My Geek Baby

(Guest editorial)
Having children was the best decision I have ever made. I love raising kids. People think I’m crazy because my three children range in ages from 2.5 years, to 11 to 19. There aren’t many folks that, while packing their teenager for college, have to stop and change a diaper.

Raising children teaches you many things that you didn’t know about the world and about yourself. Specifically at home, I always thought that the house rules would be: wash your hands before dinner, turn the light off when you leave the room, don’t hit the dog with a hammer, etc. Before having children, I read the books, searched the magazines in the OB ’s office and watched other parents. After all, I was a child at one time and did know some of the rules. However, since there was no guidebook specifically for my children, I had to make up a few of my own rules. These rules are based in the actions of my children. Here they are:

To have a peaceful home you have to have a few rules. But don’t forget that when you have children, do your best to maintain a sense of humor.

- Kim Evoy Bryant

I was in line at one of my favorite sandwich places when the man who usually takes my order notices my expanding bump. He grabs a Peppermint Patty and says, “Here this is for the baby!” to which I respond, “The baby loves chocolate!” a little too emphatically, no doubt drawing eye rolls from the hungry patrons behind me.

When people say things like that I’m still stunned, thinking, “how did they know?” But, my preggo status is becoming more and more apparent, as people on the street sometimes give me a nice smile, or men ignore me altogether like it’s contagious, as though by them simply looking at a preggo, their girlfriends and wives will know immediately when they come home the way my cats know I’ve spent the afternoon with a friend’s dog.

When I see other pregnant women on the street we pass with a knowing smile the way Harley riders give a subtle wave when passing on the road. I’ve joined a club I don’t even remember joining. It’s just one of these things. Of course being pregnant and raising a child are two totally different things, and when I see a toddler having a meltdown near the eggs at the grocery store, instead of giving mom a knowing glance, because I don’t really know that horror, I zoom in the other direction. That, is something, I will simply have to wait to experience in due time.

(Guest Editorial)

Like the rest of the parenting world, I’ve been reading the stories about the Baby Einstein videos and their effect on infants and frankly, I’m disturbed.

I thought that anything called “Baby Einstein” would be something that you purchase in order to improve your child’s IQ. From the start, I was wrong. It seems that this company is out to “entertain” not “educate”. Now I’ve learned something. I’ve only seen bits and pieces of the programs offered by Baby Einstein and I did find them entertaining, but I cannot speak for my children.

Now for the controversy. It appears that children between the ages of 8-16 months that have been watching these videos were tested and had a 17-point decrease on a language assessment, according to the Journal of Pediatrics. However, in the article I read, it didn’t mention how long the children were tested, whether they watched the same video in a continuous loop, was there only one 8-month old and one 16-month old tested, and so on.

In the world of science and technology, mothers are generally not looked upon as “developmental professionals” by the academic world, but maybe they should be.

Although I’ve only raised 3 children, which is hardly a good test sample of the general population, I have observed the following in my children between the ages of 8 months and 19 years:

So, is Baby Einstein bad? Not according to my study.

- Kim Evoy Bryant

Dear parents:

Are you waiting for your grade-schooler to get back to you about Friday’s pizza dinner or college freshman to get return your e-mail message about holiday plans? Find that they are unresponsive, even though their schools and your house, car and boat all have Internet access? Could be, according to a recent News.com article, that kids with cell phones and Blackberry’s are WAY more likely to respond to text messages than e-mail.

The solution? Start learning that annoying, shortened version of communication, not matter how much it pains u 2 write wds that aren’t spelled out correctly and are misspelled to save space. TTFN.

The use of Internet technology exploded during my college years in the late 1990’s. Years later, I have become very comfortable with Googling, using various e-mail accounts and interrupting work to immediately respond to an instant message that pops up on my screen. The next generation is more savvy than that, exchanging information, both business-related and social, through social networking sites, all during the business day.

Traditional learning techniques, such as lecture, are still successful, but the instructor must now be part entertainer to keep the audience enthused. In many cases rote learning went the way of the abacus. Considering that kids and young adults learn new skills via video games, podcasting, computer-based training and more, it creates a challenge for those training this generation for the workforce, according to a recent Training magazine article, “Generational Series, Part 3: Biz Kid.” Tapping into an attention-grabbing resource, such as the gaming environment, or holding conferences through MySpace or Facebook, where young adults spend a lot of time anyway, could be two ways to keep interest and help this generation focus on what’s important – learning – and preparing themselves for the workforce where they can use these skills to help a company take its products and services to the next level.

Do you ever wonder what becomes of older technologies once considered the staple of traditional education? Chalk, blackboard and dusty erasers are becoming obsolete with the advance of the erasable white boards showing up in classrooms around the world. Here’s what I think has happened to all the leftover chalk:

Chalk, in a rainbow of colors, was recycled and sent to gym classes and recess monitors everywhere so kids can enjoy a resurgence in the popular unplugged game of Hopscotch, a grade school favorite.

White chalk was given to police departments to help them outline bodies in crime scenes.

Tennis courts just wouldn’t be the same without the out-of-bounds chalk outline.

Pool players can still use chalk to “chalk up” their pool sticks. Try taking a shot without a good chalking and see how well you do!

Let’s not forget about weight lifters and gymnasts who need to make sure their hands don’t slip during their events. The same goes for rock climbers.

City artists can use chalk to engage the world with their art without leaving a permanent mark. Kind of like building castles in the sand at the beach, no?

If that isn’t enough for chalk-lovers, then plan a trip to “White Rocks,” the cliffs in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. They are made of chalk, a pure form of limestone.