Friday March 11, 2011
My friend GrammiSue sometimes sports a SpongeBob or Dora the Explorer Band-Aid. The other grandmothers don't comment. We know that plain bandages don't do nearly as much for a grandchild's ouchie as one with a cartoon character. I recently heard a cute story about a Nannie who committed the cardinal sin of running out of cartoon bandages. Her grandson balked at having to wear a plain Band-Aid until Nannie told him that it was a soldier bandage, that the soldiers wore them to match their uniforms. Problem solved! In fact, the grandson instructed his mom to buy "soldier Band-Aids" from now on.
Speaking of ouchies, every grandparent's home should have a first-aid kit. You can buy a prepared kit or put together your own. If you've ever wondered about the purposes of an item in a first aid kit, the Guide to First Aid, Rod Brouhard, provides an interesting tour of a first aid kit as well as some advice about what type of medications to keep on hand.
On the subject of medications, grandparents must remember that child-resistant packaging isn't child-proof. The test for child-resistant packaging is that 85% of the children in the trial must have been unable to open the package within five minutes. Obviously this means that a packaging can be labeled child-resistant if 15% of children could open the package within five minutes. Grandparents must rely on other strategies to keep medication away from the grandchildren.
So store your meds safely, check your first-aid supplies. And if you're ever caught with only plain bandages, remember: They're soldier Band-Aids.
Thursday March 10, 2011
There's nothing that elevates a grandparent's mood like looking at pictures of the grandchildren. Why restrict yourself to looking at pictures on your phone? Put the grands on your wall and on your mouse pad, coffee cup and tote bag. Several photo sites are currently having sales, so you can save money, too.
On free products, you'll still have to pay shipping. Some offers require a coupon code, available on the site.
What's your favorite way to enjoy photos?
More Thrifty Thursday from the Parenting/Family Channel:
Wednesday March 9, 2011
A new campaign uses Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar to teach about healthy eating. Remember? The caterpillar ate an apple, pears, plums, strawberries and oranges. I don't think the caterpillar ate a peach, but it would have been another healthy choice. And this young man clearly thinks it's a yummy choice.
Read more about the campaign and download free materials by visiting the websites of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, sponsors. And if your grandchildren don't have a copy of Eric Carle's wonderful book, buy one. Photo © J. Fisher
More Wordless Wednesday:
Tuesday March 8, 2011
Since it's International Women's Day, my thoughts have turned to differences between the genders, specifically the differences between grandmothers and grandfathers. In my analysis I've been helped along by Jill Milligan, author of Grandma Rules. Jill points out these basic differences:
- Grandmothers put a great deal of thought into choosing their grandmother names, whereas most grandfathers are happy with whatever the grandchildren want to call them. Considering how many grandmothers are rechristened by their grandchildren, maybe the grandfathers have the right attitude.
- Grandmothers don't like telling untruths to their grandchildren. Grandfathers think that telling whoppers is included on their job description.
- Grandfathers don't like to buy clothes for their grandchildren; grandmothers do. How else can they show the other grandmother what good taste they have?
- When they do want to shop for their grandchildren, grandmothers and grandfathers shop at different places. "Grandmothers go to malls. Grandfathers go to ATMs."
To be fair, I have to tell you that Jill's husband Michael Milligan has written a book called Grandpa Rules. It's a good read, too. And the Milligans have subtitled their books similarly: "Notes on Grandmotherhood/Grandfatherhood, the World's Best Job."
The grandmothers and grandfathers that I know would agree. And that's the truth.
More Humorous Books About Grandparenting
