Home
Resources
Connections
Legal
Resources
Every
Day Living
GrandsPlace
Kids
Site
Information
Contact
Us
Chat
Room
Message
Boards
Online
Store
.
.
|
GrandsPlace
News - September 2006
Great Expectations
By Kathy Reynolds
Create Great expectations
for your child! .As adults we have a lot of things people expect of us,
in the workplace, in relationships and with our families. We try hard to
live up to those expectations and your child does too.
Create a List of Expectations
Children need to know
what is expected of them. It's a good idea to make up a list for each child
and post it inside his or her bedroom door as a reminder. Knowing
what is expected of him or her helps the child tailor behavior to achieve
your approval.
Expectations Should be Reasonable
What you expect from
the child should take into account his or her age and abilities. Four-year
old Kristina cannot be expected to empty the whole dishwasher but she has
been taught to sort the silverware and put it away. Expecting a child that
has a brain that struggles to get a C average in school should not be expected
to get a perfect report card. He can only be expected to do his best.
Expectations Should be Consistent
Danni knows that going
to school and doing her homework is her job and non negotiable. She knows
that unless there are extraordinary circumstances such as illness we expect
her to take charge of her own education. This does not mean we do not help
with homework when needed. It means we expect her to to be self motivated
during study hour. She would not think of asking " Just for today can I
skip my homework and do it in the morning because there is something I
want to do." That's because Danni knows that we expect her to do homework
right after school.
Part of keeping expectations
consistent means arranging your life so that your child can stay on track.
If I say "Do your homework later because there is something I want to do".
It sends Danni the message that we Don't really expect her to keep her
study hour every day.
Expectations Should be Positive
You get what you
expect. If you expect positive things from your child you will probably
get them. the same is true of negative expectations. But sometimes we unwittingly
encourage negative expectations on our child. Comments to the child or
others such as. "I expected that from Johnny. He always fusses acts up
before Dinner." tells the child that the negative behavior is normal and
excusable.
Expectations Should Focus on Success
Better to deal with the
situation today and then tomorrow say something like, " Johnny I know you
are tired and hungry but I expect you to behave while I cook dinner then
we can play later."
If you use great expectations
as a tool for improving behavior your child's innate need to please you
will help him or her live up to the success you want for him or her.
Santa and The GrandsPlace Christmas
Fund Need Your Help
I know its kind of early in the year to be thinking
of the winter holidays for most people, but here at GrandsPlace we need
to start now in order to provide a christmas gift under the tree of every
child that needs on but who's grandparents cannot afford to provide extras
like gifts.
Each year when the holiday come around we tell
our children tales of Santa and reindeer that fly all over the world bringing
toys to the good little girls and boys. We hit the stores on the look out
for the perfect gift that will wow the children on Christmas morning.
But in some homes the advent of the winter holidays
just brings stress and tears. Over 20% of grandparents that are parenting
their grandchildren are living below the federal poverty level. They have
enough trouble just paying the rent and putting food on the table let alone
buying holiday gifts. Often a grandparent has to tell a child that Santa
will not be coming to their house this year. The Child is left wondering
what he did wrong that got him on Santa's naughty list this year.
GrandsPlace has teamed up with Santa to help these
families but we need your help. Each year we collect money for Christmas
and Hanukah gifts for needy GrandFamilies. Then On December first we divide
the amount of money collected by the number of children on our Christmas
List and send a check to the grandparents so she can buy gifts for her
children. Its never very much. Usually about $20 per child but a small
gift is better than no gift and the knowledge that Santa did not pass the
children by.
To donate to the GrandsPlace Christmas Fund by
credit card on PayPal log on to,
This link will lead you to a web safe and
secure site we use for online donations.
OR send a check or money order made out to “GrandsPlace”
to
GrandsPlace,
154 Cottage Rd,
Enfield CT 06082
If You Need Help
If you are a grandparent
or other Kinship caregiver that cannot provide a gift for your child please
contact me before December 1st. I encourage you to apply for other programs
like Toys For Tots and The Salvation Army in your communities but if your
child does not qualify for those please do not let him or her go without.
send an e-mail to kathy@grandsplace.com
giving the child's name, age and your name and mailing address so that
I can send a gift. All requests are confidential. No one but me sees these
requests and I don't gossip about the haves and the have nots. I cannot
promise much. Funds are very limited but I will see that each child on
our Christmas List gets a gift.
Any Questions? Call Kathy at 1- 860-763-5789
Together we can make a difference in the life
of a child.
The GrandsPlace Virtual Quilt
Do you and your children feel alone? Does your child
think its weird to live with grandparents and other kinship caregivers?
Then view the GrandsPlace Virtual Quilt. This Online quilt has the names
of over 3,200 children living with grandparents I special others. It is
living proof that lots of children do not live with parents. to see the
GrandsPlace Virtual Quilt log on to
http://grandsplace.com/quilt2/quilt.html
To have your child's name on our quilt send an
e-mail to kathy@grandsplace.com
The Dungeon &
Kids
by Bubbie
Reclaiming my closet was not to be. Kids --nieces,
nephews and grandchildren discovered the dungeon and thought it was great
fun!
This odd shaped space had no windows and no matter
the time of the day could be made pitch black in darkness. This was the
stuff of nightmares and scary stores.
It is also how the place got its name the kids
began to call it the dungeon to the point that at one time I had a visit
from social services. Yep. Word had spread and I was the lady of the Dungeon
who kept kids within!
The social worker who came to take a look thought
the place was cool--so the dungeon recieved the official seal of approval
and when I ended up with a 6 month placement of my niece they donated a
patch work quilt and began themselves to refer to the room as the "Dungeon".
Word got out--grandaughters sleep overs had to
be in the dungeon. No one cared how crowded it might get.Parents came to
get a look (just in case lol ).
One day screams of terror could be heard--seems
the right of passage into Club Dungeon did not go over so well with 2 yr
old grandson. Yep! The "sisters" had scared him silly and it took months
before he would go near the place.
The Dungeon is many things--a quiet place of refuge
for a weary friend--a fort to fight off evil dragons--a pre-teen club--
a room for a homeless child, a place where secrets and dreams are kept
, and most of all--its a safe haven for all that have used it.
Still in use to this day the allure does not appear
to be leaving anytime soon- --the one thing it will never be again--is
my closet!
GrandsPlace Chat Room
Want to "talk" live in real time with grandparents
and other kinship caregivers that are living the same life as you? Join
us in the GrandsPlace Chat Room! Some of us are just starting this new
adventure of parenting again and others are old hands at it. This is the
place to come laugh and cry, to find answers to your questions, get sympathy
and advice when you are down and celebrate your successes with people that
understand. Chatting is free and easy. Hope to see you there!
Chats are held nightly at 9 pm easter standard
time. Join us by logging on to http://grandsplace.com/gp2/chat.html
or http://grandsplace.org/gp2/chat.html.
Both sites will take you to the same chat room. For people like me that
are time zone challenged it's:
9pm Eastern time
8pm Central time
7pm Mountain time
6pm Pacific time
Recipe Of
The Month
Beef and Barley Vegetable Soup
| Ingredients
8 cups low-sodium canned beef broth
2 ribs celery with leaves, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium tomato, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 medium onions, quartered
3 whole cloves garlic, crushed with the flat blade
of a knife
1/4 cup quick-cooking barley
2 cups shredded cooked beef
makes 6 servings
Nutrition Information
Per serving: 319 calories (25% calories from fat),
31 g protein, 9 g total fat (3.1 g saturated fat), 29 g carbohydrate, 6
g dietary fiber, 58 mg cholesterol, 307 mg sodium, 1,076 mg potassium |
Directions
Place the beef broth, celery, carrots, parsnips, tomato,
onions, garlic, and barley in a soup pot. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat
to a gentle simmer and cook for 25 minutes.
Add the shredded beef and simmer for another 5 to
10 minutes.
Ladle into soup bowls and serve.
|
Household
Hints - Trimming The Fat
Make soup stock and soups ahead of time and chill
overnight in the refrigerator. The hardened fat can be easily lifted away
with a spoon. If you're short on time, you can quick-chill a stock or soup
in the freezer with the same results.
If you're making a gravy or sauce from the meat drippings,
be sure to chill first to remove all possible fat before adding your liquids
and seasonings. Create sauces or gravies by adding wine and/or stock to
the pan juices and cook over high heat until reduced and thickened.
Use nonfat cooking sprays instead of butter, margarine,
or oil when sauteing garlic, onions, celery, etc.. We always have vegetable,
olive oil, and a refrigerated butter-flavored cooking spray in our kitchens.
When using a nonstick skillet or saucepan, you won't have any problem with
burning; just stir often to prevent sticking and over-browning.
Also use cooking sprays to coat baking dishes, baking
pans, and casseroles instead of greasing the pans with butter, oil, or
solid shortening.
Marinate meats and poultry in fat-free (no-oil) marinades
before cooking to enhance flavors, using fresh herbs, spices, a special
mustard (just a smidgeon as they are high in sodium), flavored vinegars,
wine, or citrus juices. If using dried herbs instead of fresh, use 1/3
of the fresh amount.
Baste meats and poultry with stock or wine instead
of butter, margarine, or oil.
Steam dishes to concentrate the natural flavors, instead
of adding butter or margarine. Works especially well with vegetables and
fruits.
Use your microwave for fat-free cooking of vegetables,
fruits, fish, and poultry -- everything cooks so quickly so that natural
flavors and juices are retained.
Use egg substitute or egg whites instead of whole
eggs in your baking. One-fourth cup of liquid egg substitute or two large
egg whites equal 1 large whole egg. Experiment with egg substitutes before
the holiday; some are much better than others.
Replace fat-laden whipped cream with whipped evaporated
skim milk. For best results, pour the canned evaporated skim milk in a
metal mixing bowl. Place the mixing bowl and the beaters of your electric
mixer into the freezer for about 30 minutes, until ice crystals form around
the edges. Remove the bowl and beaters from the freezer; whip on high speed
until soft peaks form. Use at once.
Use fat-free cream cheese and sour cream in your dips
and spreads or make yogurt cheese by draining nonfat yogurt (without added
gelatin) in a yogurt funnel or a sieve lined with cheesecloth suspended
over a bowl in the refrigerator for 12 hours or overnight to extract the
whey. The results will be a soft cheese with the consistency of soft cream
cheese. Discard the whey and refrigerate the yogurt cheese for up to a
week, discarding any liquid that accumulates.
When purchasing meat, buy only the leanest cuts of
beef, pork, lamb, and veal. Ask your butcher to help with your selections.
Trim all visible fat from the meat before cooking.
Fish is a good low-fat option to meat. The higher
fat fish (bluefish, mackerel, salmon, tuna, etc.) are good sources of Omega-3
oils which medical experts claim may be a defense against some health problems.
Roast meats and poultry on a rack to allow fat to
drip away.
As long as you don't eat the skin of roasted poultry,
you won't be getting any extra fat. The skin acts as a flavor-sealing envelope,
keeping the flesh moist. We like to tuck herbs between the skin and the
flesh of roasted chicken and turkey to heighten the flavor.
Great
Sites To Visit
I wish you the gift of Security
May all that read this newsletter receive
the gift of security in their persons families and possessions. May insecurity
and it's causes be gone from your life and feelings of peace and safety
prevail.
Subscription Information
If someone else passed on this newsletter and you
wish to subscribe yourself you can do so by following these directions;
To subscribe to GrandsPlace News open a blank e-mail, Address it to grandsplacenews@grandsplace.com
leave the SUBJECT line blank, In the Message Area type subscribe
grandsplacenews. Your name will be added to our mailing list.
Unsubscribe Information
You are getting this message because you have
subscribed to GrandsPlace News. If you are getting this in error or no
longer wish to receive this newsletter you may unscrubscribe. To unsubscribe
to GrandsPlace News open a blank e-mail, Address it to grandsplacenews@grandsplace.ocom
leave the SUBJECT line blank, In the Message Area type unsubscribe
grandsplacenews. Your name will be removed from our mailing list.
Copyright
© 1996,1997,1998,1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 all
rights reserved.
All materials
in this web site and newsletters are the exclusive property of GrandsPlace
and nothing contained herein may be used without the express permission
of the owners. For permission to reprint please contact GrandsPlace kathy@grandsplace.com
To submit
articles of interest to parenting grandparents and other kinship caregivers
send e-mail to
|
Did
You Know
Grandparents
parenting children are more likely to suffer from depression if they lack
a good support system.
|
Support
GrandsPlace
Visit
Our Online Store
|
