Are You a Gracious Gift Receiver?

Let’s face it, most kids get gifts at one time or another, especially at birthdays and certain holidays. Sometimes the gifts are just what you wanted—that special toy or article of clothing. Other times, however, you might get what you consider, a “dud” of a gift. You know, socks, or something you don’t quite like.

What’s a kid to do? Do you say, “Yuck, I don’t like this!”? Do you throw it on the floor and stomp on it? Some kids do this sort of rude behavior, but I don’t recommend that. It could hurt the feelings of the person who took the time and money to get you something. Even if it’s not what you expected or even want.

No, it’s important to thank the giver no matter what. And really put in the effort to be sincere. Nobody likes a fake thank you. Take a breath; look at the giver, smile, and say thanks. It won’t kill you to be nice. Some kids in this world never get gifts, good, bad, or ugly. Be grateful for what you have.

Have you ever received a "dud" gift?  How did you react?  Leave me a comment.  I'd love to hear from you!

Positive Self-Talk and Achieving the Impossible

One of the biggest roadblocks to success in school is negative self-talk. That’s when you think in your brain, “I can’t do this.” As soon as you start thinking that, your brain shuts right down. Of course, once your brain has shut down, you can’t learn. This is a vicious cycle! And very frustrating!

This week my fourth graders tackled long division. After my glorious lesson involving the mnemonic device “Does McDonald’s Sell Cheeseburgers?” (Divide, multiply, subtract, check, bring down), only two people grasped the concept.

We kept working and working on it and more and more students caught on. But not before one student put their head down on their desk. I knew the student was thinking that deadly phrase, “I can’t do this.”

Negative self- talk happens to all of us at one time or another in our lives. The best strategy is to recognize it, stop it, and turn it into positive pep-talk. The absolute worst thing you can do is give up. That’s what this student did. As I continued to demonstrate, they refused to watch. They sat there at their desk with their eyes squinched shut. As a result, they are very far behind the rest of the class who didn’t give up. The rest of the class is getting it.

And now those who have resisted learning their basic math facts are finding out how important those pesky facts are! They are able to do the long division but it takes them twice as long as those who have their basic facts memorized. I tried to warn them.

Here are some strategies when you get frustrated and start to hear “I can’t do this” in your head.

1. Picture a big stop sign. This will stop your negative self-talk.

2. Think “This is hard, but I’ll get it soon.”  Now picture the word "Go" in your head.

3. If you can, take a break. Go for a walk or shoot some hoops, etc.

4. Have a drink of water or a healthy snack.

5. Promise yourself a reward when you’re done.

6. Set a timer and get going! You can do this!!!

I hope you found this helpful! Have you ever overcome any negative self-talk? Please leave me a comment. I’d love to hear from you!

Halloween Gorilla Prank

I love Halloween!  I’m never a clown—I’m usually a witch for October parties.  At school I wear black pants and a black turtleneck with a sandwich sign that looks like a math flashcard.  I tell people I’m a basic math fact and if you don’t memorize me I’ll come back to haunt you!  Scary, huh?

My favorite Halloween prank of all times was when I wore my gorilla costume and sat on a lawn chair on my front deck.  My plan was to let the kids come really close and then I’d jump up and growl at them.  My theory was that they’d be so scared they would scream, drop their candy, and run away.  Then I would get to eat all of their candy.  Bwah-hah-hah!

Oh yes, they approached the house.  I could hear them debating whether I was real or not.  They bravely got closer.  I put my plan into action, jumped up, and roared at them!  They screamed and ran away—with their bags of candy clutched in their little hands.

That was the one thing I didn’t consider—the vise-like grip on their bags of candy. 

Oh well, it was fun anyway.  I’ll have to come up with another plan for next year.

Crosswalk Smarts

Getting hit by a car is no joke. Crossing the street safely and responsibly is serious. Remember that drivers can’t always see you and/or they may not be paying attention.

Also, cars can’t stop quickly. A car is about 1,000 pounds. At just 30 miles per hour a car needs about 90 feet to stop. Do you know what 90 feet looks like? Go outside and find a safe place to walk 90 short steps in a straight line. That’s about 90 feet.

You are not built to be a speed bump. You need to be extra careful at all times near the road. Obey the pedestrian laws and you’ll be safer as a result. Click HERE for the AAA website that has traffic safety activities for really young kids.  Click HERE for a website with activities for older kids who can read.

Remember your health and safety is your job. Stay safe. The life you save may be your own!

Magic Words

Did you know there are magic words? I’m not talking about abracadabra or hocus-pocus. My favorite words are ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ People are more likely to do something for you if you ask nicely and say please. It should always be followed up with a polite thank you.

‘Excuse me’ is an important phrase that you need to know. You say this when you burp, you need to get by someone, or if you need to interrupt a grown-up for something really urgent.

According to an article on Oprah.com, “when talking with others, always use a form of thanks and the person's name in the first 12 words you speak ("It's good to see you, Mary," or "Thanks for picking me up from soccer, Dad.") By following this rule of 12, people will want to continue to do nice things for you.”

Remember the “Golden Rule?” (Treat others the way you want to be treated.) Being polite and using manners not only makes you a better person, it makes the world a better place. Go for it!

What do you think? Leave me a comment. I’d love to hear from you!

Grocery Games

Have you ever had to go to the grocery store and you really didn’t want to? Sometimes kids get dragged along because they can’t stay home alone. But there are ways to make an adventure out of everything!

• If you’re old enough, perhaps your mom or dad could send you on a mission to find an item on the grocery list. 

• Bring a pad of paper and a pencil and go on a scavenger hunt. You can stay right with your parents while you search the shelves for items beginning with the letters of the alphabet A-Z. 

• Have you heard of unit pricing? Look at the little tags on the shelves and try to find the most expensive unit priced item and the least expensive. 

• A lot of food on the shelves is imported from different countries. Make a list of the countries that the food comes from. 

• You can play “I Spy” with a brother or sister, or you mom/dad as you shop. 

• It’s fun to guess how much some fruits or vegetables weigh and then use the scale in the produce section to see how close your guess was! 

• Look for the most interesting and different foods that you find—pretend you’re having a party and make a list of the foods that you would like to serve you guests! 

The most important thing about going somewhere with your parents is to make the best of it. Remember to be respectful of the other shoppers. They really don’t want yelling kids running around. Nobody likes a brat and somebody could get hurt.

What do you think? Do you have any strategies for when you go to a store with your grownup? Leave me a comment. I’d love to hear from you!

Treasure Trove, Packrat Pile, or Clutter Collection?

Are you always searching for things in your room?  Do you barely make the bus in the morning?  Have you ever gotten to school only to find out that you forgot something important that you needed for that day?  If so, you may suffer from unorganization.  But don’t panic!  There’s a cure.  It's called being organized.

Organization is a big word but it takes just some small, simple steps if practiced every day they become good habits for a lifetime.  Where to begin?  Let’s start with your room. 

Who cleans your room?  If someone else cleans your room you might not know where everything is.  If you clean your room then you’ll be able to find things in a jiffy.

Is your room really cluttered?  The first thing to do is to set a timer for fifteen minutes and go through all of your things.  (Go ahead, I’ll wait here.)  Sort them into piles.  

Have three piles to start with:

*Keep—any toys and clothes that you are currently using/fit.

*Donate—any toys and clothes that you are not using and/or no longer fit you.  These can be donated to a younger brother or sister, cousin, neighbor, or taken to the Salvation Army, Goodwill, or other local charity.

*Throw away—anything that is broken or worn out.

Ding!  Good, you’re back.  How’d you do?  Now set that time for another fifteen minutes and go put all of the Keep items away neatly.  (Go ahead, I’ll wait here.)  Put the Donate/Throw Away items in boxes or large plastic garbage bags and ask a grownup where you should put them.  

Ding!  Wow, that was a fast fifteen minutes.  How’d it go?  How’s your room look?  Now the tricky part is to keep it neat by putting things away immediately after you’re done with them.  That way your room will stay looking nice.  Oh, and another thing, I like to put on some really upbeat music when I’m cleaning/organizing.  It helps me focus and keep working!

How do you stay organized?  Please leave me a comment.  I’d love to hear from you!