NOTE TO SELF: HOW MUCH SECURITY IS TOO MUCH SECURITY?
It's a dangerous world these days with media reports focusing on children who have disappeared seemingly without a trace. This fear was probably one of the main reasons for the daily usage of fingerprint scanners in two nursery schools located in Kent, England, in order to check or verify the identity of parents.
The Springfield Lodge Day Nursery is scanning the prints each time parents drop off their children.
According to the owner of the nursery, the measures were for the "safety and security" of the children, however not everyone sees the move as positive. The charity, Kidscape, which aims to protect children from harm, described the measure as "paranoid and overkill" and gives the wrong message to youngsters.
Kidscape director, Michelle Elliott, provided statistics revealing that in reality of the 11 million children in the UK, on average seven to 10 were abducted and murdered each year.
"But we don't want to give children, particularly young children, the idea that the world is so dangerous that they can't even go to nursery school without being scanned."
Ms Berryman said parents at the nursery were happy with the heightened security measures.
She said it made life a lot easier for parents when dropping off and picking up so that they were not hanging around waiting for their children.
"There is no actual information recorded, only the information that we've already got," she said.
It would be interesting to know how instituting a fingerprint scanner in nursery schools or even kindergarten would go over with North American parents.
Read about Kidscape here: http://www.kidscape.org.uk/
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Monday, June 2, 2008
Monday, November 26, 2007
NO PLAYING DOWN CONCERN OVER TOY PURCHASES THIS CHRISTMAS
NOTE TO SELF: SEEMS WE HAVE A LOT TO WORRY ABOUT THIS CHRISTMAS AND HOLIDAY SHOPPING
As soon as she had found the perfect present for her niece and dropped it in her shopping cart, Lovey Lane had a nagging worry.
"It just hit me -- this is made in China," the Dundalk resident said, checking the Disney princess costume box and scrutinizing the beads adorning a tiara as a possible hazard. "I thought I'd better put it back."
But the Pirates of the Caribbean ship for her nephew stayed put in the cart, as Lane reasoned that the plastic toy was not likely tainted by lead.
"Of course, we don't know what paint they're using," said Lane, shopping yesterday morning at Toys "R" Us in the Golden Ring area of Baltimore County.
After months of recalls that have seen millions of toys pulled from store shelves -- including classics such as Thomas the Tank Engine, Dora the Explorer and Big Bird -- anxiety was palpable in the toy aisles on the day after Thanksgiving. Warnings of lead paint and choking hazards, and even chemical coatings that could be transformed into a "date rape" drug if ingested, have gotten shoppers' attention.
Full Story Here:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-te.bz.toys24nov24,0,3673506.story
Toy safety tips
• Children under age 3: Avoid toys with small parts, which pose a choking hazard.
• Children under 6: Avoid building sets with small magnets. If they are swallowed, serious injuries or death can occur.
• Children under 8: Avoid toys that have sharp edges and points.
• Riding toys, skateboards and in-line skates can cause fatal falls. Helmets and safety gear should be worn and sized to fit.
• Projectile toys such as air rockets, darts and slingshots, intended for older children, can result in serious eye injuries.
• Chargers and adapters should be supervised by adults to prevent burn hazards.
• Read toy labels for age and safety recommendations.
[Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission]
Shopping for children's toys has become complicated. Perhaps it's time for consumers to seriously consider buying products and goods made locally.
As soon as she had found the perfect present for her niece and dropped it in her shopping cart, Lovey Lane had a nagging worry.
"It just hit me -- this is made in China," the Dundalk resident said, checking the Disney princess costume box and scrutinizing the beads adorning a tiara as a possible hazard. "I thought I'd better put it back."
But the Pirates of the Caribbean ship for her nephew stayed put in the cart, as Lane reasoned that the plastic toy was not likely tainted by lead.
"Of course, we don't know what paint they're using," said Lane, shopping yesterday morning at Toys "R" Us in the Golden Ring area of Baltimore County.
After months of recalls that have seen millions of toys pulled from store shelves -- including classics such as Thomas the Tank Engine, Dora the Explorer and Big Bird -- anxiety was palpable in the toy aisles on the day after Thanksgiving. Warnings of lead paint and choking hazards, and even chemical coatings that could be transformed into a "date rape" drug if ingested, have gotten shoppers' attention.
Full Story Here:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-te.bz.toys24nov24,0,3673506.story
Toy safety tips
• Children under age 3: Avoid toys with small parts, which pose a choking hazard.
• Children under 6: Avoid building sets with small magnets. If they are swallowed, serious injuries or death can occur.
• Children under 8: Avoid toys that have sharp edges and points.
• Riding toys, skateboards and in-line skates can cause fatal falls. Helmets and safety gear should be worn and sized to fit.
• Projectile toys such as air rockets, darts and slingshots, intended for older children, can result in serious eye injuries.
• Chargers and adapters should be supervised by adults to prevent burn hazards.
• Read toy labels for age and safety recommendations.
[Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission]
Shopping for children's toys has become complicated. Perhaps it's time for consumers to seriously consider buying products and goods made locally.
Friday, November 23, 2007
TODDLERS GET TUTORS FOR AN EXTRA EARLY EDGE
NOTE TO SELF: What ever happened to childhood?
As a grandparent this strikes me as too much, too soon but obviously parents don't think so.
Call it kindercramming. These days one of the fastest-growing markets for after-school tutors is preschoolers and kindergartners, whose parents are hoping that if their kids learn to read before first grade, it will ultimately help them get into college and get good jobs. Anxious moms and dads are no longer satisfied with traditional nursery school, which many see as a glorified romper room that focuses too much on learning through play. And of course, after years of Baby Einstein marketing, some parents have become convinced that the more math and reading skills their tots master, the better. Srinivas Rao, a veterinarian in Columbia, Md., began sending his daughter Sanjana to after-school tutoring last summer, shortly before her third birthday. To his delight, he soon found she could not only count the 14 dots on her homework work sheet but also write 14 beside them. "I didn't think kids could just learn that overnight," he marvels.
Read the entire story here: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1686826,00.html
What happened to the "good, old days" when children stayed home with a parent or grandparent and played with toys? While it's admirable to want to offer your child the best upbringing, perhaps let them be children first?
As a grandparent this strikes me as too much, too soon but obviously parents don't think so.
Call it kindercramming. These days one of the fastest-growing markets for after-school tutors is preschoolers and kindergartners, whose parents are hoping that if their kids learn to read before first grade, it will ultimately help them get into college and get good jobs. Anxious moms and dads are no longer satisfied with traditional nursery school, which many see as a glorified romper room that focuses too much on learning through play. And of course, after years of Baby Einstein marketing, some parents have become convinced that the more math and reading skills their tots master, the better. Srinivas Rao, a veterinarian in Columbia, Md., began sending his daughter Sanjana to after-school tutoring last summer, shortly before her third birthday. To his delight, he soon found she could not only count the 14 dots on her homework work sheet but also write 14 beside them. "I didn't think kids could just learn that overnight," he marvels.
Read the entire story here: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1686826,00.html
What happened to the "good, old days" when children stayed home with a parent or grandparent and played with toys? While it's admirable to want to offer your child the best upbringing, perhaps let them be children first?
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Tots yoga group banned - deemed unchristian
NOTE TO SELF: Yoga the work of the devil?
A toddler group has been banned from a church hall in Taunton - because their yoga lessons were deemed unchristian.
Say what?
Teacher Louise Woodcock was told her Yum Yum Yoga classes for pre-school children would affect their spiritual life in a way that was unacceptable to the church.
Miss Woodcock said the claims were ridiculous because her classes simply involve music, movement and rhymes. She was also turned away by another church and told it was unlikely any Christian organisation would accommodate her.
"At Silver Street Baptist Church, I said I wanted to book the hall for a children's activity group, which they said was alright," said Miss Woodcock.
Read the rest of the story here and decide for yourself:
http://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/display.var.1647089.0.childrens_yoga_classes_banned_by_church.php
Writers & Friends
www.jrslater.com/forum
A toddler group has been banned from a church hall in Taunton - because their yoga lessons were deemed unchristian.
Say what?
Teacher Louise Woodcock was told her Yum Yum Yoga classes for pre-school children would affect their spiritual life in a way that was unacceptable to the church.
Miss Woodcock said the claims were ridiculous because her classes simply involve music, movement and rhymes. She was also turned away by another church and told it was unlikely any Christian organisation would accommodate her.
"At Silver Street Baptist Church, I said I wanted to book the hall for a children's activity group, which they said was alright," said Miss Woodcock.
Read the rest of the story here and decide for yourself:
http://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/display.var.1647089.0.childrens_yoga_classes_banned_by_church.php
Writers & Friends
www.jrslater.com/forum
Monday, April 23, 2007
TEACH THE CHILDREN AND THEY WILL SHOW THE WAY
Note to self: "If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in."
(Rachel Carson)
Today being the day following Earth Day, I bought two books related to recycling and being kind to the earth. The books, "Recycle Every Day" by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace and "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss, are for this Saturday's "Story Hour" to take place at our local public library. Every two weeks me and my friend, Marilyn, volunteer our time to read stories to kids from 3-6 years of age who drop by with a parent/grandparent or an adult. We insist that an adult be present. We try to use a theme and it's never too early to focus on the environment.
According to the blurb on the back cover of Recycle Every Day: "Children often feel that they can't make a difference in the world they live in. This is not true. Teaching children to be environmentally conscious is one of thebest ways to empower them. Recycle Every Day will show children how to become socially aware of their surroundings and help them make our world a better place to live."
The book has some very cute and colorful illustrations, which is a must for young children.
All Dr. Seuss books are favorites but it was a pleasent surprise to discover that The Lorax has an environmetal angle, as per a blurb on Amazon.com: "Long before saving the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss, speaking through his character the Lorax, warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth's natural beauty."
At the end of the Story Hour, the young bibliophiles will be receiving living mini trees/saplings in a container, donated by our municipality as a souvenir to think green and to be friendly to Mother Earth.
CHINESE PROVERB: "One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade."
Writers & Friends
www.jrslater.com/forum
(Rachel Carson)
Today being the day following Earth Day, I bought two books related to recycling and being kind to the earth. The books, "Recycle Every Day" by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace and "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss, are for this Saturday's "Story Hour" to take place at our local public library. Every two weeks me and my friend, Marilyn, volunteer our time to read stories to kids from 3-6 years of age who drop by with a parent/grandparent or an adult. We insist that an adult be present. We try to use a theme and it's never too early to focus on the environment.
According to the blurb on the back cover of Recycle Every Day: "Children often feel that they can't make a difference in the world they live in. This is not true. Teaching children to be environmentally conscious is one of thebest ways to empower them. Recycle Every Day will show children how to become socially aware of their surroundings and help them make our world a better place to live."
The book has some very cute and colorful illustrations, which is a must for young children.
All Dr. Seuss books are favorites but it was a pleasent surprise to discover that The Lorax has an environmetal angle, as per a blurb on Amazon.com: "Long before saving the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss, speaking through his character the Lorax, warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth's natural beauty."
At the end of the Story Hour, the young bibliophiles will be receiving living mini trees/saplings in a container, donated by our municipality as a souvenir to think green and to be friendly to Mother Earth.
CHINESE PROVERB: "One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade."
Writers & Friends
www.jrslater.com/forum
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