Many fathers today are more actively involved with the education of their children than their own fathers were, even during the summer months. Hooray for modern men!
In a recent online survey commissioned by Kumon Math and Reading Centers (April 2009), dads feel one of their main parenting roles is to help their children excel in school. A full 50 percent of the fathers surveyed indicated that they were more likely than their wives to motivate kids to do schoolwork.
Other survey highlights:
3 out of 4 dads were aware of summer learning opportunities
6 out of 10 dads enroll their kids in organized summer learning programs
For more stats from the survey or more info about Kumon (an after-school math and reading program), visit www.kumon.com.
Happy Father's Day!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Turn Your Toilet Green
Ew, right?
Actually, making your toilet "green," a.k.a. "earth-friendly" or "eco-conscious" is a cinch.
Fill an empty plastic 20-ounce or 1 liter drinking bottle with water, then tuck it inside the toilet tank, below the handle mechanism.
Trial and error: anywhere else in the tank, and the bottle gets sucked down with every flush, causing MORE water usage. Oh, and duct tape will NOT hold it in place. But maybe plumber's tape would?
This trick results in less water usage with every flush, and is much less expensive than installing a low-flow toilet if you don't already have one.
The water in my toilet tank now rises to about 1 1/2 inches less depth than before. I have not figured out the volume on that - math was never my strong suit - but it seems like it is probably a significant amount!
An option my mom suggested, which was a popular water conservation trick in days predating me, is to place a brick in the tank.
If you run a business or work at an office with multiple bathroom stalls, or have more than one toilet in your house, implementing this idea has even more of an impact!
Let me know if you can think of other ideas for conserving water in your bathroom!
Actually, making your toilet "green," a.k.a. "earth-friendly" or "eco-conscious" is a cinch.
Fill an empty plastic 20-ounce or 1 liter drinking bottle with water, then tuck it inside the toilet tank, below the handle mechanism.
Trial and error: anywhere else in the tank, and the bottle gets sucked down with every flush, causing MORE water usage. Oh, and duct tape will NOT hold it in place. But maybe plumber's tape would?
This trick results in less water usage with every flush, and is much less expensive than installing a low-flow toilet if you don't already have one.
The water in my toilet tank now rises to about 1 1/2 inches less depth than before. I have not figured out the volume on that - math was never my strong suit - but it seems like it is probably a significant amount!
An option my mom suggested, which was a popular water conservation trick in days predating me, is to place a brick in the tank.
If you run a business or work at an office with multiple bathroom stalls, or have more than one toilet in your house, implementing this idea has even more of an impact!
Let me know if you can think of other ideas for conserving water in your bathroom!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
And This Little Piggy Got the Flu...
Swine Flu is NOT sweeping the nation. Hundreds of thousands of people die of influenza worldwide each year, and yet we are not up in arms. Here's the facts, courtesy of Tulsa Health Department.
-Swine Flu is a respiratory disease of pigs. There are regular outbreaks in pigs. Human infections do not happen often. Person-to-person spreading of swine flu was not sustained beyond 3 people in the past.
-There has been limited reporting of H1N1 (swine influenza A) in the U.S. A case count for confirmed infections in humans in the U.S. is available at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/investigation.htm.
-Symptoms are similar to regular influenza. Fever, cough, sore throat, aching, headache, chills, fatigue, possibly diarrhea and vomiting. Pneumonia and respiratory failure and deaths have been reported. This is likely because, like seasonal flu, swine flu can cause worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.
-If you get sick, stay home. Thanks.
-12 cases of swine flu were detected in the U.S. between 2005 and 2009, and no deaths occurred.
-There were over 200 cases with serious illness in 1976 in New Jersey. There was only one death.
-Swine flu is not spread by eating pork.
The moral of the story is not to lick each other and to continue to use soap and warm water and scrub for at least as long as it takes to sing "This is the way we wash our hands, wash our hands, wash our hands. This is the way we wash our hands, with soap and water."
If children or adults seem like they need emergency medical care due to breathing problems, bluish skin color, lack of fluids, inability to interact, fever with a rash, dizziness, confusion, persistent vomiting, etc., go to the ER or an Urgent Care facility. (Stating the obvious.) Swine flu or not!
(If you would like to be mailed a two-page handout with more information on Swine Influenza, please send me your address at ston_bran@yahoo.com. You may also visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website, or www.tulsa-health.com.
-Swine Flu is a respiratory disease of pigs. There are regular outbreaks in pigs. Human infections do not happen often. Person-to-person spreading of swine flu was not sustained beyond 3 people in the past.
-There has been limited reporting of H1N1 (swine influenza A) in the U.S. A case count for confirmed infections in humans in the U.S. is available at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/investigation.htm.
-Symptoms are similar to regular influenza. Fever, cough, sore throat, aching, headache, chills, fatigue, possibly diarrhea and vomiting. Pneumonia and respiratory failure and deaths have been reported. This is likely because, like seasonal flu, swine flu can cause worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.
-If you get sick, stay home. Thanks.
-12 cases of swine flu were detected in the U.S. between 2005 and 2009, and no deaths occurred.
-There were over 200 cases with serious illness in 1976 in New Jersey. There was only one death.
-Swine flu is not spread by eating pork.
The moral of the story is not to lick each other and to continue to use soap and warm water and scrub for at least as long as it takes to sing "This is the way we wash our hands, wash our hands, wash our hands. This is the way we wash our hands, with soap and water."
If children or adults seem like they need emergency medical care due to breathing problems, bluish skin color, lack of fluids, inability to interact, fever with a rash, dizziness, confusion, persistent vomiting, etc., go to the ER or an Urgent Care facility. (Stating the obvious.) Swine flu or not!
(If you would like to be mailed a two-page handout with more information on Swine Influenza, please send me your address at ston_bran@yahoo.com. You may also visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website, or www.tulsa-health.com.
Free Online Literacy Program
Scholastic's Summer Challenge is a free online program created to encourage literacy in kids between the ages of 5 and 12. A love of reading is cultivated, and Scholastic aims to motivate kids to read a minimum of 4 books this summer.
At the end of the summer, Scholastic will give a contribution to Save the Children on the behalf of all participants in the Summer Challenge.
For more info on Scholastic's Summer Challenge, and for age-appropriate book recommendations, visit www.Scholastic.com/summer.
At the end of the summer, Scholastic will give a contribution to Save the Children on the behalf of all participants in the Summer Challenge.
For more info on Scholastic's Summer Challenge, and for age-appropriate book recommendations, visit www.Scholastic.com/summer.
Tulsa Area Car Seat Safety Checks in June
For readers who live in my area, here are car seat safety checks that Safe Kids will be sponsoring in June:
June 4th 2-4pm State Farm Insurance 12222 State Farm Blvd (51st & 129th)
June 9th 10am-noon Owasso Fire Dept. 207 S. Cedar (
June 20th 9am-noon Creek Nation Tribal Complex 13000 Loop 56 (Hwy 75 & Loop 56)
June 25th 10am-noon Riverside Chevrolet 707 W 51st (I-44 & Arkansas River)
For more info, call 918-494-SAFE, or visit www.safekidstulsa.com.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Encourage Creativity - Publish Your Child's Artwork
Scholastic Parent & Child considers submissions of children's artwork, including drawings, photographs, and paintings, for possible publication in one of the magazine's issues. If they do end up using your mini-Michaelangelo's artwork in a future issue, Scholastic will send your son or daughter a complimentary box of books!
Send submissions to:
Samantha Brody
557 Broadway
5th Floor
New York, NY 10012
or
SBRODY@SCHOLASTIC.COM
Send submissions to:
Samantha Brody
557 Broadway
5th Floor
New York, NY 10012
or
SBRODY@SCHOLASTIC.COM
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mother's Day!
Can't write much...this is time that is practically sacred, but could not let Mother's Day go by without giving a shout out to all the Moms out there.
Not all superheroes wear capes!
Happy Mother's Day. :-)
Not all superheroes wear capes!
Happy Mother's Day. :-)
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