Some More Funny Parenting Quotes

Never raise your hand to your kids. It leaves your groin unprotected. ~Red Buttons

Setting a good example for your children takes all the fun out of middle age. ~William Feather, The Business of Life, 1949

Give a Cheer, Good Sportsmanship Is Not Dead

Good to know that good Sportsmanship is not dead in our children.  A girl proved this statement true during a championship track meet in Ohio recently.  Megan Vogel may have finished last in the race but finished first in the hearts of everyone who was there, or has since viewed her video on YouTube.   She taught us all a valuable lesson when she stopped to help an injured opponent, Arden McMath, cross the finish line.  Maybe if we all followed Megan’s example and helped our fellow man or woman in this case, this world really would be a better place.

Was her coach angry about her actions during the race?  I am happy to report that her coach, who also happens to be her mother, was very proud of her runner’s/daughter’s actions.  In a time when one can see videos all over the internet of coaches behaving badly, it’s nice to see a coach supporting good sportsmanship. 

Hats off to both of you.

Improperly Stored Vaccines and the Health of our Children

Center for Disease Control recently reported that many vaccines are improperly stored: 75% of locations monitored had vaccines stored improperly and 25% had expired vaccines.  Very important to note that this study only checked 45 locations, and expired or improperly stored vaccines will not harm a child directly but may leave child defenseless from the deadly diseases that vaccines are suppose to be protecting them from.  The CDC says these problems with vaccines are not causing outbreaks of these deadly diseases; however they are investigating whether a recent outbreak of Whooping Cough in Washington State was caused by this problem.

Since this inquiry was so small, more than likely nothing will be done to rectify this problem until long after your child’s next round of vaccines.  Currently, the CDC is recommending that all doctor’s offices check how they are storing and handling these vaccines.  Self monitoring, great!  That is always so effective (Sarcasm)!

Despite these findings, I hope that this will not deter people who are not opposed to vaccinating their children from having them vaccinated on the recommended schedule. What you can do to insure your child is receiving a proper dose is to ask your doctor’s office about their storage procedures for vaccines and check the expiration date on the vial yourself.  This may just raise your doctor’s awareness about this troubling topic.  I believe that parents will be the key to eliminating this troubling problem.

In the Good Old Summertime: Road Trip

Summer is the time when many families venture out from their home on the ever popular vacation.  If you are planning amily vacation far from home with children, preparation is key to having a great time.  First, pack light.  You don't want to spend half your vacation lugging suitcases to and fro.  Even teenage girls can pack light if they know that they will be carting their own luggage around.  Check to see if the place you are going has washing machines just in case the need arises. 

Second thing to consider is planning age appropriate activities for each child during the trip.  Whether you are going by plane, train or automobile, the children will have down time.  Better that they have something to do rather than annoy you.

Third suggestion is to pack snacks.  I have learned from experience that this is best down by setting out a variety of food and drink options that I don't mind having in my car and letting them pick what they want.  I keep the snacks separate in baggies with each child's name on it to prevent arguements down the road.  Operative words in this sentence are "I keep".  I hold on to the snacks to prevent gorging early in the trip and starving at the end.

Hope these few tips help make your next family vacation a little more restful for you.  Not very likely though.

In the Good Old Summertime: The Dreaded Camp Phone Call

So you have picked out the perfect camp for your child, dropped them off 30 minutes ago and you are on your way back home when you hear the dreaded ring tones that indicates your child is calling from camp.  You pick up and they begin pleading with you to come and get them.  What do you do now?

My recommendation is to calmly listen to their pleas and as long as there is no danger to them, fight the urge to turn the car around and pick them up.  I assure you that a little separation anxiety never killed anyone.  Each year on the first day of school this phenomenon occurs as well.   I have seen it hundreds of times in my career as a guidance counselor.  One thing is true in ninety-nine percent of child who experience this, the crying stops within about ten to twenty minutes and they begin enjoying themselves.

Reassure your child that everyone experiences some anxiety when doing something new.  Encourage them to hang in there and just wait it out.  They may have not only have an awesome experience but do a process.

In the Good Old Summertime: Picking the Right Camp for Your Child

There is no shortage of choices when it comes to sending your child to summer camp.  There are scout camps, music camps, sports camps, technology camps and church camps to name a few.  How do you narrow the choices down to the one that is right for your child and your family?

Start by deciding whether a day camp or an extended stay camp is right for your needs and the needs of your child.  Some things to consider when making this decision are the age of the child, whether the child has spent time away from you before, and the family's summer plans. 

Once this decision has been made start narrowing the choices by considering your child's interest, distance of the camp from home, and cost of the camp.  Much of this information can be obtained by visiting websites or asking other parents in your area who have children with similiar interest.  

Now that you have developed a short list of camps that meet the needs of your family, consider visiting these camps.  Remember that what appears great in pictures, may not be.  If this isn't possible, a phone call to the camp may assist in finding out valuable information as well.

In the Good Old Summer Time: Joy Riding and Your Teen

As the good old summertime approaches, teens will be spending more time on the roads without supervision.  Our teens being out their on the roads beyond parental control doing who knows what strikes fear in the hearts of parents everywhere.  In 2010, 3115 teens were killed in car crashes. Is more regulations on teen drivers the way to go or is it more parental supervision  that is needed? The age old question, is it the government's responsibility or the responsibility of the parent to monitor this activity?

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently released some startling projected statistics about teen drivers and changing the driving laws made specificly to govern them.  Their figures suggest that changing the driving age in all states from 16 to 17 would reduce car fatalities by 13%.  Statistics support that the longer teens wait to learn to drive the lower their crash rate.  In addition, these findings suggest that not allowing teens to drive at night or with other teens in the car would reduce deadly car crashes by 20%.  The Insurance Institue for Highway Safety supports tougher rules for first time drivers because it will allow these drivers to gain more experience while being supervised.

I remember when my first born got his driver's license, it sure was time saving for me to have the option of sending him to the store or out to pick up his sister.  I live in a state that allows a teen to get their permit at fifteen, but they must be sixteen and have had their permit for atleast six months prior to testing for their license.  We did not give our children a car, they each earned the money to buy their first car.  I think that this made them more cautious with their car because they were invested in it.  When they drove our vehicle, they told us where they were going and if they went somewhere else (got to love those systems that you can install that tells you where the car has been) without permission there was a consequence.    We took the keys away for a period of time.  Clipping their wings (or wheels) leaves a lasting impression.  A few words about those trackers and the right to privacy.  My children knew that the device had been installed.  I think installing this device without their knowledge and then using the information against them, will cause irreparable damage to the parent-child relationship so important to maintain when parenting of a teen.

Maybe the right answer to the question of who should be monitoring this activity to save the lifes of teens is both the governement and parents.