spring into the outdoors

great Family Fun!there’s something

for everyone!

Don’t miss the excitement! May 11, 12, & 13

see Page 14 for details

live entertainmentKids’ activities

door Prizesgiveaways

April2012

Hey, Kids! Check out Kirby’s Korner!

Lots of learning

and puzzlefun!

Bullying during the middle school years is espe-cially common as children attempt to establish their place and their social circle among others. If you suspect your tween has had a run in with a bully at school, on the bus, in the cafeteria, or even on the ball field, there will be clues in her/his behavior and appearance. If the signals are there, it’s time for a talk with your tween. Many tweens will be reluctant and embarrassed to share details of the bullying, and some may even feel they deserve to be bullied. Others will worry that the bullies will increase their torment if they tell on them. Sit down and ask if there have been any problems or bullying issues at school, or if she’s encountered someone whose try-ing to make her life difficult. If the answer is yes, of-fer up suggestions on how she may handle the bully in question. Sometimes, a simple response such as, “Don’t talk to me that way!” or “Stop annoying me!” may be enough to deter the bullies or quiet

DON’T be a bully...

BE A Buddy!

Tween Bullying at Schoolthem down. Role play situations your tween might encounter with possible solutions to stop the abuse. Encourage your tween to keep away from the bully, and to stick with one or two friends when the bully is present. THE BUDDY SYSTEM IS VERY IMPORTANT. It’s also important that your child understand that it’s not his fault that he’s being bullied. Be sure he knows that he can ask teachers or the bus driver for help, if the behavior continues, and help him find ways to inform adults about bullying, without sound-ing like he’s tattling. If your child’s attempts to end the bullying fail to work, and the bullying continues, it’s time to call the school and ask for a meeting with the principal and/or the teacher. Be very clear that you expect the behavior to end, and that you expect a follow up by the school in several weeks to make sure it hasn’t returned. Be sure to docu-ment EVERYTHING. Every incident, every phone call, every email, every letter, every meeting. If it is not resolved, go to the school district superintendent. If it is not resolved there, go to the police. Don’t ever stop protecting your child. Continue up the chain of command until the bullying stops!!

Until next time, Blessings, Terri Schroeter, Ephesians 4:32 “be kind to one another having a loving & understanding heart!” Remember, Kirby says, “Don’t be a bully, be a BUDDY!”

STOP

Remember, Kids: Kirby says, “Don’t Be a Bully, Be A Buddy!”www.dontbeabullybeabuddy.com

To advertise, please contactMichelle Martinez432-349-3739michelle@kidskornermag.com

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Kids Korner Magazine, The Ultimate Resource For Permian Basin Parents, is now in its fifth year of connecting families with the products and services they need.

Published monthly and distributed in day cares, pre-schools, medical offices, salons, museums, and many other locations where parents will find us.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, reprinted, or redistributed without express written permission from Kids Korner Magazine of the Permian Basin.

PublisherMichelle Martinez

Creative DirectorTherese Shearer

Contributing Writer Terri Schroeter

The Ultimate Resource for Permian Basin Parents

inyourkorner

one hundred years from now...

Blessings, Michelle and Terri

After much careful thought, (and more honestly, hours of ago-nizing over which logo and font to use), we decided to give Kids Korner/Today’s Family a little freshening up.

So, years of marketing tells me that the logo, the look, the BRAND- has to be just right. But last month, after witnessing the effect of this publica-tion on many parents and children at the 2-1-1 celebration, the name and logo, just paled in comparison... to the purpose.

Purpose is something we all want, sometimes question, and some-times even forget in the midst of details. It was in those details I was lost and had to step back and look at the whole picture- the Purpose.

At our booth that day, children LOVED signing their very own “BUDDY” certificate. (Don’t Be a Bully, Be a Buddy). We were absolutely delighted to meet several kids that already had Buddy Certificates from previous events, and were explaining the “commitment” to their siblings or friends themselves!!!

Though each encounter was brief, many were powerful. One mom stopped by our booth with six good lookin’ kiddos in tow. We asked if they were all hers, she proudly said “Yes, they are all foster- and I’m adopting this one,” pointing to one adorable stroller-riding toddler. I wanted to shout her story to the world. Purpose! Heart! She humbly reminded me of the confidentiality factor, and of course can not be identified, but I will never forget her and the way the kids seemed safe and comfortable with her.

So, while much business and marketing research was invested into this new look, it’s the inside that counts- just like each of us.

Kids Korner/Today’s Family has ALWAYS had something that super-sedes any digitized masterpiece- HEART. A heart for children. For To-day’s... FAMILY. In closing, our purpose can be conveyed in a quote by Forest Whitcraft:

“One hundred years from now It will not matter What kind of car I drove, What kind of house I lived in, How much I had in my bank Nor what my clothes looked like. One hundred years from now It will not matter What kind of school I attended, What kind of typewriter I used, How large or small my church, But the world may be... a little better because...I was important in the life of a child.” -Forest Whitcraft Through publishing this magazine, we hope that your family finds

products, services, and activities that bring value to your lives.

4

thisIssue

Bullying 2Hotlines 6Technology challenges parents 6,7Pasta pick-me-up 8Events 9Kirby’s Korner 10, 11The truth about why our kids annoy us 12,13Self-Esteem 15

AppArel, shoes, & AccessorIesBaby Bear’s Boutique ............ 12

BABy showersBaby Bear’s Boutique ............ 12J&A Party Sales & Rentals .... 13

BIrthdAy pArtIesJ&A Party Sales & Rentals .... 13Niño’s Spa Parties ................. 7Permian Basin Photo Booths and Entertainment ................ 10

consIgnmentsBaby Bear’s Boutique ............ 12

dAy cAres & educAtIonKids’ College ......................... 6Midland Montessori .............. 12Toddler Tech .......................... 10

dIAper BAgsBaby Bear’s Boutique ............ 12

dIAper cAkesBaby Bear’s Boutique ............ 12

dog groomIngBella’s Dog Grooming ............ 10

electrIcCorey Sly .............................. 11

Fun For the FAmIlyGreat Outdoor Expo ............... 14J&A Party Sales & Rentals .... 13

heAlth cAreMCH Center for Women & Infants .................. 5ORMC Odessa Regional Medical Center ...................... 16

InsurAnceBlakely Insurance .................. 13

mAternIty weArBaby Bear’s Boutique ............ 12

mAchIne rentAlsJ&A Party Sales & Rentals .... 13

reAltorsJeaneen Pruitt ....................... 4

sAlonsNiño’s Kid Salon ................... 7

speech therApyLisa Irvin, MS/CCC/SLP ........ 7

summer cAmps & clAssesKids’ College ......................... 6

FeAtures

5

6

By Dr. Sylvia B. RimmQ: My 12-year-old is the only one of all her friends that does not have a “tex-ting” type of phone. We got a basic phone that she can use when she needs to be in contact. Lately, she is very adamant that she wants a phone to text with. What are your recommenda-tions? She is a good student with nice friends. Money is not the issue, but I’m concerned that we will be out of the loop with what she has going on with friends, boys, etc. A: Parents have many technol-ogy challenges in coping with tweens and teens, but texting is less of a problem than some. Some children overuse it, but it’s not likely to be misused by strang-ers or sexual predators that don’t have your daughter’s phone num-ber. The biggest risks are from kids who bully others or use vulgar lan-guage. Also, spending too much time

texting can take time away from home-work and other responsibilities.

Adolescents typically use text messages more than they actually speak on their phones. Texting is an important social communication for this generation. At 12, your daugh-ter’s ready for some small amount of additional freedom matched by additional responsibility. Be-fore you give your daughter her texting privilege, you can review some guidelines with her and explain that she can enjoy the texting as long as she follows those guidelines. I’ll suggest some guidelines below, but you may want to add some of your own, specific to per-sonal concerns.1. Never give strangers, in-cluding tweens and teens, your telephone number. It’s only to be shared with trusted friends and family.

2. Texting and studying don’t go together. During homework time, the cell

phone should be off or left with a parent.3. Texting doesn’t fit well with a good night of rest. Phones should be turned off before bedtime.4. There should be absolutely no texting or read-ing of texts in school.5. Don’t text with anyone who uses vulgar or ob-scene language.6. Tell a parent immediately if you receive any obscene or bullying text messages.7. Do not delete any bullying messages in case a parent needs to take further action (e.g. talk to the authorities).8. Texting privileges will be rescinded if parents see problematic changes in general behavior or achievement.

Technology

challenges

parents

7

At age 12, indeed you should be a “little” out of the loop on some of your daughter’s social life because she should be allowed some privacy and independence. Try to reserve plenty of one-on-one time for talking and listening to her talk about her social life and that of her friends. Don’t be surprised if she asks about a “friend’s” be-havior when she’s really trying to determine what your opinion is in regard to her own thoughts or behaviors. Keep communication lines open and think of yourself as more of a wise coach than a judging parent.

Be very clear about not using drugs and only friending appropriate kids who have good values. Keep your daughter busy and involved in extra-curricular activities. Adolescents who aren’t busy and involved are more likely to be sitting behind screens or involved in high-risk activities. The re-search for my book “Growing Up Too Fast” showed that, even before texting, middle grade students spent between four and five times as much time in front of screens than doing homework. Those who were healthfully involved in extracurricular ac-tivities spent less time in front of screens.

Monitor Internet use by placing computers in family rooms where you can keep a watchful eye on her. If you decide to allow your daughter to use social media sites, be sure she meets the age requirement of the sites and provides you with the password. Indicate that you’ll check her site occasionally because you’re interested in her friends’ activities and also because you want to be sure she’s safe. Checking once or twice a month can reassure you that a sexual predator hasn’t found her.Dr. Sylvia B. Rimm is the director of the Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, a clinical professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and the author of many parenting books. More information on raising kids is available at www.sylviarimm.com. Send questions to: Sylvia B. Rimm on Raising Kids, P.O. Box 32, Watertown, WI 53094 or srimm@sylviarimm.com.

speechLanguage &Learning s e r v i c e s

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8

PastaPICK-Me-UP

kid-approved And healthy!

By Lisa MessingerThere are plenty of books that advise how to trick kids

into eating vegetables by hiding them in brownies or pu-reeing them into sweet shakes. Usually, no deceptions are necessary, though, when you add pasta to a soup con-taining them. Unlike other combinations, kids and pasta do mix. Soup is fun to eat and prepare, so it makes it even more appealing. That attraction doesn’t only extend to children. Soup cooks get a real break from the drudgery of longer, more involved meals. Double or even triple duty is possible when preparing soup.

In the soup that follows, for instance, both the garlic-sauteed broccoli and pasta cook right in the same pot. It’s the same with the virtual vegetable garden of mushrooms, celery, carrots, onions, sugar snap peas and parsley in the additional penne-filled soup below.

The addition of pasta is also a way to make scrump-tious, sophisticated heirloom recipes more accessible to children. Cookbook author Giuliano Hazan did that with three-generation specialties of his famed family. (His mother is TV cooking star and best-selling cookbook au-thor Marcella Hazan.) His soup chapter in “Giuliano Ha-zan’s Thirty Minute Pasta: 100 Quick and Easy Recipes” is filled with now kid-friendly recipes that “minus the pasta” have been drawing raves in his family for generations.

BroccolI soup wIth pAstA

2 medium cloves garlicSalt, to taste¾ pound broccoli florets2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oilFreshly ground black pepper, to taste1 large beef bouillon cube6 ounces short tubular pasta or other dried small pasta shaped for soup, such as ditalini or small shells

Fill a pot with water that will accommodate the broccoli and place over high heat. Peel and finely chop the garlic. When the water is boiling, add 1 teaspoon salt and put in the broccoli. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes after the water comes back to a boil. Drain broccoli and set aside. Put the garlic and olive oil in a 4- to 6-quart soup pot and place over medium-high heat. After the garlic begins to sizzle, add the cooked broccoli. Season with pepper and lightly with salt. Saute for about 5 minutes after the water comes back to a boil. Stir periodically with a wooden spoon, suing it to mash the broccoli into small pieces. When the broccoli has finished sauteing, add 4 cups water and the bouillon cube and raise the heat to high. When the water begins boiling, add the pasta and cook over medium heat until the pasta is al dente. Serve hot. Yields 4 servings. ”Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta: 100 Quick and Easy Recipes” by Giuliano Hazan (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $27.50).

VegetABle gArden pAstA soup

3 tablespoons butter4 ounces button mushrooms, sliced1 cup sliced celery1 cup shredded carrots (about 2 medium)1 medium onion, chopped3 tablespoons all purpose flour6 cups store-bought or homemade chicken broth1 ½ cups half and half2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley1 ½ pounds chicken tenders, cut into ½-inch pieces1 cup penne pasta¼ pound sugar snap peas, halved diagonally3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add mush-rooms, celery, carrots and onion. Cook until celery and onion are tender, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually mix in chicken stock. Bring soup to simmer, stirring frequently. Add half and half and chopped parsley, and simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken tenders, and simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Cook penne pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta. Bring chicken soup to simmer. Mix in cooked pasta and sugar snap peas and simmer 2 minutes. Mix in lemon juice; season to taste with salt and pepper. Yields 6 servings. epicurious.com

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the As-sociation of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books.Photo courtesy of “Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta”

9family fun Brought to you by www.mywesttexasevents.com.

log on for more details about these and other events.

March 1-3: Circus Gatti March 1-3: Just Between Friends Consignment Sale- Ector County Coliseum, Bldg. GMarch 10: Scottish Irish FaireMarch 12-16: MISD and ECISD Spring Break!Barnes & Noble Storytime: Wednesdays @ 10:30March 14: Spring Break Junior Golf Camp: Odessa Country ClubMarch 31: Helen Greathouse Children’s Festival 2012

April: Midland Rockhounds Baseball April 8: Easter at the Ballpark– Citibank BallparkApril 22: Tim Tebow and Switchfoot– Grande Communications StadiumApril 22-29: ECISD Junior High Art ShowsApril 28: 2nd Annual Miracle Motorcycle Ride for KidsApril 30: March of Dimes 5K Run for Babies

May 4-6: Fiesta West Texas– Ector County ColiseumMay 7-11: Kids, Kows, and More– Ector County ColiseumMay 11-13: Great Outdoor Expo– HorseshoeMay 11-13: AJRA Youth RodeoMay 12: Junior Golf Camp– Odessa Country ClubMay 18-19: Celebration of the Arts– Downtown MidlandMay 24-27: Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus– Ector County Coliseum

mywesttexasevents.comyour ONE calendar for ALL Permian Basin events

10

Find the words by looking up, down, backwards, forwards,

sideways and diagonally.

INITIATIVeDeSSeRTSTYPICALPeRFORMVeNDINGOPTIONSOBeSITYHABITS

DAILYVALUeeVeRYFReSHCOOKOVeRKIDS

First Lady Michelle Obama’s nationwide “Let’s Move!” initiative is all about health

and preventing childhood obesity.The First Lady’s message is to think before you grab that huge, loaded cheeseburger, with soda and fries. Think about the calo-ries. Think about the impact of it in 10 years. It’s harder to change your eating habits at an older age, so adjust when you’re young.

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11

Choose one item in each column on the menu below to make a meal. Add up the points of the foods you chose. Then see what your point total says about your choices.

ElEctrical SafEty chEckliSt✔Call a qualified electrician or your landlord if you have: • Frequent problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers • A tingling feeling when you touch an appliance • Discolored or warm wall outlets • A burning or rubbery smell coming from an appliance • Flickering or dimming lights • Sparks from an outlet✔Cords should not be running across doorways or under carpets. If they are, have an electrician install more outlets.✔Check electrical cords to make sure the wiresare not damaged, cracked, or loose.✔Keep kids away from electric cords and outlets. Cords placed in the mouth can cause burns and objects stuck in a receptacle can cause shock, burns or electrocution.✔All receptacle outlets and switches need faceplates.✔Never put more than one plug in each receptacle. ✔Ground-fault circuit interrupters reduce the risk of shock by shutting off a circuit when it could be a shock hazard. Your home should have GFCIs in the kitchen, bathroom(s), laundry, basement, garage, and outdoors.✔Arc-fault circuit interrupters protect against fire by monitoring the electrical current in a circuit and shutting off the circuit when unintended arcingoccurs. AFCIs should be installed in your home. If not, have a professional electrician install them for you.

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TECL

#171

94

Think Before You Grab

12

The

truthannoy us

about why

our kids By Teresa Strasser

When I was pregnant, my closest friend, Ted, the father of two daughters, warned me: The qualities you find most frustrating in yourself will be reflected back to you in your children. And this will be the hardest thing about parenthood.

I remember hearing it on my cellphone as I pulled into my driveway, pregnant, wearing some

garish maternity tent, most likely eating some form of bulk cheese, and thinking “blah, blah, blah.”

Or maybe I was thinking something more like, “Whatever, dude. That’s some hocus-pocus hippie stuff. Thanks for sharing. I have cheese to eat.”

The idea seemed so ludicrous: the notion that the bump in my stomach would one day be an ac-tual person, a person with the capability of walk-ing and talking and doing things to annoy and trigger me. Impossible.

Motherhood came as a kind of shock to me, and not in a TLC show way (I knew a baby was coming), but in a deep, emotional way. Until my child was a year and half old, I tripped saying the word “son” the way The Fonz couldn’t say “sorry” or “love.” I mean, I loved like I can’t describe to you, but it took a while to really set in that I had crossed over from person to mother.

This little person was mine, or at least mine to care for until setting him loose on the world. His every rash became my concern and obses-sion. And as Ted predicted, there were my worst qualities, manifested in this tiny person, staring

13

right at me. Indeed, it really is the hardest thing about parenting.

For example, if I am given a task I feel is just out of reach, there is a series of feelings that goes something like this: feel overwhelmed, crumble internally, cry, call a few friends, get a pep talk, regroup, tackle said challenge, do it again with absolute amnesia as to how I was able to handle the last challenge without step-ping in front of a bus.

My son, even at 1, was demonstrating this very trait.

even now, as he struggles to zip up his coat, he insists, “I DO THIS,” even though we both know he kind of lacks the motor skills to attach the two sides to start the zipper.

He gets annoyed, his eyes fill with tears, and I start the zipper for him and hold the bottom as he pulls it up. “I DID IT,” he’ll say proudly, so relieved he mastered something, so irritated he required help. From using utensils to playing with train tracks, if that kid can’t do something right away, there’s no patiently figuring it out. There is sadness, anger, panic and frustration.

And I feel like a huge hypocrite saying things like, “We don’t throw our train when we get frus-trated,” because that’s exactly the kind of stuff I feel like doing — to this day. That’s what Ted was talking about while I was stuffing my face with provolone, too stubborn and too hungry to take in his paternal wisdom. On the other hand, what could I have done with that knowledge?

Here’s another example. I happen to be a crier. I’m a big weeper from way back. My son is also quick to cry, which is really sad until it gets to be really hard to take. Many times, I’ve been in tears, actually crying, as I’m saying the words, “We don’t cry to get what we want. We use our words.”

Thankfully, I have loads of compassion for these weaknesses in character. I invented them. I gave birth to them. And yet, as Ted predicted, seeing them acted out in front of me makes me feel worse than ever about the defects in myself I have yet to conquer. Of course, what do I do when I can’t tackle something right away? Cry, stomp my feet, curse the world, be certain of coming doom, collapse internally and, like I’m doing now, reach out, tell the truth about my floundering and eventually figure it all out.

Until the next crisis.Sorry, kid. But I did give you decent hair and

above-average balance, so it’s not all bad.Teresa Strasser is an Emmy-winning television writer, a two-time Los Angeles Press Club Columnist of the Year and a multimedia personality. She is the author of a new book, “Exploiting My Baby,” the rights to which have been optioned by Sony Pictures.

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W e have been talking to you for the past few years about suicide being the 3rd leading cause of death of our kids in the USA.

Now that it has our attention because we have lost four teens in our own backyard, it’s important to ad-dress it every single day. I am focusing on Teen Self-Esteem over the next couple of months because it’s crucial. But remember it’s even more crucial that we start when they are babies to develop a good positive self-esteem. If we start instilling self-worth and value when they are babies, then we don’t have to deal with unadjusted teens with low self-esteem making poor choices!

AppeArAnce (self-imAge) It may seem shal-low, but most teenagers are concerned to some de-gree about their appearance. This can be difficult to overcome, because in some cases it can be dif-ficult to change one’s appearance. Overweight teens often feel bad about themselves, as do teens that think that there is some sort of irregularity with the way they look. How to HELP- If there is an appear-ance issue, encourage your teenager. If your teen is overweight, this can be done by exercising with him or her and encouraging him or her to lose weight for health reasons. Do not point to the appearance issue in such cases. Instead, focus on the health aspects of the change. If the appearance issue is something that can’t be changed, help your teen gain an acceptance for it. This may require counsel-ing, especially if the issue is of a recent develop-ment, as from an accident. This is an area that we need to embrace. WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT! But we were wonderfully made, in an image that is greater than ourselves. And it is our responsibility to uplift our kids with acceptance.

peers Teenagers may have peers that make fun of them or put them down. If a teen feels like an outcast, it can have an effect on his or her self-esteem. You want to help your teenager overcome low self-esteem. This means that you may need to make changes yourself. Look at your behavior, and determine if there is something you can do differ-ently. Teens need to be corrected, but are you always

FOUR RECENT TEEN SUICIDES IN THE PERMIAN BASIN...

HELLO!!!

What matters most... How do your kids see themselves?

Part 2 of 3

criticizing? Try to say at least one positive thing for each negative thing you say. As a peer to anyone, it’s a huge responsibility. That’s how come it’s most im-portant and crucial that we are aware of our WORDS!

Until next time, Blessings, Terri Schroeter, Ephesians 4:32 “be kind to one another having a loving & understanding heart!” Remember, Kirby says, “Don’t be a bully, be a BUDDY!”