Learning Expressions

Children and Chores

Greetings, Learning Expressions Readers!

A few weeks ago, Learning Express mom blogger Katherine Riolo shared with you some parenting advice from the veteran parents in her life. One nugget of wisdom (from her Aunt D.) really got us thinking. Aunt D. wrote:

“If I could go back, I would have given my children more chores around the house. At the time, I wanted to protect them from having too much work at home. I thought they already had so much schoolwork and, hey, they only get to be kids once. But, I was mistaken. Having chores helps kids develop work ethic and self-esteem, and it’s their way to contribute to the family. If you can find a balance between letting them be carefree kids while also letting them take ownership and responsibility for certain things, it’s a beautiful thing.”

If you asked the average kid, I’m pretty sure they’d tell you that chores are just about the least beautiful thing in the world. Growing up, our house was a cacophony of “I’ll do it laaaaaters”, “but Mommms,” and the occasional housework-induced tantrum when my mom discovered the hideous concept of a “chore chart”. We put dish soap in the dishwasher, chipped paint work while vigorously using the vacuum, and knocked trinkets from shelves while dusting in a desperate effort to prove we were just too young to be trusted with responsibility of any kind. And you know what? It really seemed to work.  With three children bent on terrorizing her by way of her new fangled chart, Mom eventually let the thing gather dust and allowed us to go back to being kids. Just the way we liked it.

Though at the time this felt like a real victory, with hindsight I can recognize the value of what poor Mom had been trying to teach us. In fact, research increasingly shows that giving children chores actually has a positive, far reaching effect on the rest of their lives. University of Minnesota professor Marty Rossmann determined that, “the best predictor of young adults’ success in their mid-20s was that they participated in household tasks when they were three or four. […] By involving children in tasks, parents teach them a sense of responsibility, competence, self reliance, and self worth that stays with them throughout their lives.” A 2006 study in the American Journal of Sociology even showed that “pitching in at home has become a crucial marriage preservation skill for young men. […] After controlling for other factors, US marriages tend to be more stable when men participate more in domestic tasks.” Who knew?? Your toddler will be a more successful 20-something and a better spouse if you just get him/her to clean up those toys now and again.

Interestingly enough, if chores are introduced at a later age then the collaborative housework methods will often backfire…as per the Blanchflower household circa 1995. Responsibility through household tasks must, therefore, be integrated long before a child may seem ready for such things—starting as early as two or three. In her article “Chores for Children” author Annie Stuart writes, “We hold back too long because we think they ought to be ready first. But that puts the cart before the horse. The learning is in the doing.” By ingraining good habits at an early age (and not underestimating what kids are capable of) parents can help children foster a positive attitude toward work and help them understand that even the smallest members of a family have something big to contribute. And hopefully that will drastically reduce the wailed “BUT MOMMMMMS” as they get older. Here’s a great list of age appropriate chores that we hope you’ll find helpful!

Chores for children ages 2 to 3

• Put toys away.
• Fill pet's food dish.
• Put clothes in hamper.
• Wipe up spills.

Chores for children ages 4 to 5

Any of the above chores, plus:

• Make own bed.
• Empty wastebaskets.
• Clear table.
• Pull weeds.
• Use hand-held vacuum to pick up crumbs.
• Water flowers.
• Unload utensils from dishwasher

Chores for children ages 6 to 7

Any of the above chores, plus:

• Sort laundry.
• Sweep floors.
• Set and clear table.
• Help make and pack lunch.
• Weed and rake leaves.
• Keep bedroom tidy.
• Answer telephone.

Chores for children ages 8 to 9

Any of the above chores, plus:

• Load dishwasher.
• Put away groceries.
• Vacuum.
• Help make dinner.
• Make own snacks.
• Wash table after meals.
• Put away own laundry.
• Sew buttons.
• Make own breakfast.
• Cook simple foods, such as toast.
• Mop floor.
• Take pet for a walk.

Chores for children ages 10 and older.

Any of the above chores, plus:

• Fold laundry.
• Clean bathroom.
• Do laundry.
• Baby-sit younger siblings (with adult in the home).
• Mow lawn.
• Clean kitchen.
• Change bed.

If you’re struggling to convince your (perhaps older) kids of the merits of housework, don’t forget that it’s never too late to instill in them a habit of serving others. Consider volunteering with them or finding a way to get them involved in community service in your local area. They might find doing the dishes at home super lame, but cooking meals in a soup kitchen can be a humbling experience for even the coolest teenager.

Talk to you again soon!

Spotlight on Reading: Unlikely Friendships Book Review

"A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Every once in a while, a book comes along that people everywhere just can’t stop talking about. You find a book you love, a book that’s spoken to you in some splendid sort of way, and you can’t wait to press it into the hands of everyone you know. “Read it. You’ll love it. Trust me,” you insist. Or, at any rate, that’s what I insist to family members when forcing my painstakingly selected novels into their hands come Christmas day…despite their annual protestations that they’d been hoping for a video game or a pair of earrings, and they don’t even like reading.

Well, today I’m delighted to share with you one book that will most certainly be in the stocking of every
member of my family this year and, for once, I think they might actually appreciate it. After all, how can you not melt at the sight of a baby chick snuggling with a pit bull? But it’s not just me who’s a huge fan of this book, it’s the Learning Express customers who keep purchasing copies just as fast as our owners can stock their shelves.

Written by National Geographic journalist Jennifer S. Holland, Unlikely Friendships is a heartwarming collection of tales about the surprising bonds that sometimes exist between the most improbable pairs of creatures. Through an astonishing array of photographs and accompanying stories, Holland skillfully documents the curiosity that is the “lion and lamb” phenomenon. In these pages, bobcats dwell with fawns, cheetahs coexist down with cows, and one stray mutt proves that (in her case at least) elephants are a dog’s best friend.

 

“To me, friendship is as simple as seeking comfort or companionship from another to improve one’s own life experience,” writes Holland in the Introduction. “And in all the cases that follow, the animals involved are arguably better off—more confident, physically stronger, in higher spirits—after finding each other than they were before. […] Perhaps the need for a good friend is not just human after all.” By the end of this book, I am certain you won’t need any more convincing.

And just when you thought this book couldn’t get any cuter, along comes a brand new version for kids. Later this month, Workman will be releasing child-friendly chapter books that each feature five true stories of animal friendships. We got a sneak peak at these little books and can’t wait to get them out in our stores. Here are just a few reasons why we can’t stop talking about them at Learning Express.

Though kids can certainly fawn over the images in Holland’s original book, many need parental assistance to read the corresponding stories. In these new versions, the print is enlarged and the writing simplified into short sentences that children can easily synthesize.

We particularly love that, in each story, Holland not only explains the bond between the animals, but also takes every opportunity to teach her young readers. In the Lion and the Oryx she writes, “In the animal kingdom, all animals are either predators or prey. Predators are animals that hunt and eat other animals. Prey are the animals that get hunted by predators.” Included at the back of each book is an Animal List that elaborates on each featured species in the text.

We also appreciate that Holland respects her young readers enough not to side step the often harsh realities of the wild. “Eating other animals is a lion’s natural instinct,” she explains. “An animal’s natural instinct is what makes it do certain things to survive.”

While many children’s books polarize good/evil and right/wrong in order to drive home certain lessons, Holland reveals the value of the uncertain and the inexplicable.  In the chapter “The Dog and the Cat” Holland writes, “Everywhere the old dog went, Libby was there to guide him. No one knows why Libby became Cashew’s seeing-eye cat. No one knows whether Libby actually understood that Cashew could no longer see.” And you know what? I can’t help but think there’s something extraordinary, something beautifully curious, in that unknowing. "All that is clear,” she finishes, “is that Cashew was a very lucky dog to have such a loyal friend in Libby.”

So there you have it, readers! I very much hope you’ll learn more about these remarkable creatures and seek out Unlikely Friendships and Unlikely Friendships for Kids at a store near you soon.

Read them. You’ll love them. Trust me! 

Talk to you again soon. 

 

Somebunny’s Coming to Town: Ideas for an Eggcellent Easter

Greetings, Learning Expressions Readers!

I’m not sure about you, but we’re getting pretty excited about Easter here at Learning Express Toys. Perhaps it’s the snow thawing or that extra hour of sunshine, but I am mighty tempted to bedeck myself entirely in pastels and start bedazzling every egg in sight. However, that is certainly not the only way to entertain oneself this season. Whether you’re planning an Easter Egg hunt, making an Easter themed craft, or whipping up some delicious bunny-inspired treats, the Easter season has something fun for everyone. Read on for our favorite cheer-inducing Easter activities!

Make Easter Inspired Crafts
There are tons of adorable ideas out there, but here are three crafts you and your children are sure to love!

Honey Bunny Bookmarks

Lucky Rabbit Feet

Peep Center Pieces

Whip Up an Eggcellent Treat
Themed food always makes for a magical holiday. Check out these great recipes for Easter-inspired yumminess!

Peepsicles

Easter Basket Cupcakes

Ducky Desserts

Adorn an Egg
Easter wouldn’t be Easter without breaking a few eggs and spilling a bit of dye! Except if you’re Martha Stewart, of course. Don an apron and get decorating!

Egg Creatures

No Dye Eggs

Melted Crayon Eggs

Visit the Bunny Buffet™
Every year we set up a fabulous banquet for the Easter Bunny and friends at Learning Express. When shoppers buy $25 worth of toys and gifts from the buffet, they receive an Easter bucket for free, personalized with the name of their choice. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Thanks for reading, and Hoppy Easter to you all!

Talk to you again soon!

 

Toy Review: ZOOB and the ZOOB Inventors' Contest

Greetings, Learning Expressions readers!

If you’ve taken a look at our Facebook page lately, you’ll have seen that we are currently celebrating ZOOB Week! For those of you that don’t know, ZOOB is a building set with a difference. Rather than remaining static, ZOOB pieces move after children put them together; this innovative design allows youngsters to manipulate and play with their creations after their builds are complete. ZOOB products are popular picks at our Learning Express stores because they integrate learning and play—allowing for creativity, experimentation, and discovery. 

Children have been sending their unique creations to the ZOOB website for the past eight years. Now, for the first time ever, kids get to design their own ZOOB product. The ZOOB Inventors’ Contest lets children submit their own designs, then people from around the world will vote and the company will incorporate the winners’ inventions into a special 2012 product. The product will feature pictures of the kidventors, their creations, and the stories of what inspired them. Pretty cool, right? We certainly think so!

As part of ZOOB Week, Learning Express stores will be hosting ZOOB-A-THONS for aspiring kidventors throughout the country. During ZOOB-A-THONS, stores will provide children with all the ZOOB pieces they need to build. In keeping with the Inventors’ Contest rules, each creation may have up to 100 ZOOB pieces total—with a limit of 20 of each color. At the end of the ZOOB-A-THON, each child’s invention will be submitted to the contest. Needless to say, all our fingers are crossed that a Learning Express customer will have his/her build featured on a 2012 product!

But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s see how ZOOB shakes out using the Learning Express 3F’s of toy quality—form, function, and fun! Today we are reviewing the 125-piece ZOOB set, however you can also get ZOOB in many different sized sets, from 15 pieces all the way up to 500 pieces. In fact, on Wednesday we’ll be giving away a 500-piece set on our Facebook page!

Form 

This part is pretty simple! ZOOB consists of five differently shaped pieces that you can build with. We love that the 125 piece set comes with a reusable storage box so we can easily keep track of your pieces and use them again and again. You’ll also find that each ZOOB set includes how-to guides designed to help you get started (and the people who make ZOOB include just the right number of models—enough so that kids can learn all the ways the pieces go together and get some experience with 3-D modeling, but not so many that kids won’t use their imaginations to invent their own creations). 

Function

Though there are only five ZOOB pieces, you can snap them together in 20 different ways. The original inspiration for ZOOB came from the nucleotides that make up DNA. Based on the way things connect, move and transform in nature, ZOOB captures dynamic movement, unlike traditional “stacking” or “hub & spoke” construction sets. ZOOB also appeals to boys and to girls, which is something we really value at Learning Express. Best of all, the fact that ZOOB moves once put together means that kids can interact and play with their creations long after they’ve finished the building process. 

ZOOB is one of those rare toys that allows for both directed and open-ended play. If you’re in need of some inspiration you can turn to your handy instruction manual—but if you’re already feeling inspired you can free form build to your heart’s content! 

Fun 

This is always my favorite part. And who better to help me demonstrate ZOOB than my eight year old
blogssistant nephew, Charlie? This week, I gave Charlie two ZOOB related tasks: complete a “directed play” build (from the instruction manual) and complete an “open-ended play” build that adheres to the Inventors’ Contest guidelines.

 

Here is Build #1: Directed Play
The Crown (aka my new “Thinking Cap”)

 

Here is Build #2: Open-Ended Play
The Rocket Ship 

 

 

 

In keeping with the rules of the Inventors’ Contest, Charlie put aside 20 pieces of each color to use. Then, he let his imagination run amuck. The result? An awe-inspiring rocket ship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So there you have it, Learning Expressions readers! I hope you’ve enjoyed learning a bit more about ZOOB and I very much hope that you’ll be able to attend a ZOOB-A-THON at your local Learning Express Toys this week!

 

 

Bye for now!