Piedmont Parent's Bloggers!

Okay, I admit it. I have spanked my children. So when I heard on the news last night that a study has shown corporal punishment might cause kids to have a lower IQ , I immediately thought, "Oh no, have I harmed my kids academically?"

The controversy over corporal punishment is a strongly debated one.  Just like with many parenting techniques, there are people who fall on the extremes of this issue, from people who defend their right as parents to use corporal punishment to those who believe any time you lay a hand on a child it's child abuse.

Yes, I popped my kids on the bottom when they were toddlers. But with all the padding of their diapers, it wasn't so much a slap as a way to get their attention. I like to think there's a difference between that and hitting a 12 year old with a belt. I know there are plenty of parents out there who have used the pop on the bottom as a form of discipline, and then there are plenty of parents who refuse to use any sort of corporal punishment, and I admire that. Can there be a happy medium? I don't really know. After reading the results of this study, as well as information from the Lucy Daniels Center on the negative effects of corporal punishment, it makes me think twice about raising a hand at my child for any reason, no matter how light the slap.

Luckily, there are other ways to discipline, without letting your kids totally rule the house and grow into spoiled brats. Time outs might work for some, but they're not as effective for everyone. For some ideas check out our article "The Time Out Alternative." You can also find some great ideas in "Taming Temper Tantrums."  

In my own experience, I've found that part of the issue is with me. In the heat of the moment it's tempting to raise a hand and try to get your point across, but if I give myself a minute to calm down sometimes things can be handled differently. And if I really did lower my daughter's IQ every time I popped her, maybe it's all evened out by the fact that I had pretty bad morning sickness during my entire pregnancy, which may up her IQ!

-- Karen Alley, Web Editor.

At the beginning of the school year we all make sure to get our kids plenty of new pencils, notebooks, crayons and other school supplies. But by now, the crayons are old and broken, the pencils are lost and the notebooks are pretty ratty. I know for my daughter's class of first graders we were asked to buy quite a few things at the beginning of the year that seemed like duplicates, and I know why now. Her teacher pulled out new boxes of crayons and white-board markers a few weeks ago.

Whether it's teachers needing fresh supplies to give to the kids or kids needing to supply they're own, sometimes it can be a financial burden just to get new school supplies. Teachers can spend up to $800 a year on supplies for their classroom, and that can be extra hard for a new teacher just starting out. So when you're out shopping for new pencils or packs of paper for your home office, pick up a few extra supplies to donate to local schools. Here are some places you can drop them off, or donate money. Make sure to call before going by so someone will be there to take your donation.

Classroom Closet: Help out teachers at charter schools in Alamance County. You can donate school supplies at the Kitchen Collection in Burlington Outlet Village every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and get a coupon for 10% off your purchase.

Teacher Supply Warehouse: Located on Yanceyville Street, they accept donations Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Here's a list of some items needed.

WS/FCS Educator Warehouse: Located behind Diggs-Latham Elementary School, it's open Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:30-6:30 p.m. and the second Saturday of every month.

-- Karen Alley, Web Editor.

Snow is finally here! Even if you're one of those that says you'll be happy going all winter without snow (which I had done this year), you can't help but get excited when the big white flakes start falling out of the sky. For kids who didn't have today off for President's Day, they're off now! Most schools around the area have closed for the winter weather. So get out there and have some fun before it all melts away!

We've got great ideas for making the most of your day off on our Snow Day page. It includes a recipe for Irish stew, a great meal to make on a cold, snowy day. We also have some other great recipes for a snow day on our Food page, including Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls and an easy Slow-Cooker Barbecue Chicken recipe. There's something about snow days that makes me want to cook, and the kids are definiely hungry after playing outside!

A glance at the weather forecast shows the snow won't be around for long. So enjoy it while it lasts! And if you're hoping for more, maybe a big snow you can trudge through and sled in for a couple of days, try reading Snow with your kids. It's one of my favorite books. We read it over and over when we're hoping for a snow day, sort of like our own rain dance. Looks like it worked this time.

-- Karen Alley, Web Editor.

Unless you have a senior in high school (or perhaps remember from your own college days) you might not know what the FAFSA is. It's the financial aid form you fill out in order to qualify for financial aid of all sorts. It's very important. And luckily there's help with it. This weekend there are FAFSA days at various locations across the Triad. Financial experts will be there to help you fill out the form and answer questions. And if you can't make it, you can call in on Tuesdays from 5-8 p.m. to get additional help.

This weekend is big not just for kids gettting ready for college. If you have a child ready to enter elementary school, or you're looking for more choices in education options, check out the Guilford County Schools Magnet Fair at the Greensboro Coliseum Pavilion from 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. You can learn all about the 52 magnet and choice schools in the Guilford County system. It also kicks off the application period which runs through March 16. If you can't make it this weekend, there are other opportunities to learn more about the magnet programs, including Magnet Mondays tours at the schools. The magnet application period for WS/FCS was during January, but you can still learn about the programs and think about plans for the future with that system.

There are a lot of great opportunities through the magnet program. At a media event this week, some students from Morehead Elementary performed the concepts of place value and permutation through dance. It's just one creative way kids in magnet schools learn new concept. "More than once, my son has talked to us about how great it is to be at a school where being a geek is a badge of honor and where every student wants to be the smartest kid in the class,” said Diane Summerville of her sixth grader, her third child to go through the magnet program. “I am so grateful Guilford County has a school system that has created options to help students achieve at their highest levels.”

In my house, we have an art cabinet. It was actually an idea I borrowed from a friend of mine. One section of our cabinets in the kitchen are dedicated to the kids' art stuff. It's packed full of paper, coloring books, crayons, water colors, finger paints, modeling clay, stickers, glue and various other things that can be used for art projects. Much to the chagrin of my husband, it's pretty much in a state of constant chaos. But that's okay, because you can close the doors and not see the mess.

I love the art cabinet because it keeps all of that craft stuff somewhat contained. And the kids love it because it's a place they can get stuff out of and create beautiful projects pretty much whenever they want, which is often while I'm making dinner. Whether you're coloring, rolling up balls of play-doh or smushing your fingers in finger paint, art is fun when you're a kid. And the fun part of being a parent is getting to enjoy that wild abandonment once again. Experimenting with art and different media helps stimulate kids' imagination and creativity, helps build problem solving skills, helps them articulate their visions and can even help them be better students.

Sometimes, as kids get older and more involved in the rigidity of school, that creative abandonment of the preschool years gets forgotten. Help your kids keep their creative juices flowing by making room for art in your home. You can also encourage them to enter some art contests, like the one hosted by our sister publication Charlotte Parent. The entries for 2012 were due yesterday, so winners will be posted soon, but you can see the 2011 winners now. 

Right now you can enter:
Doodle for Google. Deadline March 23. Theme: If I could travel in time, I'd visit ...
Birds & Blooms Art Contest. Deadline March 31. Theme: What "green spaces" means to me.
School Bus Safety Poster Contest. Deadline Oct. 1. Theme: Stand Back from the Yellow and Black.

And don't forget you can also send artwork to our editor for the Piedmont Palette, you might get published in the magazine!

-- Karen Alley, Web Editor