We Are Overloaded with Candies - HELP!!

Getting ready for a pumpkin-carving party at home today and thinking about all the candies that are coming our way . . . what to do, what to do . . .

Great article for helping our children manage their candies:
Tips for Dealing with Halloween Candy Overload

And here are some tips for the grown ups courtesy of "GaGa Sisterhood"; for the complete article visit "9 Tips to Tame Your Halloween Candy Monster"

1. Buy Halloween candy you don’t like. You’ll be less likely to eat it.
2. Buy the bare minimum you think you’ll need for trick-or-treaters. Halloween falls on Sunday this year. Since it’s a school night, you’ll probably have fewer visitors.
3. Don’t buy the candy until October 31. It’s often on sale then, too. If you must buy it sooner, don’t open the bag until Halloween night.
4. Count the empty wrappers. If you’re popping fun-size bars in your mouth, you can lose track of how many calories you’ve eaten. If you leave the wrappers out, it will remind you how many you’ve eaten.
5. Give away the leftovers the day after Halloween. Don’t bring it to work and tempt your co-workers with sweets they don’t need.
6. Plan a conscious indulgence. If there’s a time of day when you crave sweets, wait until then and savor the moment. I like to suck on a Tootsie Pop while I’m watching television. They last a long time, have chocolate in the middle, and they’re only 60 calories per pop.
7. Avoid the post-Halloween candy sales. It may seem like a good bargain, but you know you’ll regret it later.
8. Write down the things that trigger your indulgences. If you skip a meal, for example, you’ll be more likely to crave sweets.
   
9. Commit to yourself and a friend. Make a pledge with a friend that this holiday season will be a healthy one and list three reasons why.

October - Breast Cancer Awareness Month

An inspiring and heart warming story about a dear friend.

Watertown woman relies on family, faith to help overcome breast cancer - Watertown, MA - Watertown TAB & Press

More information and resources available on National Breast Cancer Awareness Month website.

October Bullying Prevention Month

In just a couple of weeks, our students in grades 3 through 5 will have spent 4 weeks deepening their understanding of bullying. We are taking time to carefully define bullying; clearly identify the aggressor, target(s), and bystanders in situations; and courageously consider how we can activate the power of the bystanders.

Please take a look at this VoiceThread addressing some of the myths around bullying.

Although not a personal fan of Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network (I am definitely a PBS girl), I am so pleased to see programming in support of October Bullying Prevention Month:

• Nickelodeon News on Sunday night, October 3rd, 2010 at 9:00 pm EST, Sticks, Stones, and Cyberbullying.
• Cartoon Network, Stop Bullying: Speak Up, October 4th, 2010

Also check out Stop Bullying Now - a favorite!

Sound and Sensible Advise

Dr. Steven Schlozman discusses kids, homework, and parental guidance - The Boston Globe

Feeling Overwhelmed?

The goal was to update the blog as least once a week; more for my own growth than for anyone else' benefit. The guilt of missing a week was putting me at risk for an ulcer. The good that resulted was a desperate search for some way of climbing out of this immense sense of being overwhelmed - quite normal for educators and parents in September.

Here are some great tips I found from Peter Bregman. For more information - check out his blog entry "A Practical Plan for When You Feel Overwhelmed." Clicking the "publish post" button will cross one thing off my list - Hooray!

• First, spend a few minutes writing down everything you have to do on a piece of paper. Resist the urge to use technology for this task. Why? I'm not sure, but somehow writing on paper — and then crossing things out — creates momentum.
• Second, spend 15 minutes — no more — knocking out as many of the easiest, fastest tasks as you can. Make your quick phone calls. Send your short emails. Don't worry about whether these are the most important tasks on your list. You're moving. The goal is to cross off as many items as possible in the shortest time. Use a timer to keep you focused.
• Third, when 15 minutes are up, turn off your phone, close down all the windows on your computer, and choose the most daunting thing on your list, the one that instills the most stress or is the highest priority. Then work on it and only it — without hesitation or distraction — for 35 minutes.
• After 35 minutes, take a break for 10 minutes and then start the hour-long process over again, beginning with the 15 minutes of quick actions.

Now . . . where are those shin-guards?

The Children of 9/11

I will always remember coming home from the "Water Tower Park" with my toddler, stepping through the threshold and seeing the look in my husband's eyes. We were not yet a cell phone connected family and we had just spent the most serene morning with friends sliding down the big, big slide. The days to follow were life changing for all . . .

But as an elementary school counselor - these are the children who have been on my heart the most through the years. Today, let's send them our collective good wishes by practicing one, two, three or more acts of kindness.

For children of 9/11, answers are slow - The Boston Globe

The Cab Ride

We live very hurried lives in New England. We are efficient and mostly effective. I hope that as the school year opens, we will take some time to do what is important and not always what seems urgent. I got this from a friend. I love the spirit behind the story~ That we need to take the time; but also that the elderly among us are precious!

The Cab Ride