Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Fun to Share

I've met so many wonderful people on both my life and Kindermusik journey. Keeping in touch with people has always been difficult for me, especially since Katy was born. Enter the technology of the 21st century. I can send pictures to Grammie and Grampie via computer. I can post a video online to share with friends and family. I've recently joined Facebook and discovered that in minutes, I can share with many friends at once. ( I can even play a Scrabble game with friends who live 20 miles away!) It's amazing!

One of the things I've recently discovered is that I'm not alone in my enthusiasm to share with others. Parents want to share their children's pictures and stories with me, too. And that makes me so happy. As a teacher, I love nothing more than hearing what your kids are up to, how they are growing, what makes them happy. Being a teacher is like being a mom with a million fringe benefits.

Here is a blog link from a friend. Last week I did a Music and More program at the Wilmington Library. What a great program! About 30 children and their parents ( for a total of 60!!) attended.

http://mommyniri.blogspot.com/2008/07/sing-song-friday.html

If you want to share your stories with your friends and people who have similar interests, consider the 'blog'. ( No, not the Borg, the BLOG- little Trek inside joke there)
Blogger provides a very easy format for writing your stories and posting pictures and links. Don't think you can blog? Neither did I. Give it a try- you never know what hidden talents you posess!

Monday, July 21, 2008

Secondhand Love


I'm a trash picker. Yes, I am. My answer to society's disposable mentality is "If you don't want it, give it to me!" ( Thank goodness that mentality is shifting!!) I'm talking about the big-ticket items, though. I don't root through garbage cans ( you have to draw the line somewhere....). And although I'm not alone in my trash-picking, I believe that the majority of people would not stop and examine what someone is throwing out, nevermind pick it up and keep it, or give it to someone who can use it. I knock on doors and ask if I can take the item on the street. The most they can tell me is "no."

In five years since I had my daughter, I have seen enough tricycles, easels, little-girl vanities, children's keyboards, and other large children's toys being left out on the street to fill a playroom. Granted, some of these things are broken beyond repair. But a tricyle with a missing bolt or only one side with tassels? A vanity with no chair? An easel with one side scribbled on it but the other side still good? All of these items, post bleaching and with a little elbow grease and a $ 2.00 investment for a bolt or a tassel, have provided my daughter with hours of entertainment.

I'm amazed and saddened by society's concept of what is disposable and what someone else could use. Maybe it's because I was brought up by two little aunts who grew up during the Great Depression and saved EVERYTHING. ( I have a book from the 40's called "365 Things to do with Hamburger"...but I digress.) We continue to put re-useable things out on the sidewalk for the trash guy to take way. Take away where? To a landfill where the item will sit for eons, unused and sniff.. unloved by another child? Even worse, it breaks down into particles that pollute our environment.

And let's talk about budgets! Do we want our kids to go to college someday? Do we want to put away money for retirement? Then why are we spending so much money on new stuff? Are we really that blind to the daily media assaults that "new and disposable" is the best thing we can do for ourselves and the planet?

Yes, there are lots of wonderful new products and toys that will not pollute the environment and I applaud all of the toy companies that have made the committment to "go green." But for now, while there are all of these items that people don't need out there waiting to be picked up by the trash man, let's think about what we can do with those things and all the resources that are at our disposal ( no pun intended!)

- Contact your town recycling organization and see what kind of items they take and what they will pick up.
- Have a good old-fashioned yard sale and the kids can sell lemonade. Even better, have a multi-family yard sale.
- Donate your toys to a local women's shelter or non-profit childrens' organization.
- Find a local preschool or daycare that could use "gently used" toys.
- E-BAY or CraigsList your items.
- Find a local consignment shop ( I like Mother and Child in Nashua www.mothersays.com ) ,to both buy and sell your items.
- try Freecycle, a Yahoo-based organization that lets you connect with other people in your town to give things away or to request items.

All of these things take less than a few hours to investigate and act on. Your two hours end up as 22 hours for some other child who would love to play with the stuff that you want to throw away.

To me, that equation is worth the effort.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Dance Paaaaaahhhty, Dahlink!


When Katy was 2, we watched a show called Oobi. The little characters were actually puppets- peoples' hands with little eyeballs, and the hands made the mouth movements. One day the characters had a "dance party." It was very cute to see all the characters let loose and dance around. Katy and I danced too- and we had a blast. (Note- this doesn't mean that you only dance around when the TV is on!!! :)

When was the last time you had a dance party? In our Kindermusik classes, we dance all the time, and it's so much fun to see the kids ( and the grownups) express themselves in movement. To quote Martha Graham, one of the most influential dancers of the 20th century, "The body says what words cannot".

Music connects our souls, our spirits, to something unearthly-something divine. Whether it's a waltz or a mosh pit, when our bodies move, our souls speak in their own unique way. Can't dance, you say? I don't believe you. I've seen parents who are shy and quiet lift their babies high up in the air and smile, twirling them around with joy. Dance doesn't have to be something you "do" or do well. It's how you move with your kid in your living room, like I did with Oobi and the dance party.

And you can start dancing with your child as soon as they are born. Rocking and swaying not only provide comfort for your baby, they are "dance moves", too! When you rock with your baby, you're actually helping them with balance and coordination. As your baby grows, try new things, like lifting them hiiiiiiighh up in the air and then loooooooow to the ground. Or twirl all around. Move forward, and then backwards. All of these different, EASY, moves are so beneficial for your baby! As they grow, they will already have a sense of how their body moves around in space.

When your baby learns how to walk, they can now watch YOU move! Jump up and down, wave your arms in the air, turn all around. You will find that your toddler wants to copy you so much! ( not to mention the cuteness factor when they actually DO jump up and down..) If you are enthusiastic about moving around, you are sending your child a message that emotions can be expressed through movement. Happy means jumping all around and dancing! Whoo-hoo! For the child who may have a hard time expressing himself verbally, this is especially crucial. It creates an outlet through which they can express themselves- and we ALL need that.

For the preschooler, movement and dance take on a whole new role- the use of imagination. Can you move like a tiger? How do you think a snowman might dance? Pretend you're dancing in the rain- what does that feel like? When you dance with a preschooler, it's always an adventure- a trip into their special 'pretend world'. Ask lots of questions- they want to show you everything that they know and everything they can do!

Put on the music and have a dance party- your kid will love you for it!


Saturday, July 19, 2008

Don't Mind the Tombstones...


My family and I love cemeteries. Nothing weird, nothing creepy. Here in Lowell, we have a beautiful cemetery right down the street from our house and we've brought our daughter here for walks since she was a newborn. Not unlike the feeling you get when walking in Central Park ( during the day!) , our local cemetery offers a haven of silence and peacefulness ( well, of course) that you just can't find easily anymore. The giant gates to the cemetery are impressive, reminding us that this is an important architectural and historical place as well as a beautiful one. Passing through these gates is, well, like entering another world, a world of beauty and stillness.

But stop and listen, and you'll see that it is not still at all. This cemetery was designed as a place of beauty for those resting there, and there are a multitude of trees, birds, and animals that live there still. Nature lives all around, from beautiful warblers in the springtime, to the pair of nesting red-tailed hawks, to the crabapples falling from the trees, to the croaking of the frogs in puddles after a heavy rain.

My daughter and I have grown together in the cemetery, at first strolling while mommy got her exercise. Then, she was learning to walk on roads that are rarely driven, providing us with a quiet road to walk on together, picking up rocks, sticks, flowers, and pinecones along the way. Then, hide and seek among the tombstones and trees, and pointing out different letters and shapes. We've talked about angels, mausoleums ( big word for a 5 year old!),famous people and soldiers who have fought in wars. We have seen seasons come and go, each one offering a beautiful sight. We've talked about death often, and our surroundings have mirrored our talks, that death is a season, just like Winter. Spring will come again.

Our family walks in the cemetery every Sunday evening. It is a ritual for us and I look forward to it. This beautiful place has become our friend, a place where we can walk amongst tombs with no fear- in fact, with respect, joy, and the promise that Spring will come again. For the trees, the grass, the flowers, and someday, for us, too.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Punjabi Groove



When my husband and I moved to Lowell, we started watching local cable to see what events and activities were around us. We stumbled on a Bollywood movie and were riveted to the TV set. We couldn't pull away! There was something for everybody. Great music, beautiful clothes and colors, and subtitles ( thank goodness!). We were hooked. We watched Aap Ka Manoranjan (the TV show) and made it part of our weekly routine!

One day we saw a commercial for Daler Mendhi. This turbaned, happy, bearded guy bounced around on the TV set to this fantastic pop-groove and I couldn't help but feel the beat and dance along with him. And my white-bread Anglo husband liked it too! We were hooked. We bought his music. We saw him in concert. TWICE. And he was fantastic. I did a little research and found that Daler draws a lot of his influences from the Punjab region of India. He is a mega pop star there.
Check out a Daler Mendhi video here

If you are looking for a new music groove, look to Punjabi music and Daler Mendhi. You'll be bouncing too!




Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Family Time


Meet my family. Not my immediate family, no, but pretty close. This is my Family Time class from New Horizons at Choate in Woburn, MA. I've held monthly classes here for almost two years and have shared music and laughter with all of these wonderful people. Family Time is Kindermusik's curriculum for families with (or without) more than one child.


Making music together with children of more than one age and developmental stage might seem challenging. Babies rolling on the floor, four-year-olds stomping like dinosaurs. But, just like home, the chaos has it's magic moments. When an older brother or sister wants to dance with his baby sister, for instance. Or when a toddler learns to share an instrumentwith another toddler in class. Or a baby suddenly starts clapping to the music because their big brother/sister is doing it.


These aren't just music skills. These are life skills.


When a child demonstrates this kind of behavior in a musically-inspired, relaxed, happy setting, it creates a memory for the child that lasts ( perhaps subconsciously) forever. And THAT's what I love about Family Time and all of my other Kindermusik classes.We're all there to have a good time, to sing songs, to dance, to laugh. But in the meantime, the kids are learning how to get along- a HUGE asset for preschool readiness and for life, too.


Yesterday I was at a playdate with my daughter. Naturally, as the day progressed, there were times when the kids were, shall we say, energetic ( that "I want to tear my hair out" mom-feeling!!! Yes, I've been there...) I asked my friend and her family to join me for Family Time at 4pm. They came and they had fun- the perfect diversion to the day- a little music, a little loving and snuggling, and we were all better for it.


As a teacher with one daughter, the option of teaching Family Time seemed like such a challenge a few years ago- what do I do with different age groups? Yikes! But I took the plunge into the jumbling, tumbling, family chaos and I am forever changed. Nothing inspires me more than seeing moms and dads dancing with their children, smiling and singing with them, and holding them close during quiet time ( yes, we can actually accomplish this in class!). So thank you to all of my Family Time families who have shared these wonderful moments with me.


I'm proud to call all of you my family, too.