About Families Berks April 2009

____ 1 about families April 2009

Your Teen’s Quest forSOCIAL ACCEPTANCEFITTING IN

Planning Your Child’sBIRTHDAY PARTYON A BUDGET

Teens and Sleep: TURN OFF YOUR iPOD…


COUNCILVERIFICATION

CIRCULATION

Volume 13, No. 8

April 2009

FEATURES

HOW TOREACH US

COLUMNS

CULTURE

VOICES

4 Why Day Camp?

8 What A Half-Million Teens Read Each Month

15 Cycle of Child Abuse

29 Fun Ways to Bond With Your Child

32 Is the Economy Triggering Potential Eating Disorders?

33 Prenatal Learning…When Does It Begin?

2 From the Editor’s Desk

12 Teacher of the Month

20 Creative Crafts

28 Buy The Book

30 Reel Life With Jane

32 April It Figures

ON THE COVER

18 Fitting In: Your Teen’s Quest for Social Acceptance

19 Birthday Party on a Budget

34 Teens and Sleep: Turn Off Your iPodand Go To Bed

DEPARTMENTS

6 April Event Planning Guide

7 Party Directory

10 Camp Directory

11 Health News: Kids ShouldKnow About Lyme Disease

13 Virtuous Consumer

14 Classified Directory

16 Party Page

20 Recall Roll Call

25 Marketplace Directory

31 Recipe Page: Playing with Food

5 Dear Teacher

9 Wesley Wonders:Books for Babies

12 The Tot-Secret to Hitting

28 Immunization Clinics

Page 9

0

Page 31

AboutFamiliesbringingfamilies togethersince 1995

II almost feel like breaking out in song. As Isit here writing this column, I am thinkingabout the weekend weather forecast, sunny

and 50s. That my friends, is a most hopeful sign ofthings to come…

Planning a Party?If you are one of our many parent readers who

is planning a party this year, you will be delightedwith this month’s edition. The editorial on plan-ning a child’s birthday party on a budget shouldprove most helpful in pointing to ways you cancut costs without cutting fun. Utilize the partyguide to locate those businesses who specialize inchildren’s parties. Many of them offer a variety of

package prices to help you plan a party that fitsyour family’s budget.

Child Abuse PreventionHave you ever considered how many times

parents are pushed to the point of nearly “losingit” with their children? Sadly, it happens morethan we know: Good families, next door neigh-bors, even friends from work or church, whosebehavior with their children turn them into peo-ple we would no longer recognize. Maybe it haseven happened to you. In order to bring aware-ness to this problem, and hopefully to stem thetide, April has been designated as Child AbusePrevention Month. We can all help by educating

ourselves about the signs and symptoms of childabuse. You owe it to the abused child to recognizetheir silent plea for help. None of us would con-sider walking away from a child in a burningbuilding. I urge you, if you know of a child whoneeds help or an adult who you suspect might beabusive – even if it is yourself – reach out, gethelp. You can do so anonymously. We can all helpto stop the abuse cycle. Have something to share?

We are always excited to hear from our read-ers. So if you have something to share, or com-ments to make, please email me at: [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you.

Mari Conners

From the Editor’s Desk

Berks Phone 610-670-2300toll free: 800-673-2454 fax: 610-670-9251

Lebanon Phone 717-273-8127toll free: 800-673-2434 fax: 717-273-0420 Web site: www.aboutfamiliespa.com

To reach the editor andto send a calendar event item:

EditorMari Conners

[email protected]

To find a copy of our magazineor to arrange home subscription:

Publication CoordinatorJudy Fetterolf

[email protected]

Advertising Sales:James Snyder

[email protected]

Marketing Consultants:Berks EditionLinda Earnshaw

[email protected]

Lebanon EditionSusan Zeller

[email protected]

About Families is published twelvetimes a year by Kapp Advertising Service,Inc. All rights are reserved. Reproduction inwhole or part without written permission isprohibited. We welcome correspondenceand editorial submissions but are notresponsible for the return of any unsolicitedmaterials.

About Families does not necessarilyendorse the products, services or view-points offered. All material in this publica-tion is provided for information only andmay not be construed as medical advice orinstruction.

We reserve the right to reject anyadvertisement.


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Fun for all ages!

Monday thru Friday 9am – 5pm

JUNE 8 TOJUNE 12

THANK GOODNESS IT’S SUMMERTrade your backpack for a pool bag.

Let’s get this summer started!JUNE 15 TOJUNE 19

GAMES GALOREBall games to board games.

We will play them all!JUNE 22 TOJUNE 26

ANIMAL FUNEverything to do with animals.

We will explore barn life to wild life.JUNE 29 TOJULY 3

ART ATTACKUncover the hidden Picasso inside of you

through the “art” of having fun.JULY 6 TOJULY 10

CELEBRATE SUMMERA week full of fun and goofy times tocelebrate what summer is all about.

JULY 13 TOJULY 17

GREEN WEEKLearn to care for our Earth. Naturalcrafts, games and nature activities.

JULY 20 TOJULY 24

ALL AMERICANCelebrate America with some good

old fashioned summer fun.JULY 27 TOJULY 31

CRAZY CAMPWhat is it? It’s just crazy fun!

AUGUST 3 TOAUGUST 7

SPORTS AND MOREEveryone’s favorite sports and games.

Great for girls and boys.AUGUST 10 TOAUGUST 14

WET AND WILDEverything involves getting wet.

We hope it rains too!AUGUST 17 TOAUGUST 21

SUMMER WRAP UPWe’ve taken the best of the summer

and packed it into one fun week.

Ozzy’s Day Camps Feature:* 22 great years of camp * 10 acresof outdoor recreation area * 60,000

sq. ft. indoor air conditioned facility ** indoor sports field * rock wall *

* ropes course * 3 story play unit ** mini golf * roller skating *

* bumper boats * field trips ** laser tag * swimming *

MORE THAN ANY OTHER CAMP!

FIELD TRIPSEach week (usually Thursday) we willload the campers on the Ozzy’s busand we will be off on a full day of

fun, adventure and learning.Campers must pack a lunch andwear their free camp T-shirt.

Every Tuesday and Friday we will takethe campers for an afternoon of

swimming (weather permitting) at theShoemakersville pool.

Cost of field trip and swimmingincluded in camp fee.

Summer Day Camps 2009Summer Day Camps 2009(Ages 5 – 12)

Lunch is available for an extra fee or you can bring your own.

SUMMER CAMP OPEN HOUSESaturday, March 28 &

Saturday, April 11Noon to 5 PM

Register at an Open House and save $5 on each week of

camp booked!

Registration Forms available at www.playozzys.com.For more information call Laura at 610-916-4113.

Early drop off (7:30am) & late pick up (6:00pm)available for an additional $15 per week.

A $35.00non-refundable/non-transferabledeposit is required

to reserve your child’sspot in each week of

camp. All camp balancesare due in full theMonday of eachcamp session.

! We Do All the Work,! You Have All the Fun

Saturday, April 11Noon to 5 PM

Register at Open Houseand save $5 on

each week ofcamp booked!

Camp is the best demonstration ofmoral and spiritual order — democracyis the core purpose. Children learn lifeskills and behaviors that become habitsof the heart. While many then move onto overnight camp, others will be con-tent to continue the day camp experi-ence: after all, there is a camp for every-one — and that might well be daycamp!

To learn more about camp and childdevelopment, please visit the AmericanCamp Association’s family-dedicatedWeb site www.CampParents.org, or callthe toll-free number 1-800-428-2267.

Marla Coleman is the parent liaison atCamp Echo in Burlingham, New York. Theimmediate past president of the AmericanCamp Association, she is a co-owner ofColeman Family Camps, which includesCamp Echo and Coleman Country DayCamp.

Originally printed in CAMP Magazine,reprinted by permission of the American CampAssociation © 2005 American CampingAssociation, Inc.

CChildren learn life skills thatbecome habits of the heart.One mother wrote that when

the family was on a ski trip, her son gotto the top of a steep hill and started to

panic. The mom said, “What would youdo if you were at camp?” and he pro-ceeded to engage himself in positiveself-talk that was part of the camp cul-ture: “It may take time, it may be hard;but stick with it, and you’ll be fine!” Heskied down with a huge sense of accom-plishment and perseverance.

It’s tough to be a kid these days. It’stough to be a parent. In a society wherethe nature of the family, the work place,and the community have changed dra-matically, we can no longer assume thatthe natural process of growing up willprovide children with the experiencesand the resources they need to becomesuccessful, contributing adults. In sharpcontrast to the traditions of growing up

in the 50s and 60s, today we live in thefirst moment when humans receivemore of their information second-handthan first! We are in a climate where it isharder to know what we need to sur-

vive, so drawing on experiences thatgive children healthy alternatives andopportunities to instill capabilities – thehallmarks of thriving – is the greatestgift you can give a young child.! Does it really matter if my child does-

n’t go to day camp, especially sinceshe will go to overnight camp in a fewyears? She is only four years old —why does she need day camp?Camp provides one of the very few

links with a world larger than the con-sumer culture we inhabit — and daycamp is one important choice in aquiver of options. The camp experiencehelps children and youth develop anappreciation of their place and theirresponsibility in a much larger universe.

A preschooler — or even an olderchild who might be reluctant to go toovernight camp — can join a commu-nity that is created especially for herto practice growing up. Why waituntil age ten when the benefitsof feeling connected andbeing able to contribute andnavigate at an earlier agecan be reaped? Under thesupervision of inspiringguides and passionatecoaches, children can feelsuccessful and make newfriends while having thetime of their lives; theycan experience belong-ing and contribution;they can have asense of con-sistencya n dp r e -

dictability in times of turbulence andchange.

Day camp can begin as early as agethree, and is geared to children who getto experience camp and still returnhome each evening! They have the bestof both worlds — the camp communitywhich is built exclusively for kids andtheir own home which provides thesecurity they need at a tender age.

One day camp parent said, “Whilemy children and I are constantly bom-barded by the news which is focused onwhat is wrong with the world, camp is aliving example of what is right.”

Day camp is a terrific first experi-ence. Reminiscent of less complicateddays, when people connected withnature, thrived on inter-generationalrelationships, and made new discover-ies, everything is designed and scaled toensure that children feel included, caredabout, and capable. Beginning camp atan early age provides important advan-tages.

by Marla Coleman

Day camp is a terrific first experience. Reminiscent of lesscomplicated days, when people connected with nature…


Why Day Camp?


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! Junior Golf Camps & ClinicsApril through August!Our Sticks Fore Kids Camps/Clinics had over 100 golfers swinging last summer,ages 4-15. No sticks needed, we supply the clubs through a unique partnershipwith Spring Township. Here is what they had to say:

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! Family Golf ClinicsLearn to play together!

! Family Foursome 9-N-Dineis a great way to get your family on the links! This is our thirdyear of this extremely popular program on Sat. and Sun after4 pm. For $8.50 each, you get 9 holes, cart, hotdog andsmall drink. (Adults must be accompanied by youth).Please call to make a tee time, 610-678-9597. G O L F • C L U B

to read than others. There is no particularage when formal reading instruction shouldbegin. In fact, some children teach them-selves to read before they are four whileothers are not ready until they are six oreven older. You must limit what you try toteach your daughter about reading to thatwhich interests her. You don’t want to turnher away from books and reading. Afterall, she will be taught to read in kinder-garten and first grade.

"""Question: My 12-year-old daughter is

very gifted. She could actually enroll in col-lege now, but we are totally against this.Last year, she attended a summer programfor the gifted and was absolutely delightedby the challenge. She has found the giftedprogram at school quite boring this year.The local community college has a giftedprogram; however, she is too young for it.What type of program should we be look-ing for to give her the challenge that sheneeds next year? - Want Ideas

Answer: We like the idea of supplement-ing what she is doing in the gifted programat middle school with one or more onlineclasses designed especially for gifted chil-dren by universities. In fact, she could evenearn college credits. There now are manyprograms that would allow her to do this.Some are quite expensive, but they mayoffer scholarships. The gifted coordinatorat your daughter’s school is likely to know

Question: My daughter just turned four,and I was wondering if this is the right ageto start teaching her to read? – Book Lover

Answer: You began preparing yourdaughter to learn to read the fist time youread a story to her. Continuing to prepareher to read is probably the single mostimportant thing that you can do for yourchild at this age.

Before beginning any type of formalreading instruction, you must make surethat your child is very familiar with nurseryrhymes and can recite them and also thatthe child knows how to recognize rhymingwords. Part of your preparation should alsoinclude calling your daughter’s attention tothe printed word in such things as stopsigns and grocery items so she gets the ideathat print carries a message.

Predictable pattern books should be thenext step. Children love hearing the repeat-ed words and phrases in books, such asBrown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do YouSee? and The Gingerbread Boy. She canrepeat with you lines from these books.

You can also start to teach your daughterto recognize the letters of the alphabet andsome of their sounds. There are definitely alot of books, alphabet blocks, and musicalvideos that will make this more enjoyable.Remember that most children will notknow all of the letters of the alphabet northeir sounds when they enter kindergarten.

Some children are more eager to learn

the names of several of these programs. You could also use a search engine or

contact a parent organization for those whohave gifted children to find a school. Onegreat advantage of working with a parentgroup is that you talk to others who are fac-ing and solving problems like the one youhave. In addition, more and more schooldistricts now offer advanced classes for gift-ed children online. These classes are typi-cally for high school students, but yourdaughter might be allowed to take one.

Too often, parents of gifted childrenconcentrate solely on academics. There is abig world out there filled with other thingsthat could fascinate your child. Would shelike to play chess or bridge? What aboutdoing something in the arts if she has a tal-ent, skill, or interest in this area? Is theresome area such as computers that she coulddelve into and become an expert? Do try tohelp your daughter expand her horizons.

"""Question: My children are always com-

plaining that they never can say what theymean in their writing. Is there any way thatthey can learn to do this? – Searching for anAnswer

Answer: Fortunately, there is somethingsimple that may help your children expresstheir thoughts better when they write.What they need to do is to really hear whatthey have written. For some, it works toread their writing out loud to themselves,

paying attention towhether words orideas are missing,thoughts are ex-pressed in the rightorder, and they have said what they want tosay. This doesn’t work for all children asthey may not hear any flaws when theyread their own work. However, they cer-tainly will if someone else reads their writ-ing to them.

If your children are young, they shouldtry to perfect their message to the reader byreworking one paragraph or even a sen-tence at a time. Often, just a few sentencesin a paragraph need to be rearranged,another sentence added, or more descrip-tion to make a paragraph meaningful. Thisis far easier to do if children can use a com-puter. They should always reread thechanged copy out loud to make sure theylike their revisions.

Parents should send questions to DearTeacher, About Families, PO Box 395, Carmel, IN46082-0395 or [email protected].

©2008 Compass Syndicate CorporationDistributed by King Features Syndicate

Preparing Early for Reading; Programs for theGifted; Helping Children to Say What They Mean in Writing

Dear Teacher

Dear Teachers columnistsPeggy Gisler & Marge Eberts

____ 6 about families April 2009www.albright.edu/centerforthearts/VictorianFashionBall/index.htmlBecoming a Big Brother/Big Sister – 610-988-4357, The Reading Hospital Conference Center,5th Avenue Lobby entrance, 10-11:30 am.Egg & Art Show 2009 - 610-777-4552, La SalleAcademy, 440 Holland St., Shillington, 11 am-6pm. Also on 4/5, 11 am-4 pm.

5Easter Musical “Thank You For The Cross” -717-866-5704, New Beginnings Grace BrethrenChurch, Rt. 422, Myerstown (east of Rts. 422 &501 intersection), 6 pm.Egg & Art Show 2009 - 610-777-4552, La SalleAcademy, 440 Holland St., Shillington, 11 am-4pm.

6Foster Care Meeting – Concern ProfessionalServices, Greater Berks Office, 1 West Main St.,Fleetwood, 6-8 pm.

7Exeter Community Library – 610-406-9431,4569 Prestwick Dr., Reading. Family Night Eventon 4/7 at 6:30 pm. Storytime, chance to take apicture with a penguin character, hands-on activ-ities, crafts for kids and parents, door prizes andmore. Every child that attends will also receive afree paper back copy of the book, If You Were aPenguin, to take home. Free, registration requiredas space is limited!!!!Breastfeeding Education – 610-988-HELP,Health Education Center, Reading Hospital, 6:30pm-8:30 pm, also on 4/19.Infertility Support Group – 610-988-HELP,Women’s Clinic, Ltd., The Reading Hospital andMedical Center Doctors Office Building, Suite245, 7 pm.

9Postpartum Depression Support Group – 610-988-4357, Reading Hospital, Doctors OfficeBuilding, Suite 125, 7 pm-8 pm.

10Train Ride with Easter Bunny – 410-752-2490,Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, 902 WestPratt St., Baltimore, MD, 11 am, 1 pm & 3 pm,also 4/11.Easter Bunny Train - 717-687-7522, StrasburgRailroad, Rt. 741 East, Strasburg, Lancaster Co.Also on 4/11 & 4/`12.

11Train Ride with Easter Bunny – 410-752-2490,Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, 902 WestPratt St., Baltimore, MD, 11 am, 1 pm & 3 pm.Identifying Plants of Nolde Forest - 610-796-3699 (email [email protected]), NoldeForest Environmental Education Center,McConnell Hall (adjacent to Park Office Rd. park-ing lot), 2910 New Holland Rd., Reading, 9-11. Grands Are Grand! - 717-291-3941, NorthMuseum of Natural History & Science, 400College Ave., Lancaster (www.northmuseum.org)10:30 am. Program for grandparents and theirpre-school aged grandchildren. Bring yourfavorite bear and touch real pelts, skulls claws!Using the book, Blueberries for Sal, we’ll learnabout big, big bears. Easter Bunny Train - 717-687-7522, StrasburgRailroad, Rt. 741 East, Strasburg, Lancaster Co.Also on 4/`12.

12Easter Bunny Train - 717-687-7522, StrasburgRailroad, Rt. 741 East, Strasburg, Lancaster Co..

14Adoption Meeting – Concern ProfessionalServices, Wyomissing Office, 1120-B HobartAve., Wyomissing, 6-7 pm.Journey Through Pregnancy - The First SevenMonths– 610-988-HELP, Health EducationCenter, Reading Hospital, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm.

16OV PTO Preschool Story Hour – 610-987-4100,Oley Valley Elementary School lobby, 10 am, sto-ries, games, rhymes, crafts and snack.

17A Visit With Henry David Thoreau - 717-692-3699, Gamut Classic Theatre, 3rd Floor,Strawberry Square, Harrisburg. Also 4/18 & 4/19.

18Springtime Scavenger Hunt – 717-865-5523,Matthews Library, 1 pm. Register ahead of time ineither 3-7 age group or the 8-13 age group. Kidswill be challenged to find all kinds of pictures,illustrations, and much, much more, all related tobooks and reading. We’ll end it all with prizes andrefreshments.A Visit With Henry David Thoreau - 717-692-3699, Gamut Classic Theatre, 3rd Floor,Strawberry Square, Harrisburg. Also 4/19. Nolde Volunteer Workdays - 610-796-3699(email [email protected])., Nolde ForestEnvironmental Education Center, 2910 NewHolland Rd., Reading. Option of working 9 am-noon, 1 pm-3 pm, or all day. Dress for the weath-er and wear suitable footgear, no sandals oropen-toed shoes. Also May 16.Pancake Breakfast – 717-866-4939, GraceUCC Church, 22 Church St., Richland, to benefitthe Richland Library, 6 am-11 am.

19Earth Day Celebration – 610-916-2928 ([email protected]), Riverfront Park,Riverfront Dr., Reading, noon-5 pm. Outdoor,family-oriented event features educational, busi-ness exhibits, music, food and children’s activi-ties.A Visit With Henry David Thoreau - 717-692-3699, Gamut Classic Theatre, 3rd Floor,Strawberry Square, Harrisburg. Girls with Gears: A Women’s Cycling Event -www.carolforheart.org, Limerick CommunityPark, registration opens at 7 am. This event offerssomething for everyone and is open to everyone.Food, fun, door prizes and raffle to give away 3Trek Bikes!Breastfeeding Education – 610-988-HELP,Health Education Center, Reading Hospital, 6:30pm-8:30 pm.

20Foster Care Meeting – Concern ProfessionalServices, Wyomissing Office, 1120-B HobartAve., Wyomissing, 6-7 pm.

21Two-Part Seminar for Women - 717-866-5704,New Beginnings Grace Brethren Church, Rt. 422,Myerstown (east of Rts. 422 & 501 intersection),7 pm-9 pm, part 2 on 4/23.Journey Through Pregnancy: Preparing forDelivery and Baby – 610-988-HELP, HealthEducation Center, Reading Hospital, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm.

22Journey Through Pregnancy - Cesarean BirthNight– 610-988-4357, Thunn/JanssenAuditorium, Reading Hospital, 7 pm-8:30 pm.

23Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work®

Day - www.daughtersandsonstowork.org.

Two-Part Seminar for Women - 717-866-5704,New Beginnings Grace Brethren Church, Rt. 422,Myerstown (east of Rts. 422 & 501 intersection),7 pm-9 pm, part 1 on 4/21.

24Schuylkill Valley Middle School Musical - 114Ontelaunee Dr., new theatre space/LGI in theMiddle School, Leesport, 7 pm. Also on 4/25.

252nd Annual Scrapbooking Spectacular - 610-944-1225, Berks County Mothers of Boysfundraiser to raise money for the Autism Societyof America. For more information, call.Schuylkill Valley Middle School Musical - 114Ontelaunee Dr., new theatre space/LGI in theMiddle School, Leesport, 7 pm. Clothing Consignment Sale - [email protected], St. Gabriel’sEpiscopal Church, 422 E. Douglassville.Proceeds benefit the church.

28Journey Into Parenting - Your Newborn Baby– 610-988-HELP, The Reading HospitalConference Center, 5th Ave., Lobby entrance,6:30 pm-8 pm, free.

may 1May Day Fairie Festival - Spoutwood Farm,

ongoingReading Royals Ice Hockey – 610-898-7825(www.royalshockey.com), Sovereign Center, 7th& Penn Sts., Reading. 4/3 vs. Trenton Devils; 4/4vs. Dayton Bombers @ 7:05 pm.Hershey Bears Ice Hockey – 717-534-3380,Giant Center, 550 West Hersheypark Dr.,Hershey, 3/11 vs. Phila. Phantoms @ 7 pm; 4/12vs. Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins @ 6 pm.MOMS Club of Sinking Spring – 610-927-9491(Kate, membership VP). Monthly meetings andweekly playgroups for local at-home parents andtheir young children. Call for more info.Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant DeathSupport Group – 610-401-5773, ImmanuelChurch of Christ (UCC), Shillington, first Mondayof every month, 6-7 pm.Parents Without Partners – 610-373-2215,Met-Ed on Rt. 61, first Wednesday of everymonth, 7 pm.Annville Moms and Tots – 469-0975 (Tina),Annville Church of the Brethren, East Maple &Zeigler Sts., Annville, Wednesdays 9:15-10:45am. A place for moms and their children tosocialize and make new friends.Parents Time Out Parenting Support &Information Group – 610-683-7790 voice mail#3, meets first Thursday of every month.Sponsor: Friend Inc. Community Services.MOMS Club of Southern Berks County – 484-955-9671 (Mary) or [email protected] for location, 10 am, second Tuesdayof each month. All moms welcome!Foster Parent Orientation – 717-560-1775,Northlink Family Services, 24A East RosevilleRd., Lancaster, third Thursday of every month,5:30-6:30 pm.Allentown Art Museum – 610-432-4333, PayneHurd Gallery, 31 North Fifth St., Allentown,www.allentownartmuseum.org. “Slow Clay: TheCeramic Art of Willi Singleton through 4/12.“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Exhibition” –www.fi.edu/Narnia or 215-448-1254, TheFranklin, Philadelphia, through 4/19/09. Offersthe perfect mix of education and entertainment.DiscoverE – Explore, Experience, Enjoy – Hide& Seekers – 610-796-3699, Nolde ForestEnvironmental Education Center, 2910 NewHolland Rd., Reading, 10-11 am. For childrenages 4-5, must be accompanied by adult. FirstWed. & Thurs. of each month through May.Birth Circle Lancaster County - James StreetMennonite Church, Lancaster. For women toshare thoughts, feelings, wisdom, fears, joys, etc.the second Tuesday of every month, 7-9 pm.Cherry Blossom Festival - 610-375-4085, 800-443-6610, or 610-373-4131, Take a ride on theSchuylkill - celebrate spring! Two weeks ofevents for the entire family in Reading and WestReading. Call for details.

april_______________________________________2The Power of Parenting Talk -www.wilsonctc.org, John Rosemond speaker,Wilson High School Auditorium, 2601 GrandviewBlvd., West Lawn at 7 pm (doors open at6:15).Log on for registration information

3Smucker’s Stats on Ice “On the Edge” – 201-760-0200 ext. 104, The Giant Center in Hershey,7:30 pm.

4Hot Buffet Meal, Square Dance & CountryMusic – 610-378-1327, Hamburg Field House,Hamburg (Exit #30 off I-78), dinner buffet: 7-8pm; Square Dance and music by “TheMajestics:” 8-11 pm.Identifying Plants of Nolde Forest - 610-796-3699 (email [email protected]), NoldeForest Environmental Education Center,McConnell Hall (adjacent to Park Office Rd. park-ing lot), 2910 New Holland Rd., Reading, 9-11. Victorian Fashion Ball - 610-921-7715, AlbrightCollege, Scholl LifeSport Center, 13th & BernSts., Reading. The evening of living historythrough fashion, dance and social graces willbegin at 6 pm. Guests may come dressed in peri-od attire or black tie/formal wear. Log on at continued on page 7

TT o help make your child’sbirthday party a specialevent to be remembered,

check out this directory of party busi-nesses that cater to children! Keepthis list handy and call upon theseadvertisers when you begin toplan your child’s party.

* Party Facilities *Party Entertainment/Entertainers *

Food, Products/Treats

Berks Lanes/Hiester Lanes 610-678-8044(Colonial Sports) 610-929-3673

(See ad on page 16)HappilyEver After 610-779-4258

(See ad on page 17)JumpFactory, The 610-621-1222

(See ad on page 16)Ozzy’s Family Fun Center 610-916-4116

(See ad on page 3)Paisley & CompanyBath Boutique 484-646-9515

(See ad on page 17)Reading Planetarium 610-898-1565

(See ad on page 16)Spring ValleyAthletic Club 610-678-0484

(See ad on page 9)

Gougler’s Ice CreamTruck 610-334-2892

(See ad on page 17)

Noah’s Ark 610-507-9818

(See ad on page 17)

Appalachian Pet Farm 610-554-8678

(See ad on page 17)ArtBus, The 610-913-0862

(See ad on page 9)Big BrightBounces 717-664-5055

(See ad on page 16)Eddy RayMagician & Illusionist 610-775-2493

(See ad on page 17)K&B Stables 610-488-0710

(See ad on page 17)KatsCharacter Express 484-664-9515

(See ad on page 16)Max’sMoonwalk 484-332-3671

(See ad on page 16)PartyDrums 610-698-1709

(See ad on page 17)

Glen Rock, noon-7 pm. Also 5/2 & 5/3 10 am-6pm. Festivities include Maypole dancing, music,parades, Artisan marketplace, hands-on-crafts,tours, storytelling and much more. Summer in the City Art Stroll: It’s Not EasyBeing Green - 610-562-3106, DowntownHamburg, 6-8:30 pm. Local artists display theirwork along the streets, local businesses leavetheir doors open to strollers, and performers andmusicians enhance the atmosphere of theevening. Free admission.

2Identifying Plants of Nolde Forest - 610-796-3699 (email [email protected]), NoldeForest Environmental Education Center,McConnell Hall (adjacent to Park Office Rd. park-ing lot), 2910 New Holland Rd., Reading, 9-11.May Day Fairie Festival - Spoutwood Farm,Glen Rock, noon-7 pm. Also 5/3 10 am-6 pmDetails 5/1. Sesame Place Opens – 215-752-7070, 100Sesame Road, Langhorne.

Library ActivitiesBerks County

Boone Area Library – 610-582-5666, 129 N. MillSt., Birdsboro. Preschool story time for ages 3-6years old held on Mondays, 3/30, 4/6, 4/13, 4/20& 4/27 at 10:30 am, 1:30 & 6:30 pm. Basic com-puter class held on Wednesdays, 4/1, 4/8, 4/15,4/22, 4/29 at 1:30-2:30 pm and on Thursdays,4/2, 4/9, 4/16, 4/23 & 4/30 at 6:30-7:30 pm. Note:There will be a special book sale/plant & puzzleswap on 4/11, 10 am-2 pm.Exeter Community Library – 610-406-9431,4569 Prestwick Dr., Reading. Family Night Event.Details under 4/7. Also, 4/29 J. Patrick Lewis,

author of many popular books for young readers,will be sharing his poetry with adults & schoolage children. His books include “Please Buy Meinthe Library,” “The Bookworm’s Feast A Potluckof Poems,” “ArithmeTickle,” and more, 6-8.Muhlenberg Community Library – 610-929-0589, 3612 Kutztown Rd., Laureldale. Used booksale on Saturday, 3/28, 9 am-4 pm; on 3/30 &3/31, 10 am-8 pm. Preschool Story-times forchildren 3-6 years old every Thursday, 4/2, 4/9,4/16, 4/30, 10:30 am & 1:30 pm. Toddler Story-times for children 6-36 mos. old and their adultcaregiver on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 4/7, 4/8,4/14, 4/15, 4/21, 4/22, 4/28 & 4/29, 10:30 am. Reading Public Library – 610-655-6355, 100 S.5th St., Reading. Children’s Programs: ChessClub, Mondays at 4:15 pm; Family NightStorytime, Mondays at 7 pm; Movie night,Tuesdays at 6 pm; Crafty Corner, Thursdays at 4pm; Storytime, Saturdays at 2 pm. Log on atwww.reading.lib.pa.us/upcomingevents.asp.Village Library of Morgantown – Walnut Street,Morgantown. Toddler story time for ages 18 mos.to 21/2 yrs. on Mondays, 3/30, 4/6, 4/13, 4/20,4/27 at 11 am-noon; Toddler story time for agesone to 21/2 yrs. held on Tuesdays 3/31, 4/7, 4/14,4/21 at 10-11 am; Preschool story time for ages3-4 yrs. held Wednesdays 4/1, 4/8, 4/15, 4/22,4/29 at 10-11 am; Author story time for ages 3-4yrs. held on Thursdays 4/2, 4/9, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30at 4-5 pm.Wernersville Public Library - 610-678-8771,100 N. Reber St., Wernersville: Preschool storyhour on Wednesdays.West Lawn/Wyomissing Hills Library – 610-678-4888, West Lawn.Womelsdorf Community Library – 610-589-1424, 203 W. High St., Womelsdorf. StoryriderJoy for preschool on 3/31, 4/7, 4/14, 4/21, 4/28 @11:15 am-12:15 pm. Evening story time on 4/14@ 6:30-7:30 pm; Story time on 4/1, 4,8, 4/15,

4/22 & 4/29 @ 10:30-11:15; Family movie nighton 4/15 @ 6-8 pm; Classic Movie Afternoon on4/9 @ 2:30-4:30 pm. Meet the Easter Bunny &Craft Night 4/7 @ 6:30-7:30 pm.Wyomissing Public Library – 610-374-2385, 9Reading Blvd., Wyomissing. Preschool/Elementary Story time 4/7, 4/14, 4/21 @ 4 pm forages 3-11 yrs; Special Storytime “Yoga Pretzelsfor Kids” @ 4 pm; Preschool Story time 4/1, 4/8,4/15, 4/22 & 4/29 @ 10 am for ages 3-5 yrs.;Toddler Story time 4/2, 4/9, 4/16, 4/23 & 4/30 @10 am for ages 18 mos. to 3 yrs. Earth DayCelebration at Happy Hollow Park on 4/25 @ 10am-1 pm.

Lebanon CountyOne Book Every Young Child Program2009 - The Lebanon County Libraries will hostauthor visits and hold penguin-themed activitiesand events throughout April for children and theirparents. See individual libraries for more info.Mark your calendar for 4/4 Lebanon CountyLibrary System: penguin stories, crafts & bookgive-away at the Children’s Festival, LebanonValley Mall, 10 am-2 pm10th Annual Poetry Contest for children up to 8thgrade and children up to 9th grade level.Contestants must live in Lebanon County and bemember of the Lebanon County Library System.Deadline for entry is 4/17/09.The Lebanon Community Library now open64 hours a week. The new library hours areMonday through Wednesday, 8 am-8 pm; Thurs.8 am-6 pm; Friday and Saturday 8 am-5 pm.Family Story Time with Penguin activities on 4/22@ 6:30 pm.Annville Free Library – 717-867-5754, 216 E.Main St., Annville. Hrs.: M-Th 10-8; Fri. & Sat. 10-5. Author Florence Minor and illustrator WendellMinor, If You Were A Penguin, will visit on 4/3 at10:30 am. • Spring 2009 story times: Preschool,15 week program on Tues. or Thurs. at 10:15 pro-

gram ends April 30 (no story times on 4/7 & 4/9).Baby storytimes 4/14, 4/21 & 4/28 for pre-walk-ers (0-12 mos.) @ 10:15 am; for walkers (12-24mos.) @ 11:15 am. Lebanon Community Library – 717-273-7624,125 N. 7th St., Lebanon. 4/22 Family story timewith Penguin activities, 6:30 pm. Story time heldeach Tues. at 11 am and each Thurs. at 9 am.Geared for children 3-5. Due to limited space,parents are asked not to attend the story timeswith their child. Matthews Public Library – 717-865-7492(Cindy), 102 W. Main St., Fredericksburg. Hours:Mon-Thurs. 9-8; Fri. 9-5; Sat. 9-4. Story time fortoddlers and preschoolers–includes story andcraft–every Wednesday at 10 am. SpringtimeScavenger Hunt, 1 pm. Details under 4/18. Myerstown Community Library – 717-866-2800, 199 N. College St., Myerstown. PenguinPlay 4/24 @ 10 am and 1 pm. Spring Magic SilentAuction on 4/4 @ 6 pm-9 pm. Meet Mr. Lincoln on4/14 @ 6 pm-8 pm.Palmyra Public Library – 717-838-1347, 325 S.Railroad St., Palmyra. Author Florence Minor andillustrator Wendell Minor, If You Were A Penguin,will visit on 4/3 at 1:30 pm. Penguin party, 4/14.Games, crafts and food. Registration required;attendance limited to 50 children. Storytime for3-Year old: 4/1@ 10;30-11 am, also 11:30 am-noon. Storytime for 3-Years old thru kindergarten6:30 pm-7 pm. Storytime for 4-Years old: 4/3 @10:30-11 am and 1:30-2 pm. Meet the AuthorsEvent geared for children ages 3-6 4/3 @ 1:30-2:15 pm. Storytime for 4-Years old thru kinder-garten, 4/3 @ 1:30-2 pm.Richland Community Library – 717-866-4939,111 E. Main St., Richland. Penguin Pajama Partyon 4/14 @ 6:30 pm. Participants are encouragedto come in their pjs and bring their favorite stuffedanimal.

Calendar of Events…continued from page 6


comics,” Mausser continues, “ but wecan come up with a curriculum or a cus-tom comic on anything. Some regular(non-custom) books were: The Archiesgo to the Los Angeles Public Library;Archie Visits The World Famous SaltLake City Library. Archie’s a rolemodel. Everything’s always on the upand up, there’s never any violence.Archie respects the law, his teachers,his elders, his parents. There are littlepranks, but they never get beyond that.He’s kept up with the times in terms ofclothing, cell phones, and iPods. Heuses everything that’s current; he’salways contemporary.”

The girls are fashion-obsessed (I toldyou it was not a magical world) butthey care about getting good grades;and they have no eating disorders.They like to eat and are drawn to look120 pounds.

Archie Comics have partnered withhigh schools and colleges for art intern-ships. Stephen Oswald, Associate ArtEditor says the interns do “copying, alot of the art work, helping out the pro-duction artists, scanning, photocopying,some of the hand coloring.”

In 1995 the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService brought four grizzly bears fromthe wild to the Bronx Zoo and theywere named Jughead, Archie, Betty,and Veronica. In 2004 Archie ComicsPublications sponsored ExtremeSurvivors Weekend at the Zoo, givingcartooning lessons and creating a spe-cial comic. Jughead, Archie, Betty, andVeronica are on the cover at theireponymous bears’ exhibit and Jugheadsays, “There’s something familiar aboutthose bears.”

There’s something familiar and reas-suring about Archie.

Lauren Shapiro is a dance accompanistat Dance Theatre of Harlem and atColumbia University. She has a B.A. fromQueens College, and a B.Mus. fromManhattan School of Music. Previous no-table publications include "Tempo Primo"in "I Thought My Father Was God – NPR’sNational Story Project" 2001 and numer-ous articles on dance music. She may bereached at [email protected]

TT hey’ve been in Riverdale HighSchool for 67 years, and there’sstill no graduation or retire-

ment date in sight. I’m speaking, ofcourse, of Archie, Jughead, Betty andVeronica.

Interested in getting kids to read forpleasure? Archie comics range from 32-page magazines, to 176-page “double-digests” – in other words, books.Although Archie is an average student,in a suburban, non-magical world, hisreadership numbers rival those ofHarry Potter. While they are very dis-similar – one is epic literature, one is acomic book – both have the magicalpull of the series; and both draw read-ers with recognizable school-life char-acters. Archie’s world is populated byPrincipal Mr. Weatherbee, Miss

Grundy (English), ProfessorFlutesnoot, Coach Cleat, Ms. Beazley(cafeteria), and Pop Tate who runs theChocklit Shoppe, “the perfect place forquality time wasting;” students Dilton(brainy), Reggie (wise-guy), Moose(dyslexic), Ethel (boy crazy), and

Church (cartoonist).Fred Mausser, Co-President/Director

of Circulation at Archie ComicsPublications, says about 515,000 mostly7-14 year olds, buy an Archie comic permonth; and there is a significant pass-along readership. Archie ComicsPublications receives “thousands of let-ters a month, running the gamut fromcomments, criticisms, and suggestionsregarding the characters and storyline,comparisons to things in the life of thereader, questions on the history of theArchie characters and requests for

additional charac-ters. These are inaddition to the“Dear Betty” fash-ion questions.Readers even sendtheir pictures. Thewebsite, archiecomics.com, publishesselected letters and “fan art.” Some isquite impressive; all of it shows volun-tary effort.

With or without the optional mail-for-me!-thrill of a subscription, Archie’snoteworthy education tool. Mr.Mausser says, “Archie’s been used incurriculums. We’ve done customcomics: Archie & His Friends Help RaiseLiteracy Awareness in Mississippi;Archie & Friends vs. Toxic Waste – forSan Diego city and county of; Archie &His Pals In The Peer Helping Program,for the FBI and the ELKS; Archie andHis Friends in Westchester - on drinkingfor Westchester County; Energy &Safety Adventures - join project withDC Comics for Con Edison.

“We don’t get preachy in the

by Lauren Shapiro

Archie Comics have partnered with high schoolsand colleges for art internships.

Archie ComicsWhat A Half-Million Teens Read Each Month

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WWhat do you think of when you hearthese words: presents, cake, andballoons? Those things go with

birthday celebrations! We’re getting readyfor Helen’s fourth birthday and we do notwant anyone to bring presents for her! Thatmight sound a little bit funny, and maybe alittle bit mean, but we have done somethingspecial to celebrate Helen’s birthday at allher parties. Helen’s party invitation alwayssays something like this:

“Instead of bringing a gift for Helen, pleasebring a new book to give to a baby in the hos-pital where Helen was born. Helen and herfamily will deliver the books to the NICU sothat mommies and daddies can read to theirsick children.”

Let me explain why this is important to us.Helen was born earlier than we expected.Most babies should grow inside their mom-mies until about 40 weeks but Helen wasborn early at only 28 weeks. At first, she wastiny and very sick. She stayed in a part of thehospital called the Neonatal Intensive CareUnit for over two months. She had lots ofdoctors and nurses taking care of her andneeded special beds to help her with breath-ing and keeping warm. Even though I washer big brother I wasn’t allowed to visit herthere. I cried about that because I wanted mylittle sister to come home so I could love her!

I made pictures to decorate her bed. Momand Dad spent lots of time with Helen. Formany days they were not allowed to hold heruntil she got stronger. There were only a fewthings they could do during that time – read-ing to her, singing to her and praying for her.They even took in a recording of me readingthe book “Goodnight Moon” and singing alullaby so Helen could hear my voice!

When Helen finally came home we stillhad to be careful about keeping germs awayfrom her fragile, tiny body. I changed myclothing and scrubbed up my handswhen I got home from school. Wedidn’t take Helen anywhere.Visiting nurses came to our house tocheck her weight and talk to Mom.

Now you know more aboutHelen’s birthday story. Four ofHelen’s preschool friends and threeneighborhood children are comingto the party. Our grandparents andaunts and uncles are coming, too.Helen is excited about the book col-lection for the babies. She decorat-ed a box labeled “Books forBabies” using her paint set andstickers. She understands that herbirthday party presents will be giftsfor children that need to hear thevoices of their mommies and dad-

dies. I’m really proud of Helen because Iheard her tell Mommy that she wants toempty her piggy bank to use that moneyto buy more books. If Helen is onlyfour years old and can do that, I thinkI should see what money I have in mybank to add more books to her box!

Wesley J. King

Wesley’s Note: This story is basedon a yearly event that happens for apremature boy born into our family,

by Wesley J. King

Wesley Wonders Books for Babies!____ 9 about families April 2009

610-913-0862Website: www.TheArtBus4Kids.com

• Birthday Parties• Special Events

• Art Classes

Email:[email protected]

Expires 4/30/09Not valid with any

other offer.

* Weekly Themes & Field Trips* Swimming Twice a Week* Experienced

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4920 Penn AvenueSinking Spring, PA 19608

(610) 678-0484Summer Camps: Combine Speed and Agility Training with

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Outdoor playground and pavilion.Themed activities each week. See ad onpage 30.Summer Day Camp at CreativeBeginnings - 610-375-9080, 2390Bernville Road, Reading. For ages 6-12years. Activities include arts & crafts, sci-ence, & nature, special visitors, waterday, cooking, and much more! For enroll-ment information call. See ad on page28.Heron Mead Farm Summer HorseCamps - for all levels and ages (5-18)610-488-8978 – located near Bernvilleand Blue Marsh Lake. Campers enjoylearning about the world of horses anddeveloping the lifelong skills of riding andhorsemanship. With 20+ years of experi-ence teaching horsemanship throughlesson and camp programs, our formerstudents include successful show ridersthrough national levels, professional

DAY CAMPS:Bounce U – 717-838-0848, 318 TaxiwayDr., Annville (website: www.bouncu.com).Camp gives kids a daily balance of play-time and artistic expression, the perfecttandem for any growing imagination. It’spart inspiration, part perspiration, and awhole bunch of fun. In addition to bounc-ing, laughing, and exploring their innerartists, kids will enjoy an array of gamesand activities, plus lunch and snacks.Create and Bounce is a one-of-a-kindcamp experience they’ll simply never for-get. See ad on page 16.Colonial Sports Summer Day Camp -610-777-9651, Rte. 724, Sinking Spring(website: chbsports.com (for ages 5-12years. The proper balance of exercise,learning and fun in a safe, structuredenvironment. Weekly field trips, swim-ming and park days. Large, air condi-tioned indoor sports and play area.

instructors and trainers, vet school grad-uates and many more who simply enjoyriding for pleasure. (www.heronmead-farm.com) See ad on page 20.History Day Camp at the Daniel BooneHomestead - 610-582-4900, 400 DanielBoone Rd., Birdsboro. For ages 8-11years. History Day Camp is a colonialadventure where kids will experience andlearn what Daniel Boone did while he wasgrowing up here. Each day of camp willcover a different theme of Daniel’s child-hood life–from his chores to his free time,to his time in the great outdoors–and willfeature many hands-on activities anddemonstrations. See ad on page 15.Institute of the Arts – 610-376-1576,1100 Belmont Ave., Wyomissing, log onat www.institute-of-arts.org. Music,dance, theater, visual arts, Literature forToddlers to Young Adults. Create,Explore, Grow, Learn, and Fun. Registerby 4/25 for $10 discount per camp. Seead on page 10.Irish Creek Stables - 610-926-1261 or484-955-0869, Mohrsville. Summer daycamps. Riding, crafts, and games daily.June 25-29, July 16-20, and July 30-August 3. Visit our website atwww.irishcreekstables.net See ad onpage 15.Kenbrook Bible Camp – 717-865-4547,190 Pine Meadow Road, Lebanon,www.kenbrook.org. Summer just would-n’t be the same without a great summercamp experience. Ad on page 23.Link Center, The – 610-372-7310, 201Noble St., Reading (online atlinkcenter.org). Appropriate for ages 10-17. Summer basketball clinic, ages 10-17. Teens activity week, sports. music,fun, ages 13-17. See ad on page 18.Ozzy’s Family Fun Center - 610-926-6162 (610-916-4113), 5411 PottsvillePike, Leesport, www.playozzys.com, forages 5-12 years. Ozzy’s Summer DayCamp is hailed by all its participants as“the best summer camp in the world.”Great staff, great weekly themes, swim-ming, field trips and of course a giant 10-acre property with 80,000 sq. ft. underroof for a great time, rain or shine. See adon page 3.Riverview Christian “Kids Camp” -610-921-0285, Reading. Summer “KidsCamp” 2009, for ages 5-13 years. June8-August 14, 9 am-4 pm with before andafter care available. Kindergarten - 7thgrade. Come one week or attend all 10weeks. Bible adventures, music, art,drama, nature, field trips and fun!!! Seead on page 20.Summer Day Camp Albright College -610-921-9324, 3040 Kutztown Rd.,Reading. Appropriate for ages 6-12years. Activities include cooking, waterday, special visitors, science & nature,arts & crafts and much more! For enroll-ment information call! Ad on page 28.Tutor Time - 610-320-9995, 2250Ridgewood Rd., Wyomissing, ages 5-12(www.tutortime.com). Weekly themes

and events, field trips. See ad on page33.

RESIDENTIAL, DAY,AND/OR

SPECIAL NEEDS CAMPS:Camp Manatawny – 610-689-0173, 33Camp Rd., Douglassville. Week-longprogram in a beautiful Mana-tawnyCreek setting for school age grades 1-12. We exist to provide a wholesome,enjoyable experience to help young peo-ple spiritually, mentally, physically andsocially with Jesus. (Also GeneralInterest Day Camp). See ad on page 18.DDS Summer Stars Day Camp – 717-274-3493, 1126 Walnut St., Lebanon,www.ddslebanon.org. Appropriate forages 4 and up. Developmental &Disability Services of Lebanon Valley isoffering day camps for the summer. Thisis an inclusive program to serve childrenof all abilities. Day camps will include awide range of activities & day trips.Gretna Glen Camp & Retreat Center –717-273-6525, 87 Old Mine Road,Lebanon, www.gretnaglen.org. We offerboth residential & day camps for gener-al interest, sport and art/music.Appropriate for ages 4 & up. Our missionis to share the joy of knowing and fol-lowing Jesus Christ.

SPECIALTY CAMPS:Car Race Video Game Creation – 1-888-652-4377, www.gamebuilder-camp.com, Philadelphia, SpringsideSchool: 6/29-7/2. Ad on page19.Chess Camp – 888-65-CHESS. Threelocations & dates: Wyndcroft School,Pottstown, June 15-19; SpringsideSchool, Philadelphia, June 29-July 2;Harrisburg Academy, Harrisburg, July 6-10. Chess is a great way to hone strate-gic thinking skills! Morning, afternoon &all-day sessions are available. Anyone(co-ed ages 5-16 yrs.) including begin-ners are welcome. Group & sibling dis-counts available. Register atwww.chesscamp.com. Ad on page 19.Computer Animation Story Camp – 1-888-652-4377, www.gamebuilder-camp.com. In Pottstown WyndcroftSchool: 6/15-6/19 & Philadelphia,Springside School: 6/29-7/2. See ad onpage 19.Gamebuilder Creation Camp – 888-652-4377. Wyndcroft School, Potts-town, June 15-19; Springside School,Philadelphia, June 29-July 2; HarrisburgAcademy, Harrisburg, July 6-July 10. Wecombine learning and fun and bring it toa whole new level. Your child (co-ed ages5-16 yrs.) will actually design, developand create a one-of-a-kind video game.Who thought learning could be this fun?Register at


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Summer Camps & Workshops for Teens to Toddlers! Create… Explore… Have Fun… and Learn

at the Institute of the Arts!

SAVE $10* PER CAMP! Register by April 25th

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Institute of the Arts

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Phone: 610-376-1576 www.institute-of-arts.org

Now celebrating 75 years serving our community – Institute of the Arts—Making the Arts Make a Difference

Experience excellence this summer – Register Now for one of our many Camp Programs. Classes are taught by profes-sional artists, musicians, actors, writers, dancers and directors.

No lanyards made here!Scholarships available for most programs.

on the federal, state and local levels.For more information on our organiza-tion, please visit www.timeforlyme.org.

April 18, 2009, Time for Lyme will pres-ent its bi-annual Gala event – The Dream,Creating a Lyme Free World--at the HyattRegency in Greenwich, CT. Proceedsfrom the Gala will go towards combatingthe devastating effects of Lyme and othertick borne illnesses. Call 203-969-1333 orgo to www.timeforlyme.org/dreamgala formore information and tickets.

LLyme disease is the most commonvector-borne disease in theUnited States, with more than

20,000 new cases reported every year.Lyme has been found in all 50 states,and a high percentage of its victims arechildren, says Debbie Siciliano, co-chair of Time for Lyme, Inc., a research,education and support group inGreenwich, CT.

“Children are particularly vulnerablebecause they are outside a lot, especial-ly in the early summer, when ticks aremost plentiful,” she adds. If they do getinfected, kids can experience head-aches, fatigue and flu-like symptoms,and if the disease is left untreated, canalso develop learning and behavioralproblems, depression, nerve damage,memory loss and other cognitive, psy-chiatric and neurological problems.

But many children — and their par-ents — don’t know much about Lymedisease. Following is a list of 10 thingsevery kid (and parent) should know: ! Lyme Comes From Ticks. Tech-

nically speaking, Lyme disease iscaused by bacteria called Borreliaburgdorferi, which are carried byparasitic (blood sucking) ticks calledIxodes, also known as black-leggedor deer ticks. The bacteria live insidethe tick, and can be transmittedwhen the tick attaches itself to a hostand begins to suck up blood.

! Ticks Are Everywhere. Lyme dis-ease got its name from the town ofLyme, Connecticut, where it wasfirst identified, and it’s most com-mon in the Northeast, mid-Atlanticand Great Lakes regions. But it’sbeen reported all over the UnitedStates — and in 50 countries aroundthe world.

! Ticks Are Tiny. Ixodes ticks are very,very small, especially in the first andsecond stage of its life (larval andnymphal). In fact at this stage,unless they’re already engorged (fullof blood), they’re much smaller thanthe head of a pin and nearly impos-sible to see. Ticks are especiallygood at hiding in dark places like thescalp and underarms, where you’reeven less likely to find them. Kidsneed a head-to-toe check every timethey’re out in tick territory.

! Ticks Are Animal-Lovers. Lyme-carrying ticks are typically stow-aways on deer, squirrels and miceand are most often found in areaswhere these animals are common.Ticks can also catch a ride on thefamily pet, so you should be sure tocheck the dog or cat every time he

comes in from the outside. (Don’tmistake the ticks that transmit Lymewith the common dog tick, which ismuch bigger, although dog ticks maycarry diseases).

! Ticks Dig Plants. You’ll also findplenty of ticks in wooded areas,parks and forests as well as yourown backyard and in dune grasses atthe beach. Kids should stick to thetrails and open areas and avoid wet,wooded areas, tall grass and leaf-lit-tered areas.

! Summer is Tick Time. The ticks thattransmit Lyme disease are mostactive (and plentiful) in May, Juneand July and most difficult to find asthey are typically in the nymphalstage. They are also out there whenthe ground temperature is above 35degrees F.

! DEET Works. You wouldn’t want tobathe in the stuff, but it’s the mosteffective way to repel Lyme-carryingticks. Just use it wisely: Use justenough to cover exposed skin, applyit to your own hands and then rubthem on your child (avoid his eyesand mouth), don’t apply to a youngchild’'s hands (little kids often puttheir hands in their mouths) anddon’t apply to cuts or irritated skin.

! Light Clothes are the Right Clothes.Kids should wear light-coloredclothing, which makes it easier tospot ticks, with long sleeves and legs(tuck pants into socks).

! Timing is Everything. The chancesof contracting Lyme disease from aninfected tick increases with thelength of time it’s attached. If youfind a tick, grasp it with fine-tippedtweezers and pull away from theskin without crushing its body. If youthink your child was bitten by aninfected tick, see the doctor rightaway: The sooner you begin treat-

ment, the better.! Rashes Aren’t

Required. Lymedisease is associat-ed with a red, bulls-eye-shaped rash,but many peoplenever see one (anddon’t rememberbeing bitten by atick). Also knowthat not all Lymerashes have a bulls-eye. So if your childstarts to developsymptoms of aLyme infection, seeyour pediatrician— rash or no rash.

About Time for LymeTime for Lyme is an

organization dedicated to eliminatingthe devastating effects of Lyme diseaseand other tick-borne illness. Our mis-sion is to prevent the spread of disease,develop definitive diagnostic tools andeffective treatments, and to ultimatelyfind a cure for tick-borne illness by sup-porting research, education, and theacquisition and dissemination of infor-mation. In addition, we will continue tosupport Lyme disease sufferers andtheir families through legislative efforts

Greenwich, CT

If you find a tick, grasp it with fine-tipped tweezersand pull away from the skin without crushing its body.

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Every child has the right…

Together: Making Public Schools Great for Every Child

pub•lic school (pub'lik skool)n Community institu-tion for the instruc-tion of children;where quality edu-cation and dedicat-ed educators helpstudents to achieve,advance, excel, andsucceed.

If you know an outstanding teacher who deserves recognition, let usknow! Tell us in 50 words or less what makes your favorite teacher spe-cial, and if your submission is drawn from our pool of entries, yourteacher will receive a wonderful assortment of gifts. Each “Teacher ofthe Month” will also receive special acknowledgement for the positiveimpact he or she is making in his or her students’ lives.

Any student can enter their teacher for the monthly award, and thecontest is open to all eligible educators who teach in grades K-5. Simplyfill out the entry coupon below, attach it to your letter, and mail themboth to us at:

About Families “Teacher of the Month”P.O. Box 840 • Lebanon, PA 17042

Full Name of Teacher ________________________________________________

Grade ________ School District: __________________________________

School ___________________________________________________________

City______________________________________________________________

Your Name _______________________________________________________

Your Phone Number ________________________________________________

Mr. RyanMcGinley

“M“Mr. McGinley is the best thirdgrade teacher. He is nice andfunny. He helps kids with their

work. He loves the Eagles and the Phillies.He is great.”

submitted by Kassidy Bonenfant

Mr. Ryan McGinley teaches third grade atTilden Elementary Center, in Hamburg AreaSchool District.

Reader Question: My four year-old plays baseball. The only areahe’s been slow developing in is hit-ting pitched balls. Even when hedoes hit the ball, I’m not sure if it’sby luck or because he has goodcontrol of his bat. His hitting is50/50 so I’m really not sure. Whatexercises can I go over to improvehis hitting? Kevin M.Answer: Hi Kevin. First and fore-most, it is great you are spendingtime one-on-one with your son. This canbe a difficult thing to do in the busy adultlives we lead today. Bravo!

As I considered about your questionone thought kept echoing in my head,focus on the small wins; I am a big believ-er in them. Small wins are easy for childrento produce. As a parent, it requires a littlemore deliberate thought on your part, butthe advantage comes when small wins arestrung together. What they can create arethe big wins you most look for within yourson. Herein, it becomes a win-win foreveryone. Your expectations are kept incheck and your son’s confidence flourishes.As a coach, focusing on the small winstakes the luck, you speak of, out of theequation as I evaluate talent.

Kevin, there is something pretty sensa-tional happening here. As a 50/50 hitter,your son’s performance, in baseball terms,gives him a .500 batting average. Majorleaguers only dream of hitting so well.While 50/50 hitting is only a “small win”for you as a parent, it definitely is a “bigwin” for your son.

Don’t compareI don’t want to lead you down the wrong

path and compare your child against otherchildren his age. This is a serious pitfallmany sports parents, and coaches alike,are guilty of. As performance begins to beexamined more closely, the intensity andexpectations can quickly rise and take thefun out of sports for kids. With that said, beproud of your son. If he is standing stilland letting you pitch him baseballs, he isexhibiting more patience for fun then

many four year olds have togive. Please consider my othersuggestions and recommenda-tions below. Thanks for your e-mail question.Coach’s Recommendations

Make learning fun.Challenge them to use otherthings to hit the ball off thetee— foam noodles, their hand,their elbow, their head. All of

this is improving hand-eye, or in this case,body-eye coordination.

Remember the basics. It is alright topitch him baseballs, however, always havea hitting tee available. The tee, althoughshamefully forgotten by many youthcoaches, is still used at the college and prolevels to maintain solid hitting form. Keepa tee on-hand at all times and integrate itinto your backyard practice sessions.

Repitition. Throwing, hitting and thenretrieving one or two baseballs at a timenever allows for a flow to be established. Ialways have a ball bag full of tennis ballsready when practicing hitting. Go to yourlocal tennis club and ask them for agarbage bag of old tennis balls. They typi-cally are giving them away anyway.

Numbering and Coloring. Althoughtedious, always, always, always numberand color the baseballs or tennis balls youuse. This is a major league hitting tech-nique I picked up along the way and havehad great success introducing to beginninghitters. What it does is cause kids to focuson the ball better. You can measure theirfocus by asking what color (for theyounger ages) or what number (for theolder ages) as you pitch or they hit off thetee. Use these techniques and recommen-dations and watch tot-hitting improve. Seeyou in class!

Brad Kayden is a Chicago-based youthsports expert and child wellness advocatewho designs age-appropriate sports pro-gramming for children ages 2-8. He is amember of the National Youth SportsCoaches Association. Any inquiries can besent to [email protected]

by Coach Pickles, Youth Sports Instructor

The Tot-Secretsto Hitting?

See You in Class


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EEven with our bankaccounts shrinkingfaster than the polar

ice caps, studies reveal thatwe’re still willing to paymore for products that aregood for the planet…and, itfollows, for our own healthas well. Unfortunately,though there are a lot ofgreat eco-products, there’salso plenty of confusion. LetThe Virtuous Consumertake on two persistent eco-myths…and show you thegreen light:

Compact FluorescentLightbulbs: There’s a lot ofcontroversy surroundingthese spiral eco-saviors. Witheveryone from Al Gore toOprah touting the benefits,plenty of people have twist-ed them into place. But awhiff of scandal continues tosurround them. Why? They contain mer-cury, which according to not-for-profitToxic Nation, is a recognized develop-mental toxin, neurotoxin, suspected hor-mone disrupter and respiratory toxin.Nasty stuff. What people often overlook,however, is that coal-fired power plants –which is where most of us get the energythat lights our bulbs – emits more mercu-ry in the process of powering a conven-tional incandescent than exists in a CFL.What’s more, if we dispose of CFLs prop-erly (it’s much easier now that HomeDepot and IKEA both accept them), wecan contain the mercury. That’s not thecase for mercury that gets spewed intoour atmosphere. If you happen to breaka CFL, the Environmental ProtectionAgency offers up instructions for how toclean it up safely. Log on tohttp://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm#fluorescent

The verdict? CFLs are still a smartgreen choice.

Hybrid? Or Hummer…: In 2008,newspapers trumpeted a study that“proved” that “Hybrids consume moreenergy in lifetime than Chevrolet’s TahoeSUV.” Hummers wrongly entered theequation when a widely syndicatedcolumnist cited the study under a head-line that read “Use a Hummer to Crush aPrius.” However, the study raised con-cerns when it was revealed that the datait relied on was…umm…questionable, tosay the least. The study assumed that aHummer would last 379,000 miles andlast 35 years, while a Prius would die at12 years with only 109,000 on its odome-ter. An odious assumption that – on a

per-mile basis – is clearly going to put theHummer on top. Prius took a hit becauseit’s largely new technology. As more carsembrace this technology, these new techstart-up costs will diminish. The energycosts associated with building a Priusdecrease with every new Prius (or similarhybrid) made. Yet aHummer/Tahoe/insert-other-big-SUV-here will always guzzle an enormousamount of gas.

The study’s researchers also point tothe nickel metal hydride battery in thePrius, noting that nickel mining is a dirtybusiness. Yes, it is. Yet the hybrid batter-ies currently in existence require lessthan one percent of the world’s annualnickel production. Prius batteries arealso 100% recyclable.

The upside of all the debate this rumorinspired is that it encourages conversa-tion (if not conservation!) about fuel-efficiency and perhaps lets the halo overthe Prius slip a wee bit. While it remainsthe poster car for the environmentallyconcerned, it still is a car – with embod-ied energy and a reliance on fuel.

The verdict? Any car with good gasmileage is better than a gas-guzzler. Butnone are as environmentally friendly astaking a bus, or as healthy as walking.

Leslie Garrett is an award-winning journalist,author and mother of three children. Her most recentbook, The Virtuous Consumer: Your EssentialShopping Guide to a Better, Kinder, HealthierWorld (and one our kids will thank us for!)recently won the Green Prize for sustainable litera-ture. Visit her at www.virtuousconsumer.com


by Leslie Garrett

The Good,the Green…

and the Confusion

There’s nothing to do around here.

My life is a drag.

I am so bored.My friends are no fun.There is no place to go.

Where do you expect me to meet friends.

I’ve already done that.Nothing exciting ever happens in my life.

Kids who try Methtry to tell you first.

1-800-533-3394

www.drugfreepa.org

Never underestimate the power ofboredom. It is why the drug Meth hasbecome one of the most dangerousdrug problems in America. To learnmore about the effects of thispowerfully addictive drug, you canvisit us at www.drugfree.org/meth.And start listening to what your kidsare really trying to tell you

1-800-533-3394


BusinessOpportunities

Childcare

Print Line Ad in form below, printing one word per box. No abbreviations.

Name Phone

Address

City State Zip

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17

21

25

2

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26

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Clip out, include your check and mail to:About Families Classified Ad, PO Box 840, Lebanon, PA 17042

Baby ItemsBusiness OpportunitiesCampChildcare

Children’s ClothingEducation/InstructionEvents/RecreationEmployment

For SaleHealth/FitnessHousehold ItemsMiscellaneous

ToysWantedYard Sale

Classified Line AdsSelect Category Below…

$10.00 up to 20 words;50¢ each additional word.

Must be prepaid.

clas

sifi

edre

ad b

y par

ents

see

king

way

s to

…

Impr

ove

thei

r ch

ildre

n’s

lives

WILDTREE:A young direct sales company with a full line

of all natural preservative-free, delicious, easy-to-prepare foods. Home tasting parties are funand easy. Now is the perfect time to give us a

test drive! Risk free. If you love to eat,www.colettescookin.mywildtree.com

CHILDCARE in my Palmyra home, Monday-Friday, 7 am-5

pm. Meals and snacks provided. Twelvemonths through five years. For more

information 717-648-1014.

BIRDSBORO LICENSED CHILDCAREMonday-Friday 6:30 am-4:25 pm. I also haveevenings and weekends available; evenings

until 9:30 pm. I’m licensed with the State as asafe childcare provier. Looking to fill part time

positions at the moment and I will also beinterviewing for full time starting in August. Call

610-404-7646.

BRENDA'S DAY CAREChildcare in my West Reading home, nearhospital. Reasonable rates! Experienced

provider! Fun and learning, safe enviroment.Full or part-time. Call Brenda, 610-375-3227.

CHILDCAREInn my Mount Penn area home. Safe, loving

environment. Call Tammy, 484-663-0648.

EXETER MOTHEROf two providing full-time, part-time, before

and after school childcare. School bus trans-portation available for Jacksonwald

Elementary. Reasonable. 610-689-9078.

NORTHEAST CHILDCARE1116 Perry Street, Reading has openings,

child-ren 18 months to 12 years. Toddlers donot need to be potty trained. Will walk to 13thand Union, and 12th and Marion Schools. Low

rates. 610-374-8442. www.northeastchild-care.com

ANYTIME CHILDCARE:Available every shift, Union Canal bus stops at

house. 8 years experience, lots of fun andlearning activities. CCIS contracted.

Reasonable rates. Call for details. 717-450-4862.

CHILDCAREState certified family daycare home in

Fredericksburg has opening for one preschoolchild. Twenty five years experience. Quality

care and reasonable rates. Call:Barb at 717-865-5319.

CHILDCARE $2/HRMonday-Friday, 6am-6pm, Large yard awayfrom street, Fort Indiantown Gap Area, Call

Jody, 717-865-5791

CHILDCARE OPENING(S).Christian mother of three has first shift open-ing(s) for childcare in her Cleona home. Meals

and snacks included. Fun, warm, lovingatmosphere. Contact Amy 717-272-5750.

MiscellaneousSELLING OR REMODELING

Your home? Need help with repairs? Affordablerates! Call 717-866-4025 or 484-529-0452.

WantedFOSTER FAMILIES NEEDED

Strong families are needed for sibling groupsand older children. Excellent training, support

and reimbursement provided. Call FamiliesUnited Network at 1-800-722-0136 or email

cstevison@families4kidsFOR FOSTER CHILDREN

Want a kitchen play set (would be delightedwith Step 2 LifeStyle Dream), a play work-bench sturdy quality with tools. Please call

only if yours is in good condition and pricedcheap please! 717-360-0285

Vacation! Bible !

School! •Principles: The best

rules for human behavior•Stories•Crafts

• Games•Fun

Mark Your CalendarWhen you are making summer plans, don’t forget…

Vacation Bible School!June edition of

About Familieswill include a VBS Directory!

For inclusion and more information, call717-273-8127 ext. 1130 or 1-800-673-2434

er based in Kentucky. Her first book,Peace, was published in 2005. Log onwww.geocities.com/teeruggles/tam-myruggles.html


IRISH CREEK STABLESSUMMER DAY CAMP

Advanced/Intermediate Camps - June 29 to July 3Beginner Camps -

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Call for a brochure or more information 610-926-1261 OR 484-955-0869www.irishcreekstables.net

WE DO BIRTHDAY PARTIES AND OFFER DAILY LESSONS TOO.

BB ecky is a mother who loves hertwo-year-old son Gabe, but sev-eral factors have been stressing

her lately – her husband’s affair, their

financial situation, the loss of her moth-er to cancer – and this morning she didsomething she swore she would neverdo: She lost control of her temper andslapped Gage when he wouldn’t stopcrying. She felt nothing but shame after-ward, because she had been abused as achild, knew what it was like to be hit, andvowed that she would find other ways toparent. She found herself crying alongwith Gabe, wondering how she wouldexplain the red hand print to her hus-band Jim when he got home from workthat evening.

Becky’s story is typical of abused chil-dren. While it is true that not all childrenwho are abused grow up to hurt theirown, in some cases it is true.

Childhelp.org states that about one-third of abuse victims grow into adultswho victimize their own children.

This is called the cycle of abusebecause it is handed down from genera-tion to generation. Children truly dolearn what they live. If they live in ahome where they witness abusive behav-ior or domestic violence on a daily basis,they will practice this in adulthood

because it is a pattern of behavior thatthey have learned. They have no otherset of coping skills to use.

Most parents don’t plan to harm theirchildren. Abuse comes about when a cri-sis or frustration arises, and the parent

reacts in the only way they know, whichis usually the way they have witnessed orlearned while growing up. These parentslack the skills for alternative, non-vio-lent discipline. Some abusive parentswon’t acknowledge or aren’t aware thatthey are being abusive until it is pointedout, and even then some deny that theirbehavior has reached a harmful level orcould have a negative, long-lastingimpact on their children.

This cycle of abuse can be broken, butit rarely takes place without some sort ofintervention, usually in the form of par-enting classes or family counseling;either ordered by the court or protectiveagency. Even then, it takes a willing par-ent who is involved enough to want tochange how they interact with their chil-dren. These parents are asked to setaside their shame, guilt, and old set ofparenting ideas.

Parenting classes and family counsel-ing teach parents non-physical forms ofdiscipline, such as time-out, grounding,and redirection, rewards and conse-quences, etc. These classes also teachparents ways to manage anger andcrises, and improve their interpersonal

communication skills.Preventing child abuse is the

key to stopping the cycle of vio-lence. There are many successstories from parents who havefound a better, safer, healthier wayto parent.

One such outcome belongs toBecky, the mother mentioned atthe beginning of the story.

She knew she couldn’t hide themark on Gabe’s face, and ratherthan lie about it, called her pas-tor, who encouraged her totalk to child protectiveservices and ask for help.She told her husband whathappened, and he went tothe agency with her, wherethey both enrolled inparenting classes ontheir own.

A year later Beckysays, “I was so fixed onhow I parented. I knewthere were other things I coulddo besides hit, but I didn’t know how tohandle my anger. Hitting Gabe waswrong. I felt like such a bad mother. ButI know now that all mothers make mis-takes. The thing is, do we learn from ourmistakes, or keep repeating them?"

If you know or suspect that a child isbeing abused, do something. It is not upto you to prove it, but your concerncould save a child’s life, and could helpprevent the cycle from continuing.

For more information, log onto child-abuse.org, preventchildabuse.org, orkeepkidshealthy.com

Tammy Ruggles, BSW, MA, is afreelance writer and retired social work-

by Tammy Ruggles

“I knew there were other things I could do besides hit,but I didn't know how to handle my anger. Hitting Gabewas wrong. I felt like such a bad mother…”

! An incident of child abuse isreported every 10 seconds.

! Child abuse occurs in all racial,socioeconomic, financial, reli-gious, and cultural groups.

! About 40% of all women incar-cerated, and 15% of all menincarcerated, were victims ofchild abuse.

! Children who were sexuallyabused are more likely to usealcohol and drugs and engage inpromiscuity or prostitution.

The Facts

REPORTING CHILD ABUSEAny person can contact BerksCounty Children and YouthServices at any time to make anallegation of child abuse or neglect.An assessment will be made toassure the child’s safety and deter-mine if further investigation or serv-

ices are needed.The State of Pennsylvania main-tains an office, Childline, to receiveand track reports of child abuse andneglect. Childline can be accessed24 hours a day, seven days a week.Their toll-free telephone number is1-800-932-0313.

CRISIS INTERVENTIONIf you are going through a difficultsituation and you feel a familymember or yourself are not safe andit has become a crisis, a trainedcounselor is ready to take your call24 hours a day, seven days a week.Your conversation may stay anony-

mous and the services are confiden-tial. A counselor will listen to yourconcerns, assess the situation andwill then refer you to the appropri-ate service you need at the time,depending on your situation.Residents of Lebanon County call717-274-3363

HISTORY DAY CAMPAn educational Colonial adventure! July 21-23

Junior History WorkshopsJuly 29 - Camp Cooking • August 5 - Hearth Cooking & Dairying

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Special EventThe Appalachian Pet Farm

will bring to you ourendangered, exotic and miniatureanimals, including Monkeys, Zebu,Lemurs,Wallabies & Kinkajou

Available all year longOur parties are educational & fun

For group toursCall (610) 554-8678

Birthdays • Corporate EventsPicnics • School EventsGrand Openings

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Kids have a hands on blast building a rhythm village

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For Details And Pricing Of Birthday Parties/Special Events

Jade Wagner– Ind. Party Leader www.partiesbyjade.com

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ThemeParties

CHOOSE FROM:Pirates, Princesses,

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at Dance Center, in Mt Pennwww.HappilyEA.com

275 West Main Street, Kutztown

484-646-9515Mon.-Fri. 10-6; Sat. 10-8

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This is fun unlike anywhere else!

OOur lovely Victorian room hosts up to20 guests who create their own bathand body products, room sachets

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Pony Rides are also available for picnics, carnivals,school events & more!

will bring a pony to your homefor your child’s birthday party!

K&B STABLESPKG. #1 - One pony for one hour. Your child will receivea cowboy hat, picture of their enjoyable ride, a birthdaycard, and a gift bag. Price $150 (local parties)PKG. #2 - Give all of the children a hat and a photo as aparty favor. Price $150 + $3 per child.PKG. #3 - All the above in Packages #1 & #2, plus a giftbag filled with special treats for all the children. Price $150+ $7 per child

INC

LLooking at the animal kingdom, it’seasy to see how the social instinctcan mean the difference between

survival and extinction. Bees and antsare innately social creatures. They arewired to take their places in colonieswhere each individual will perform itsgiven task to facilitate survival of thewhole group. More complex creaturesshare this inborn call to operate as ateam as evidenced by the specializedwords we use to describe these groups.

Wolf packs, lion prides, cattle herds,whale pods, rabbit warrens and quailcoveys terms used to express the specialsocial connection between animals of thesame species.

Man also shares this instinctive needto socialize. Like other animal groups,man is born into a family, and his familyjoins with others to create a community.Truly, it is natural that we want to fit in.From the moment we arrive on thescene, we are in need of human interac-tion if we are to survive. We need otherpeople, and not just for sustenance.Studies have shown how important it is

for babies to be touched in their firstthree months of life. Those who lack thisbasic interaction can suffer and die. Thefailure to thrive is rooted in a lack ofhuman contact. Clearly, the socialinstinct plays a vital role in early infanthealth. As we mature, an instinct this pri-mal can and will influence behavior anddecision-making.

Now, consider that your teen hasarrived at puberty with this social instinctintact. Hormones screaming, the teen

begins a time-honored dance choreo-graphed in creation. In this dance, theteen must begin to break away from thefamilial group ties that have supportedhim this far in search of new social out-lets.

Believe it or not, the dance startedyears ago. In kindergarten and early ele-mentary school, children begin to honein on others based on personality, sharedinterests or abilities. Lauren T., a firstgrade teacher in Joliet, IL notes,“Children connect with others who havecertain skills. For instance, last year I hada student who could read a number of

words by herself at the beginning of theyear. Her grasp of phonics made her aleader in the classroom, and this madeher self-esteem soar.”

Fast-forward seven years. The well-adjusted child’s face has just begun tobreak out. Emotionally, in her self-viewshe may jump from class leader to zit-faced loser overnight. Of course, asadults we know this is just a short seasonin life, but to a child it can seem like theend of the world as they know it, so greatis their instinct to fit in with their peers.Often, as puberty mounts, self-confi-dence wanes. Tweens and young teenslook to others for assurance that theybelong. If ninety-nine people tell themthey do, and one tells them they don’t,many children will take the one negativecomment to heart.

When natural order leads the teen tomake other major changes, such as mov-ing from middle school to high school,some children will scramble to find agroup that will accept them. It is impor-tant for parents to stay involved at thisstage, though not underfoot. Pay atten-tion to the new friendships your childdevelops. Watch for the changes that willinevitably occur as your child “tries on”new social niches. This is often the timewhen experimentation with drugs, alco-hol and sex can materialize, so be onyour toes. Keep communication open,even if there are days when your bestefforts produce only one- word answersfrom your adolescent. Don’t take theirsocial tension personally, and try to shoreup their self-esteem with words of praise.

At this stage, some children will workhard to “blend in” with the crowd whileothers will opt to make a statement.Social groups will emerge, and you’ll findyour child talking about the Goths,punks, geeks and emos. You’ll noticemany of the group names of your erahave been replaced, while some havesurvived. Surely, most parents knowwhat to expect from a “jock” or “prep”crowd, but you might not be ready to

by Beth Walsh Eriksen

Don’t make the mistake of taking the role of “friend.”Children have many friends, but only two parents.

Fitting In Your Teen’s Quest for Social AcceptanceDictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)in•stinct1 [in-stingkt] – nounan inborn pattern of activity or tendency to action common to a given biologicalspecies.a natural or innate impulse, inclination or tendency.


welcome your daughter’s date when heshows up sporting dyed jet-black hairand eyeliner. Don’t assume the “cos-tume” means your daughter is at risk.Many eccentric dressers turn out to be inthe top 20% of their high school class. Inthe end, as long as a student’s socialstatement isn’t disrespectful of schoolrules and schedules, reserve your judg-ment until you get more information.

“Be more concerned with activitiesthat are detrimental to the student’shealth,” says Byron A., a math teacherfrom Lexington, Kentucky. “Studentsthat smoke cigarettes or are chronicallylate due to lack of sleep should make aparent take notice.” According to theUniversity of Michigan’s Monitoring theFuture Project, this high school mathteacher may be right. Following studentsas they develop through 8th, 10th and12th grades, this study suggests that ifyoung people can be successful in schoolit can improve their ability to resist peerpressure to use drugs. “Non-smokersmake it to more classes than smokers.Students that get enough sleep not onlymake it to class, but can focus oncethey’re there,” clarifies Byron A.

The Harvard Family ResearchProject had some interesting findingsconcerning academic success for teens.Of crucial importance in this area arethe expectations of parents. Datashowed that the further in school par-ents believed their adolescent would go,the higher the adolescents’ academicachievement. Could it be that in theirstruggle to fit into society at large, teensare still influenced by their first socialgroup-the family? Studies indicate this isthe case.

So, what’s a parent to do? The answeris simple: be the parent. Don’t make themistake of taking the role of “friend.”Children have many friends, but onlytwo parents. In some cases, circum-stances have reduced this to only one

continued on page 23

BB irthdays are like milestones thatmark another year of growing,another year of change. But for

many parents, these milestones are morelike millstones when deciding how tocelebrate their child’s birthday. But itdoesn’t have to be. Today there’s a

plethora of do-it-yourself books for thebrave at heart. In fact, the biggest deci-sion parents have to make is where tohave the party and what the theme willbe. So where do you begin? Your child.

Several weeks before his birthday, askyour child how he would like to cele-brate his big day. Tell him what theoptions are based on your time, budget,and preferences. Brainstorm together,considering his interests and hobbies.Can the party be centered on one ofthese? Chances are you can incorporatesomething that lets part of your child’spersonality shine.

After considering your child’s interestand deciding upon a theme, make aguest list. The recommended number ofchildren will depend upon whether theparty will be held inside or outdoors. Ifthe weather is nice and you’d like tohave the party outside, you could easilyinvite 15 guests. However, if the party isindoors, it’s best keep to no more thanten children.

Another way to determine how manychildren to invite is to consider the birth-day child’s age. Some experts recom-mend using a formula where the numberof guests coming is equal to one to one-and-a-half times the child’s age. Forexample, a 4-year old’s party would havefour to six friends; and 8-year-old’swould have eight to twelve guests.Whatever number you choose, keep itmanageable. You know your child, yourhome, and your party-quotient capacity.

Unless the party is a sleep-over, it’sbest to keep it to two or three hours atthe most (one-and-a-half hours for chil-dren 4-years and younger). To help youdecide how long the party should bemake a list of activities you're planningand the approximate length of time eachone will take. Remember that a well-planned party allows for both quietactivities and active play. Guests shouldbe given time to warm up to the settingupon arrival, release energy during theparty, and calm down before headinghome. Since the children will be arrivingat slightly different times, plan a simplebut flexible activity, such as decoratinggoody bags, coloring a picture or makinga beaded necklace. This will keep thembusy and free you to welcome otherarriving guests.

When selecting games, consider thenumber of children, their ages, andwhether the games will be held inside oroutdoors. Choose ones that are easy toexplain, fun to play, and will involve allthe children. Cooperative games are bestbecause they take the spotlight off anyone child and focus on the team as a

whole. Whatever activities you choose,remain flexible. If the children aren’tenjoying themselves, stop, and move onto something else. Most important, planmore activities than you’ll need. Nothingspoils a party quicker than too muchtime and little to do.

In serving food, it is best to stick tothe basics-sandwiches, pizza, veggiestrips and pretzels. If you want to makethe menu special, spruce up the way it ispresented. For example, sandwichescould be cut into interesting shapes, or apizza could turn into a clown face withpepperoni eyes, a cherry tomato noseand a strip of green pepper for themouth. The cake can be special, too, byallowing the children to ice and decoratetheir own cupcake. You don’t have to goall out on decorations, either. A few heli-um balloons and crepe paper can makeany room look festive.

When it comes to party favors, there’splenty of room for flexibility. On a tightbudget? Choose one fun, but inexpen-sive toy related to the theme of the party,or fill a bag with a blend of fun-to-eat,but healthy treats. An activity such aspainting t-shirts or planting flowers inpots is fun. The idea here is to be flexi-ble, creative, and still stay within yourbudget. What is the party theme? Isthere an activity or item you can pur-chase that will reflect that theme?

If you are giving the party by yourself,get help on the big day. An extra pair ofhands (or two or three!) is essential nomatter what age the children are. As youprepare a guest list, ask a few closefriends or relatives to come and help. Ifthere are no willing volunteers, hire ateen. Chances are, he or she needs themoney and would enjoy the event.

Above all, remember that becauseyour child’s birthday comes only once ayear, it deserves recognition. The kind ofcelebration you have will depend uponyour time, budget, and preferences.Whatever you choose, make it special.Birthdays are, after all, like milestones.They celebrate another year of growth,another year of change.

Denise Yearian is the former editor oftwo parenting magazines and the motherof three children, who frequently writes forAbout Families and other parenting publi-cations.

Unless the party is a sleep-over, it’s best tokeep it to two or three hours at the most.

by Denise Morrison Yearian


June 15-19, 2009 June 29-July 2, 2009 July 6-10, 2009Pottstown, PA Philadelphia, PA Harrisburg, PA

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Wyndcroft SchoolJune 29-July 2, 2009

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June 29-July 2, 2009Philadelphia, PASpringside School

TThe U.S. Consumer ProductSafety Commission, in coopera-tion with the following business-

es is recalling the following toys based onexcessive levels of lead which violates thefederal lead paint standard. To report adangerous product or a product-relatedinjury, call CPSC’s hotline at 1-800-638-2772 or CPSC’s teletypewriter at 1-800-638-8270, or visit CPSC’s atwww.cpsc.gov/talk.html. Consumers canobtain recall information at CPSC’s web-site at www.cpsc.gov. For more informa-tion on these and other recalls, visit theU.S. Consumer Product SafetyCommission at www.cpsc.gov.

Alpargatas USA Inc., of New York,NY, is voluntarily recalling about 210,000children’s flip flops. Decorative paint onthe sole of the flip flops can contain levelsof lead in excess of the federal standard.

Flip flops of the Havaianas brand con-taining decorative paint were sold underthe following model names: BabyEstampas, Baby Pets, Kids Apple, KidsFairy, Kids Flores, Kids Lighthouse, KidsMonsters, Kids Surf, Baby Letrinhas,Kids Sports, Kids Candies, Kids Fun,Kids Love, Kids Sereias, Kids Speed,Kids Lucky Bug, Kids Pets, Kids Rock,Kids Slim, Kids Wonder Woman, KidsSmall Flowers and Kids Tropical w/Kit.Havaianas flip flops without decorativepaint are not being recalled.

The flip flops, which were manufac-tured in Brazil, were sold by departmentand specialty stores nationwide fromNovember 2006 through February 2009for about $15 to $24 a pair.

Consumers should immediately takethe recalled flip flops away from childrenand return them to Alpargatas USA, Inc.

to receive a replacement. For additionalinformation, please contact AlpargatasUSA at 1-888-289-5306 between 9 amand 6 pm ET Mon.-Fri., or visit the website at www.havaianasus.com

CBB Group Inc., City of Commerce,Calif., is voluntarily recalling about39,000 Fishing Games, Rattles, Pull-A-Long Cars, Mini Pull Back Cars, andCartoon Bubble Guns. The fishinggames, baby rattles and pull-a-long carscontain small parts, which can detach andpose a choking hazard to children. Themini pull back cars and bubble guns havesurface paints which contain excessivelevels of lead, violating the federal leadpaint standard.The recalled toys weremanufactured in China and are listed inthe chart below:

They were sold at Dollar stores and toystores nationwide from July 2007 through

December 2008 for between$1 and $5.

Consumers should take therecalled products away fromyoung children immediatelyand return them to the placewhere purchased for a fullrefund. For additional infor-mation, contact CBB Group,Inc. toll-free at 1-866-628-6238 anytime, or visit the website at www.cbbgroup.com

Recall Roll Call____ 20 about families April 2009

3301 Stoudt’s Ferry Bridge Rd.Reading, PA 19605

Muhlenberg Township

610-921-0285

RiverviewChristian

EARLY LEARNING CENTER

Christian CurriculumAffordable, child-friendly,home-like environment

Summer “Kids Camp”June 8 - August 149:00 am - 4:00 pm

With Before/After Care AvailableKindergarten - 7th grade

Come for 1 week or attend all 10 weeks!

Bible Adventures, GuestPresenters, Music, Art, Drama,

Nature, Field TripsParticipant of

Keystone Stars Program

by Diane MoorheadStained Glass Easter CardMaterials Needed:! Crayons (3-4 colors works best) ! Wax Paper! Scrap paper (paper grocery bags or comput-

er paper)! Construction Paper! Pencil Sharpener (one with a larger hole

for crayon size)! Iron and Ironing Board (with adult help)! Cross Template! Craft GlueDirections:1. Set iron to medium heat.2. Take a piece of wax paper, fold in half,

open up and lay wax paper on top ofscrap paper.

3. Sharpen crayons and put shavings on thewax paper, fold wax paper and placeanother piece of scrap paper on top ofthe wax paper. Hold heated iron onpaper for about ten seconds. Make surewax is melted.

4. Let Cool.

5. Trace and cut out desired size of cross.Cookie cutters make excellent patterns.

6. Fold construction paper in half and gluecross on to the front of the card and addyour greeting on the inside.

a good beginningnever ends

A developmental music programfor children - newborn to 7 years.

Kindermusik atTrinity Lutheran Church

Tama Dewalt McConnell610.374.6288

[email protected]


DIAPER DERBY ENTRY FORMDATE:__________________________

PARENT/GUARDIAN: ______________________________________________________

BABY’S NAME: _______________________________ AGE: ___________(AS OF 5/17/09)

PHONE NUMBER (RES.) ________________________ BUS. _______________________

ADDRESS: _______________________________________________________________

PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE: ____________________________________________Parents/guardians of contestants authorize the release of his/her baby’s photograph to sponsors of this event for usein advertising purposes relating to the contest. No compensation shall be paid.The parent/guardian shall release sponsors of this event from all claim actions, liabilities and expenses in connectionwith personal injury to their child while participating in the Four-On-The-Floor DiaperDerby.

Drop this complete entry or mail to: Baby Depot At Burlington Coat Factory3050 North 5th Street HighwayReading, PA 19605

CONTEST RULES:1. Contest is limited to babies 12 months of age

and under to the first 54 entries received. Proofof child’s age is required. Parents will be con-tacted prior to May 15 for details.

2. All prizes must be accepted as awarded. Cashor substitutions will not be allowed.

3. Judges’ decision regarding contest winner isfinal.

4. Contest is open to all residents of GreaterReading area with the exception of sponsors,their employees or members of their immedi-ate families.

5. All contest entry forms become the property ofBaby Depot.

office use onlyCalled: _____________Heat #: ____________

Registration Deadlineis May 14, 2009Limited Spaces Available

Saturday, May 16, 2009at the

• Preliminary CrawlOffs At 10:00 AM

• FREE to the first54 entries Winners will receive

Prize Value of:1st Place: $2502nd Place: $1503rd Place: $100

AA s parents, we hope for certaintraits in our children, somemore important to us than

others. We constantly try to instillpolite manners, good morals, and asense of caring — sometimes with suc-cess and other times not. And depend-ing on the parent, certain traits mightbe more significant than others.

But ask any parent what is the onething they want their children to haveand the answer is the same no matter

their background, income level, orwhere they live: good health.

And while there are many elementswe can control to keep our childrenhealthy, there are just as many that wecannot.

We can keep them snuggled up in thewinter, covered with suntan lotion inthe summer, and make sure they wearsneakers outside to play. But we can’tcontrol if they are born with or developa disease or disability. And we can’talways protect them from common coldgerms.

It is our responsibility as parents to

be on the lookout for signs of poorhealth in our children, and to take pre-ventative measures against potentialhealth problems, from the moment ofconception.

One of the easiest things we can doas parents of infants and toddlers is toprotect their skin from the sun.Research has shown that early overex-posure to the sun can lead to skin prob-lems down the road. And while somechildren’s skin problems caused byearly overexposure to sunlight might be

easily treated or cured, for nearly 250children in the United States with therare disorder known as XerodermaPigmentosum (XP), the sun’s ultravio-let rays on their infant skin has led tosevere skin cancer complications. Ofthose cases, 30% suffer from neurolog-ical deterioration.

When her daughter was born,Michele Milota saw early signs of skintrouble. She only wishes that she knewthen, what she knows now, about XP.

“My daughter’s skin was very, verydry and she had a very odd frecklingpattern,” Milota says. “Having had two

other children, I knew her skin was dif-ferent and it was finally the bump onher nose that made me get it checkedout and it was finally diagnosed as XP.

“She has since suffered from 22 skincancers as a result of the XP disorder,and I’m convinced early detectioncould have prevented many if not all ofthem,” she adds. “If she had been diag-nosed earlier, maybe at two or threemonths of age, and had much less expo-sure to the sun, she may not have had toendure as many skin cancer surgeries.”

XP is a rare genetic conditionwhereby a person’s DNA lacks the abil-ity to repair damage from ultravioletlight. The disorder leads to skin canceras early as childhood. Unless sun expo-sure is minimized, XP victims are likelyto die of malignant melanoma or squa-mous cell carcinoma.

In just about every one of the 250cases, early detection could have pre-vented future cancer-related complica-tions down the road, or at the veryleast, minimized them. But with a disor-der so rare and sunburn such a commonproblem among children, it’s not some-thing parents usually think about …until it’s too late.

The symptoms of XP are obvious, ifyou know them. And thanks to Milotaand her nationally-recognized XPFamily Support Group, more and moreparents are on the lookout for earlyindications that their child might havethis rare disorder, and not just sufferingfrom a bad case of sunburn.

“I started the organization with agroup of parents who have childrenwith XP,” Milota says. “After meetingseveral parents we all realized thatthere was a huge need to get a supportgroup together that focused onresearch, skin protection for families,and a yearly family retreat that edu-cates parents and offers a camp-likeatmosphere for our kids.”

According to Milota, one of the mostobvious indications or symptom to lookfor is if your infant son or daughter isgetting sunburned — or signs of it —even in a very short period of timeunder very protected conditions.Two parents share similar stories …

“My daughter received her firstsevere burn when she was six weeks

by Jon Buzby

“My daughter’s skin was very, very dry and she had a veryodd freckling pattern…”

old,” says a parent of an XP patientwho wasn’t diagnosed until after herthird birthday. “Jessica was in a strollerthat had a canopy over it and was undera tent. The reflection burned her faceand arms. She had blisters on theexposed skin.”

“At the age of six weeks we knewsomething was wrong with my daugh-ter,” shares another parent whose childwas finally diagnosed with XP at theage of 12. “She had the worst burn wehad ever seen. Her eyes were swollenshut, and the peeling was so terrible shelooked like a monster. And we thoughtwe had protected her skin very well.”

Milota says the important thing torealize is that it’s not the sun that caus-es XP. XP is a condition that a childinherits. However, exposure to theultraviolet rays from the sun is lifethreatening if your son or daughter isborn with the disorder. And that’s whyearly detection is so important.

“All responsible parents protecttheir children from the sun,” she says.“But just like any other situation withour kids, if we know that by not doingsomething we are putting them at risk,we naturally do a better job makingsure it gets done.”

As one parent says with a smile, “Forour children with XP, playing outsideafter dark isn’t such a bad thing.”

All kidding aside, many parents arein the dark when it comes to XP disor-der. Milota’s hope is that through edu-cation and awareness, although the dis-order might never be cured, earlydetection will prevent diagnosed chil-dren from becoming future cancerpatients.

You can’t prevent your child frombecoming an XP statistic. But by keep-ing them out of the sun, you can ensurethey have a fighting chance for a brightfuture.

For more detailed informationabout XP, including facts about skinprotection and additional informationabout symptoms and treatmentoptions, visit the XP Family SupportGroup’s Web site atxpfamilysupport.org.

Jon Buzby is a syndicated columnistand freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected].

Don’t Be Left Out in The Dark About XP____ 22 about families April 2009

parent interacting in the life of the teen.Commit yourself to being the constantassurance that your child is enough.Buffeted by the storms of peer groupacceptance, your child needs sanctuary.Be that and more. Stay involved, speakwords of praise, set consistent bound-aries and guidelines, and see themthrough their search for acceptance. It isso important that they know what loveand acceptance feels like because theylearned it at home.

Everyone needs to feel like theybelong. In an effort to meet that need,your teenager may feel attracted tosocial niche groups. Remember, these

bonds are usually temporary, and asyour child matures he/she will be able toenjoy friends from different groups. Letyour home be a safe haven, a placewhere your child will always be acceptedand loved.

Beth Walsh Eriksen is a freelance writerspecializing in encouraging successfulfamily life, and the Publisher of the FloridaParenting News. She and her two childrenenjoy life on Florida's Treasure Coast. Hermotto is: "Live Your Priorities!"

continued from page 10

www.gamebuildercamp.com/video.htm.See ad on page 19.Goggle Works Center for the Arts –610-374-4600, 201 Washington St.,Reading, www.goggleworks.org. Ceram-ics, painting, drawing and more. See adon page 11.Splat Studio Kid’s Art Camps - 717-679-4294, Paramount Sports Complex,21 Landings Dr., Annville, www.splatstu-dio.net. Appropriate for ages 5-12.Spirited people learning artful-ness together. Campshave been designedto provide childrenwith a broadspectrum of quali-ty creative oppor-tunities. Kids canexpress their indi-vidual ideasthrough the use ofunique materials & tech-niques. Open House on Sunday,May 3, 1-3 pm. Tuition discounts forsummer camp at open house. See web-site for description of each camp. Ad on Young Villagers Workshop – 717-949-2244, Alexander Schaeffer Farm,Historic Schaefferson. For childrenentering grades 4, 5, 6, & 7. July 27-30,10 am-3 pm. Hands on experiencelearning the crafts of the 1700s; Fraktur,cooking over an open fire, horses,homemade ice cream, colonial gamesand toys, trapping, weaving & spinningwool.

SPORT CAMPS:BNW Tennis Camps - 484-824-5029.Tennis Camps for junior players ages 7-15. Instructed by Brian Wardhammar,USPTA, BNW Tennis Service, SinkingSpring. Six weeks to choose from,beginning June 15. Camps held atGreen Valley Counry Club. Call for regis-tration form.Dance Team Bootcamp - 610-207-4682 or 610-914-0713, 1037 A.

MacArthur Rd., Reading (website acade-myofmovement.net), for ages 13-18. Prostaff from NBA dance team. You will learn 3 full routines with freshchoreography, plus talk to current prodancers, ask them questions, and getadvice. Performance showcase at theend of 3 day’s camp. Will receive a 2009camp t-shirt, 3-days of lunch & 2009camp CD. See ad on page 32.Hillcrest Racquet Club - 610-779-7900,4401 Perkiomen Ave., Exeter. For ages7-15. Program is designed to teach foun-dation for ground strokes, volley, and

serves in a fun, innovative way. Adon page 22.

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Our mission... to nurture the arts, foster creativity, promote education and enrich the community

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SPRING CLASSES STARTING IN APRIL!

ACT 48Credit for Educators

Your Teen’s Quest for SocialAcceptancecontinued from page 18

LOCATION!LOCATION!

Location!It is no secret!

Location is important!A prime piece of real estate

draws many interested buyers.The more buyer interest,

the more valuable the real estate.The About Families’ Market Place page

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PLACE YOUR DISPLAY AD ONOUR MARKETPLACE PAGE

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Interest. Growth. Value.Make sure your retail business is seen!

the parents to make sure theirapproach is consistent. Talk with thechild privately and reassure him or herof your support; let them know thatyou are aware of their stuttering andthat you accept it – and them.”

For more answers to questionsabout stuttering, contact the StutteringFoundation at 800-992-9392.

II t’s the first day of school and oneof your pupils stutters. If you’rethe teacher, what should you do?

Kids aren’t the only ones who areapprehensive on the first day of school.Teachers are too. If a student stutters,should you call on him in class, or willthat make it worse? Do you talk withhim about his stuttering, or ignore ithoping it goes away? Does it help to tellthe student to relax or slow down?

A new tip sheet, 8 Tips forTeachers, published by the StutteringFoundation, helps educators work withstudents who stutter. If you’re a parentof a student who stutters, give theteacher a copy before the first day ofschool.

“Young children are busily learningto talk,” explains Lisa Scott, Ph.D., ofThe Florida State University andauthor of the tip sheet. “As such, theymay have effortless repetitions and pro-longations of sounds. In most instances,this is very normal. If parents andteachers listen to and answer theseyoung children in a patient, calm,unemotional way, the child’s speech willprobably return to normal.”

“Some children, however, will gobeyond the normal and begin to repeatand prolong sounds markedly,”

explains Scott. “They may begin tostruggle, tense up, and become frustrat-ed in their efforts to talk. These chil-dren need help.”

“Any time teachers are concernedabout a child’s fluency,” notes JaneFraser, president of the StutteringFoundation, “they should consult withthe school speech clinician as well as

1. Don’t tell the child “slow down” or“just relax.”

2. Don’t complete words for the childor talk for him or her.

3. Help all members of the class learnto take turns talking and listening.All children – and especially thosewho stutter – find it much easier totalk when there are few interrup-tions and they have the listener’sattention.

4. Expect the same quality and quan-tity of work from the student whostutters as the one who doesn’t.

5. Speak with the student in anunhurried way, pausing frequently.

6. Convey that you are listening tothe content of the message, nothow it is said.

7. Have a one-on-one conversationwith the student who stuttersabout needed accommodations inthe classroom. Respect the stu-dent’s needs, but do not beenabling.

8. Don’t make stuttering somethingto be ashamed of. Talk about stut-tering just like any other matter.

Compiled by Lisa Scott, Ph.D., TheFlorida State University

8 Tips forTeachers


! AdamstownAdamstown Area Library

! BechtelsvilleBrookside Montessori

! BernvilleDay Spring Child CareSt.Thomas Preschool

! BirdsboroAquabilitiesBirdsboro Christian PreschoolCalvary Christian PreschoolLive and Learn Smile Ctr.Turkey Hill

! BlandonAquabilitiesTurkey Hill

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and PreschoolTurkey Hill

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! LeesportHobby Horse PreschoolJump Factory,TheLittle Lambs Nursery SchoolLeesport Farmers Mkt.Ozzy’s Family Fun CenterRocking Horse PreschoolTurkey Hill

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We are pleased to be distributing About Families through schools, daycare centers, doctor anddental offices and these convenient locations throughout our County:

About Families! Reading

Catholic CharitiesCatholic Society AgencyCitadel CottageCommunity School of MusicCommunity UCC PreschoolCreative Kids Nursery Schl.Diversified Family InterventionsEarly InterventionFairview Counseling Svc.GoggleWorksGood Shepherd PreschoolHistorical Society of BerksHumpty Dumpty DaycareJacksonwald Learning Ctr.Jewish Community Ctr.KidspeaceKidz in MotionMary’s ShelterMcDonald’s-9th & SpringNativity Child CareOlivet Boys & Girls Club

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! ShillingtonAcademy for Early LearningFlying Hills PreschoolFred’s MusicFriendly’sImmanuel PreschoolJr. SkateawayLa Salle AcademyLittle Lambs PreschoolNothing’s New Children’s StoreReading Birth & Women’s Ctr.Shillington Commons Apts.Styles On The AvenueTiny Treasures PreschoolTurkey Hill

! Sinking SpringBig Bertha’s GrillCharlotte ShoppeColonial Berks LanesColonial Fitness Ctr.Cuddly Cottage Child CareDairy QueenGenesis Preschool at

St. John’s LutheranGreen Valley NurseryJake’s GreenhouseKindercarePrimrose Child CareShurfine MarketSpring Twp. Parks & RecreationSpring Valley Athletic ClubSt.Alban’s Christian Learning Ctr.

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Blue Mtn. Church

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! West ReadingWyomissing Pediatrics

! WomelsdorfBethany ABC ChildcareCrayon CornerElco StorytimeLJ’s Fitness

! WyomissingAAAAdventist Whole Health Wellness Ctr.American DentalBabies “R” UsBerks Co. Parks & RecreationBerks ENTBerks Eye Physician & SurgeryBerks Plastic SurgeryBerkshire PsychiatricBody ZoneBorders BookstoreCenter for Pediatric TherapyChallenge ArcadeDosie DoughEye Consultants of PAFamily Guidance Ctr.Friendly’sGoddard School,TheGymboreeHomewood Suites HotelHuntington Learning Ctr.Karate for KidsKindercareLime Light Dance StudioMuallem, Dr.McDonald’sMulberry Child CareOnce Upon A ChildPediatric OpthamologyPA Counseling ServicesProgressive Vision InstituteReading Crowne HotelReading OrthodonticsReading Pediatrics Inc.Shri YogaSpring Township LibrarySylvan Learning CenterTutor Time of WyomissingTurkey HillWorks,TheWyomissing Children’s Clinic

Stuttering Foundation –

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Autism Societyof Berks County

610-736-3739www.autismsocietyofberks.org

WWe provide informationand support to thoseaffected by autism. We

hope to generate a greater aware-ness and understanding of autism,so that individuals can be diagnosedearly, receive appropriate treat-ment, and be met with patience andunderstanding in our community.

Volunteer Run PhonelineEmotional Support

Family MentorsInformation/Referral ServicesInformative Monthly Meetings

Conferences/WorkshopsLending Library withCounty-wide Access

Newsletter, “the Puzzle”Comprehensive Website

Yahoo Online Support ForumFamily Recreational Activities

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Theatre CampsMusic Therapy Groups

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INSTRUMENTSACCESSORIESREPAIRSprofessional on-site shop

LESSONSprivate instruction for all ages on violin - viola - guitar - piano banjo - bass guitar - mandolin harmonica - dulcimer - fiddle

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f your child has struggled with school this year, take action now to make his or her grades better. Huntington

Learning Center can help. Our certified teachers can pin-point your child’s strengths and weaknesses and tailor a pro-gram of instruction to meet his or her needs. Just a fewhours a week can improve your child’s skill, confidence andmotivation. Call Huntington today. Your child can learn.

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tion. Not valid with other offers.Expires 6/30/09

Come Visit theEaster Bunny

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TT he Easter Bunny has arrived at the Fairgrounds SquareMall and has brought along his treehouse and friends for photo mem-

ories that will last a lifetime! Call for sethours and details!

3050 N. 5th St. Hwy., Reading, PA 19605610-921-9277 www.shopatfairgrounds.com

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Premium Yogurts and CheesesPremium Yogurts and Cheeses

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TThe Berks Visiting Nurse Immuniza-tion Clinic, funded by thePennsylvania Department of

Health and administered through BerksVisiting Nurse Association will be holdingthe following childhood immunizationclinics at 1170 Berkshire Blvd.,Wyomissing, during the month:

! Wed., Apr. 1, 9:00 am-1:00 pm! Mon., Apr. 6, 1:00 pm-5:00 pm

! Thurs., Apr. 16, 9:00 am-1:00 pm! Tues., Apr. 21, 1:00 pm-5:00 pm

*Please note that the immunizationsare for children only. Immunizationrecords are required. Please call for anappointment. Additional informationregarding clinic times and locations isavailable through the Berks VisitingNurse Immunization Clinic at (610) 378-0481, extension 3294.

ChildhoodImmunization Clinics

North Woods Poachersby Max ElliottAnderson(Tweener Press)Teen – YA $10.95 Rating: """"At last I’m beginning tolocate some good booksfor boys and among thevery best are those in theTweener PressAdventure Series byMax Elliott Anderson. A self-des-cribed reluctant reader as ayoung man, Max Elliott Anderson had ahard time buying into stories about thesame two kids saving the world every week-end. In response, he has created a series ofmystery/adventure books featuring differ-ent characters and new locations for eachtitle. The fact that each book concludeswith a Christian message is wonderfulbonus parents will applaud and kids willabsorb without even noticing. North Woods Poachers features Andy andC.J. Washburn, young cousins who havecome to dread the annual family fishing tripwhere they are doomed to spend hourseach day in a boat with their parents. Andyis determined that this year will be differ-ent. Unfortunately his longing for adven-ture results in much more excitement andadventure than either boy expected. In the end, the boys discover how muchthey depend on family and God to guidethem and that even a wily fish like BigWally can teach them a valuable lesson.Highly recommended – for boys (and girls,too) who crave action in their reading. Other books in the series include:Mountain Cabin Mystery, Big-Rig Rustlers,Long Island Smugglers and Terror and WolfLake.

Enchanted Thyme –The Delicious Adven-ture Seriesby Ariane Smith withRecipes by ChefMichael Wilson(Big World Press)Young Reader $17.95Rating: """"Enchanted Thyme is adelightful mysterywith the potential tonourish both mindand body. Peter andBelinda Phair love to pick a bedtime storyfor their father, Chef Michael, to read tothem each night. When a brand new titlecontaining endless stories and recipes mys-teriously appears on their bookshelf thekids have no idea what’s in store for them. “That night, as Peter and Belinda drift offto sleep, they’re visited by three wingedkitchen mice named Marjoram, Basil andRosemary who whisk them off to the landof Enchanted Thyme.”Once there they must help the master cheffind the right recipe to break the curse ofeternal hunger the Fricassee Fairie has puton Queen Topstead. Kids and parents alike will enjoy solvingthe mystery and recreating the simple,

healthy recipes in their own kitchens. Protect Your Child on the Internetby John Lenardon(Self-Counsel Press)Parenting $12.95Rating: """It’s not news to any-one that the internetcan be a dangerousplace for children. Yetit’s become impossibleto shield childrenentirely from using it. “For many it’sbecome the maincommunication lineto their friends.”Protect Your Child on the Internet is a guidefor parents looking to educate themselvesin order to protect their children. Chaptersinclude information about chat rooms,blogs, newsgroups and webcams and muchmore. Adware and spyware are addressedalong with how to identify sites targetingchildren. The CD-Rom contains checklists, formsand resource lists to aid parents in commu-nicating with their children about the inter-net and signs that indicate a child may be indanger. Buy the Book, talk with your kidsand please, monitor their viewing habits. Sisterhood of Faith - 365 Life-ChangingStories about WomenWho made aDifference by Shirley Brosius(Howard Books – ADivision of Simonand Schuster)Women’s Interest$14.99 US $18.99Canada""For every womanwho can use a bit of quiet time to refreshher spirit the Sisterhood of Faith is the per-fect tabletop companion. “Each daily devotion features an inspira-tional sister of faith.” “Meet women like: Mary Kay Ash,Elizabeth H. Dole, Lisa Beamer, and oth-ers. Each day I hope you will make sometime to spend with your sisters. You’ll beglad you did.

RATING SYSTEM" Good

"" Very Good""" Recommended

"""" Reviewers’ ChoiceBobbi Carducci is a writer and an edi-

tor/publisher of the Young VoicesAnthology Series of short stories writtenby students in grades K-12.www.youngvoicesfoundation.org Contacther at [email protected]

BBonding with your child can befun, free and easy. Spendingtime together also helps your

child develop appropriate relation-ships, empathy and self-esteem. “One-on-one time makes the kid feel cher-ished, loved, acknowledged, and under-stood,” explained Dr. Celeste Frank, apsychologist with over 20 years of expe-rience counseling parents and children.

Dr. Frank suggested one hour as theideal amount of time to spend each day,one-on-one, with your child, “I knowthat is really hard to do, but if you couldeven get in half an hour or 45 minuteswhere you’re not doing anything else,you’re not cleaning the house or cook-ing or answering the phone, that wouldbe ideal.”

Don’t have an hour each day?Consider incorporating quality timewith your child while accomplishingdaily tasks.

Use these suggestions for fun, con-venient ways to bond with your youngone.1. Play In The Dirt. Gardening is a

wonderful opportunity for childrento see the fruits of their labor. Helpyour child learn to dig, plant andcare for flowers or vegetables byincluding them when you work out-doors. Consider giving your child asection of the garden to cultivateand always leave plenty of time foryour child to talk and ask questions.

2. Read A Book. The National Child-ren’s Reading Foundation recom-mends spending a minimum of 20minutes a day reading with yourchild. Reading together not onlyimproves your child’s ability to readand learn, but it also presents anopportunity for bonding. “Readingallows a child to pose questionsabout things she doesn’t understandand to get your thoughts on whatyou are reading. That is a way forparents to impart their values andbeliefs to their children, and that iscrucial,” said Dr. Frank. For schoolage children, you can assist yourchild in achieving daily or weeklyreading requirements while spend-ing time together. Enjoy reading toyour younger child, allowing themto select the book of their choice.

3. Let Your Child Take Charge.Children live in a world that is gov-erned by adults. Allow your child tomake the rules (within reason)while you play along without cor-recting or criticizing. You will bepleasantly surprised with yourchild’s vivid imagination, and youmay find a bit of your inner child as

well.4. Share A Meal. Studies indicate that

children who eat meals with theirparents are much less likely todevelop substance abuse problemsand eating disorders. Eating togeth-er also opens the lines of communi-cation. Be creative when engagingchildren in conversation by askingthem specific questions about theirday. You can also involve childrenin mealtime preparations as a cookor kitchen helper. Request inputabout upcoming meals, discussfavorite activities, books or upcom-ing family events at the table, andremember to allow kids to ask youquestions, too.

5. Take a walk. Taking a walk withyour child provides an opportunityfor uninterrupted communication.Enjoy moving along at your child’space, noticing the things he sees andexamines along the way. “Cultivatean open attitude toward your kidwhere you’re just going to listen.Kids will talk endlessly if they havethe arena to do so,” said Dr. Frank.

6. Cook Together. Invite your childinto the kitchen for measuring, stir-ring and recipe reading. Cookingtogether allows your child to feelinvolved in meal preparation, whilelearning measurements and follow-ing directions.

7. Star Gaze. Choose an evening foryour child to stay up past their bed-time so that you can star gazetogether. All you need is a blanketand a cloudless sky. Enjoy gazingsilently into the night, providingyour child with ample opportunityto ask questions and share thoughts.

8. Play Ball. Enjoy playing a sporttogether, one-on-one. With olderkids, play a game of basketball, kickaround a soccer ball or throw afootball. Younger kids can enjoy agame of toss or rolling a ball back

and forth. Be careful tonot criticize or coach yourchild. Relax, have fun andget in some all-importantexercise while creating anopportunity to talk witheach other.

9. Establish a Ritual.Provide security and struc-ture for your child byestablishing rituals.“[Children] need to knowthat everything else istaken care of and justexpand their endlesslycurious minds. If theirlives are chaotic and theydon’t have routine, struc-ture, rituals, then theycan’t do that,” explainedDr. Frank. A ritual can beas simple as a bedtime rou-tine, sharing a secret hand-shake before school or sayingprayers together each night.Spending time with your child

allows you to see the person inside thatsmall body. It also provides an opportu-nity to relax and see the world from achild’s perspective. Blow bubbles,

examine bugs, and play games together.Challenge yourself to relinquish yourworries long enough to have fun.

Julie Steed enjoys writing about parent-ing, fitness and her adventures as a militaryspouse. You can contact Julie atEmergingAuthor.blogspot.com.

by Julie Steed

Nine Fun Ways toBond With Your Child


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A new study finds that kids who areallowed to watch R-rated movies aremuch more likely to believe it’s easy toget a cigarette than those who aren’tallowed to watch such films.

“We don’t know why this is so. It mayhave to do with a parenting style that ispermissive of activities that are not age-appropriate. Or it may be an outcomeof all the smoking scenes in R-ratedmovies,” says lead author of the studyChyke Doubeni, PhD, with theUniversity of Massachusetts MedicalSchool. The study appears in theFebruary 21 issue of the AmericanJournal of Preventive Medicine.

“But we do know that kids whobelieve it is easy to get a cigarette are atrisk of smoking. Our prior research hasalready shown that kids who perceivecigarettes as readily accessible are morelikely to end up as regular smokers,”Doubeni said.

The researchers found that parentalpermission to watch R-rated movieswas one of the strongest predictors ofthe perception that cigarettes are avail-able, about as strong as having friendsthat smoked. If allowed to watch R-

rated films, nonsmokers were almosttwice as likely, and smokers werealmost three times as likely to say itwould be easy for them to get ciga-rettes.

The researchers looked at data fromthe second Development andAssessment of Nicotine Dependence inYouth, a four-year study of 1246 sixth-grade students in Massachusetts whowere interviewed 11 times from 2002 to2006. Students were asked if theyagreed or disagreed with the statement:“It would be easy for me to get a ciga-rette.” They were also asked “Is any-body allowed to smoke inside yourhome?” and “How often do your par-ents let you watch movies or videos thatare rated R?”

The study was funded by theSubstance Abuse Policy ResearchProgram (SAPRP) of the Robert WoodJohnson Foundation.

“Parents need to be mindful aboutthe movies their children watch for avariety of obvious reasons. This studypoints out one more reason for notallowing children to watch movies thatare not appropriate for their age,”added co-author Dr. Joseph DiFranza

with the University of MassachusettsMedical School.

The study also found that having afavorite tobacco advertisement was sig-nificantly associated with perceivedaccessibility, as was knowing the JoeCamel cartoon mascot for Camel ciga-rettes. Unsurprisingly, kids with parentswho smoke or allow smoking in thehome tended to think it would be veryeasy to obtain cigarettes.

“This implies that parental smokinglikely contributes to youth smokingthrough increased perceived accessibil-ity,” says Doubeni. “Parents need tounderstand that your kids are morelikely to get cigarettes if you smoke,particularly if you smoke in the homeor allow someone else to smoke in thehome.”

The Substance Abuse PolicyResearch Program (www.saprp.org) ofthe Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Washington, DC –

HHannah Montanaarrives in theaters,along with some

Earth families and their cute off-spring. Here’s a sneak peek at April

movies:

Hannah Montana: The MovieRated G. In theaters April 10. Ok for kids

7+. 3.5 out of 5 ReelsMiley Cyrus has weathered her share of

scandals over the past year, but she’s stillturning out fun, innocent movies for girls.This one by Walt Disney Pictures finds MileyStewart (Cyrus) struggling to juggle school,friends, and her secret pop-star persona,Hannah Montana. But when Hannah’s pop-ularity threatens to take over her life, herdad (Billy Ray Cyrus) takes the teen hometo Crowley Corners, Tennessee for a dose ofreality. It’s a sweet adventure with a bit ofromance thrown into the mix.

Jane Louise Boursaw EarthRated G. In

theaters April 22.Ok for kids 6+. 4.5 out of 5 Reels

James Earl Jones narrates this stunningfilm – the first in the Disneynature series. Ittells the remarkable story of three animalfamilies and their amazing journey acrossthe planet. This isn’t just another documen-tary. It features some really rare footage invery cool locations. And note the release

date: Earth Day, April 22, 2009. JANE’S REEL RATING SYSTEM:One Reel – Even The Force can’t save it.Two Reels – Coulda been a contender.Three Reels – Something to talk about.Four Reels – You want the truth? Greatflick!Five Reels – Wow! The stuff dreams aremade of.Jane Louise Boursaw is a freelance journalist

specializing in the movie and televisionindustries. Visit her online at

www.ReelLifeWithJane.com or [email protected].

Kids Who Watch R-rated Movies areMore Likely to Smoke



Helping kids learn tolove healthy eatingTurn PB & J into PB & A — peanut butter and apples! Thislunchtime treat is a great way to please picky sandwich eatersand make sure they get some healthy fruit.

Open Face Caramel Peanut Butter SandwichPrep Time: 5 minutesServings: 22 tablespoons (1.25-ounce individual container)

Marzetti Disney Cinnamon Caramel Apple Dip2 tablespoons favorite peanut butter2 slices favorite bread

Sliced apples, peanuts, dried cranberries or raisinsIn a small bowl, mix together dip and peanut butter until smooth.

Spread two tablespoons of caramel mixture on each slice ofbread.

Arrange sliced apples, peanuts and dried fruit atop each sand-wich and serve.

FAMILY FEATURES

According to the 2007 Produce For Kids study, 96 percent ofchildren don’t get the recommended five servings of fruitsand vegetables every day. That won’t surprise a lot of par-ents. Getting children to eat any fruits or vegetables at all

can be a big challenge.With 39 percent of all U.S. children overweight or obese, getting

kids to make better food choices is more important than ever.Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, nutrients and

fiber, are low in calories and can help prevent many diseases, including highblood pressure, heart disease and some cancers. But kids aren’tcompelled by the nutritional benefits of produce. They want to havefun eating food they like. So they need some help to becomehealthy eaters.

How can a parent get fruit-phobic or veggie-avoiding kids to eatmore of what they really need? Mypyramid.gov, a Web site dedicatedto helping people make smart food choices, has some tips for copingwith picky eaters.

! Let your kids be “produce pickers.” Let them help pick outfruits and veggies at the store.

! Kids like to try foods they help make. All of that mixing,mashing and measuring makes them want to taste what theyare creating.

! Make meals a stress-free time. If meals are times for familyarguments, your child may learn unhealthy attitudes towardfood.

! Offer choices. Rather than ask “Do you want broccoli for din-ner?” ask “Which would you like for dinner: broccoli or cauli-flower?”

Another suggestion, from The Produce For Kids study, is to usedips to get kids to eat more fruits and vegetables. Sixty-eight per-cent of the moms surveyed said that their children ate more fruitand vegetables when they were served with dip.

One of the latest items on the market to help meet this need isMarzetti Disney Dips, a line of fruit and veggie dips for childrenthat makes eating produce fun and nutritious. Each portion-controlpackage contains the right amount of dip for a serving of fruit orvegetables. The packaging also features favorite Disney characters,games and trivia questions – all of which make eating healthy a lotmore fun.

Picky eaters don’t have to stay picky eaters. With some encour-agement and creative ideas from parents, they can learn to love eat-ing what’s best for them.

For more information, visit marzetti.com/disney.

Put some crunchy fun into snack time with this fruity rice cake.This is one treat the kids will love making themselves — just setout the ingredients and let them build a fruit-filled snack!

Rice Cake SnackPrep Time: 3 minutesServings: 12 tablespoons (1.25-ounce individual container)

Marzetti Disney Cinnamon Caramel Apple Dip1 rice cake

Topping options: Diced red or green apple,chopped bananas, favorite dried fruit, minichocolate chips or favorite chopped nuts

Spread 2 tablespoons dip onto a rice cake. Top with one or two topping options and serve.

Do your kids turn up their noses at fruits and veggies? Here aresome fun and smart ideas to please even the pickiest of eaters:

Bagel snake – Split mini bagels in half. Cut each half into half cir-cles. Spread the halves with tuna salad, egg salad, or peanut but-ter. Decorate with sliced cherry tomatoes or banana slices.Arrange the half circles to form the body of a snake. Use olives or raisins for the eyes.

English muffin pizza – Top half an English muffin with tomatosauce, chopped veggies and low-fat mozzarella cheese. Heat untilthe cheese is melted.

Potato pal – Top half a small baked potato with eyes, ears, and a

smile. Try peas for eyes, a halved cher-ry tomato for a nose, and a low-fatcheese wedge as a smile.

Fruit smoothies – Blend fresh or frozen fruit with yogurt andmilk or juice. Try 100 percent orange juice, low-fat yogurt,and frozen strawberries.

Ants on a log – Thinly spread peanut butter or apple dip onnarrow celery sticks. Top with a row of raisins or otherdiced dried fruit.

Fruit kabobs – Spear chunks of pineapple, banana and melonon skewers or chopsticks. Let kids dunk them in a fruit dip.

LLife is tough right now and as aresult, people are turning tofood. Job loss means more time

on your hands to eat. Fear and anxietyover paying the bills can mean turningto food for comfort. Stressed out menand women are eating more than theirbodies need.

Just like turning to alcohol, manypeople overeat during stressful times inorder to cope with difficult emotions.And this economic environment is trig-gering it more than ever beforebetween job loss and making endsmeet.

We all nosh occasionally when weare sad, anxious, angry, or have toomuch time on our hands. Howeverwhen it becomes the norm – every daywith no control – it could be a sign thatyou are using food more than youshould. This is not only dangerous forpeople who are struggling with theirweight or have a history of issues withfood, but also for those with no previ-ous issues.

Here are some suggestions to return

to a healthier relationship with food:Trash the diet: The more you try to

restrict your food, the more you arelikely to find yourself compensating byovereating. Diets do not work becauseit makes us feel deprived, especiallyduring stressful times.

Nourish your body: Make sure youare nourishing your body the right wayby eating breakfast, lunch and dinnerdaily and that each meal includes pro-tein, fats and carbohydrates. Snacksare important, particularly when youare craving a certain taste or texture.Allow yourself sweets in moderation.You will overdo less if you do not havea deprivation mentality.

Practice the art of intuitive eating:Only eat when you are hungry andalways stop when you are full. Listen toyour body and learn to identify yourown hunger and fullness.

Acknowledge that food will notsolve the problem: If you are eatingwhen you are not hungry, ask yourself“Is this going to solve my problem?”Instead, seek out social support fromfamily and friends, exercise regularly,

and focus on taking practical stepstoward improving your situation. Thismight involve redoing your resume,talking with your boss about anotherproject you might start, looking intorefinancing your home, etc.

Seek professional help: If you can-not do it on your own, it is okay. Youare not alone. Schedule a consultationwith a therapist or counselor for sup-port and to learn healthier coping skillsto get you through.

Stacey M. Rosenfeld, Ph.D. is alicensed clinical psychologist with a pri-vate practice in New York City. She is alsoa staff psychologist at Columbia UniversityMedical Center and the Chief Psychologistfor the New York City Triathlon. She spe-cializes in the treatment of eating disor-ders, addictions, anxiety and depression,and relationship issues, as well as sportspsychology. For more information on Dr.Rosenfeld or to schedule an appointment,visit www.staceyrosenfeld.com.

! Percent who say their delivery wentthe way they dreamed it would: 16

! Percent increase in births involvingmidwives since 1990: 100

! Typical cost savings from delivering ata midwife-run birthing center over ahospital: $1,500

! Percent increase in twin births sincethe 1980s: 60

! Percent of pregnant women whoexperience morning sickness: 50

! Percent increase in a woman’s aerobiccapacity during pregnancy: 5-10

! Pounds supermodel and actressElizabeth Hurley gained during preg-nancy, then promptly lost: More than50

! Months after giving birth to her firstchild that England’s Paula Radcliffewon the New York Marathon: 10

! Cost of a BabyPlus PrenatalEducation System, recorded rhythmicsounds to give baby an “intellectual,developmental, creative and emotion-al advantage” from birth: $149.95

! Number of articles mentioning BradPitt and Angelina Jolie’s son Shiloh,Hollywood’s “most influential baby,”in his first year: More than 2,000

! Percent of 3-month-olds who regular-ly watch television, videos or DVDs:40

! Cost of a Chelsea sleigh crib by BrattDécor, children’s furniture purveyorto the likes of Sarah Jessica Parkerand Courtney Cox: $1,452

Sources: Baby Talk, Harvard Reviews ofHealth News, Insight on the News, 123facts.com,

Welcomebabyhome.com, Chicago Athlete,iVillage.co.uk, Associated Press,

Geniusbabies.com, Yahoo.com, Reader’s Digest,Brattdecor.com

Childbirth Chatter

PPercent of mothers who had a birthplan they discussed with theirpractitioner: More than 70


The Historical Society of Berks County &Rainbow Theatre presents…

held at theHistorical Society’s grand Hendel

House, 746 Centre Ave., Reading

C elebrate Everybody’s Birthdayat one Happy Party.

Child actors of the Rainbow Theatre willperform a play about a birthday party

that includes everybody! After the play, lightrefreshments will be served, including, of course, a

birthday cupcake for everyone.Appropriate for children five and older.Must be accompanied by an adult.

April 24 at 7:00 PM• April 25 at 1:00 & 3:30 PM

April 26 at 2:00 PM$12 per person, reservations required.

For more information, Call 610-375-4375Visit our website: www.berkshistory.org

Presents:

2009 SUMMERDANCE CAMPS

MOVEMENTMANIA CAMPS

August 12th - CHEERMANIACheer, dance, and pompoms too!

August 13th - DANCEMANIAHip-hop and bop to your favorite tunes.

*Ages 5-12 • 9-11 AM**$30 p/day or $50 for both days*

Each day will culminate in aPerformance Showcase for Parents.

DANCE TEAMBOOTCAMP

*August 11th-13th • 10:30-1:30Ages 13-18 • Only $160*

PRO Staff from the NBA, 3 full routines withfresh choreography, Chalk Talk with current

pro dancers, performance showcase, a 2009camp t-shirt, 3 days of lunch and camp CD!

Contact AOM today to register for our2009 Summer Dance Camps

For more information go towww.academyofmovement.net

AOM is located within Grand Slam, USA,1037 A MacArthur Rd., Reading, PA 19605

610-914-0713

Is the EconomyTriggering Potential Eating Disorders?The Truth about UnhealthyRelationships with Foods in Times of Stress

by Dr. Stacey Rosenfeld

of sound to prenatal children in their natu-ral language—the maternal heartbeat.BabyPlus is available atwww.babyplus.com.

EEducators and health profes-sionals alike have long stressedthe importance of cognitive

development for children ages zero tothree. While this period of develop-ment is undeniably crucial, it is impor-

tant to note that a baby’s brain actuallybegins to form cells during the thirdweek of pregnancy – a time when thebrain is also open to stimulation andlearning and a time when such anenriched environment is absolutelynecessary in every regard.

During weeks 13-16, a child’s firstbrain waves become detectable, a con-nection-building process that persists atbreakneck speed through the first fewyears of life. Most moms-to-be whoread about baby’s development willknow that the baby can also begin tohear sounds in the second trimester –predominantly the constant beat of themother’s heart, but also muffled noisesthat are heard outside the womb.

Learning, or cognitive development,is simply the construction of thoughtprocesses, including perception, re-membering, language abilities, problemsolving and decision-making.Traditionally, society has accepted thetheory of cognitive developmentadvanced by Swiss psychologist JeanPiaget in the 20th century. Piaget heldthat cognitive development consists offour stages throughout a person’s life-time. The first, the sensorimotor stage,begins at birth and lasts until age two.Now there is yet another recent studythat confirms cognitive stimulationactually begins in the womb.

Researchers at the Institute forPsychology of the Hungarian Academyof Sciences and the Institute for Logic,Language and Computation of theUniversity of Amsterdam found thatthe auditory system is at least partlyfunctional approximately three monthsbefore birth, and that produced beatscan be distinguished and perceived inthe womb by the developing baby.

Because we cannot feasibly observebehavioral reactions in the womb, theresearchers studied the brain activity ofneonates - newborns two to three daysold. Through electrodes, the research-ers measured electrical brain signals.Several variants of a basic rock rhythmwere delivered through adhesive ear-couplers worn by the newborns. Whenthe rhythm was changed to miss the

“down beat,” the babies’ brains pro-duced an electrical response indicatingthat they had expected to hear thatmissing downbeat, but had not.

The study explains:“So it appears that the capability of

detecting beat in rhythmic sound

sequences is already functional atbirth.”

“Our results show that althoughlearning by movement is probablyimportant, the newborn auditory sys-tem is apparently sensitive to periodici-ties and develops expectations aboutwhen a new cycle should start (i.e.,when the downbeat should occur).Therefore, although auditory perceptu-al learning starts already in the womb,our results are fully compatible with thenotion that the perception of beat isinnate.”

According to this study, simplerhythmic sounds - like those similar tothe maternal heartbeat - are easiest forthe unborn child to understand, if notalready innate.

What we can infer through this studyis that a developing baby’s brain isresponsive to beats – a simple rhythmthat is, developmentally, something ababy can comprehend. The maternalheartbeat, constantly heard pulsingthrough the placenta at 95 decibels, is atrue language that a prenatal baby canunderstand and benefit from. Musicwould not strengthen a baby’s cognitivedevelopment because the combinedsounds, rhythms and beats are too com-plex, and, while the spoken word cancreate a bond between the parents andchild before birth, speaking to anunborn child would not promote suchcognitive development because the

voice is soft and muffled by the amniot-ic fluid.

After birth, babies stimulated prena-tally through simple rhythmic soundscan exhibit “a range of key differencesfrom typical infant traits,” said Dr.Brent Logan, author of Learning BeforeBirth and developer of the BabyPluscurriculum – which utilizes such simplebeats. Much like moms-to-be take pre-natal vitamins to aid in physical devel-opment, parents report consistent ben-efits from using age-appropriate audi-tory stimulation to aid in baby’s cogni-tive development.

So, next time you are decidingbetween Mozart or a bedtime story fordaddy to read to your developing babyin the womb, keep in mind that simple,repetitive rhythms are best for develop-ment. There are prenatal learning sys-tems available, and it can be anticipatedthat the demand for these systems willincrease as more research becomesavailable.

Lisa Jarrett is President of the BabyPlusCompany, and a mother of four BabyPluschildren. BabyPlus is a universal prenataleducation system that introduces patterns

by Lisa Jarrett

“…it appears that the capability of detecting beat inrhythmic sequences is already functional at birth.”

Prenatal LearningWhat Is It and When Does It Begin?


GREENFIELD TRIPS FOR SCHOOLSWe are collecting cartridges at both events

Berks CountyEarth Day

WHEN:Sunday, April 19, 2009

TIME:NOON-5 PM

PLACE:RIVERFRONT PARK,RIVERFRONT DRIVE,

READING, PA(Next to RACC)

earthdayberks.org

Help The EnvironmentRefill Not Landfill

Sinking Spring Plaza • 4748 Penn Ave.610-927-9202 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Green &Growing Fest

PA RenaissanceFaire

A full day ofinteractiveand fun,learning

about ourenvironmentand how topreserve it!

April 30 &May 1, 20099 AM - 3 PM

parenfaire.com

change and be prepared to take respon-sibility for following a new sleep sched-ule, including weekend wake-ups, onher own.” You can lead a horse to water,well, you know the rest.

For a year I led Allison to the water,with few results except comments onhow I was “ruining her life” and “pun-ishing her.” Then after a full year of usenforcing a bedtime routine, Allisonstarted to go to bed on time withoutcomplaint! I was, I am, beside myselfwith joy. I asked her, “What made youstart going to bed at 10:00?” Her reply,“Oh, I just got sick of falling asleep inclass all the time.” I’d like to think myefforts made her see the wisdom of agood night’s sleep.

A word of caution, children who con-tinue to have problems adjusting theirsleep phase may be experiencing otherproblems such as depression, schoolavoidance, or other medical issues whichshould be dealt with by your pediatri-cian.

As Patrick Friman so kindly remindsus, “Children who have clearly setexpectations, consistency in their sched-ules, and routine requirements (chores),all established by or flowing from theirparents, have much greater access tohappiness than children who are left totheir own devices.” Do not give up! Theresults, although sometimes long incoming, are worth it.

Copyright Martha [email protected]

Martha Wegner lives in St. Paul,Minnesota with her husband and 2 chil-dren. To read more of her essays go towww.marthawegner.us.


JJust when I thought I was nearingthe end of my parenting chal-lenges, along came my daughter’s

adolescence; a whole new challenge untoitself filled with questions about sex,drugs, curfew, college entrance, and,well, the list goes on. But who couldhave anticipated this challenge: sleep.We’ve trained these kids for sleep sincethey were babies! But something hap-

pened to my daughter’s ability to enterpeaceful slumber as she entered herteenage years. Every night was a battleto get her to go to bed. She had to listento her iPod. She needed to solve the lat-est problem with her friend via text mes-saging. When we told her “lights out,”she whined and procrastinated. Themornings? Don’t even get me started onthe mornings, because I sure couldn’t getmy daughter started in the morning.

World War III could not have gottenAllison started in the morning. I won-dered just how many times can a personhit the snooze button? And every morn-ing she was late as she grabbed her toastand ran to the bus stop. I pleaded withher (over and over), “Why don’t you goto bed earlier so that you can wake upearlier and so that you are not noddingoff in class?”

It turns out that Allison is not alone.According to the American Academy ofPediatrics (AAP)’s book, Guide to YourChild’s Sleep: birth through adolescence(Villard, 1999), although most teenagersneed between 9 and 10 hours a sleep anight, they get on average closer to 7hours. Many teenagers experience whatthe AAP calls “delayed sleep phase syn-drome”: “Biological changes duringpuberty bring about shifts in the sleepphase [the number of hours in a 24-hourperiod devoted to sleeping] that encour-age teenagers to stay up late and conse-quently oversleep. Further complicatingthe matter, teenagers don’t like to betold what to do, and many parents,respecting their children’s urge towardindependence, tend to hold back advicefor fear of being accused of nagging.”Because of this delayed sleep phase,adolescents sleep less than they need toon weeknights, and then try to make upfor it on weekends. How did this happen?

AAP places the blame for this com-mon sleep phase shift on two culprits:first, the hormonal surges of pubertythat reset the adolescent body clock insuch a way that youngsters may not onlyfeel sleepy progressively later, but mayalso be inclined to wake later. Second,teenagers are much more likely to takepart in social activities in the evening,some as structured as athletic or playpractice, some unstructured, but stimu-lating nonetheless, such as time spent onthe internet chatting and texting backand forth to friends. Many teenagershold down a part time job in addition totheir studies and social life. Why does it matter?

Other than the fact that I was yellingat my daughter at the end of the day andat the start of every morning, and thisput us all in a very bad mood, what doesit matter? Hold on to your hat, the find-ings are astounding.

AAP cites a number of studies whichfound that school grades were a reliableindicator of the hours spent sleeping.Students whose report cards showed

mainly As and Bs were the sameyoungsters who usually went tobed earlier on both school nightsand weekends. These high achiev-ers averaged about 35 more min-utes of sleep nightly than thosewho got mostly Ds and Fs. Inaddition, teenagers who got themost sleep, and who went to bedat about the same time on schoolnights and weekends, were morealert all day long. Also, those whoslept less and had erratic bedtimeswere not only drowsy during theday; they were also more likely tobe depressed. Finally, severalstudies have also shown thatteenagers who don’t sleep enoughhave a higher rate of car crashes.What Can We Do?

Patrick Friman, author of GoodNight, Sweet Dreams, I Love You:now get into bed and go to sleep!(Boys Town Press, 2005) tells usthat our responsibility for settingand enforcing rules does not end,just because our kids have hittheir teens: “You should set andenforce bedtimes for your chil-dren, even when those childrenare in middle school or well into highschool...Why? The biggest reason is thatmiddle school-aged and high school-aged children do not often place resthigh on their list of priorities. True, if leftto their own devices, they would proba-bly get enough sleep to be able to func-tion for a week or maybe even two. Butmost likely they would quickly be usingthe weekends to catch up on lost sleep.”Specifically, he suggests setting a strictbedtime and then limiting the extent towhich extracurricular activities, home-work, and undone chores interfere withthat time.

David Walsh, author of Why do TheyAct That Way?: a survival guide to theadolescent brain for you and your teen(Free Press, 2004) suggests removingstimulation at night. “Limiting caffeinat-ed beverages, TV, video games, andphone after nine or ten can help con-vince the adolescent brain that it’s timefor bed. ...Quiet reading, quiet music,and other mellow activities are goodways to make the transition to sleeptime. She still may not fall asleep tilleleven, but that’s a lot better than onea.m.”

The truth is, we can do what we can toset a climate for better sleep habits, butas the AAP suggests, “A key to successis requiring the teenager assume controlover her bedtime and waking...You caneven lead her toward a solution byexplaining how to shift the sleep phaseback, and you can provide the tools sheneeds, such as a clock radio and a loudalarm...However, if the program is towork, your teenager has to want to

by Martha Wegner

Students whose report cards showed mainly As andBs were the same youngsters who usually went tobed earlier on both school nights and weekends.

Teens and Sleep:Turn Off Your iPod…

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Wake Forest University BaptistMedical Center (www.wfubmc.edu) is anacademic health system comprised ofNorth Carolina Baptist Hospital, BrennerChildren’s Hospital, Wake ForestUniversity Physicians, and Wake ForestUniversity Health Sciences, which oper-ates the university’s School of Medicineand Piedmont Triad Research Park.

An X-ray-guided spinal tap proce-dure fails more than half of the time inyoung infants and should be used spar-ingly, if at all, for those patients, accord-ing to a new study done by researchersat Wake Forest University School ofMedicine.

The study also shows that the X-ray-guided form of spinal tap, called fluo-roscopy-guided lumbar puncture, caus-es a doubling in risk of bleeding forpatients older than 80 compared toyounger patients and that the risk ofbleeding caused by the procedure canbe reduced by doing the puncture at themiddle of the lower back rather than atthe lowest levels of the spine.

The full study appears in this month’sissue of the American Journal ofNeuroradiology, published by theAmerican Society of Neuroradiology.

“The purpose of this study was tolook at which factors related to doing aspinal tap result in a greater chance ofbleeding caused by the needle,” saidAnnette J. Johnson, M.D., M.S., thestudy’s senior researcher and an associ-ate professor of radiologic sciences.“We are trying to figure out how tominimize the number of times we causebleeding when doing this procedure.”

Fluoroscopy-guided lumbar punc-ture is used most often to diagnosepatients who have sudden severeheadache, possible meningitis infectionor cancers around the brain.

Doctors perform this type of spinaltap to analyze cerebrospinal fluid,which can help determine why a patientis sick. A patient who has a fever andstiff neck, for example, might haveabnormal white blood cells in his cere-brospinal fluid, indicating that thesymptoms are caused by meningitis,whereas the cerebrospinal fluid of apatient with a severe, sudden headachemight contain a significant amount ofblood, a sign of possible rupturedaneurysm.

During the lumbar puncture, a smallneedle is inserted into the patient’slower spine. Fluoroscopy is the use ofradiation in real time to take a picturethat more precisely locates where toput the needle, avoiding bone spurs andbony narrowings related to scoliosis.Sometimes the placement of the needleduring the procedure causes somebleeding into the cerebrospinal fluid.This type of problem, seen in up to aquarter of cases, makes it more difficultto diagnose the patient, Johnson said,because it is hard to determine if theblood is a symptom of the condition ora result of the lumbar puncture.

“Because cerebrospinal fluid testsprovide very valuable information in

making the diagnoses of several seriousdiseases – such as bleeding in the head,cancer of the brain or spine, meningitis,infection of the brain, or multiple scle-rosis – and because obtaining the fluidinvolves insertion of a long needle intothe spine, it is important that we opti-mize the most safe and effective meth-ods of doing this procedure,” Johnsonsaid.

For the study, researchers reviewedthe files of more than 750 patients rang-ing in age from less than 1 year to 90years old. All had received a fluo-roscopy-guided lumbar puncture inemergency room, outpatient or inpa-tient settings.

Results show that fluoroscopy-guid-ed lumbar punctures failed in about 60percent of the cases that involved veryyoung patients, meaning that no cere-brospinal fluid could be obtained at all.The needle caused bleeding into thecerebrospinal fluid in about 25 percentof the infant cases where the doctorswere able to obtain the fluid, accordingto the study.

“This finding suggests that in infants,physicians may opt to use ultrasound toguide the needle for lumbar punctureor work without the cerebrospinal fluidaltogether,” Johnson said. “It’s just notworth the radiation and high chance offailure or bleeding that fluoroscopy-guided lumbar puncture carries in thesevery young patients.”

For patients older than 80, theresearchers found that such bleedinghappened in about 26 percent of cases –twice the rate seen in patients ages 1 to80. Johnson said clinicians in thosecases should attempt to insert the nee-dle in the middle of the lower back,where the study found risk of bleedingis less likely. Clinicians should also dou-ble check to make sure these elderlypatients are not taking medications thatthin the blood and increase the chanceof bleeding, she added.

Regardless of age, punctures in thelower part of the low-back were twiceas likely to result in bleeding as werethose in the middle low-back.

“We were somewhat surprised thatneedle size was not related to rate ofbleeding caused by the needle,”Johnson said. “This result may be relat-ed to the fact that only two sizes of nee-dles were commonly used in our studyand both were small. However, we didfind that the risk of bleeding was higheras you went lower in the spine.

“Lumbar punctures will very likelycontinue to be a common medical pro-cedure,” Johnson added. “The findingsof this study should help orderingphysicians decide how best to order thistest and should help radiologist physi-

cians choose at which levels to performthe procedure.”

Michael Y. Chen, M.D., also of theSchool of Medicine, and Samuel D. Yu,M.D., of Indiana University School ofMedicine in Indianapolis, co-authoredthe study, which received no externalfunding.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. –

Spinal Taps Carry Higher Risks for Infantsand Elderly, Study Shows

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Now offering multiple opportunities for you to see how we deliver maternity care.

Exceptional Medicine. Extraordinary Care.

Touring the region’s top-of-the-line birthing center is now

more convenient than ever.

A personalized walking tour of the Beginnings Maternity Center is

available at one of our upcoming events. Or you can tour the

state-of-the-art Center in the comfort of your own home virtually by

visiting www.readinghospital.org.

Touring the Center will show you how we add a premium level of

luxury to a birthing experience that is unsurpassed in the region. And

you’ll get acquainted with some of our features including

all-private rooms, the safety of the county’s

only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and care provided

by physicians and nurses who are ranked nationally in patient

satisfaction for clinical expertise, friendliness, and attention to

personal needs.*

When you’re expecting, we deliver the best.

To tour the Center or learn more about our services, physicians,

and prenatal education, visit www.readinghospital.org,

or call 610-988-HELP.

Join us at one of our upcoming FREE events. Call 610-988-HELP

for event details.

See the Beginnings Maternity Center from inside one of our luxurious

rooms or from one of yours.

*Source: Press Ganey, an independent company selected by more than 7,000 hospitals to measure patient satisfaction

About Families Berks April 2009

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Transcript of About Families Berks April 2009