Parenting Blog
Updated often--find tidbits of information to help you with parenting. Send us your comments or suggestions for blog topics.
You're not the boss of me: brat proofing your 4 to 12-year-old
by Betsy Brown Braun
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A guide for parents of children between the ages of four and twelve presents advice on dealing with difficult behavior and provides strategies to help children become more self-reliant, show gratitude, be respectful of others, and take personal responsibility.
What are you reading?
Tell us your favorite book this summer. Why do you like it? Email Tales at kidsweb@ald.lib.co.us and let us know. Your pick will get posted here.
Illustrate a Story!
From the Reading Planet Activity Lab: Pick a story, print it out, and draw the pictures!
Help! my baby came without instructions!
by Blythe Lipman
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My baby instruction manual gives parents over 100 quick, easy-to-do lists of proven, mom-tested, pediatrician endorsed tips. Included are chapters on eating, sleeping, crying, bathing and a myriad of other subjects. There are no lengthy paragraphs to read, just fast, reliable help when over-stressed parents need it!
Wordless Books
We want our little ones to start making the connection between reading and the print on the page, so why read books with no words? Because wordless books are a great way to develop a child's language skills!
Great Books for Summer Reading!
Find books for all ages!
Playaways
Looking to keep the kids entertained, quiet, learning, doing their summer reading? Playaways are MP3 players preloaded with an audiobook. Hear what local blogger Melissa had to say about playaways and then find titles for your kids.
Food Allergies
Feeding someone with food allergies? Try one of these books.
Read Aloud!
What can you do to raise a reader? Read aloud! Decades of reading research are clear: one of the best ways to raise a reader is simply to read aloud to your children. Jim Trelease’s book The Read Aloud Handbook is a great place to start. Follow that up with these fresh ideas for reading aloud from Reading is Foundamental!
Getting Your Child to Sleep
Here's a little twist on bedtime battles! Read Stay Awake, Sally: little Sally Raccoon wants to go to sleep but her parents want her to stay up all night.
Simplicity parenting: using the extraordinary power of less...
by Kim John Payne with Lisa M Ross
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Today's busier, faster, supersized society is waging an undeclared war . . . on childhood. As the pace of life accelerates to hyperspeed--with too much stuff, too many choices, and too little time--children feel the pressure. They can become anxious, have trouble with friends and school, or even be diagnosed with behavioral problems.
Ramona Series
Ramona has been a favorite of readers for years. Find out why with all her books.
Sight Words with Samson
This great game for preschoolers through third grade helps your child learn sight words. Make sure to check out the Treasure Hunt Challenge.
ALA Great Web Sites for Kids
The Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC) has compiled some great websites for kids, organized by subjects such as Animals, The Arts, and Social Sciences. There's also a link to the Web Site of the Month.
The happiest kid on campus
by Harlan Cohen
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The Happiest Kid on Campus gives parents everything they need to know about the experience they'll have as their child leaves for college, and what they can do to ensure that their child has an incredible and meaningful college experience.
Follow ALD on Twitter
ALDStorytime on Twitter has information about kid's books, literacy tips, children's programs and more. Follow the Arapahoe Library District on Twitter, for adult book news, program information, recommended reads and more. Also, follow teen news on ALD's teen Twitter page.
Teen Summer Job Earnings
If your teen has a summer or part-time job and you're encouraging them to save, you undoubtably understand how hard it is to find any savings account earning more than .05% (which earns $1 in a year). Try an online savings account instead. Your teen can keep your local checking account and transfer back and forth between the two accounts.
Barnes and Noble Online Storytime
Barnes and Noble launched an online storytime this month featuring Jane O'Connor reading her book Fancy Nancy Bonjour Butterfly. New books will be added each month.
Yummy Fruits & Veggies
Are you getting fresh veggies from your garden? Maybe visiting a farmer’s market? The CDC talks about the benefits of eating fresh. Here’s how to find a farmer’s market near you.
Financial Literacy for Teens, too
Get teens engaged with money and savings and more through titles from the library.
Rand's Financial Literacy Center
For some great resources, try the Rand's Financial Literacy Center. We also have some books to check out, too.
Tackling Financial Literacy
Summer’s the time to read for fun but you can also spend some quality time talking about the value and responsibility of money. Read the article and find some books.
Summer reading lists here!
Summer is no time to slack off – get your summer reading done early! Find your school’s list on our teensite.
Find patriotic titles in the library
Check out this list of titles for all things related to patriotism.
Celebrate July 4!
A classic look at patriotism through youtube’s video of Red Skelton’s Pledge of Allegiance.
Before Your Pregnancy
by Amy Ogle ,Lisa Mazzullo
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This breakthrough book for prospective parents is a completely detailed resource that prepares mothers and fathers-to-be to conceive the healthiest baby possible, to make pregnancy and delivery easier, and to foster the mental and physical well-being of their infant child.
Making Friends
Is your child shy or does he struggle with making friends? Read a BabyCenter article with tips for encouraging your child to make some pals and on planning playdates. We have fun books about friends, too!
Camping with kids
Check out Kidscamping.com for ideas about recipes, games, and nature crafts. Then check out a book about camping!
Finding Everday Literacy Teaching Moments
Parents, you are your child's first and most influential teacher. Throughout your day, you can provide fun and enriching activities that will give your child a head start on learning. Try introducing him to a variety of experiences. You will discover many more as you and your child begin to enjoy creative play time.
Bullying Prevention Awareness Week
"It takes a community to prevent bullying of children. The Fourth Annual National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week, Oct 4-10, 2009 encourages communities nationwide to work together to increase awareness of the prevalence and impact of bullying on all children." Visit the PACER Center website for more information or check out some books on the topic for kids, teens, and adults.
Great Books, Old and New
In celebration of Children's Book Week, our librarians have paired up some favorite books, new and old. See the pairings of picture books or chapter books.
Dia de los Niños
Celebrate Dia de los Niños with a story, a craft, a piñata and other treats.
Register Online.
What kids really want that money can't buy
by Betsy Taylor
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Tips for parenting in a commercial world. This book offers parents a clear and simple path to follow to protect their children from the notion that "more is better."
Measuring up : what educational testing really tells us
by Daniel Koretz
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How do you judge the quality of a school, a district, a teacher, a student? By the test scores, of course. Yet for all the talk, what educational tests can and can't tell you, and how scores can be misunderstood and misused, remains a mystery to most. The complexities of testing are routinely ignored, either because they are unrecognized, or because they may be--well, complicated.
