Monday, December 15, 2008

10 Blog Post ideas in Draft

Ok, so I’m counting out how many posts I have left and I realize that I don’t have enough posts to write about all the different ideas I had wanted to write about. So I figured I would just make one big post with a little paragraph on each idea, they will obviously not be thorough, so if you have anything to add on, feel free to do so.

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Question: Is the Parents Room Just for Parents?

By my house the parents room isn’t just for parents, more often it becomes the family room where we all gather. On Shabbos mornings as soon as we wake up we go to our parents room and tell them good morning and do some talking. As a kid I remember we had fun jumping on their beds, we would jump from one bed to the next and look in the mirror while we did so. But yet the door did have a hook and eye lock, and there were times when us kids weren’t allowed in. But then if we knocked on the door, then it usually opened for us. At one house I was by I saw the parents had a combination lock on their bedroom door. I thought that was funny and a bit extreme, it seemed like they were in a whole other apartment that way.

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Sleepovers

At what age is a child old enough to go on a sleepover? and should they be left alone or attended?

I remember going on a few sleepovers. When I was 11 years old I went to a girl in my class’s house for a sleepover. I had brought a sleeping bag over, cause I liked to use it as a blanket. At home we figured out that if you put the sleeping bag on the top of the steps and go inside you can sit and slide down the steps in a bumpy fun way. So when I was by the girl’s house I decided to teach them how to do it so they could have some fun too. Thinking back at it now I would never let kids do it for fear that they would topple down and hurt themselves. So anyways, I put the sleeping bag on their steps and went in with my friend and we had fun going down. Then her little little brother wanted to have some fun too. So he asked if he can go in the sleeping bag with me and have a ride too. So I let him in and we went down a few times. Then their mother tells me that I can’t go in the sleeping bag with him. I didn’t understand why not. That was my first introduction/lesson to the rules of Yichud.

Then other times when we had sleepovers we would play truth and dare, and something secretive always came out.

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Getting Lost

At what age can you send children on errands alone?

I was 8 years old when I went with my brother to the bike shop to get our bikes fixed. I found the way there, we gave in my brother’s bike to be fixed and were then on our way home. When my brother suddenly had a brilliant idea “I remember a shortcut” he said. So I trustingly went with him on his “shortcut” route. After a while I realized we were lost. I remember land marks that I had passed that signaled my being lost. So we got to a unfamiliar place and I was afraid so I started crying. My brother tried to be all brave about it, but it must of been hard on him since I was crying. Then a African-American lady sees that I’m crying and she asks what’s wrong. I told her we were lost. So she called the cops from a pay phone at the corner. (It was the days before cell phones). Then the police comes. The police man took my brother and dumped him in the trunk of the car, this frightened me at the time, but I guess they were just trying to play around and lighten the mood a bit. Then they took him out of the trunk and we both went into the car. They drove us home, and I remember my mother sitting down with us, giving us a drink and telling us we can’t leave the house again that day. Happens to be, now I’m always by the place I got lost, because that’s where my college is.

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Fake Vs. Real

What do you think children prefer fake stuff or real stuff?

You’d be surprised but most children will be happier with the .25 ring from the machine than a real ring from the Jewelry store.

When I was younger my mother signed me up at the y to take gymnastics. I’m not sure why, but she offered me a reward if I go. I had remembered going to a girl’s house where she had a fake blow dryer and hair accessories, and I had enjoyed playing with it. So when my mother asked what I wanted as a prize, I told her a blow dryer. So what did she do? she bought me a real blow dryer! I was a bit disappointed at that, cause it wasn’t like the one my friend had. But I didn’t say anything, and pretended I was happy about it. Later on though I actually used it and was happy that I had my own real blow dryer!

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Medicine

At what age should children learn to swallow pills?

All my life I had always had liquid medicine. I didn’t like the taste of chewable ones and I never tried swallowing. So long as they had a liquid version I was fine. But then came the time when I was 16 and I got a root canal, and that really hurt, and the dentist gave me pain killers for that. The pain killers however only came in pills to swallow. I was sitting there on the dentist chair, thinking to myself, “O, no, I don’t know how to swallow!”. With my dentists persisting, I took the pill put it in my mouth and behold I was able to swallow it! I was so surprised and proud of myself that I had this look on my face, that I couldn’t believe what I had just accomplished. Although after that when I tried swallowing pills again it was much harder and didn’t go so easily, so I guess the first time was luck.

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Shirt Buttons

Ever noticed that boy and girl shirt buttons are on opposite sides?

I always wondered why that was. I guess it’s to make it easier for the mother doing laundry to tell which white shirts are boy shirts and which are girl shirts. Although most shirts obviously have different styles, so the side of the buttons shouldn’t be the deciding factor.

While I’m on the topic of clothes and different boy girl ways, I decided that tucking in a shirt by girls just doesn’t look good, and I think it’s even untznius. Although by boys I think tucked in shirts are fine and even look more put together. By girls though I like tucked out shirts better, or at least a jacket or sweater on top of the shirt.

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Exercise

One day I was outside and saw three little kids outside walking very fast. I asked them what their up to, and they said they were exercising cause they didn’t want to get fat. So they jogged around the block a couple of times. They were all into it and serious about it, I thought it was really cute. They made a schedule and a couple of times a week they would jog around the block and do exercises.

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Playing in the street

Do you think children should be allowed to play in the street?

I’m always surprised when I see young children playing in the street, whether it’s a ball game, or just running back and forth. I can’t believe the mother’s let their children play in the street like that. It scares me all the time, and whenever I see my younger siblings playing around in the street I tell them they have to go out of the street. Unless the street is closed down I think it’s unsafe. I tried explaining to the kids that they shouldn’t be playing in the street, but they say that they will be careful, and they will watch out for cars. I tried explaining that nobody gets into an accident on purpose, but they don’t understand it.

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“It’s a Piece of Junk”

I find many times when children get frustrated with a toy/object and they can’t figure out how it works, they call it a piece of junk. They put the blame on the object. Lot’s of times it’s just that they didn’t read the instructions/directions. Or they didn’t take good care of it. So instead of admitting its their fault, they call it a piece of junk hoping to get some sympathy to get a new one or not get blamed for what they had broken.

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Cute kid voices

Adon Olam

The first kid singing had a really cute voice. Before this song he sang “Halleli Elokayich Tzion” and instead of saying “L” he would say “w” so it was so cute to hear him say “Hawewi Ewokayich Tzion”. Anyways, the second boy, is a kid I used to babysit, and the first kid was his cousin. The second kid really has a great voice, not sure if you can tell from this video.

“The Wheels on the Bus” and “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”

This kid is 4 years old, she actually just turned 4. She is one interesting little kid, her voice sounds so sweet you would think she's such a well behaved kid. But she's actually very tough in her negotiations! She threatened that she won't be my friend if I be mean to her and tell her she has to go to sleep. But then the next day when I go over to her she begs me to sit next to her and for me to hold her and everything.

13 comments:

  1. "Is the Parents Room Just for Parents?"

    living in an apartment, i don't even feel that any particular room has one function. there is no bedroom, because where we sleep is also where jr plays. there is no living room, because that's also where jr plays, as well as where we eat, watch tv, hand the wet laundry, etc. there is no kitchen, because that's my office, the computer room and the laundry room.

    point is, when you live in a small area, not letting kids into the bedroom means baring them from 40% of the home.

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  2. I have been swallowing pills since I was nine. Never a problem.

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  3. 0.25 ring vs. real --So true with kids, for some reason the toys from those gumball machines were always awesome.

    Children playing in the street--While it's great that they're having fun, for some reason I usually feel a little annoyed at having to slow down every evening I come home, b/c the street is designated for cars. But they're always super nice about it and leave right away.

    Root canal - ouch!

    Cute songs!

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  4. I've always hated the taste of liquid medicine. From the age of 7 or 8 I've been swallowing pills.

    And as for fake vs. real: My mom used to have me take Flintstones vitamins when I was little (3 or 4) and I was fine with it... but one day (without telling me) she bought the generic kind and I could tell. I never took vitamins again until I got pregnant. -- I know that's not really what you meant by fake vs. real, but I could definitely tell the difference between the fake and real vitamins and I preferred the real stuff.

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  5. BTW, when i grew up we always played in the street. part of living in the city.

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  6. While I’m on the topic of clothes and different boy girl ways, I decided that tucking in a shirt by girls just doesn’t look good, and I think it’s even untznius. Although by boys I think tucked in shirts are fine and even look more put together. By girls though I like tucked out shirts better, or at least a jacket or sweater on top of the shirt.

    I always thought that untucked blouses on girls looked weird.

    and boys buttons are always left over right so that in older times men could get to their weapons easier. (ichs)

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  7. LionOfZion: Good point. Although by one of the families I babysat by they also live in a tiny apartment, and they have a lock on their door, a real lock, and the doors are always closed. They just feel it's private I suppose. They don't have a living room either, they just have a dining room and kitchen, and they have 2 bedrooms. They send out their clothes to the laundry-mat cause they can't have a washing machine or dryer. But if you don't have a kitchen then how do you get food?

    But yea, that's a good point about small apartments. Good luck with finding and buying Jr's dream house.

    MikeInMidwood: good for you! 9 sounds like a good age.

    KT: yea they were awesome!

    I didn't even think of it from the drivers perspective. Good point.

    Thanx for the concern! I actually never went back for a follow up appointment on that, cause I ended up getting the rest done at a specialist because the dentist was killing me too much and he couldn't watch me cry any longer.

    and thanx about the songs, their cute kids!

    Jessica: well that is a bit different, but there I agree with you, I never liked generic brands. I actually remember I used to have those vitamins that came in red orange and purple, wow memories! Although I heard that the generic brands for medication is the same exact thing as the brand names, that they use the same factory and ingredients and everything, it's just you're paying for the name.

    LionOfZion: could be it's part of living in the city. It's just that after this happened to her son, I expected her to be more concerned about it.

    Yoni: Interesting you say that, maybe it's just a matter of taste.

    Very cool about the buttons, I hadn't known that. It makes sense.

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  8. http://www.mycustomclothing.com/customtailor/Why_Do_Men_Button_Left_Over_Right_And_Women_Right_Over_Left.htm

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  9. 10 for the price of one!
    cool

    Oh my bedroom..becomes a family room quite often...
    Its just such a mellow atmosphere...especially in the morning..everyone still in pjs....shmoozing while half asleep..

    "You’d be surprised but most children will be happier with the .25 ring from the machine than a real ring from the Jewelry store."

    Theyre both just as real.
    kid toys..adult toys..

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  10. is it normal for people to congregate with their parents shabbos morning? or any morning?

    and secondly,

    Although I heard that the generic brands for medication is the same exact thing as the brand names, that they use the same factory and ingredients and everything, it's just you're paying for the name.

    this is not even remotely true. . . I've taken medicines enough to know this for a fact. Some generics work as well as the regular, adderall works similarly, although not exactly the same.

    personaly I don't think that they should allow generics but rather just take the regular medicine and make them lower the price but get all of the perscriptions. . . but the drug companies don't have to pay as much for the generics which is why they exist, so that the drug companies can force you to take an inferior product and not have to pay as much.

    I've noticed that alot with products. like the off brand instant oatmeal is awful compared to the quaker brand.

    same with lots of generics. :(

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  11. When I was a little girl, sharing a room with my sister, I longed to grow up and finally get my own room.
    No such luck. Mommy and Daddy's room seems to be the favorite for everyone.

    I too thought that women's buttons were the "wrong way" from the days of ladies maids dressing their employers.

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  12. Dave: Thanx for the Link I hadn't imagined that there were actual answers for this, so I wouldn't have thought of researching it. I'm glad I asked.

    That is so cool that at the end it says exactly what I had guessed!

    "that the right-left-differentiation is a result of the gradual approximation of female and male dress and the resulting necessity of distinction"

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  13. DavidOnTheLake: I haven't thought of looking at it in that way, you're right, that is cool!

    Yea, it's always the morning shmoozing room.

    Interesting point. You can look at it that way.

    Anonymous: why wouldn't it be normal? I would say it's healthy, it creates good bonding time and enhances relationships.

    aha, didn't know that. Now that you mention it, I know I have some preference for the "real" brand over the "copycat" brand.

    G6: Well I suppose that's a good sign, that your children like Mommy and Daddy!

    I wouldn't have guessed that one was a "right" way and one was a "wrong" way. To me, our way was right, since that's the way I'm used to, so it was just a relative concept. It's cool to hear about the reasons.

    ReplyDelete

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