On volunteering
Its truly amazing how volunteering does such good things to the heart and soul. Of course you are giving your time, sharing the benefits of your work towards a common goal with others…..your community of schools.
This also gives you a chance to honor other people. To see peoples unique qualities, their organization skills, their abilities to create ideas , how they spark ideas in you. Volunteering gives you a chance to make connections that you might otherwise not make.
Over the course of this month, I have had a chance to share with my children situations I have been in with the parents of their classmates as we are working on a fair, picnic and graduation plans!
I am glad I have so many opportunities to volunteer and I plan to give more of my time and enjoy all the wonderful people I don’t even know yet !
What can you volunteer for today?
Showing posts with label on activities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label on activities. Show all posts
Monday, May 10, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
On Birthday Gifts
On Party Gifts
It is truly amazing the number of birthday gifts we have fun purchasing yearly. The younger children are included in every birthday party and as they move through the grades, the number of invitations reduces naturally. Most schools ask that you either invite the entire class or 1/3.
I love to find birthday gifts that are those my children would like themselves to receive. So many times I run into a few very special items and I buy them in bulk or organize them in advance. This always doesn't work in my favor.......I went to a WAREHOUSE Frette Sale and purchased bathrobes for about the same price as a toys r us game would cost. Normally these would be $100.00 gifts. I thought, who would spend $100.00 for a children’s bathrobe anyway, but the quality was so nice, it was worth it to purchase enough. The reason they were on such super sale was they only has size 3 left. I bought 15 of them in September and was ready to give all them out as gifts to the 15 children that were in my son’s nursery school.
That year he only got invited to 5 birthday parties.....and I ended up with 10 extra size 3 Frette bathrobes!
I gave them away as gifts to the older child (which was usually 3) when a friend of mine had a new baby as an older child gift! I think I have one left today!
This summer while we were travelling we found a company that sold items that changed color in the sun! I purchased everything in bulk...A big hit. Purchased headbands, shirts, bathing suits and they were all gifted already everyone was thrilled!
There are also smaller items which I find, buy and save, and attach to the top of a gift with cellophane or use for goody bags when throwing small kids parties at my house.
I am proud of my friends who, like me, are always thinking of new ideas for gifts for children! Glimmer Rox in a unique belt, bracelet (cuff) and headband that can be personalized with initials or purchased in bulk for upcoming birthdays. My six year old daughter wears her bracelet/cuff all the time and ill be there purchasing 10 bracelets for $10.00 each as a bulk purchase to use in my eight year old Birthday Party goodie bags next month !
FOR NEW YORKERS ONLY:
Friday, April 30th
9 AM – 2 PM
GLIMMER ROX OPEN HOUSE
239 East 79th Street, Suite 6
New York City
Please comment back your favorite birthday item?
It is truly amazing the number of birthday gifts we have fun purchasing yearly. The younger children are included in every birthday party and as they move through the grades, the number of invitations reduces naturally. Most schools ask that you either invite the entire class or 1/3.
I love to find birthday gifts that are those my children would like themselves to receive. So many times I run into a few very special items and I buy them in bulk or organize them in advance. This always doesn't work in my favor.......I went to a WAREHOUSE Frette Sale and purchased bathrobes for about the same price as a toys r us game would cost. Normally these would be $100.00 gifts. I thought, who would spend $100.00 for a children’s bathrobe anyway, but the quality was so nice, it was worth it to purchase enough. The reason they were on such super sale was they only has size 3 left. I bought 15 of them in September and was ready to give all them out as gifts to the 15 children that were in my son’s nursery school.
That year he only got invited to 5 birthday parties.....and I ended up with 10 extra size 3 Frette bathrobes!
I gave them away as gifts to the older child (which was usually 3) when a friend of mine had a new baby as an older child gift! I think I have one left today!
This summer while we were travelling we found a company that sold items that changed color in the sun! I purchased everything in bulk...A big hit. Purchased headbands, shirts, bathing suits and they were all gifted already everyone was thrilled!
There are also smaller items which I find, buy and save, and attach to the top of a gift with cellophane or use for goody bags when throwing small kids parties at my house.
I am proud of my friends who, like me, are always thinking of new ideas for gifts for children! Glimmer Rox in a unique belt, bracelet (cuff) and headband that can be personalized with initials or purchased in bulk for upcoming birthdays. My six year old daughter wears her bracelet/cuff all the time and ill be there purchasing 10 bracelets for $10.00 each as a bulk purchase to use in my eight year old Birthday Party goodie bags next month !
FOR NEW YORKERS ONLY:
Friday, April 30th
9 AM – 2 PM
GLIMMER ROX OPEN HOUSE
239 East 79th Street, Suite 6
New York City
Please comment back your favorite birthday item?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
EXCUSES BEGONE
There is a time when you must realize what excuses mean, why they are given and
how you can acknowledge them yet not completely dismiss them
Your childrens feelings ARE their feelings.
When the 12 year old wanted to give up on something, or not even try to do it
at all he only said,
" I just dont want to."
Have you ever gotten this ?
Well, raising six children in New York City, I ran across a seminar given my Wayne
Dryer at the Jacobs Javits Center called "EXCUSES BEGONE."
I knew the seminars time was a late start on a school night, but i bought two
tickets and we went !
I went full of vigor and I dragged by son in tow.
I explained how there might be a magic angel of some sort that stands up on the
stage infront of you and waives his wand and announces:
EXCUSES BEGONE.... and any excuses you can
come up with for not being successful will be overcome !
At least it was worth it to see why he sold out 1000 tickets for a one night seminar!
I printed out the list of excuses from one I found on the internet from a past seminar and
I offered my son 5 points on his point chart for every excuse he can have memorized
before the event.
Here were the excuses:
Im not strong enough
Im not old enough
There will be a family drama
Im too scared
Im too busy
I dont have enough energy
The rules wont let me
It not my nature
Its going to be too risky
It has never happened before
I dont deserve it
It will take too long
Im not smart enough
It will be too difficult
No one will help me
He was the youngest attendee, and there was no magic wand. But I showed my son I
believed in him, enough to know he can overcome and will be a successful adult one day and thats why we were there.
We left early, he earned a lot of points (which havent been spent on anything yet) and
was successful in his challenge !
In New York City there are so many amazing things to complement all the children are doing. or not doing....Even if its just the botinical gardens to support smell in nursery school programs
or the MET to suppose the study of an art program in middle schools or Othello playing
at the Duke Theatre on 42nd street to support on upper school play reading.
Mommy Wommy says take advantage of it all !!!
how you can acknowledge them yet not completely dismiss them
Your childrens feelings ARE their feelings.
When the 12 year old wanted to give up on something, or not even try to do it
at all he only said,
" I just dont want to."
Have you ever gotten this ?
Well, raising six children in New York City, I ran across a seminar given my Wayne
Dryer at the Jacobs Javits Center called "EXCUSES BEGONE."
I knew the seminars time was a late start on a school night, but i bought two
tickets and we went !
I went full of vigor and I dragged by son in tow.
I explained how there might be a magic angel of some sort that stands up on the
stage infront of you and waives his wand and announces:
EXCUSES BEGONE.... and any excuses you can
come up with for not being successful will be overcome !
At least it was worth it to see why he sold out 1000 tickets for a one night seminar!
I printed out the list of excuses from one I found on the internet from a past seminar and
I offered my son 5 points on his point chart for every excuse he can have memorized
before the event.
Here were the excuses:
Im not strong enough
Im not old enough
There will be a family drama
Im too scared
Im too busy
I dont have enough energy
The rules wont let me
It not my nature
Its going to be too risky
It has never happened before
I dont deserve it
It will take too long
Im not smart enough
It will be too difficult
No one will help me
He was the youngest attendee, and there was no magic wand. But I showed my son I
believed in him, enough to know he can overcome and will be a successful adult one day and thats why we were there.
We left early, he earned a lot of points (which havent been spent on anything yet) and
was successful in his challenge !
In New York City there are so many amazing things to complement all the children are doing. or not doing....Even if its just the botinical gardens to support smell in nursery school programs
or the MET to suppose the study of an art program in middle schools or Othello playing
at the Duke Theatre on 42nd street to support on upper school play reading.
Mommy Wommy says take advantage of it all !!!
Monday, February 15, 2010
The class your child does not want to go to
A couple of parents have asked me recently what do you do when you
sign up your child to a class and when it comes time for that class your
child does not want to attend.
There are many senerios to this same question, whether its a one day
mini camp or its a longer commitment to a organization, a team or a program.
This morning my four year old did not want to attend his SUPER SOCCER STARS
morning mini camp.
I said to him " I hear that you are saying that you dont want to go to SUPER SOCCER
STARS today but I dont hear why you are saying that. Why is or equals " what are you feelings
that is making you say you dont want to go"
(Being agry that he has a feeling is not a good response though it is so natural for most
mothers to just feel angry that their child doesnt want to comply to the program)
I immediately take out the itinerary of what activities they will be doing and review them
to help my FOUR ( remember he is 4 ) Year old.
I read about the snack time and the snacks they will have, and i say
"OH it must be that you dont like the snack, is that why?"
and he says, no I like those snacks
"Oh I say it must be the dancing before dismissal you dont like, is that why?
and he says no I like the dancing
(notice also how I jump right to something he already knows is before dismissal
to make it seem like the program we are talking about is shorter in time then he might think when he remembers the snack and dismissal part)
I stop there, thats enough chances for us both to hear there is a chance that he
can have a good time.
Then I continue to say that he is filled up with love from his mommy and daddy and
we feel this is a good program for you to have fun in or we would not have picked it
together last week !
Sometimes he will have things he doesnt want to do on his schedule and I share with
him how that happens to me too sometimes.
I kiss him into his soccer program after I walk him over in his stroller and I tell him
how proud I am of him giving today a new chance !
NOW it doesnt always work this way.............................................. Heres what happened with my
10 year old who committed to a weekend basketball team.
After agreeing to sign up for a weekend basketball team, he realized that his basketball game times were between 9am and 11am on Saturday Morning. This was the first problem for the child but I helped out by making the commitment to go to EVERY SATURDAY game with him and stay and watch however early it started.
Then he went to about three or four weeks worth of games and not knowing anyone on his team
and not having any practices with his team mates, he felt completely left out of the basketball
games because he wasnt exactly sure how he was going to get the ball, who was going to pass it to him, and what exactly he should do with it when he got it.
He expressed his desire to learn how to play the game but not be forced into these saturday games he didnt like.
He wrote a letter to his coach explaining that he needed to resign from the team and shared
his real feelings why.
He had to use his money/point chart points to pay back the family for the remaining registration fee from the program and
He agreed to join a Basketball program where he can learn the sport that he really wants to play well !!!
As soon as my 13 year old agrees to let me share the story of FOOTBALL, This blog will be on the way to a book !!!
Good luck and comment !
sign up your child to a class and when it comes time for that class your
child does not want to attend.
There are many senerios to this same question, whether its a one day
mini camp or its a longer commitment to a organization, a team or a program.
This morning my four year old did not want to attend his SUPER SOCCER STARS
morning mini camp.
I said to him " I hear that you are saying that you dont want to go to SUPER SOCCER
STARS today but I dont hear why you are saying that. Why is or equals " what are you feelings
that is making you say you dont want to go"
(Being agry that he has a feeling is not a good response though it is so natural for most
mothers to just feel angry that their child doesnt want to comply to the program)
I immediately take out the itinerary of what activities they will be doing and review them
to help my FOUR ( remember he is 4 ) Year old.
I read about the snack time and the snacks they will have, and i say
"OH it must be that you dont like the snack, is that why?"
and he says, no I like those snacks
"Oh I say it must be the dancing before dismissal you dont like, is that why?
and he says no I like the dancing
(notice also how I jump right to something he already knows is before dismissal
to make it seem like the program we are talking about is shorter in time then he might think when he remembers the snack and dismissal part)
I stop there, thats enough chances for us both to hear there is a chance that he
can have a good time.
Then I continue to say that he is filled up with love from his mommy and daddy and
we feel this is a good program for you to have fun in or we would not have picked it
together last week !
Sometimes he will have things he doesnt want to do on his schedule and I share with
him how that happens to me too sometimes.
I kiss him into his soccer program after I walk him over in his stroller and I tell him
how proud I am of him giving today a new chance !
NOW it doesnt always work this way.............................................. Heres what happened with my
10 year old who committed to a weekend basketball team.
After agreeing to sign up for a weekend basketball team, he realized that his basketball game times were between 9am and 11am on Saturday Morning. This was the first problem for the child but I helped out by making the commitment to go to EVERY SATURDAY game with him and stay and watch however early it started.
Then he went to about three or four weeks worth of games and not knowing anyone on his team
and not having any practices with his team mates, he felt completely left out of the basketball
games because he wasnt exactly sure how he was going to get the ball, who was going to pass it to him, and what exactly he should do with it when he got it.
He expressed his desire to learn how to play the game but not be forced into these saturday games he didnt like.
He wrote a letter to his coach explaining that he needed to resign from the team and shared
his real feelings why.
He had to use his money/point chart points to pay back the family for the remaining registration fee from the program and
He agreed to join a Basketball program where he can learn the sport that he really wants to play well !!!
As soon as my 13 year old agrees to let me share the story of FOOTBALL, This blog will be on the way to a book !!!
Good luck and comment !
Saturday, February 6, 2010
SPECIAL TIME and SCHEDULES
THERE HAS TO BE SPECIAL TIME, A TIME WHERE EACH CHILD KNOWS THAT THEY
CAN JUST "BE" WITH YOU.
This becomes MOST IMPORTANT when you children are in school full time and have a full schedule of activities. Heres what we do with six children:
My four year old knows I pick him up from his local nursery school everyday at Noon
so we have alone time, but we make it special time when we do a SPECIAL TIME activity
which for now is 1/Climbing Rocks in Central Park 2/Using the sewing machine together
Our last special time we sat down at the sewing machnie and the bobbin which holds the top thread to the lower thread was empty. I dediced to let him sew on even though the switch wasnt connecting, because it was in the good feeling of sewing that we were sharing a special time. It didnt matter that nothing was being made!
The distraction of me trying to make everything perfect would have taken away from
it being his special time activity.
My six year old knows that I pick her up every day at 2:30pm, one hour before her
older brothers finish school and she announced the SPECIAL TIME she wants to have based on the ones that have already been successful -A swing on the Tire in the Park // -A candy and a coffee shared anywhere we can sit and talk about the day // - Return to the home for a start of an arts and craft (which she will finish quietly while I head out again...... to pick up the other Four Children. 13,12,10 and 8 years old boys !
Monday is the 10 year olds day, it always has been,
-and we end up at le Pain sharing over something chocolate right before dinner
Wed or Sunday is when I get the 12 year old (based upon football season)
-and we walk around aimlessly in Times Square
Friday the 13 year old allows me to buy him lunch or sneak him off to a museum,
test out my lastest therories from my latest child/teen/puberty books
Saturday the 8 year old and I take out the dog before 9:00am off the leash in Central Park and we end of at the Boat House for breakfast !!! Its snowsuits for today !
Everyday we have dinner at the dining room table between 5:00pm and 5:30pm.
WATCH OUT FOR MY DINNER TIME BLOG
6:30pm is HOMEWORK TIME and for most of my children it is automatic drive
to retrieve the backpacks from the backpack closet and proceed to their
homework desks !
Everyday all computers in our house must be turned off by 8:00pm ALL internet.
(Jr high school homework has become an exception )
WATCH OUT FOR MY BEDTIMES BLOG
These special times and schedules are the core and roots of what our family does and what the children in the house can rely on. This is where one can feel themselves as ONE child with the benefits surrounded by being in the mix of SIX.
On our last special time with my daughter I found a needlepoint shop on 311 East 81st called WOOLWORKS and for a very small fee I purchase a needlepoint, two needles, all the thread I needed and got a lesson on how to needlepoint. My intention is to teach my daughter something new she is CAPABLE OF being successful at. I will not correct a stitch and the finish product will be dates and a keep sake in our life FORVER.
FOREVER AND TREASURE BOXES another blog
CAN JUST "BE" WITH YOU.
This becomes MOST IMPORTANT when you children are in school full time and have a full schedule of activities. Heres what we do with six children:
My four year old knows I pick him up from his local nursery school everyday at Noon
so we have alone time, but we make it special time when we do a SPECIAL TIME activity
which for now is 1/Climbing Rocks in Central Park 2/Using the sewing machine together
Our last special time we sat down at the sewing machnie and the bobbin which holds the top thread to the lower thread was empty. I dediced to let him sew on even though the switch wasnt connecting, because it was in the good feeling of sewing that we were sharing a special time. It didnt matter that nothing was being made!
The distraction of me trying to make everything perfect would have taken away from
it being his special time activity.
My six year old knows that I pick her up every day at 2:30pm, one hour before her
older brothers finish school and she announced the SPECIAL TIME she wants to have based on the ones that have already been successful -A swing on the Tire in the Park // -A candy and a coffee shared anywhere we can sit and talk about the day // - Return to the home for a start of an arts and craft (which she will finish quietly while I head out again...... to pick up the other Four Children. 13,12,10 and 8 years old boys !
Monday is the 10 year olds day, it always has been,
-and we end up at le Pain sharing over something chocolate right before dinner
Wed or Sunday is when I get the 12 year old (based upon football season)
-and we walk around aimlessly in Times Square
Friday the 13 year old allows me to buy him lunch or sneak him off to a museum,
test out my lastest therories from my latest child/teen/puberty books
Saturday the 8 year old and I take out the dog before 9:00am off the leash in Central Park and we end of at the Boat House for breakfast !!! Its snowsuits for today !
Everyday we have dinner at the dining room table between 5:00pm and 5:30pm.
WATCH OUT FOR MY DINNER TIME BLOG
6:30pm is HOMEWORK TIME and for most of my children it is automatic drive
to retrieve the backpacks from the backpack closet and proceed to their
homework desks !
Everyday all computers in our house must be turned off by 8:00pm ALL internet.
(Jr high school homework has become an exception )
WATCH OUT FOR MY BEDTIMES BLOG
These special times and schedules are the core and roots of what our family does and what the children in the house can rely on. This is where one can feel themselves as ONE child with the benefits surrounded by being in the mix of SIX.
On our last special time with my daughter I found a needlepoint shop on 311 East 81st called WOOLWORKS and for a very small fee I purchase a needlepoint, two needles, all the thread I needed and got a lesson on how to needlepoint. My intention is to teach my daughter something new she is CAPABLE OF being successful at. I will not correct a stitch and the finish product will be dates and a keep sake in our life FORVER.
FOREVER AND TREASURE BOXES another blog
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