers drink 2% milk instead of whole milk (which is 3.25% fat).  They reason that, in general, children are getting more than enough fat in their diets from other sources so why go overkill on the milk fat?

While the American Academy of Pediatrics is busily rewriting the rulebook against whole milk, the Canadian Paediatric Society continues to stand firm on a general recommendation for it.  In summary, like everything else in life, there is no black and white when it comes to nutrition.  Parents, ask your pediatrician an annoying amount of questions and make sure that you get a personalized recommendation based on your own child's needs.  Clearly there is no cookie cutter "truth" to this which-milk-is-healthier question.

Read more...