What's on our bookshelf....

Just Us Women by Jeannette Caines - Illustrated by Pat Cummings

Travel along with Aunt Martha and her niece as they go on a special road trip to North Carolina with "No boys and no men, just us women." This detailed story will come alive before your eyes with the beautiful illustrations and descriptions. You feel as if you're standing next to them when they stop at roadside markets and fancy restaurants, in no hurry at all.

H1N1 is in the news again

The H1N1 virus, better known as Swine Flu is still among us. As reported in the Winston Salem Journal, health officials recently stated that "anyone hit with flu-like symptoms this summer has likely had a case of the H1N1, or swine flu." Symptoms of the H1N1 are a mild fever, aches and pains, a runny nose and a headache. However, if you experience more severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain or chest pain, you should get medical attention.

With school coming up it's inevitable that the flu will spread more rapidly as people will be in closer proximity to one another. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended the following tips to limit transmission:

* Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

* If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.

* Put used tissues in the trash.

* Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing. Wash with soap and water, or with alcohol-based hand cleaner.

* Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

Start practicing these tips with your children so they can be better prepared and protected when school begins.

The CDC also recommends that if you do get sick, "stay home from work or school, and limit your contact with others to keep from infecting them. Adults should not leave home until 7 days after symptoms begin; children should stay home 10 days after the onset of illness."

Read more about the H1N1 virus on the American Academy of Pediatrics website for further information including a list of frequently asked questions for parents and caregivers about the H1N1 virus.

Good Night, Sleep Tight

Here is a startling truth: We are less than one month away from school starting. Yikes! Have your kids been staying up later than they usually do? To make the start of the school year more peaceful, start practicing "school year bedtimes" now.

Preschoolers need between 10 and 12 hours of sleep at night but that is often shortened by "Can I stay up a little longer?" and "I need a drink of water." Children thrive on schedules and routines during most of their day, why not extend a routine to bedtime? An easy way to begin that process is to make a picture schedule. Sit down with your child and brainstorm what your bedtime routine includes. This is a good time to address common bedtime issues such as how many drinks of water they can have or how many times they can call you into the room.

Here are some examples of traditional components:

Bath
Put on pajamas
Brush teeth
Find teddy bear or other security object
Read a book
Listen to music
Sing a song

Next, take pictures of these actions with your camera or draw pictures of the components and paste them in the order that you do them on a strip of paper. I made my routine strip with pictures cut from magazines:



Close-ups:





Hang it at your child's level for easy reference. Children are more likely to follow these homemade picture schedules since they will take pride in having made them. It will also help your child become more independent as some of these components can be done on their own. Staying consistent with routines helps your child feel more comfortable and they are more likely to complete the task without complaints when they know what is expected of them. Don't limit your routine strips to bedtime, they can apply to anything!

Is your child's car seat secure?

A Child Safety Seat Checking Station will be held on Friday, July 31, at the Babies R Us at 975 Hanes Mall Blvd. in Winston-Salem, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Local Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be available to check your child seat installation and answer questions.

What's on our bookshelf....

The Big Big Sea by Martin Waddell - Illustrated by Jennifer Eachus

This is a heartwarming story of a mother and her daughter as they experience the sea at night in this beautifully illustrated book. This simply told is sure to inspire you to take a trip to the beach and make memories to cherish for a lifetime.

What's on our bookshelf....

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow

These adorable little monkeys are put to bed by their mama. When she leaves the room they start jumping on the bed and inevitably one of them falls of the bed and bumps their head. Although the doctor tells Mama that monkeys shouldn't jump on the bed, one by one they fall. Kids of all ages love the repetition of this silly book and take pride that after a few pages, they can read it on their own. You can follow the five little monkeys through several adventures in more Eileen Christelow books. They are available in board books, paperbacks, and read along books with CD's.

Friday 7/24 is the Deadline for Requesting New Bus Stops

July 24th is the deadline for requesting new bus stops. This will be the last day that students, parents and caregivers can request a new bus stop with the expectation of having service on the first day of school on Aug. 25.

This is the form to request a stop. Print and complete the form and return it to your child's school

You can read more information on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System website and on the Winston-Salem Journal website.

Mark your calendars for Bubblebration!

This FREE event sounds like loads of fun. Don't forget to bring your own bubbles and wands. To make your own bubbles, mix 1 cup water with 2 tablespoons light Karo syrup OR 2 tablespoons glycerin* and 4 tablespoons dishsoap.

*Glycerin can be found in most drug stores

For best results leave the solution standing for at least a few hours before use.

What's on our bookshelf....

Clifford's Schoolhouse by Norman Bridwell

Join Clifford as he travels throughout the schoolhouse learning about colors, shapes, numbers, letters and more. Stop and peek under the flaps to find out what’s hiding under them. This is a great book to introduce to your child who is starting school as the pictures invite several conversations about school and what goes on there.

What's on our bookshelf....

The Cheerios Play Book by Lee Wade

This brightly colored interactive board book is perfect for babies and toddlers whose favorite snack is Cheerios. Each page asks your child to add dry Cheerios to different scenes. Your child will have fun placing his Cheerios in the recessed circles and then eating them up!

Preparing for School

Summer is almost over! Wow, time flies. You may have noticed that the school supply displays are now up in stores which means it’s time once again to begin preparation for the school year. The Tax Free Weekend is almost upon us (August 7-9) so get your lists ready. The Winston Salem Forsyth County School System has adopted standardized school supply lists for all grade levels that can be found on the school system’s website.

The best way for you to get your child ready for school is to get them excited about it and make sure they feel comfortable. Here are some tips:

• Talk about how fun school is and share stories about your experiences.
• Arrange a tour so your child can become familiar with where things are.
• Attend the school’s open house and have your child meet their teacher.
• Have a picnic lunch at the school’s playground.
• Frequently drive the route that your child will take to school.

There are several books specifically written for Kindergartners to help ease their fears. Here is a sample of books to look for at your local library or bookstore:

• Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
• The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing
• Look Out Kindergartner, Here I come! By Nancy Carlson
• Welcome to Kindergarten by Anne Rockwell
• The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

When preparing your child for school is it very important to establish a daily routine with plenty of time for homework and sleep. Set aside a specific time of day and a quiet place for homework. Go over the homework with your child to convey the message that education is important for both of you. Preschoolers need between 10 and 12 hours of sleep including their afternoon nap. Lack of sleep does not allow a child’s body to properly rejuvenate itself and may trigger night terrors, so be sure your child goes to bed at a reasonable time.

Preparing for school is a lot of work but very important. Always remember that your attitude about education influences your child greatly so be excited but also be realistic and sincere.

Help Wanted!

You may have noticed the new GoodSearch/GoodShop logo that was added to our sidebar recently. This is a great new way to raise money for Imprints, here’s how:

Clicking on the logo directs you to a search engine, GoodSearch.com, which is powered by Yahoo! Select Imprints as your charity of choice and they will donate about a penny to Imprints for each search! Set your homepage to GoodSearch for easy access.

In addition, do all of your shopping through their online shopping mall, GoodShop.com, where you can shop at more than 900 top online retailers and a percentage of your purchases will go to Imprints. You pay the same price as you normally would, but a donation goes to Imprints!

This is an easy way to make a difference. Thank you for your support!

What's on our bookshelf....

Where's my puppy? by Linda Slifka - Illustrated by Margaret Middleton

This story is about a boy named Jack who really, really, really wants a puppy. Jack finally gets a puppy and brings it outside to play. As puppies tend to do, Scruffy the puppy gets into some mischief and escapes from the yard. Jack is devastated and soon the whole neighborhood is looking for Scruffy. The puppy is soon found safe and sound. Jack is very happy and has a serious conversation with his parents about staying safe.

This story was inspired by the real-life abduction of the author’s niece. Linda Slifka says this book is a way of “gently instructing young children to stay safe by not wandering from the watchful eye of their parents, even when playing close to home.”

What's on our bookshelf....

Look At You, Baby Face! by Madeline Carter - Illustrated by Keaf Holliday

This Golden Super Shape Book is a paperback baby book showing beautifully illustrated baby faces in different situations. Your baby will love looking at these animated faces. Have some fun and imitate the faces with your baby that you see in the book.

A new kind of swap meet

I recently heard about a great idea that I am so excited to share. Some friends of mine were talking at a play date about how their children have several toys that they don’t play with. They wanted to do something useful with them but felt that their child might notice. As they were brainstorming, one mom noticed that another child was playing with her son’s fire truck that he no longer pays attention to. The other child played with that fire truck almost the entire time, checking out all the flashing lights and the ladder. As she was contemplating why her son no longer likes the fire truck when this little boy thinks it’s so great, an idea struck her – a toy swap. Here’s how it works:

Take a few toys that your child has disregarded and exchange them with another child for an agreed upon period of time and then trade them back. Once the toy returns, he will look at it with renewed interest and play with it again. If he doesn’t, no harm done - just exchange it with another child.

This sounds like a great way to save money and get some use out of toys that are just collecting dust. Try it out and let us know what you think.

Hidden Treasure Box

When your toddler opens a present, are they more occupied by the toy or the box? Several parents will say that the box or wrapping paper holds their child’s attention longer. This shows that your child does not need expensive/fancy/store bought toys to learn. You may not know it but your recycling bin is actually a treasure chest of materials to make the perfect toys. Let’s explore a few:

• 2 liter bottles – Save up about 6 bottles and you’ve got yourself a set of bowling pins. Use different size balls and explore with your child which ones knock down the pins the best. If you have thick carpet and the “pins” are having a hard time staying up, put some dry beans in the bottle for some weight. Make a mini bowling set and use empty water bottles.

• Magazines – Cut out pictures and make a collage. You can make a collage of blue pictures or things that start with the first letter in your child’s name. The possibilities are endless.

• Newspapers – Give your child a pair of safety scissors and let the cutting begin. This is a great activity for building strength in their hands needed for writing and it also helps with hand eye coordination. There is no pressure for them to cut out a shape or to cut on a line and they get more comfortable working with scissors. Shredding the paper with their hands is really fun too. Give them a stack of paper and let them shred in the middle of the kitchen floor for easy clean up. They can make confetti for a party or use some tape and make pom-poms.

• Paper towel tubes – Color/paint the tube to make a baton or cut out shapes and glue them on to make different animals. For babies and toddlers, you can put bells or beans inside and cover the ends with masking tape to make a rattle.


Homemade toys are great but remember that they haven’t been tested for safety the way store bought toys are. Always supervise your child when they are playing. Here are some other safety tips:

• Plastic bags – make sure that the bag cannot fit over your child’s head and watch them closely to make sure that they don’t bite off small pieces of the bag because they could choke.

• Small objects – It’s best not to give your child an object smaller than 2” in diameter. An easy way to test this is to see if the object fits inside of an empty toilet paper tube. If it does, your child could choke on it. If you toy contains small objects such as the rattle mentioned above, secure the tube with super strength glue and watch her while playing with it.

• Sharp edges – Place durable tape around the sharp edges and make sure it is secure so your child cannot take it off.

Be creative. The possibilities are endless!

What's on our bookshelf....

Little Turtle's Big Adventure by David Harrison - Illustrated by J.P. Miller

This book chronicles a turtle’s journey as he tries to find a new home when his pond is destroyed to make way for a highway. Follow the turtle as he tests out different climates and environments. This book is a wonderful introduction when talking about the life of a turtle or environmental awareness. Here’s a challenge - see if you can find the turtle on every page!

Ooohhh Aaaahhh

Fireworks are an American tradition for the upcoming 4th of July holiday. I bet you’ve watched them every year since you were a kid, enjoying the bright colors and loud pops. I have always liked the loud noises and the rumble in makes in my stomach, especially during the grand finale.

Until recently, I had never thought of the impact that the fireworks could have on my hearing much less a child’s, with their tiny ears. After prolonged exposure to loud noises over 85 decibels (dB) such as fireworks, a child or adult could experience a ringing in the ears or even permanent hearing loss.

This type of hearing loss is called “noise-induced hearing loss.” Noise-induced hearing loss is caused by damage to the hair cells located in the inner ear. Hair cells are small sensory cells that convert the sounds we hear into electrical signals that travel to the brain. Once damaged our hair cells cannot grow back, causing permanent hearing loss.

Here is a chart to give you an idea of the decibel level of every day items:

• 60 dB – normal conversations or dishwashers
• 80 dB – alarm clock, electric shaver
• 90 dB – hair dryers, blenders and busy traffic
• 110 dB – concerts, car racing, and sporting events
• 115 dB – MP3 players at full volume
• 120 dB – thunder
• 130 dB – ambulances
• 140 dB – firecrackers, fireworks, and gun shots

Ways to protect your family’s hearing:

• Limit exposure
• Distance yourself from the source of the noise
• Turn down the volume
• Wear proper hearing protection such as noise reducing ear muffs or ear plugs when in noisy environments

Please remember that noise-induced hearing loss is permanent and is almost always preventable. So, as you plan for your 4th of July festivities, pack some ear plugs and get there early to find a seat…in the back.