Entries Tagged 'Education' ↓

Every day after school my daughter runs home to get her classroom ready. After they finish their homework, the kids from the neighborhood come to play School.

You would think after an entire day of it, they’d be tired of school.

But, day after day, that’s what they come home to play. They play for hours.

Ainsley likes the role of “teacher.”

I took her to the Dollar Store and she stocked up on supplies. Real school supplies.

She has the other kids write papers, take spelling tests, do math sheets, learn about Presidents and world history. They have bins for desks with name cards on them.

When we were cleaning her room I found papers the other children had done and Ainsley had graded them harshly.

I had bought her a slide grader and she was using it.

We had to go over the fact that some of her students are in the first grade, some are in preschool, and they shouldn’t be held to third grade standards. We had to go over the fact that the other children’s parents might be upset if they found out Ainsley was give them failing grades on their after-school papers. Or the other children might feel defeated if she didn’t cut them some slack and grade compassionately.

Sometimes we have to go over the fact that other children may get tired of being bossed around.

“But, I make the lessons really fun for them Mom. I include play and interesting projects into the work. To make learning fun,” she tells me.

I suppose I shouldn’t worry too much, because day after day the other kids come back to Ainsley’s School, excited.

She may have found her calling. That is, if her American Idol dreams don’t pan out.

Kathy Pickus from Dot Girl Products sent Ainsley a Dot Girl First Period Kit in preparation for her eventual period.

This was not our first discussion about menstruation, but it was the discussion with the visual aids to illustrate the points. For Ainsley, this was not as exciting as getting a new pair of earrings or some lipgloss.

“What’s this?”

“Pads. You put them in your underwear when you bleed.”

“Gross.”

(I agree, pads are gross. The whole idea has always been repulsive to me. But, I won’t mention that to her until I’ve got a better plan lined up to suggest. The idea of having a period has always been fine with me, but wearing a diaper that leaks doesn’t seem like a great solution.)

She opened the pamphlet and tossed it aside. I started aloud reading from it.

One of us wasn’t very mature about it. You try reading sentences like, “Menstrual blood dribbles out a little at a time.” And “another fluid that comes out of the vagina is called vaginal discharge,” without giggling.

I have yet to say the words “vaginal discharge” ever in my life without cracking up. It’s an hysterical combination of words. Period.

“Vaginal discharge? What is that?”

I try substituting the other hilarious word in the text, “Mucus. Vaginal mucus.”

“What?”

“Snot. Snot will also come out of your vagina.” At this point I was having a wonderful time with big full belly laughs.

The kit also includes one of those cool plastic and gel heat bags – like a modern-day hot water bottle for possible cramps, a nifty little pink carrying case shaped like a dot. They say this is discreet, but I’m not sure how discreet this thing is. It’s definitely not something a kid could stick in their pocket to use the restroom in elementary school or junior high without everyone noticing. You’d have to take the whole backpack.

Still, this might be a great option for you to open the discussion with your pre-pubescent daughters about their bodies, how they work and what to expect. The kit retails for $19.99 and has a lot of extras. Dot Girls also features other products including several informational books and CDs like, The Birds + The Bees + Your Kids and the Ask Anything Journal.

One of the things I love most about having a daughter is passing on what I know.

This is a wide range. I pass on sewing and cooking skills that I learned from my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. I pass on housekeeping and cleaning secrets that have been passed down in my maternal lineage (baking soda, vinegar and a magic eraser will clean anything and everything).

I pass on the craft of writing and the skill of critically reading, I pass on the structure of a story, the love of letters, words and good study skills and habits.

Now, there are things that I’m only learning just now. Like, business and accounting. Prior to now, I had no idea what went into launching a skin care line or balancing my books or creating a profit margin.

My focus had always been on the creative side and I had assumed, wrongly I might point out, that I didn’t enjoy the business side of creativity.

I have discovered that, in fact, I do find it exciting. A small business accounting class that outlines foreign terms, turns out to be just as much of a turn on as painting the ponytail that will go on my label.

I am, quite honestly, having the most fun I think I’ve ever had in my life launching and developing TGR Body.

What makes it even more fun and even more exciting is that I’m sharing what I learn, as I learn it, with my kids. Especially Ainsley, who is nine and can take it all in. She’s having a blast organizing the distribution and shipping center we’ve set up in the basement, she’s painting label silhouettes at an easel right along side me, she’s reviewing the labels and offering suggestions and trying the products and can’t wait to print the shipping receipts and go to conferences and farmers markets to sell our product to real life people. We’re printing her some business cards and giving her a title. I’m thinking I’m going to give her an hourly wage.

To understand business, I have found, is very powerful. To be ignorant of how business works and be subjected to the whims of employers, has been one of the most powerless experiences of my life.

I am thrilled to be able to learn alongside Ainsley, knowing that that powerless business ignorance will not be part of her life, because of the experience of growing The Girl Revolution and launching TGR Body.

New Moon Girls, the magazine written by girls for girls, has a list of 30 Great Books for Girls to help you get your daughter’s summer read on.

“We like these books especially because they’re all about girls who are smart, brave, bold, funny, and adventurous!” states New Moon Girls. The list includes classics like Charlotte’s Web and Ramona the Pest and many new one’s I’ve not had the privilege of reading.

Ainsley loves to read. We looked up the library where we are moving and were disappointed to find that they only reward 10 hours of reading all summer long.

Surely there is a competitive reading rewards program online, perhaps for home schoolers. Does anyone know of one that we can sign up for?

Ainsley is finishing up the 2nd grade.

She scored the most reading points in her class.

When she finished the highest reading goal in early May, she spend the remainder of the time helping her friends reach the same goal.

The four students who made the goal had a special lunch with their teacher.

We are very proud of her for being both an excellent reader and an excellent leader.