The Money Issue April 2014 (Kids VT)
Hard-Working Vermonters Remember Their First Jobs; Tax Day: Teaching my Son Why — and What — We Pay; What Vermont Is Doing About Truant Kids; Vermont Kids on What They Love About Camp
Project: Start Saving
Want your child to understand the value of a dollar? Take that birthday check or full piggy bank to your local bank or credit union. Starting a savings account is a terrific way to introduce your kid to the ritual — and satisfaction — of setting money aside for something special. It’s less tempting than…
Knee-Hockey Rink
Ice is nice, but April is better known for, well, rain. That’s when the hockey-crazed Saia family takes its favorite sport inside. “Knee hockey” is played with a small foam ball instead of a puck and shorter sticks than the kind used in a regular rink. Players scoot around on their knees, obeying ice-hockey rules…
When shoud kids get a Twitter handle or Facebook page?
Q: At what age, or by what metrics, are kids old enough to have their own digital presence, such as a Twitter handle or Facebook page? A: This is such an important question. Our digital content now follows us around in ways none of us envisioned when the internet first became mainstream. With new social-media…
Change Agent
My husband, Daniel, is the consummate frugal New Englander. He prefers to travel only when it’s absolutely necessary. When he shops for groceries, he returns with enough cans of beans to get us through a nuclear winter. Just a couple years out of college, he had paid off his student loans. This past summer, when…
How do you decide which medical tests are necessary?
Modern medicine offers many tools for diagnosing and treating children. But how do parents decide which ones are necessary? This month, Dr. Lewis First, chief of pediatrics at Vermont Children’s Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care, discusses the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Choosing Wisely campaign, which aims to educate parents about the risks and benefits…
Book-Review Winners
Congratulations to these enthusiastic young critics who shared their reading recommendations with us in March. Each wins a $25 gift certificate from Crow Bookshop in Burlington. We loved reading about all the entrants’ literary adventures and have included some excerpts below. The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis “My favorite part was when Deza…
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
I had some reservations when I signed my family up for an introductory class at Vermont Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Self-Defense Academy in Williston. I didn’t know much about the South American martial art, so I pictured the brutal attacks I’ve seen on the TV show “The Ultimate Fighter.” My fears vanished as soon as I…
Seasonal Reads
In keeping with our April theme — money! — Kids VT asked local educators and librarians to recommend books that deal with dollars and cents. Find more financial literacy lessons at Vermont libraries during Money Smart Week, April 5 through 12, and at MoneyEd.vermont.gov. Jenny Found a Penny by Trudy Harris, Ages 5-8 On a…
What do you say when your kid wants the expensive new stuff that his or her friend just got?
Joe Dydula HUNTINGTON, Unix Engineer, Fletcher Allen Health Care Stepdaughter Aislinn, 13; daughter Bailey, 12; son Gabriel, 10 When we shop for clothes, I’ve usually got a price in mind. I don’t want to spend $200 on two pairs of jeans, so I’ll say, “This is where we can go. This is what we can…
John Deere, Inventor of a Signature Steel Plow, 1804-1886
“Drawing on History” is a monthly feature about a notable Vermont person, place or event from days of yore. Want to suggest a future topic? Email us at ideas@kidsvt.com. This article was originally published in Seven Days’ monthly parenting magazine, Kids VT.
The Art of… Creative Reuse
Nearly every inch of wall space in Lisa Divoll-Painter’s large art studio at South Burlington High School is covered with colorful paintings, drawings and mobiles. But her advanced art students — a mix of sophomores, juniors and seniors — have recently finished a more unconventional assignment: They’ve transformed materials bound for the landfill into games,…
Introducing baby to solid foods
Before my son, Asa, was born last July, other mothers warned me that breastfeeding might be difficult. The cautionary tales were well intentioned, I think — meant to prepare me for the worst. Accordingly, I approached the goal of nursing my firstborn with a sort of battle-hardened determination. Within a few weeks, though, Asa and…
