Preparing for kindergarten is an important topic for many parents, early childhood educators, and daycare providers.  In our interview with Dr. Gloria Rothenberg, clinical psychologist and school psychologist at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Kindergarten Center in New York, Dr. Rothenberg describes signs of kindergarten readiness in the areas of concept development, physical, social, and emotional development, number concepts, language, and reading and writing.

OwnADaycare: What are some signs of kindergarten readiness that parents and child care center owners should look for with respect to language and writing and reading?

Dr. Rothenberg:

Language:
Speaks in full sentences and can maintain a topic for at least 2 exchanges
Understands and can follow 2 step directions
Uses language to interact in play and to express needs
Can label simple items in pictures and books
Can repeat a sentence spoken by another
Can remember directions given in a large group to perform some activity on his/her own (e.g., “When you get your paper, write your name at the top and draw an apple”.)
Can report their name on demand
Can name items in simple categories such as colors, animals, foods, drinks, toys, clothes, body parts

Writing and reading: Neither reading nor writing are expected upon entrance to kindergarten.  Concepts of print such as how to hold and turn the pages of a book, that the pictures are related to the story, and being able to listen to a story book are adequate.  Exposure to the alphabet, such as singing it and identifying letters visually is common among preschoolers.  Knowing some nursery rhymes is helpful when the concept of letter-sound association is taught.  Knowing the letters in one’s own name and being able to attempt to write it are common.  Pre-writing concepts such as top/middle/bottom, up/down, straight lines /curved or loopy lines are very useful.  The willingness to try writing and drawing activities is more important than the ability to produce an accurate product at this age.

OwnADaycare: Are preschool readiness programs necessary or advisable?

Dr. Rothenberg: They are extremely helpful in providing the child with opportunities to develop social skills, listening skills, and the concept that we all follow rules to function in a group or community.  They also provide language enrichment activities and exposure to a wide variety of play materials and creative media to spark imagination.  They also rescue many children from an over-reliance upon visual media (TV, computer, and video games) in the home setting in the current culture.

OwnADaycare: In your opinion, can a child who has never attended preschool be as successful in kindergarten as a child who has attended preschool?

Dr. Rothenberg: In my experience, they spend the first 2-3 months working on the social-emotional adjustment of being outside the home and following a set of group rules and expectations.  This leaves less energy and attention for absorbing the specific curriculum in literacy and math, so they may be somewhat behind academically by the end of kindergarten, but most are likely to catch up by the third grade when a great deal of academic, cognitive and study skills get consolidated for typical children.

OwnADaycare: Do you have any additional comments/tips?

Dr. Rothenberg: The current high pressure testing mentality in education has created unnecessary anxiety in parents about academic preparation for kindergarten.  The social-emotional goals and the establishment of a safe, nurturing community where each child feels valued and is eager to learn and share with others, is a much more important goal for fostering lifelong learning and resilience as problem solvers in the real world.

Related posts:

• Preparing for Kindergarten: Interview with Dr. Gloria Rothenberg, Part 1 Preparing for kindergarten is an important topic for many parents,…
• Is your Child Ready for Kindergarten? Interview with Stacey Kannenberg One important duty of childcare centers and preschools is to…
• Learning Through Play and Preschool Activities: Interview with Jan Z. Olsen Children learn through both direct and indirect play. Child day…

Summer is just around the corner, which means that summer babysitting jobs are starting to appear all across the country on Sittercity.com. If you’re one of the countless sitters looking for seasonal work, follow these tips to land the summer job of your dreams.

Start looking NOW.
Don’t wait until school’s out to start looking for a [...]

10 iPhone Apps for Toddlers – Lil Sugar
A Guide for Picky Eaters – Parenting
Remote (Grand) Parents Read Bedtime Stories by Web Video – Springwise
Get Outside and Play Gallery – Family Fun
Bubs Bears Turn Your Kid’s Old Clothes Into a Teddy Keepsake – Lil Sugar

[image credit - 1HappySnapper (photography) on Flickr]

Preparing for kindergarten is an important topic for many parents, early childhood educators, and daycare providers.  In our interview with Dr. Gloria Rothenberg, clinical psychologist and school psychologist at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Kindergarten Center in New York, Dr. Rothenberg describes signs of kindergarten readiness in the areas of concept development, physical, social, and emotional development, number concepts, language, and reading and writing.

OwnADaycare: What is kindergarten readiness?

Dr. Rothenberg: Readiness for kindergarten refers to the ability of the child to participate in a learning community apart from his/her parents.  They need to be able to separate from parents at least part of the day, be able to use language to communicate their needs and understand language to comprehend the wishes of others, be able to apply social rules to the extent that they can delay gratification and not engage in physical means to get their way or negotiate conflict, and be able to understand the concept of adults as authority figures whose directions are important to follow.  In addition, they need to be independent in the area of self-help skills so that they can use the toilet appropriately and feed themselves without adult assistance.

OwnADaycare: Is there a best age to start kindergarten?

Dr. Rothenberg: There is no universal agreement on this but most schools around the nation set age cut-offs so that children have turned five years old by the time they enter kindergarten in September.  It is not uncommon for children who are still 4 years old upon entrance to kindergarten to exhibit problems with fine motor skills such as cutting with scissors, drawing, and learning to write letters and numerals.  Proficiency in some of these fine motor skills are not developmentally expected prior to age 5.

OwnADaycare: What are some signs of kindergarten readiness that parents and child care center owners should look for with respect to the following areas of development: Concept development, physical development, social and emotional development, and number concept?

Dr. Rothenberg:
Concept development:
Can identify colors, some shapes, and own name in print
Can name letters in own name
Has had exposure to letters of the alphabet and that letters are connected to words which are connected to objects that they name
Has been exposed to some number ideas and can identify numerals 1-10 in print.
Can understand and use imaginary play schemes
Are able to learn the idea of safety

Physical development:
Can walk up and down stairs independently
Can use the bathroom (including knowing when they need to use the bathroom) and wash own hands independently
Can eat and drink independently
Can handle some fasteners on clothes and with minimal assistance
Can sit in one place for 10 minutes
Can manage seat belt on a school bus

Social and emotional development:
Is willing and able to follow verbal directions (up to 2 steps) from adults
Can delay gratification of wishes
Can make eye contact with a speaker
Can share and take turns with peers with some assistance from adults
Can use words (not grabbing, hitting, crying or whining) to make requests and express preferences
Can pay attention in a large group (e.g. class of 20) for at least 10 minutes
Can accept comfort from adults when upset

Number concept:
Can count aloud from 1-10
Can count out a group of items up to 5
Knows own age
Has some rudimentary concepts of quantity such as more, less, bigger, smaller

Related posts:

• Is your Child Ready for Kindergarten? Interview with Stacey Kannenberg One important duty of childcare centers and preschools is to…
• Young Children Learn Through Play: Pretend Play and Gross Motor Learning All child care services must incorporate some type of learning…
• Learning Through Play and Preschool Activities: Interview with Jan Z. Olsen Children learn through both direct and indirect play. Child day…

Every family’s child care situation is different. Finding the right type of provider is a key part of making sure your kids have the care they need. Are you thinking about hiring a nanny? Or have you considered becoming a host family for an au pair? If you’re wondering which way to go, I have some advice to point you in the right direction.

In the past, we’ve had two nannies—both worked out great! To this day, Amanda and Natalie are like family members, even though our boys are older and no longer need a nanny. For us, a nanny was the right fit, because we mainly needed afternoon care. We wanted someone to supervise the boys after school, make sure they got to all of their activities, and had regular help with their homework.

Other parents, like my friend Dave, were looking for a little more from their care provider. As a busy single dad, Dave needed to find a full-time caregiver who was flexible enough to manage the daily juggle of his three kids’ competing schedules. He also wanted to have someone who was around to be a “big sister” to his daughter (she’s the youngest and has two older brothers). For Dave’s family, an au pair was the right decision.

So what about your family? What’s best for you? If you’re trying to decide between hiring a nanny or hosting an au pair, here are some signs an au pair could be the right call:

We want someone to live with us full-time.

Taking on an au pair is more than hiring an employee—you become a host family for that guy or girl. Since au pairs are foreign nationals, part of the reason they come to work as child care providers in the United States is for the chance to experience life in another country. But that also means the families they work for have to meet special U.S. State Department-mandated requirements, which include providing housing, food, and transportation.

We’re able to provide a little extra for the au pair.

As I mentioned before, you have to be willing to provide extras like room and board for your au pair. If you have the space for her to live though, an au pair can really be cost-effective. Right now, families are required to pay an au pair a weekly stipend of $195.75 and a one-time fee of up to $500 towards educational costs. Over the course of a year, that can mean overall savings—although you’ll have to keep track of other expenses, as well.

Schedules change often in our family.

One of the big benefits of having a live-in care provider like an au pair is that most are available and willing to work around your schedule. If you’re a parent who travels a lot or have a job with fluctuating hours, an au pair can cover those times where work keeps you away from home. Keep in mind, though, that the State Department also regulates an au pair’s hours: each can work up to 45 hours a week or 10 hours a day.

A one-year commitment works for us.

Typically, au pairs stay with your family for up to one year (that’s how the visa works). That means if you choose an au pair, you’ll have to find a replacement a year later. Transitioning to a new caregiver can be tough for your kids, so you’ll have to figure out if you want a child care provider to be a part of your family longer than a year. If not, why not try an au pair?

Cultural experience is very important to us.

One of the best things an au pair can bring into your home is their own country’s culture and heritage. Having someone live with you from another country can open your kids’ eyes to the world outside of the U.S., and showing them how other cultures live (as well as showing your au pair how things work in America) can be a blast! Think about how these types of cultural experiences will impact your family before making your decision.

So, what do you think? Is an au pair right for you?

If you’re looking into hosting an au pair, you should definitely check out these three great organizations: Cultural Care Au Pair, goAUPAIR, and Au Pair in America. Right now, Care.com is working with all three companies to let our members search for au pairs, view their profiles, and start looking for a great child care provider right from our site.

Check them out!

Every family’s child care situation is different. Finding the right type of provider is a key part of making sure your kids have the care they need. Are you thinking about hiring a nanny? Or have you considered becoming a host family for an au pair? If you’re wondering which way to go, I have some advice to point you in the right direction.

In the past, we’ve had two nannies—both worked out great! To this day, Amanda and Natalie are like family members, even though our boys are older and no longer need a nanny. For us, a nanny was the right fit, because we mainly needed afternoon care. We wanted someone to supervise the boys after school, make sure they got to all of their activities, and had regular help with their homework.

Other parents, like my friend Dave, were looking for a little more from their care provider. As a busy single dad, Dave needed to find a full-time caregiver who was flexible enough to manage the daily juggle of his three kids’ competing schedules. He also wanted to have someone who was around to be a “big sister” to his daughter (she’s the youngest and has two older brothers). For Dave’s family, an au pair was the right decision.

So what about your family? What’s best for you? If you’re trying to decide between hiring a nanny or hosting an au pair, here are some signs an au pair could be the right call:

We want someone to live with us full-time.

Taking on an au pair is more than hiring an employee—you become a host family for that guy or girl. Since au pairs are foreign nationals, part of the reason they come to work as child care providers in the United States is for the chance to experience life in another country. But that also means the families they work for have to meet special U.S. State Department-mandated requirements, which include providing housing, food, and transportation.

We’re able to provide a little extra for the au pair.

As I mentioned before, you have to be willing to provide extras like room and board for your au pair. If you have the space for her to live though, an au pair can really be cost-effective. Right now, families are required to pay an au pair a weekly stipend of $195.75 and a one-time fee of up to $500 towards educational costs. Over the course of a year, that can mean overall savings—although you’ll have to keep track of other expenses, as well.

Schedules change often in our family.

One of the big benefits of having a live-in care provider like an au pair is that most are available and willing to work around your schedule. If you’re a parent who travels a lot or have a job with fluctuating hours, an au pair can cover those times where work keeps you away from home. Keep in mind, though, that the State Department also regulates an au pair’s hours: each can work up to 45 hours a week or 10 hours a day.

A one-year commitment works for us.

Typically, au pairs stay with your family for up to one year (that’s how the visa works). That means if you choose an au pair, you’ll have to find a replacement a year later. Transitioning to a new caregiver can be tough for your kids, so you’ll have to figure out if you want a child care provider to be a part of your family longer than a year. If not, why not try an au pair?

Cultural experience is very important to us.

One of the best things an au pair can bring into your home is their own country’s culture and heritage. Having someone live with you from another country can open your kids’ eyes to the world outside of the U.S., and showing them how other cultures live (as well as showing your au pair how things work in America) can be a blast! Think about how these types of cultural experiences will impact your family before making your decision.

So, what do you think? Is an au pair right for you?

If you’re looking into hosting an au pair, you should definitely check out these three great organizations: Cultural Care Au Pair, goAUPAIR, and Au Pair in America. Right now, Care.com is working with all three companies to let our members search for au pairs, view their profiles, and start looking for a great child care provider right from our site.

Check them out!

10 iPhone Apps for Toddlers – Lil Sugar

A Guide for Picky Eaters – Parenting

Remote (Grand) Parents Read Bedtime Stories by Web Video – Springwise

Get Outside and Play Gallery Family Fun – Family Fun

Bubs Bears Turn Your Kid’s Old Clothes Into a Teddy Keepsake – Lil Sugar

[image credit - 1HappySnapper (photography) on Flickr]

Mother Goose Day, celebrated in the United States on May 1, is observed to appreciate old nursery rhymes. Mother Goose Day was founded by Gloria T. Delamar in 1987.

Teach young children about Mother Goose Day by promoting nursery rhyme themed lesson plans and activities. Consider the following reading lists and resources for free Mother Goose Day worksheets, coloring pages, and handwriting practice sheets for your child care center:

Reading List

Mother Goose Day Board and Picture Books, Baby – Age
Arnold Lobel’s Mother Goose for Babies by Arnold Lobel [Knopf, 2003]

Mother Goose Basket Full of Rhymes by Carly Simon, Teese Gohl, Stephen Haskamp [Little Simon, 2000]

Mother Goose’s House (Mini House Book) by Peter Lippman [Workman Publishing Co., 1996]

Walt Disney’s Mother Goose by Tk [Disney Edition, 2000]

Hickory Dickory Dock & Other Mother Goose Rhymes by James Marshall [Fararr, Straus, & Giroux, 2003]

Real Mother Goose Classic Counting Rhymes by Josie Yee [Cartwheel, 2002]

Twinkle, Twinkle! by Marjorie Ainsborough Decker and Rusty Fletcher [Grosset & Dunlop, 2001]

Humpty Dumpty by Iona Opie and Rosemary Wells [Walker Books, 2001]

This Little Piggy and Other Favorites [Little Sound Prints, 2002]

Little Bo Peep by Tracey Campbell Pearson [Fararr, Straus, & Giroux, 2004]

Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat and Other Rhymes by Iona Opie and Rosemary Wells [Candlewick, 1997]

Pat-A-Cake and Other Favorites by Jan Smith, Bill Bolten, et al [Little Soundprints, 2002]
Mother Goose Day Early Readers, Ages 4-8
The Arnold Lobel Book of Mother Goose: A Treasury of Over 300 Classic Nursery Rhymes by Arnold Lobel [Knopf, 2003]

Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes by Walter Jerrold [Everyman’s Library, 1993]
The Original Mother Goose by Blanche Fisher Wright [Running Press Kids, 2002]
Mary Engelbreit’s Mother Goose: One Hundred Best-Loved Verses by Mary Engelbreit [HarperCollins, 2005]
My First Real Mother Goose by Blanche Fisher Wright [Cartwheel, 2000]

Favorite Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose by Scott Gustafson [The Greenwich Workshop Press, 2007]

The Real Mother Goose Treasury by Grace Maccarone [Cartwheel, 2006]

Mother Goose’s Storytime Nursery Rhymes by Alison Green [Arthur Levine Books, 2007]

Free Mother Goose Day Worksheets and Printables

There are many resources for free worksheets for daycare providers to use in conjunction with lesson plans and activities. Worksheets for Mother Goose Day should include coloring pages, handwriting worksheets, and printable craft patterns.

The following websites provide free Mother Goose Day or Nursery Rhyme printables:

DLTK: Nursery rhyme coloring pages, crafts, and worksheets

ABCTeach:  Free nursery rhyme worksheets, calendars, coloring pages, and other printables

A to Z Teacher Stuff: Nursery rhyme learning activities, finger plays, nursery rhymes, and craft printables

Everything Preschool: Great nursery rhyme coloring pages

Kinderplans: Printable nursery rhyme picture cards

First-Preschool: Free printable nursery rhyme themed activities, crafts, lesson plans, and coloring pages

Related posts:

• National Poetry Month Reading and Resource List: Free Poetry Printables April is National Poetry Month! Teach young children about poetry…
• Winter Preschool Reading and Resource List: Free Winter Printables Winter is the season which begins with the winter solstice,…
• Easter Preschool Reading and Resource List: Free Easter Activity Printables Christians celebrate Easter Sunday, which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus…

Although Gordon Brown made a u-turn on his original plan, there has still been a change to the scheme that will take effect as of 6th April 2011.
The new rules will only apply to individuals who join a scheme on or after the 6th April 2011 and they will not apply to employees who are already in a scheme by that date.
The maximum tax and NI free voucher value will be based on the employees basic earnings, after deducting personal allowance
• If the earnings are within the basic rate band, the employee is entitled to relief on (up to) £55 per week.
• If the earnings exceed the 40% tax threshold but not the 50% one, relief is given on £28 per week.
• If the earnings exceeds the 50% tax threshold, relief is given on £22 per week.
This is a long way off in the future and we will be developing our system to administer these changes.

It was also announced in the recent Budget that the Government intends to legislate a Finance Bill to be introduced as soon as possible in the next Parliament to relax the conditions for exemption from the chargeable benefit for employer-supported childcare, provided in the form of childcare vouchers or directly contracted childcare.
This means that employers do not need to exclude employees who are or close to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for childcare voucher schemes operated through salary sacrifice.

This week is our Book Fair and Spring Sing. Spring Sing is on Friday at 3:00. Music is an important part of our curriculum, and Miss Amy is a wonderful music teacher. She is always happy to take the children and teach them something new. We are very grateful to have her.

Our Book Fair follows the Spring Sing. But parents may look for books and buy all week. Please look in Miss Leigh’s room Monday through Friday before and after school. There are some delightful books available at nominal cost.

As all our presentations, every child must have an adult at 3:00 p.m. Please plan on bringing a snack to share. Drinks will be provided.

If you will not be at the Spring Sing, please let Miss Amy know.

We will be having regular classes all week.

Please sun screen your own child in the morning before school. If you would like us to sun screen in the afternoon after snack, please leave a bottle of sun screen with a teacher. Children need some sun exposure to get ready for summer in the sun at the Garden School.

If you have not paid for your field trips this summer, time is getting late. If you are unsure of your cost, please see Miss Judy.

Please look at and KEEP your copy of our summer field trip schedule going home in your folder this week. Summer begins June 3 with our first day at the Garden School to make sure that we have all paperwork, and equipment necessary to begin.

We are looking into school swimsuits. This would help dramatically with keeping an eye on our children swimming. More about that later.

If you have any questions, please ask.

Photo: howtotrainyourdragon.com

We’ve written about this before, but it seems time for a reminder since school is almost over, and we’re all going to be hunting for summer activities before too long. If it’s movies that will fill your time with kids, don’t forget to check out the ratings — plus these three sites, which offer really detailed dirt on what you can expect from even the safest-seeming flicks.

• kids-in-mind.com – awesome details here.
• parentpreviews.com — this site gives out grades.
• commonsensemedia.org — here, movies get “On,” “Off” or “Iffy” ratings.

Cookery means the knowledge of Medea and of Circe and of Helen and of the Queen of Sheba. It means the knowledge of all herbs and fruits and balms and spices, and all that is healing and sweet in the fields and groves and savory in meats. It means carefulness and inventiveness and willingness and readiness of appliances. It means the economy of your grandmothers and the science of the modern chemist; it means much testing and no wasting; it means English thoroughness and French art and Arabian hospitality; and in fine, it means that you are to be perfectly and always ladies – loaf givers. – Ruskin

This is the forward to the original Fannie Farmer 1896 Cook Book. It’s one of my finds while I was having some adult down time at one of my favorite haunts – Feather Your Nest.

What I like best about this book is that it actually teaches you how to begin at the beginning with things we take for granted. When modern recipe books read: add two eggs to the vanilla cake mix, you know that you are placing and pressing the tiles to cooking, but you are not really cooking.

In the FF Cook Book, it begins at the beginning as with salad dressing, and it tells you how to make your own mayonnaise. In fact it assumes you will be making mayonnaise because it was not available to buy back then.

One of the things I love making for my husband is stuffed baked trout. I had to teach myself how to bone fish, and now I see what I was doing wrong. Years ago, I am sure that many men brought fish home to their wives, or vice versa, and this job of preparing fresh fish was one of a gazillion jobs that women did routinely. Today, most women would laugh. But the taste of whole baked fish stuffed with delicate stuffings made from ground assorted breads and vegetables and seasoned with fresh garden herbs is too good to laugh at. The missing link for me was to cut the fin off with a small strip of skin the entire length of the fish. The boning is easy with a very sharp boning knife swept from tail to head just under the rib cage of the fish. You pull out the bones in a strip.

One of the baking gems of this book is a complete and detailed list of cake fillings and frostings. No more limits! There are two dozen different flavors and all of them are natural. It’s a feast! And there are dozens of cakes to bake separated by sponge and cup and pound. The book goes on to talk a lot about oven temperature, mixing and bowls. A cake should always be made in a earthen bowl. Of course all of these things were made without appliances.

There are many recipes for confections, and one I would like to make for the kids is called spun sugar. You make the sugar over broom handles.

One of the wonderful extras in the book is the ads. There is an add for kitchen equipment called Choice House Furnishings by F.A. Walker & Co. The ad advertises things I never heard of like: Marmites, Hateletts, paste cutters, Parisian potato cutters and more.

So glad to get the book. So funny to read, so informing…I always tell the children to begin at the beginning to clearly understand what they are doing. It’s no different with adults and the activities in the adult life. By beginning at the beginning, and learning to work from scratch, anything is possible without a hurried trip to the store…

The Warmest Place of All
By Licia Rando, M.Ed.
Illustrated by Anne Jewett

A day of winter fun in the snow comes to an end when Sophie’s mother calls her inside. Sophie wants to find the perfect place that will make her feel toasty warm, but no matter where her mother suggests, the chill of winter creeps back into her bones.

From the kitchen with a hot cup of cocoa to her cozy bed, Sophie cannot seem to find the warmest place.

Packed with similes, this delightful tale concludes with the discovery that true warmth and comfort is found in the abundance of family love. Ideal for cozying up, The Warmest Place of All is sure to become a bedtime favorite and warm the hearts of little ones as they wait to see if Sophie finds the warmest place of all.

The Warmest Place of All speaks the words in a child’s heart. All children want their parents to know that the warmest place of all is with the people who love and care for you.

List $16.95
Hardcover 32 pages Ages 3 to 8
Published by Pleasant St. Press September 2009
ISBN: 0979203589

Available at bookstores online and nationwide. For more information visit www.LiciaRando.com

About the Author:
Licia Rando, M.Ed. is a writer and a former elementary school teacher who serves on the executive committee of the Spiritual Alliance to Stop Intimate Violence. She lives with her husband, and three daughters outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She is the author of several guides and articles including The Caring and Connected Parenting Guide which uses the latest research in neuroscience to form healthy connections between parents and children. The guide has been endorsed by Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Betty Williams.

Anne Jewett is a professional illustrator. She lives in Chuluota, Florida.

What People Are Saying

“This is a lovely book, one to warm your heart. And it’s great for a cuddle! Your kids will love it.”

So you’ve cleared your schedules, secured a babysitter (using Sittercity.com of course!) and now it’s time to plan you and your sweetie’s date night. There’s only problem. It’s been so long since you’ve done this, you’re not sure where to begin!
Don’t fret. Check out these ideas for a fabulous and memorable date night:
1. Dinner and [...]

It was a glorious trip to New Harmony. We had a nice little breakfast of sticky buns and then boarded the bus at 9:00. It was a bit overcast, but we knew we would out run the rain clouds. The park was gorgeous. There were lots of tents set up to teach children about Settler Days. It’s important to know how to do things, because as I’ve told the children many times, we are a tankful of gas from starvation. Learn how!

The first tent we visited made hats from sheep’s wool. The process of carding, wetting, rubbing, and then shaping the hat is a feat of engineering we don’t always understand. Hat making was an important industry in New Harmony. What fun to have the choice of hats!

We moved on to rope making. CJ was especially polite and asked if he could help make the rope. Because he was so polite, he was able to take home the rope he made.

And speaking of polite, our little kids were the most polite children at the park and all of the volunteers who were making things gravitated their interest towards us. Our children were delightful, answered questions, said please, thank you and excuse me.

We visited the kitchen garden, the spinner, the paper making, the paper cutter, the bee keeper, the butter maker, the oxen driver and the goat and sheep herders.

Some of the children loved it, and some did not see any point to this at all, and that’s a shame. These are crafts which for the most part have been forgotten in favor of store bought. Knowing how to do things yourself is an important part of independence. Knowing that these things can be done at home is an important part of a child’s education.

This summer, we will have the spinner come to school and teach us to spin some yarn from some of Miss Dannye’s sheep. We will make our own butter, mill our own flour, make our own bread and make our own paper. The paper man made some of the prettiest paper I’ve ever seen, and I would like to make some for our children and let them make their own.

What was gratifying were the answers our children gave to the questions asked. They knew a lot, and the volunteers were constantly amazed by how gracious and bright out little guys are. We were so proud of them.

We went to the playground for lunch and ate a hearty lunch of whole wheat bread and cheese, tuna, egg and peanut butter. We had carrots, apples, chips, and pickles and milk. Teachers had a marvelous little salad of cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, vinaigrette, and crab. Delicious!

Photo: Mr. T in DC, Flickr

On Fridays, we list the links we love and point to the hot topics at our favorite sites.

Parents are spending more time with their kids, says research. Now, that’s good news!

When should kids go into public bathrooms alone? Momversation has some opinions.

Is it OK for students and teachers to mingle on Facebook? Maybe not, says StrollerDerby.

Feeling a little flabby after that long, cold winter? Spring into swimsuit season with MomLogic.

But don’t abandon the sweet treats just yet — here’s a healthy carrot cake you won’t want to pass up.

Last Saturday I went to the movies with my beautiful daughter, Molly, and her lovely children, Jack, ten, William, seven, and Robby who is three. We saw the movie, “How to Train Your Dragon.” I was touched by the movie and charmed by it as well. As my daughter said, “That movie had morals the children can identify with. It had a happy ending, and everyone learned a lot.”

I was touched by one fact especially. It was the tenacity to know when you are right, even if it goes up against what the whole world is saying. If you KNOW you are right, you should never cower to the idiots!

Years ago I stumbled on the word hyperactive. I was quick to be interested in this word because it seemed to describe me, my children, and my weltanschauung – or world view. It fit like no other thing. Call me an American, and it fits. Call me a Catholic, and it fits even better, but call me a hyperactive mesomorph and you have me to a tea.

As a child I was butchered by those who knew better and called me names like strange because I could rise at 4:00 a.m. and climb the hills all day, swim the lagoon all day, build a raft and head out to sea, and still find time to clean my room and do my homework and help out at home.

As an adult, I was despised because the package of store bought cookies required for an event that everyone else brought was upstaged by a cake, two different kinds of homemade candy, three new cookie recipes and two stunning pies. I had energy to burn and the interest to make it work.

As an older adult, I gasped at the very idea that hyperactivity is a “dysfunction.” I quickly took the Hiccup approach and decided that hyperactivity is an attribute not a disease. Just like Hiccup in the move “How to Train Your Dragon” tried to fight the error of his Viking family’s wrong thinking about dragons, I have tried to fight the error of wrong thinking about hyperactive children. See Judy Lyden Hyperactivity on any search engine.

Now let’s get serious. Let’s look at two children named Stockwell and Brisbane. Stockwell is the captain of the swimming team, the debating team, the golf team, and vice president of his class. He mows all the lawns on his street in the summer. His room is immaculate. He is an honors student, holds down a job after school and paints in his spare time. No genius social worker, counselor or psychologist would ever say that this kid is hyperactive. That’s because for Stockwell, it’s working.

Now Brisbane, on the other hand, spends most of his time arguing, rolling on the floor, finding messes where there was order, creating chaos for the pleasure of chaos, and doing ridiculous things that cause destruction and disaster. He is labeled hyperactive and is medicated out of his mind because…that’s what you do.

Truth is, Stockwell IS hyperactive. How could he possibly get all this done if he didn’t have the energy and the drive and the direction to work so hard and produce so much. Hyperactive people manage to accomplish twice what others do in half the time – IF they are directed.

Brisbane, however, is labeled hyperactive for one reason: he is undirected, annoying and seems to be restless. He has not a shred of self discipline, order in his life, or anything close to a sense of the world in any real sense. He is horribly behaved BECAUSE he has no order in his life, no self discipline or any sense of the world. His weltanschauung is turned inward toward himself.

This is the model for hyperactive children that is in error.

Let’s dig deeper: the cause for Stockwell’s behavior is one single thing: HOMELIFE. He comes from a home managed by an adult or two who have created an ordered world and have directed all of Stockwell’s energy into production rather than destruction. In other words, they CARE.

Poor Brisbane. He comes from slackers who whine and snivel about him and everyone else. They can’t create order to save their lives, and everything is too much for them including Brisbane. So Brisbane’s direction has been neglected in favor of mirroring his parents’ chaos. Parents who can’t create order will have children who are non directed.

So Brisbane is dragged off to the “fixer” and gets a dose of drugs that dull his senses and allow him to become slack jawed enough hours of the day to get passed the school clocks and return to his home where he can create the predictable and tattle-able havoc again.

For as many years as I can count, I’ve been a child advocate for children drugged by slackers and error mongers or what I consider the real child abusers. To destroy a child’s sense of order and push him into chaos is a hideous abuse. It’s slacking at its best.

I once read in a manual for psychologists setting up clinics that “You never let your hyperactive child get away because he or she is your bread and butter.” That in itself sounds vaguely criminal.

And back to the movie where all of this began… Hiccup knew he was right. He saw another side to the world and developed a broad and caring weltanschauung that saved the day. Teaching children to learn is only one part of education. The other parts are trust, openness, and the ability to look past what everyone else is screaming, andto think for themselves.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since the first Earth Day! Since then, the movement has grown tremendously, and this year, 190 countries and millions of people worldwide will participate in thousands of events geared towards consuming less and protecting the environment more.

In that spirit, I’ve prepared a few ways you can Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle your way through this Earth Day and beyond.

Reduce
Many household cleaning products contain harsh chemicals that can harm the environment or cause health issues for family members. We’ve recently switched to green cleaning products here in our office, and you can easily do the same in your house. Just check out this Care.com article: Creating a Toxin-Free Home.

While we’re on the subject of cleaning (and since it’s springtime), why not de-clutter your house? You can donate items to charity or transform those old boxes of memorabilia into creative, one-of-a-kind memories. De-Clutter Your Kids’ Stuff

And it may come as a surprise, but humans aren’t the only ones who need to “go green”—your pets do, too (with your help, of course)! Making small adjustments such as switching your cat litter, changing your pets’ water, or making different pet food choices can go a long way toward going green: Earth-Friendly Pet Choices.

Reuse
If you can’t use it (or reuse it), why not let someone else have it? Swaps are the latest trend, and they’re growing in a big way for good reason. Families can take their old, outgrown, or unwanted items and meet other families to trade—it’s free and it’s earth friendly!

For example, moms are cleaning out their cabinets and gathering for Beauty Product Swaps instead of spending hundreds of dollars by continuing to pile up barely used bottles. Check out the link to Shoestring Magazine for more info or to attend a Boston-based swap later this month!

Also, thredUP (a great clothing swap site) just announced a new service—thredUP Kids. Kids grow like weeds, and now you have an easy way to swap their old, outgrown wardrobe for newer clothes that fit. Membership to thredUp Kids is free; all you pay is shipping. Now, those unworn clothes won’t take up closet space and will be put to good use by someone who needs them.

Recycle
I don’t need to tell you much about the importance of recycling (and teaching kids how to read the numbers on the bottom of those plastic containers!). At Care.com, we’ve had recycling bins in the office from day one. We also make a point to avoid printing anything whenever possible, instead choosing to share files and documents electronically. Every little thing can make a difference!

This Earth Day, the Earth Day Network is encouraging everyone to “commit Acts of Green.” So far, over 31 million people have pledged to join the movement. What Act of Green will you commit this Earth Day? Add your thoughts below!

I wanted to let you know that Care.com has just been named an “Official Honoree” in the Family/Parenting category for the 14th annual Webby Awards! Our team was recognized for all their hard work in building a great service that has, in the words of the Webbies, “demonstrated a standard of excellence.”

I’m taking a second to give a big shout-out to the team here on my blog. We work really hard to give parents, families, and care providers a safe, easy-to-use way to connect online. Sometimes, I find we work so hard that we forget to step back and take a second to appreciate all we’ve done and how far we’ve come.

So I’m taking it upon myself to give the Care.com team a huge “standing-O.” You guys are great! Thank you for all you do!