Just a quick note to state the obvious: if you have tried to look at the Planning With Kids blog over the last couple of hours (wee hours of Wed morning), you will see I have hit a snag or two with the presentation of the blog.
Apologies for any inconvenience and please bear with me as I work on sorting then out.
Thanks Planning Queen!
Similar Posts:This is a little bit off tangent from my standard posts on planning and all things kid related, but I think they are really important so wanted to share them with you. They are Australian based but generosity knows no geographical boundaries!!!!
FOR RECONCILIATION
GetUp is an independent, grass-roots community advocacy organisation giving everyday Australians opportunities to get involved and hold politicians accountable on important issues. They are currently running the Make This A Hit Campaign.
The song that they are trying to make a hit is a reworking of Paul Kelly’s From Little Things Big Things Grow and is inspired from the National Apology made by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in February. The song features Paul Kelly, Kev Carmody, Urthboy, Missy Higgins, Mia Dyson, Radical Son, Jane Tyrell, Dan Sultan, Joel Wenitong. It also has voice grabs from Rudd’s speech adn former Prime Minister Paul Keating.
If you watched the Apology it will certainly touch you and I can recommend hitting their site and downloading it. It only costs $1.69 (but you can always donate more). They want to make this song number one on the Australian charts, keeping the momentum of reconciliation going.
It is currently at number four on the Aria Charts. Help them get it to number one by downloading the song. All proceeds from the sale of the song go to GetUp’s Reconciliation Fund and the following charity organisations:
Link Up - assisting Indigenous people who have been fostered, adopted or raised in institutions to find their way home.
Mums and Bubs Program in Townsville.
Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME)
FOR THE HOMELESS
Mission Australia and realestate.com.au have partnered together Houses For The Homeless.
The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of homelessness in Australia and also raise badly needed funds to help organisations who support the homeless. To contribute to the campaign, all you have to do is click on Houses For The Homeless and fill in a security code and then realestate.com.au will donate $1 to Mission Australia up to the value of $100,000. $1521 has been raised so far, click on the link and help raise more funds for the homeless.
Back to planning and kids tomorrow!
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School readiness is a widely discussed topic and it is something I am reviewing myself at the moment just to make sure that Possum will be indeed ready for school next year.
From the research that I have done, I have come up with a check list (love a list!!) which covers the key areas which can help determine whether or not a child is ready for school.
The indicators of school readiness can be broken down into five main areas (check out this power point presentation here for more details) and I have then chosen two key sub areas under this to create my check list.
PHYSICAL HEALTH AND WELL BEING
(1). Physical readiness for school.
Human Resources and Social Development Canada defines this as “possession of adequate levels of energy to enable the child to concentrate on school activities and the ability to resist common infections.”
(2). Age appropriate gross and fine motor skills.
Children are skilled at running, climbing and jumping.
Child can control a pencil and cut with scissors.
SOCIAL COMPETENCE
(3). Responsibility and Respect.
Child can listen to instructions and can carry them out independently.
Child can be aware of how their own behaviour impacts on others.
(4). Readiness to explore new things.
Self-confidence so that the child does not have to devote energy to defending against fear of failure and is willing to try new tasks. (Human Resources and Social Development Canada)
EMOTIONAL MATURITY
(5). Pro Social behaviour
Plays with other children and is able to take turns and engage in cooperative activities.
Child has basic peer relationships skills which can allow them to do things like enter a group of playing children.
(6). Ability to manage emotions.
Child can control own emotions, such as anger or frustration, in many situations with minimal adult assistance.
Child has some ability to stop and think before deciding how to act.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
(7). Ability to clearly communicate one’s own needs and understand others.
To do this, the child must be able to:
- join simple sentences together to describe a past or present action or experience.
- hold a prolonged conversation and express ideas.
(8). Interest in general knowledge about the world.
Child has an understanding of his/her place in the world and has curiosity about the world around them.
LANGUAGE AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
(9). Basic Literacy
Children begin to understand that:
- a story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
- language can be used symbolically to represent remote or even imaginary events.
(10). Basic Numeracy.
Child has an understanding of categorisation and can reliably sort by colour or shape.
Obviously if your child is attending preschool, the teacher will also be able to provide their expert view on the school readiness of your child.
Another great resource on school readiness is What’s the Hurry? by Kathy Walker. I found this book extremely helpful in making a decision on when to send my second son to school. Can you recommend any other resources that I can compile on the issue of school readiness?
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We leave Friday morning for Mildura to attend a family wedding, so I escape cooking for a few nights which will be fun! It will hopefully give me a little more time to work on my menu planner as well.
As discussed before, I have created my own Microsoft Access Database meal planner from which I export the attached spreadsheets below. I am now trying to get it in order so as to share it on the blog. It will take some time, but I am hopefully that I will be able to get it up and running in the next couple of months.
This is our family menu plan for our short week:
Monday: Tuna Rice (Recipe Attached)
Baking: Chocolate Balls (Recipe Attached)
Tuesday: Creamy Tomato and Chicken Stew
Wednesday: Beef Stir Fry
Thursday: Pasta Carbonara
Friday: Mildura
Saturday: Mildura
Sunday: Mildura
Again, I have included the shopping list for this week’s menu plan as an excel file. The below paragraphs explain what is in the attached excel file below.
Menu Plan Shopping List 080428
It contains three separate spreadsheets. The first is named “Complete Grocery’ and it lists by supermarket aisle all the ingredients that are needed to cook the family meals for this week.
The second spreadsheet is named “Ingredient By Meal’ and it lists the ingredients that are required for the family by each individual meal this week. I have also left on the aisle and aisle subsection in this spreadsheet for reference, but if you want to print that out you will need to alter the print area.
The third spreadsheet is named “Menu Plan” and is a modified version of the menu plan that I print and place on the fridge. I have a notes section, that I like to populate with any activities that are likely to impact the evening meal routine.
Want to see what we are having next week? Subscribe to my free email updates via the “subscribe page” or from the RSS Feed icon at the top of the page.
For more menu planning ideas head on over to Laura’s place at “I’m an Organizing Junkie“.
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On Saturday I posted about thoughts of mine and some leading educators on the purpose of preschool. One of things I love so much about blogging, is the sharing of information and ideas. There are some fantastic comments on this post and if you have to make some decisions regarding preschool, I can highly recommend reading them.
I also thought I’d post another couple of links - one which I received yesterday through a newsletter that I subscribe to and some which I didn’t quote in the post.
Should preschools teach all work and no play?
“Parents want to prepare kids, but experts say drills can kill love of learning.”
Parents Connect with Children Through the Arts
“Since the enactment of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), schools are spending more time testing students in reading and math and less time ensuring students receive a balanced education that includes creative learning.”
Let Children Play!
“The importance of play is strongly supported by researchers from a range of disciplines including psychology, education, philosophy, anthropology and recreation. In spite of this, society as a whole continues to view play as a frivolous pastime. How can we gain a better understanding of play?”
Thanks for the wonderful comments that have provided me with more information to help me make an up coming decision on preschool.
Similar Posts:THE FIX
Those of you who have subscribed to my email updates would be aware that they have been broken for over a week now. Those of you who have subscribed to my RSS feeds may have seen a few weird things occurring in your Inbox as I have tried to fix the problem. (And if you haven’t subscribed, you really should 
and can do so here.)
The root of my problem turned out to be that someone had hacked into my Wordpress files. I have to say a huge thank you to some fantastic bloggers who spent time looking at my blog and helped me fix the problem. The folk in the Aussie Bloggers Forum are incredibly helpful and generous with their time. I truly appreciated their help, as I was completely lost as to how to fix it myself.
I now need to delve into more technical stuff and upgrade the blog to Wordpress 2.5 so this can’t happen again.
THE MIX
Mixtape is a very cool little zine that comes out of Melbourne. It is a zine about making time for the small things - collision of craft, eco-cool and pop culture kitsch!
I am lucky enough to be having an article published in Issue 4 which is due out May 5. The article answers a question I posed to myself:
How did I end up in the ‘burbs’, with a people mover and a slight obsession for planning everything via a spreadsheet?
As well as a little bit about me, issue 4 features articles such as: Vickie Howell Interview!, How to make a mixtape, Numerology, 10 ways to green your lunch, Eating Green, Book reviews, Recipes, Crafty Lady Profile “Leah†aka hyena-in-petticoats, and much much more! 48 pages. A complete bargain at $6.00. (They do mail overseas.) You can purchase the zine online via their shop at bigcartel or check out the sidebar of the mixtapezine blog for Melbourne Stockists, which includes the lovely Meet Me at Mikes.
THE FREE
A good friend of mine, sells an amazing range of skin care products which I love (can’t actually believe I have hit an age where I worry about lines on my face 
. )
He has very kindly allowed me to give to my readers the discount code I use when I make a purchase on line from Youthceutics. Entering the code “FC20V” will give you a 20% discount. If you would like to try before you buy, you can go to TryInstant.com for a free sample.
DISCLOSURE: I will receive no monies/commissions etc from referring you to this product. My friend just happens to sell it and I really like it!
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I have been giving preschool and its purpose significant consideration over the last month or so, for a number of different reasons. I have my third child attending four year old kinder (preschool) this year and soon have to make some decisions on preschool for my fourth child.
I often wonder if there is certain levels of literacy that they should achieve during their preschool year. My philosophy has always been to “follow the child” and support their interests along side what they learn at preschool, as the moment arises, but I wonder is this enough?.
My eldest son went to a Montessori preschool which I loved, but we moved and it was no longer and option to send my children there. My second son went to the same kinder, where my daughter now goes, but had a different teacher. I think we have been lucky as all three teachers have been great, they engaged and respected the children and had a beautifully set up class room.
There was a stark contrast moving from Montessori to traditional preschool in terms of equipment, daily structure and fees! However there was a similarity in that the programs were “planned to enhance physical, social, intellectual, language and emotional development”. At neither was there a big push to have children reading, writing and getting them “ready” for school.
In the blogosphere I have recently come across many criticisms of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and some of its flow on consequences for preschool:
Although in Australia we do not have NCLB, I think the push down of curriculum into preschool is something that is also creeping into parts of the preschool system. I think the expectations of what children learn in preschool is changing and mainly from the parenting arena. (Not all parents though!!!)
Kathy Walker (a Melbourne based education consultant) spoke about this in her article in The Age Newspaper:
The preschool year is not, just like any year of school is not, simply a year in which we somehow get them prepared for the next year. Each year is valuable and a means unto itself. Sometimes parents believe preparation for school means using the preschool year to practise lining up, learning to read, reciting the alphabet or learning to count. This is not necessary and neither is it preparation for school. Each year of preschool and school needs to be valued for the time and experience and stage of life and learning that each child is at.
Having read the above information, when I left the beautifully set up classroom of my preschooler yesterday morning, where she had an opportunity to move from role play, to fine motor activities, to outdoor activities that encourage development of gross motor skills, I concluded that I think this is enough.
In the words of Kathy Walker:
we all need to ensure our children enjoy, engage and make the most of each year of their education. Learning is not a race to be won to see who gets there first. Learning is about acquiring satisfaction, meaning and skills and feeling good about ourselves. It is learning to interact and respect others, rather than intimidate, criticise harshly or judge others.
Giving ourselves permission as parents and teachers to enjoy the year our children are having - rather than spending endless hours preparing them for what we think might occur in the future - will help all children experience a meaningful and happy year, whatever year they are in.
What are your expectations from preschool?
This is Part 5 in the Planning Children’s Birthday Series. Part 1 was a 10 Point Birthday Party Plan Check List. Part 2 focused on family strategy for birthday parties, party themes and birthday party invitations. Part 3 was centred around Guest and Food Lists. Part 4 detailed Party Activities and Accessories.
Today I am going to run through how I plan my party preparation, so that on the day it runs smoothly and I have time to enjoy the party as well!
PARTY WEEK SCHEDULE
You can find a detailed example of one of my schedule’s in the attached excel file “Planning With Kids Party Plan”. This schedule lists all the key activities that need to be completed prior to the party and when they will need to be done.
Planning With Kids Birthday Party Plan
About a week before the party, I will sit down and list the key activities and spread the work over the remaining days, so that all the work isn’t left to the day before the party. This then gives me a “To Do List” for the rest of that week. I also find that just by having the list, I feel more in control and less stressed as I know what I need to do and when.
PARTY DAY TIMETABLE
This timetable is really for just for me. I love for the children’s birthday parties to be relatively free flowing for the children, especially the little ones who are not at an age for structured games.
By breaking down the party preparation into discreet tasks, I have a clear idea of what work needs to be done and when. I find this particularly useful if I am having hot food, so that it is all ready at the same time.
Another advantage of having a timetable is that if you are lucky enough to have some adult helpers around, they can use this list of tasks as a reference as to what they can do. So while I am out playing with the kids, one of my lovely sisters can put the pizzas on at the right time so the are ready for lunch and keep an eye on them!
You can find an example of a party day timetable in the attached file below. This was for Possum’s 2nd Birthday Party which had a Luau (Water) theme.
What do you do, to take the stress out of preparing for a child’s birthday party?
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As you may have noticed, I do love to plan and have things very much ordered and organised. However too much of this can make life a little dull , so I do also appreciate and value the unexpected as well.
I love the “pop in” visit and always find it so enjoyable when friends drop by and we have a chance to catch up. I am not sure if it is my country up bringing, but I always feel the need to feed my visitors, regardless of the time that they visit.
I have to admit to being a bit freaked out about the pop in no so long ago. What will they think of the state of my house??? I don’t have anything decent serve them with their cup of tea!!
But I have learnt from some very smart women around me, that the state of the house doesn’t matter, the company is the most important thing about the visit. I have also worked out that I can feed visitors easily just by making sure I always have a few food items in the cupboards/fridge, so I can put something together when friends do pop in.
These items also come in very handy when you have had an arranged catch up, where the children are all playing so well that you have just kept talking and now it is time for dinner!
MORNING OR AFTERNOON TEA
(1). Vegemite or Chutney Scrolls .
A light snack needing only puff pastry, Vegemite or chutney and cheese.
(2). White Chocolate Chip Muffins .
Take only 10 minutes to prepare with standard baking items and are delicious warm.
(3). Scones.
Minimal ingredients and so easy to make. I often forget how tasty a warm scone is!
(4). Easy Apple Turnovers.
Again using the versatile puff pastry and some standard pantry items.
(5). Dip, Vegetables Sticks and Crackers.
I often just have a dip in the fridge, but two other stand by options are:
(i). Combine a packet of french onion soup mix and a tub of sour cream, to make your own french onion dip.
(ii). Salsa - finely chop an onion, fry in some oil, add minced chilli to taste, 2 tsps cumin and a can of diced tomatoes. Simmer until it is dipping thickness and you have some tasty home made salsa!
LIGHT LUNCH OR DINNER
(6). Nachos.
I keep a packet of plain corn chips in the cupboard and we always have cheese. Add some of the above salsa and sour cream and you have a plate of nachos to share.
(7). Sausage In Bread.
I keep a dozen sausages in the freezer. (Sausages are not really my thing, but this is really more to feed the kids on those days where the afternoon catch up, has extended into the territory of dinner). I will defrost the sausages and throw them on the barbie, wrap them in some bread and ta-dah a quick meal for the kids!
(8). Tuna Wraps.
I keep a packet of wraps (bought from the supermarket) in the cupboards and just keep an eye on the use by date. They usually last for a couple of weeks. (If I haven’t used them prior to this, I will use them for the kids lunches). By also having some flavoured canned tuna on hand too, you can then make a tasty wrap with the tuna and any other salad you may have lurking in the fridge.
(9). Pasta with Pesto.
A packet of pasta, a jar of good quality pesto, cracked pepper and some Parmesan cheese and you can whip up a quick meal that will feed a small crowd.
(10). Mini Pizzas
I stock in the freezer a packet of 10 five inch pizza bases. Using staples of tomato paste and cheese and then any other interesting items that are on offer, you can make up individual pizzas for your guests.
What are your tried and tested recipes you use to feed your lovely friends when they pop in to visit?
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I have written previously about how I try to get the children’s input into the family menu planning process, but I have not yet mentioned Mr Infrastructure’s contributions to this.
To be honest I actually hardly ever ask him what he would like to see on the menu plan. I think this may have something to do with the fact that if I do, he has a repertoire of about three meals he will roll off: Tacos, Fried Rice and Sausage and Vegetables and generally the kids have already asked for that so there is nothing new to add!
These meals also fall into the category of the five meals that he can cook. Mr Infrastructure does help out around the house and I will be the first to admit that he does more ironing than I do (I would also like to add though, I think the fact that he can do this and watch sport on the TV has something to do with this!!!), but he is not exactly a whiz in the kitchen.
I have worked hard with him, so that he has at least some meals that have nutritional value, which he can cook by himself. Mr Infrastructure developed his own process for me teaching him to cook. I would cook the meal and he would watch and take his own notes and then I would assist him when he first cooked the recipe. The photo above is of Mr Infrastructure’s personal cookbook.
This process worked quite well and although he can’t cook many meals, what he can cook, he does well. Mr Infrastructure’s hand written instructions have had another benefit recently as well. I have been trying to get the recipes I cook most frequently out of my head and onto the computer. (I am in the process of finding a way to best share them on the blog - more about that another day.) I have been able to quickly type up the meals in his cookbook without having to think too much about how I cook them.
The instructions Mr Infrastructure wrote down are far more comprehensive that my own would have been. Check out the recipe for Chicken Lasagne below and let me know what you think, it was one of his.
Monday: Chicken Korma
Baking: ANZAC Biscuits (Recipe Attached)
Tuesday: Chicken Lasagne (Recipe Attached)
Wednesday: Sausage and Vegetables
Thursday: Lamb Chops and Steamed Vegetables
Friday: Tacos
Saturday: Tomato and Basil Gnocchi
Sunday: Roast Chicken and Vegetables
SHOPPING LIST FILES
Again, I have included the shopping list for this week’s menu plan as an excel file. The below paragraphs explain what is in the attached excel file below.
Menu Plan Shopping List 080421
It contains three separate spreadsheets. The first is named “Complete Grocery’ and it lists by supermarket aisle all the ingredients that are needed to cook the family meals for this week.
The second spreadsheet is named “Ingredient By Meal’ and it lists the ingredients that are required for the family by each individual meal this week. I have also left on the aisle and aisle subsection in this spreadsheet for reference, but if you want to print that out you will need to alter the print area.
The third spreadsheet is named “Menu Plan” and is a modified version of the menu plan that I print and place on the fridge. I have a notes section, that I like to populate with any activities that are likely to impact the evening meal routine.
Want to see what we are having next week? Subscribe to my free email updates via the “subscribe page” or from the RSS Feed icon at the top of the page.
For more menu planning ideas head on over to Laura’s place at “I’m an Organizing Junkie“.
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