September MOPS Newsletter

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The Nearly Scientific Journal of September 2010 The & Art Science of Mothering Working Mom Blues Homeschooling Your Preschooler

description

Mother, Mother of Preschoolers, working mom blues, homeschooling, art, science, pumpkin project, m&m pretzel treats.

Transcript of September MOPS Newsletter

Page 1: September MOPS Newsletter

The Nearly Scientific Journal of

September 2010

The

& Art Science

of Mothering

Working Mom Blues

Homeschooling Your

Preschooler

Page 2: September MOPS Newsletter

2010—2011 Steering Team

NE MOPS

Coordinator

Stacy Swan

Publicity

Bonnie Daughenbaugh

Note from the Editor

elcome to a new year of MOPS! This is my third year as a member of MOPS, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for 2010-2011 at North

East MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers).

MOPS has been so beneficial for my daughter and me. We have developed friendships , I have been a part of some fun events, and as a bonus I have learned how to be a better mom.

As editor of this newsletter, I am looking for your input. As we explore the art and science of being a mom, think of ways that you have observed and discovered some artistic or scientific things about your child. Each month, we’ll have “Mommy’s Masterpiece” which is a picture of your child along with the story of what your child created. This section should be a work of art your child has created in some way you wish he or she WOULDN’T have whether it be on the couch, on her face (with your new lipstick), or on the walls. We’ll also have an “Delectable Creations,” which will include one of your favorite recipes. Don’t leave me hanging! I need your submissions to make this newsletter all about us.

This newsletter is specifically for—and about—our NE MOPS group. If you would like to contribute articles or pictures, please e-mail me at [email protected]. I’ll try to include as many as I can throughout the MOPS year.

Thanks and enjoy!

W

Bonnie

Finance

Melissa Miller

Hospitality

Krista Stempka

MOPPETS

Creative Activities

Dede Fox

Mom Mentor

Kathy Tau

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Discussion Group Leader (DGL)

Bethany Fiorello

Lisa Miller

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in this issue

Stay-At-Home vs. Working Moms

September 2010

Check out what research says...

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The Science Spot 4 Delectable Creations 4 Mommy’s Masterpiece 5

An Art Spot 5

Working Mom Blues 6 Homeschooling Your Preschooler 7 MOMOLOGY Features 7 2010-2011 NE MOPS Calendar

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Delectable Creations This months’ creation is a delight for any event. Who doesn’t like chocolate, M&M’s, and pretzels! Please email me your crowd-pleasing recipes at [email protected].

Ingredients:

1 bag of Snyder Butter Snap Pretzels (square)

Wilton’s Baking Melts (assorted colors, available at Michael’s

Assorted M&M’s (plain, peanut, or almond)

Spread pretzels on cookie sheet and top with candy melt. Place in preheated oven (275°) for 3-4 minutes, just until soft. Remove from oven and immediately place M&M's on each. For best results, place in refrigerator for 1/2 hour to cool and set. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

M&M Pretzel Treats

Pumpkin Project (teach decomposition and why it happens)

What you'll need:

• Pumpkin (s)

• Ground area outside

• Pen/Colored Pencils

• Digital Camera

• Journal

Instructions:

1. Carve one pumpkin together, leave one pumpkin uncarved.

2. Record start date in journal. Child can draw pictures of pumpkin (s).

3. Make weekly observations of pumpkin, have child take notes and draw pictures.

4. Discuss the changes you are observing, have your child make suggestions as to the changes.

What's happening? Explain why the pumpkin is rotting because of fungi, bacteria, small insects, and other decomposers that break it down into tiny parts. Note that the seeds are left behind to grow more pumpkins. Explain that decomposers are the tiny parts that enter the soil and turn the soil into a great place to grow more pumpkins. Suggested Books : • Pumpkin Jack -tells the story of a boy who watches his jack-o’-lantern rot away after Halloween and leave behind seeds that sprout the next spring and grow into new pumpkins, one of which the boy carves into a new jack-o’-lantern. (Will Hubbell). • Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden -contains a series of photographs chronicling the decomposition of a pumpkin. (George Levenson).

THE SCIENCE SPOT

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MOMMY’S MASTERPIECE I had to look back a few

years to find a masterpiece from Emma. I left Emma (one year old)

alone for two seconds (give or take a few), and this is what happened. A

toilet paper masterpiece :) Her smile was quite

priceless, as she looked at me and seemed to say

“Look what I did mommy!”

Has your child made a “masterpiece” that you’ve

later had to clean up? Send a picture and description to me at

[email protected] and I’ll publish it!

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Picture by Bonnie Daughenbaugh

MATERIALS:

• Small, empty metal box, such as the kind Altoids mints come in .

• Paper

• Adhesive-backed magnetic sheet

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Trace the top of the tin onto both the paper and the magnetic sheet, then draw and color a design on the paper.

2. Cut out both shapes, remove the backing from the magnet, and stick the drawing to it.

3. Set the decorated magnet on the top of the tin, then fill the tin with all those very important things.

THE ART SPOT Changeable Carryall TINS by Family Fun

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WorKinG MoM

BLUeS

others who feel guilty about leaving their child with another person while they go off to work shouldn’t, ac-cording to a new study. The study by the University of Massachusetts reveals that children whose mothers work outside of the home have no emotional or developmental damage because of it, according to researcher Elizabeth Harvey as she stated in the journal Developmental Psychology. This finding is based on the

analysis of data collected in The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). Harvey's study differs from others in that she looked at 12,000 kids who had reached age 12, a later age than most previous studies. Observations were made on the child in compliance, behavior problems, cognitive development, self-esteem, and academic achievement. The researcher found that children whose mothers worked during the first three years of their lives were not significantly different from children whose mothers did not work during that time. Three or four year olds showed higher compliance when mothers returned to work later than the same age group who returned to work sooner. Differences were small and disappeared by the time the child was five or six. Children showed lower scores on tests when mothers worked long hours . These differences in academic achievement disappeared by age 10, and language differences between working and stay-at-home moms were reduced by age 12.

Where there are differences are in two areas: how soon a mother returns to work and in the number of hours worked each week. Harvey found that when the sooner a mother returns to work after delivery, the more likely it is that behavioral and developmental problems will crop up. Likewise, the more hours a week a mom works, the more likely problems are to de-velop and linger.

Harvey's study indicates that the most important issues in determining whether or not a child is well-developed are the rela-tionship the mother and child have when they are together and the quality of the child's daycare. With apparently no impact on the situation are the fathers and if they work out of or in the home.

M By Bonnie Daughenbaugh—

Source: American Psychological Association

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One of the MOPS Interna-tional benefits this year is the reusable shopping bag with the MOPS logo “Friends don’t let friends mother alone!” If you pre-registered, you should have already received the bag. Otherwise, if you just registered with MOPS International, look for it in your mailbox in the next month! Other benefits will include weekly Mom E-mails, MOPS bumper sticker, No Mom Alone Magnet, the MomSense maga-zine, and the MOPS bag tag.

The Art & Science of Mothering

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Homeschooling Your PreSchooler By Lise Caldwell

Homeschooling preschoolers is essen-tially parenting preschoolers. At this stage, all parents are “homeschooling”—teaching their children about themselves, the world around them, and God. Most thoughtful parents do naturally exactly what they ought to be doing--reading with their child, counting (cookies are my favorite count-ers!), talking about colors, numbers, and shapes. Pay attention to what you are doing for your child that she could be doing for herself, and teach her to do it--even if it is-n't perfect. Give him simple chores. Laugh and play. One thing that formal preschool pro-vides that homeschooling might not is lots of interaction with peers. Especially if your child is a firstborn or an only, you'll need to provide encounters with age-mates for your child to practice sharing, turn-taking, and anger management. The advantage you have is that you get the chance to observe

these interactions yourself and help your child process them. But don't be too quick to jump in! He won't develop social skills if you come to the rescue at the first sign of trouble. Another benefit of preschool is “down time” for mom, so make sure you are creating a space for yourself, too, to refresh yourself emotionally, physically, and spiritually. This is a great time to start building relationships with other families that intend to homeschool. They will be a wonderful resource for you in years to come when other friends no longer have their children at home dur-ing the day. But be careful not to come across as judgmental or superior to your non-homeschooling friends. I find that my friends who have chosen to send their children to school are a wonderful resource for me, and I've been able to help them a time or two as well. We all want the same things for our children--excellent character, good education, loving relationships, and devotion to God. Most of all, enjoy!

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Better Moms Make a Better World

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NE MOPS 2010-2011 SCHEDULE

AM Meetings PM Meetings

9/14/10 10:00-11:30 am 9/28/10 6:15-8:15 pm

10/12/10 10:00-11:30 am 10/26/10 6:15-8:15 pm

11/9/10 10:00-11:30 am 11/23/10 6:15-8:15 pm

12/14/10 10:00-11:30 am Merry Christmas!

1/11/11 10:00-11:30 am 1/25/11 6:15-8:15 pm

2/8/11 10:00-11:30 am 2/22/11 6:15-8:15 pm

3/8/11 10:00-11:30 am 3/23/11 6:15-8:15 pm

4/12/11 10:00-11:30 am 4/26/11 6:15-8:15 pm

5/10/11 10:00-11:30 am 5/24/11 6:15-8:15 pm

NORTH EAST MOPS would like to thank Assembly of God Church for the printing services. Thank you so much!

If you happened to come upon this newsletter and are interested in joining MOPS, please do!

MOPS meets the 2nd Tuesday from 10:00-11:30 am. And the 4th Tuesday from 6:15-8:15 pm.

September thru May.

For more information call 725-3435.

Find us at:

2025 Orchard Beach Rd.

North East, PA 16428

(814) 725-3435

www.nemops.org

THIS JUST IN! Welcome, Sweet Baby

Over the summer, a couple of babies were welcomed into MOPS families:

Neely Pearl Caldwell Hope Elizabeth Fiorello Tristen Alexander Stempka 5/17/10 weight: 6 lbs. 2 oz. 7/12/10 weight: 7 lbs. 2 oz. 8/18/10 weight: 8 lbs. Congratulations to Kerry, Bethany & Krista