WHY DIdn't You Read the Label?

Repeat – WHY didn't you read the label? I  hear about so many kids dying because they used specific products – not because the company who created those products was neglectful, but because parents and caregivers DIDN'T READ THE LABEL!

Case in point: The Nap Nanny could not have made any clearer its directions to NEVER put the Nap Nanny anywhere but ON THE FLOOR. Five infant deaths resulted – NOT because the Nap Nanny was deficient in any way – but because caregivers IGNORED THE LABEL! Sadly, the item had to be recalled because people DIDN'T READ THE LABEL.

TOYS come with labels alerting parents to the potential dangers of giving certain toys to children under the age of 3 and yet people consistently give these toys to children, some of whom die because they used the toy. 

Whose fault is it? The company for making the toy or item or the parent or caregiver who DIDN'T READ THE LABEL?

WHY would you risk the life of a child? Did you think your child's death would never happen to YOU? It could! And it has.

Do yourself a favor – when you receive an item that comes with a label informing you of the proper way to use the product, PAY ATTENTION! You could be saving the life of a child and you could be saving yourself from years of guilt and torment. READ THE LABEL! 

But don't just read it – follow the instructions.

Photo of Nap Nanny comes from http://www.npr.org/

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Packing Tips for Family Vacation

How many times have you gone on vacation and come home with everything you packed? Sometimes it's a pair of socks, sometimes an iPod or a phone, and sometimes it's your boarding pass. If you're tired of forgetting to pack things, or if you're tired of losing things while you're on vacation, read on:

When my son joined the Marines, I traveled often to see him and his family. I currently spend many nights at my other kids' homes or apartments as well. I sometimes think I spend more time away from home than I do at home. 

Because of my many travels, over the years I've discovered the ideal way to pack and to remember everything to bring back home. 

Are you planning a trip and you want to learn from my mistakes? Do you want to always bring back with you everything you packed? Read Travel Writers: How to Return Home With EVERYTHING You Brought On Vacation! I guarantee that what is written in that blog will apply to you and your family.

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The Gummy Bear Drug Alert

Do you REALLY know what your kids are doing? You've heard that hidden dangers lurk everywhere, but do you believe that your child could be in danger from something as common as a Gummy Bear? 

You think your children are safe, because you monitor their indoor activities and place locks on your computers and gaming devices, but you need to educate yourself about the many new and seemingly innocuous dangers that could not only harm your children, but also kill them.

Though you might believe yourself to be involved with your children, please notice if their actions are in conflict with previous actions they have taken. Don't blame changes on their age. Some parents are completely oblivious to their children's activities, and they make excuses for bad behavior by saying, "They're just being teenagers."

But are they? Have you noticed that some of their behaviors and comments cause your head to cock slightly and your eyebrows to furrow? Pay attention to times you say to yourself, "Hmm, that's unusual" or, "That doesn't make sense."

Because you might notice bizarre things such as purchasing more vanilla extract than you would normally buy. Did you know that the alcohol content in vanilla extract can cause your child to become high if he or she drinks enough?

Have you ever thought cinnamon or nutmeg could be dangerous? Do you seem to be using more spices than you thought you were using? If those spices are missing from your cabinet, you might have a problem. Snorting cinnamon causes a high. Cinnamon powder inhaled into the lungs can cause coughing spasms so severe, your child could die. Snorting nutmeg causes hallucinations and could be very frightening to a child. Educate yourself on the effects of snorting household products.

Gummy Bears soaked in alcohol can cause a kid to feel drunk. You might be asking, "Who comes up with these ideas?" Some kids (and adults) are willing to try anything and everything to get a buzz. They post their findings on the Internet. So you need to monitor your children closely. Maintain a good relationship with them. Allow them to feel comfortable telling you anything and don't judge them when they try to communicate with you.

Let your kids know that friends don't ask friends to do something that makes them feel uncomfortable. Talk to your kids about their friends and tell your children that if someone asks them to do something that sounds stupid, silly, or weird, don't do it! If they feel pressure from friends, they need to redefine – with your help – the term, "friend." Friends support and encourage each other to BE themselves. They don't force actions or beliefs on each other.

If you suspect unusual drug activity, contact USA.gov's Drug Enforcement Administration. Agency contact information is listed in the link. 

Above all, protect your children by staying involved in their lives. Let them know – without a doubt – that you love them and that if anything happens to them, you'll be there for them.

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Backpacks and School Supplies for Needy Kids

The Bad News:

The bad news is that we have plenty of opportunities to help those less fortunate than we are.  From school bombings to tornadoes, from cancer to poverty, something occurring in the world right now tugs at our heartstrings and prompts us to leap to action.

The Good News:

The good news is that a lot of us really do take that leap. Maybe you send $10 to your favorite charity or you volunteer your time or talents at a homeless shelter or food pantry. Whatever it is you do, people need and will appreciate your help.

As I write this, most children are enjoying their last couple of weeks of school. In the next few weeks, summer will bring vacations, sun, heat, beaches, picnics, and fun. But before too long, Summer will be over and kids will head back to school. 

Unfortunately, a lot of those kids will have no school supplies or backpacks. And that's when GET YOUR BACKPACK ON steps up to help. According to founder, Karen Zigrossi, "GYBO is dedicated to helping children start their school year with all the supplies they need to succeed! We fill backpacks with supplies and drop them off at local schools for distribution."

As a single mom who raised three children, Karen knew the struggles of single parenting. What prompted her to organize her nonprofit corporation, Get Your Backpack On, was an incident that occurred a decade and a half ago. In Karen's words, "One incident in particular has stuck with me. It has to be over 15 years ago, and I was dropping my son off at grade school on the first day. I saw a mom pull up and walk up to the school with her little boy and he was carrying a brown grocery bag. I knew that bag contained whatever supplies she could afford. That was the first time I thought about putting together backpacks for kids that didn't have one. I have thought about it every year since, but thinking about changing something doesn't change anything, so now is when I start doing something."

Can you help? Get Your Backpack On is giving you even more incentive to donate, because GYBO is giving away a "previously owned" Dell that was donated to GYBO. The Dell is loaded with Apache Office Works, which includes programs similar to and compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Draw. It also comes installed with Google Chrome.

For each dollar donated or for each Facebook "share," you will have your name entered once into the drawing.  GYBO will draw a winner on July 1, 2013! Your chances of winning depend on the number of people who donate.

Get Your Backpack On has donated to numerous schools in Kankakee County, IL, including BBCHS, Bradley East, Bradley West, Central, King, and Kennedy. In 2013, they are adding Bourbonnais, Manteno, and Pembroke schools to their list. Last year, GYBO's first year, Karen was able to provide nearly 35 filled backpacks to local schools. This year she hopes to double her previous year. 

YOU CAN HELP!

Contact / Donation Information:

Get Your Backpack On, Inc.

c/o Karen Zigrossi

724 Stockton Hts. Dr. 

Bourbonnais, IL 60914

Phone: 815-932-2359

Email: GetYourBackpckOn@aol.com

What if Your Child Just Isn't Smart?

Some teachers in my grammar school placed students in rows according to their grades. We quickly learned that the kid who sat in the last seat of the last row was the "stupidest" kid in the class. To me it seemed as if the teacher had placed a dunce cap on the poor kid – it certainly couldn't have been more humiliating. 

Today I would consider that type of placement to be child abuse. I hope nobody today is structuring the placement of their students in such a degrading way. If you are, I hope you find this article.

In 2013, we still tend to relate perceptions of intelligence to models defined by our current school system. Good grades = smart kids. However, those models are simplistic. Reading, writing, and arithmetic were the three primary concerns when I was a child. But new findings indicate that intelligence is more than just linguistics and math.

As I relate in my article, In Response to President Barack Obama's Request for Educational Innovation: School Restructuring Could Improve Student Learning in Our Race to the Top, we are all gifted with different types of intelligences. If you read the article, you will see them explained under the heading (I've included a small portion of the article here):

A Progressive Educational Model Requires Innovative Teaching and Recognition of Multiple Intelligences

Different types of intelligences, according to Howard (derived from Howard Gardner's list of intelligences) are listed below, along with a brief explanation about each type:

Linguistic Intelligence

High linguistic intelligence allows individuals to express themselves well. They also have an ability to learn languages and are sensitive to spoken and written words. Writers and poets belong in this category.

Logical-mathematical Intelligence

The ability to analyze problems logically, recognize patterns, perform mathematical operations, and investigate scientifically (reason deductively), defines how people with logical-mathematical intelligence think. Scientists and inventors would fall into this category.

Musical Intelligence

People who perform, compose, and appreciate musical patterns and who have the capacity to recognize the differences in musical pitches, tones, and rhythms, comprise this category. Howard Gardner believes that some of these intelligences are connected, like this category and linguistic intelligence.

Bodily-kinesthetic

Because Gardner sees mental activity and physical activity as related, he believes that the ability to perform and coordinate body movements is a type of intelligence that requires people to use their bodies, or parts of their bodies, to solve physical movement problems. People agile in sporting activities, such as dancers and athletes fall into this category.

Spatial Intelligence

People who are adept at estimating distance and recognizing patterns in the area of space fall into this category. People with spatial intelligence think in three dimensions and have vivid imaginations. They are spatially oriented and able to manipulate images and puzzles. Sculptors, architects, and those in imagery careers exhibit spatial intelligence.

Interpersonal Intelligence

People who work well with others and who understand what motivates others, such as educators, salespeople, counselors and religious and political leaders exhibit interpersonal intelligence. They are good at communicating and may also be good at entertaining. Educators, social workers, and actors exemplify people with interpersonal intelligence.

Intra-personal Intelligence

The ability to understand oneself and what motivates oneself are examples of what constitutes intra-personal intelligence. People who are intra-personally intelligent understand their own feelings and fears. They could be philosophers or spiritual leaders. They would also work well in the field of psychology.

Existential Intelligence

Existential Intelligence is a type of intelligence that allows people to ponder, discuss, and tackle the deeper meanings of life and death. Philosophers are endowed with existential intelligence.

Naturalist Intelligence

People born with Naturalist Intelligence are concerned about nature and all things related to the natural world. Botanists, farmers, and geologists are examples of people born with Naturalist Intelligence.

Please click the link provided above if you would like to read the entire article.

Some parents don't pay attention to the talents that enable their children to succeed in life because they define children according to their latest academic test. Your child may not be school smart, but he or she may excel in one or more of the categories listed above. Before you hang your head in shame or point fingers at the kid who can't seem to "get" school, explore your child's interests. They just might fall into one of the categories listed above, and they just might provide a roadmap to your child's success. 

Don't give up on children who seem to fail academically. Prepare them for educational experiences that go beyond school by engaging them in activities that will give them a sense of accomplishment and pride. The side effect might be that your children improve in school.

Nobody is stupid! Please be the parent who helps your child recognize his or her talents. Give your child every opportunity to explore how to use that talent to contribute something beneficial to our world. Take pride in the uniqueness of your child and recognize your own worth as the parent who guided this amazing child on the road to his or her success.

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Before You Take Your Kids to the Movies…

SPOILER ALERT! Although the movie I'm about to mention is old, I do talk about the ending, so be prepared.

Movies were not something I could afford when my kids were young, so going to the movies was a special occasion for us. Finding the right movie that would appeal to all of us was difficult, though, because we had to find something that appealed to both boys and girls. 

So when the preview for My Girl (1991) appeared, I asked my three youngest children, who were 7, 8.5, and 10, if they wanted to see it. The preview looked so attractive, it prompted all of them to say yes.

I certainly did NOT want what happened when we watched Lord of the Flies (1990) to happen again. Even at the age of 6, my youngest daughter couldn't handle the bullying that Piggy endured and was inconsolable for hours. That movie affects her to this day and she's 29.

Previews for My Girl promised a family-friendly movie – I was NOT prepared to handle the repercussions after taking my kids to that movie. It should have come with a disclaimer or a warning. The scenes shown in the preview gave no indication whatsoever that parents would have to discuss such grave issues as death and loss. I walked out of that theater with 3 very unhappy children – not at all what I expected.

My tip? The next time you decide to take your kids to the movies, read reviews of the movies first.

If you would like to see the emotional movies, here are links to them.

Watch My Girl on Amazon for $2.99 (price as of May, 2013) 

Watch Lord of the Flies on Amazon for $2.99 (price as of May, 2013)

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Give Your Child Permission to Leave Class For This Reason!

As Dr. Phil acknowledges on his television show and in his book, Life Code, times have changed so much that new rules have to be applied in order to get through life. 

For decades, we have been teaching our children to respect their parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, teachers, religious leaders, and police officers, but situations now require us to teach our children that people need to earn their respect. Children also need to learn how to recognize deceit and trust their instincts.

How do we teach children to recognize deceit and trust their instincts? By educating ourselves! The first place to start is by reading Dr. Phil's Life Code (to read my review of Dr. Phil's book, please click the link for One Book Everybody Should Own, Read, and Absorb.

Before you read the book and while you read the book, instruct your kids on how to follow their instincts. For instance, if the words somebody speaks don't match the body language or the facial expressions, be suspicious of the message.

Experiment with your children. Smile while you say, "I really don't like what you're doing." And then discuss how your smile didn't match your words. Clench your fist, squint your eyes, and grit your teeth while you say, "I love (pick something you hate – for me that would be liver)." Mixed messages should practically scream to the child that what you are saying is wrong or confusing.

The experiment will show obvious dissimilarities between facial expressions and words, and once children learn the obvious contrast, subtle "micro-expressions" (discovered and elaborated upon by Paul Ekman) may be easier to detect.

After you've introduced the concept of deceit, let your children try to trick you into believing their words while behaving differently – the point of the exercise – behavior is supposed to match spoken words, but with deceitful people, they don't.

Your child should begin to recognize that when he or she is confused by mixed messages, something is wrong and needs to be addressed. Subtle sneers and signs of disgust while someone is forcing a smile should confuse a child enough to prompt him or her to question the message. Experiment with the subtleties as well.

Sarcasm is another subject that needs to be discussed. Children often cannot recognize or understand sarcasm. The younger they are the more children pick up on body language and facial expressions, but as they get older they rely more on words, and when those words don't match the physical expression on the face or body, the child won't know how to respond, because they won't understand the intention of the words being spoken.

If children learn how to recognize deceit while they are still young, the subtle expressions that defy the words will be easily recognized by them when they get older.

Discuss with your children disparity between words and actions so that scenarios like the one above (Mr. Pennington's article) don't occur to your child. What should have happened in that class was that if the students had the information Dr. Phil talks about, and if they had the necessary skills for recognizing an irrational (and perhaps psychologically defective) teacher, the students would have refused to do the assignment, they would have walked directly to the principal's office, and they would have gotten positive media attention for standing up for themselves instead of succumbing to the perverted behavior of their "teacher".

We have to instill in our young people the message that they can stand up for themselves, they can speak up for themselves, and they can think for themselves. And if it takes giving them permission to do so, then that's what we must do.

I learned a great deal about body language and facial expressions from watching an excellent television program, Lie to Me, that for some reason lasted only three seasons. I was so fascinated by the program, I wrote about it in the article, "Lie to Me" and Paul Ekman:

Physiognomy and Phrenology Exposed. We could all benefit from understanding how to read people, and I was sorry to see the program go. 

The world has changed. People are becoming more and more adept in the art of lying. We need to arm ourselves with knowledge and protect our children from victimizers. The best thing we can do to help our children is to educate ourselves and talk to our children about body language and facial expressions. If you don't already know the subtleties of lying, watch the following videos and educate yourself more about body language and facial expressions. Books on phrenology and physiognomy should help too.

Here are the videos (the second one is long, but well worth watching):

Lie to Me - Reading Emotions and Deceit through Facial Expressions 

History Channel Secrets of body language 720p

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