1. Trait of Character:   This week we are talking about "Fairness: Listen to people with an open mind." For our young students, we approach this by honing up our listening skills. For example, we play the game "gossip" in which one child whispers something in the ear of another, repeating this all the way around, and then discovering with amazement and some amusement that the message has become hopelessly garbled during the process.

Another game out students like is a listening and memory game. In this one, we go around the circle, with each young student repeating what the previous speaker said before proceeding. Example: Susie says, I like to sing; next student, Tommy says "Susie likes to sing; I like to play soccer", third student, Uriah says, "Susie likes to sing, Tommy likes to play soccer, and I like to play cars." And so on.   At the preschool level, we limit this to one word.  Little Susie might say, "sing", Tommy says, "sing, soccer" and Uriah says, "sing, soccer, cars."  With this game, we also learn more about each other, and also practice patience and helping others. Everyone gets in to the act, helping with hints if anyone forgets.

2. Take A Trek:  A walk can do you a world of good.  If you make it a family walk, it becomes quality time. According to Duke University research, a 30-minute walk will give you an instant boost, and going for a brisk stroll three times a week is as effective as antidepressants. And we know that children need, actually require, lots of physical activity for cognitive growth and large motor control.

3. Tread the Mill: 

One of 10 suggestions for raising emotionally intelligent children by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC, as reported in the Activity Village online Newsletter is : "Get your kids involved in household duties at an early age." Research suggests that kids who are involved in household chores from an early age tend to be happier and more successful. Why? From an early age, they're made to feel they are an important part of the family. Kids want to belong and to feel like they're valuable.

At Better Beginnings, we find this to be a valid concept. A job chart with various classroom duties is hung at eye level. Weekly each student gets a new responsibility. We see them gain confidence and feelings of competence. An added bonus: this is a pre-literacy gem as well. They jobs are identified by pictures and by identifying words. The young learners quickly associate the picture and the word; they also learn to identify their name and their classmates' names.

4. Treats from the Charitable: Our friends from the Women's Group of the United Methodist Church of Cranbury are very bighearted. This time, they brought us crayons, notebook paper, children's

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 clothing and a very generous contribution. They are certainly tuned into the needs of our children and the center, and we are very grateful.

"Mr. Jonathan" Craig stays in tune, also, frequently with weekly visits in which he brings anything he has found that he sees that we need.  This time he brought many children's tapes, children's books as well as pennies for our penny drive (yes, it continues). I was especially impressed that one of the tapes was about going on "Safari". In several weeks, as a part of our "Jungle Fun" unit, the young students will be going on a "pretend" safari, using paper tubes "binoculars" they make, with family members assisting, over the weekend, and looking for "hidden" pictures of jungle inhabitants.  I didn't mention it to him; I wonder how he knew.

Now, if we only had some real binoculars to look through. Just for a day or two or maybe a week.

Woodworking is one of the "learning centers" advised for early childhood classrooms. Barbara Dahlinger, a member of First Presbyterian, heard that our woodworking areas needed some refurbishing. She has donated three children's sets of woodworking tools, one for each of the three classrooms. We are so pleased.

Now, if only we had a volunteer who would work some wood with our young students.

New friends Xavier & Pam Dixson, referred to us by another friendly family, donated 3 computer hard drives, 4 computer monitors, and 2 Knex Rollercoasters. These are much appreciated and will help us in our efforts to bridge the "digital gap" for our families and children.

Now, if we only had a volunteer computer expert to fix ‘em up.

5. Tricks from Penny Pincher:   Everything is coming up strawberries and cream with the Pincher. She bought almost a quart (okay, 22 oz.) of her favorite shampoo, on sale for 79 cents, in this "flavor". Now everything smells sweet. She uses it for doing dishes. She uses it for hand washing her hosiery. She uses it for bubble bathing. She washes down the tile and
the faucets. She applies it to stubborn stains. She even sometimes uses it for hair wash. A small amount does the job, she says, because shampoo is designed to remove oil from the hair and is equipped, therefore, for these other uses as well. I know it makes me hungry for strawberries, which, fortunately, are in season and are very nutritious.

Two Cents Wordth:  If beautify is to make beautiful; If purify is to make pure; If simplify is to make simple; if nullify is to make null ... what, then, is ratify?