Lucknow Sentinel, 2009-09-02, Page 7Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, September 2, 2009 - Page 5
The challenges of raising a family are part of the parental role
My buddy Matt used to laugh at me when I would
describe the challenges of raising a family.
"Your time will come," I'd say. "No way," he'd
reply. "We're not having kids." Then, to prove
He has a sense of humor, God gave them twins.
This column is dedicated to Matt, his wife
and all the parents out there who are just getting
started. Here are the Olympic Sports in which
you will compete. Let the games begin!
- The Twenty -Five. Year Blind Budget
Balance -You have no idea which cisis
will pop up next: braces, new roof, pet
shots -you just know that you have seven
dollars in your budget to pay for it. ,Your
kids laugh at you because you haven't bought new
music since before they were born.
- The Pinball - You have no gas. You must drop
three kids off at opposite ends of the city, get gro-
ceries and pick them up again before each of their
respective events shuts down.
- The Luge (self explanatory)
- The Two Hour 'Wait - As your children S -L -O-
W -L -Y fall : asleep, wait quietly in bed so that you
can smooch uninterrupted.
- The Creative Nag Find a way to remind your
kids to tum off the lights, the television,. the Xbox
360, the fan, the computer.. .or all of the' above,
when they leave the room, every day, twenty-five
times. You may use humor, volume or silly rhymes.
Bonus points if . you hear your kids `repeat your nag
verbatim to their friends.: Extra bonus; points if your.
grand kids somehow learn it.
- The Bathroom Mine Field - All three of your
kids have itad a bath. When it is finally your
turn to use the bathroom, you run in and find
that you must jump over the piles of clothes
strewn across the small floor. However, on the
areas that have no clothes, you will find huge
puddles of water where your children, after
getting completely wet in the tub, have
decided to wander around for a
while. Extra points when you tell
them to come in and mop the water,
but they find none because your
socks have alreadysoaked it all up.
The Distraction Your kid is tired -
REALLY tired. You stupidly decide to take her out
In public anyway - and she falls and scrapes her
knee. As you see the momentum building for an
incredible eruption of screaming, you have mere
seconds to defuse the situation via distracting her.
You may use the contents of your purse, nearby
flora and fauna and whatever voices you can make
up on- the spot. Extra points if she laughs herself : to
sleep.
- The Kato Your kids believe that you : are a
superhero , and as such, will not give a second
thought to jumping on you, head butting you or
body slamming you while you are sleeping. Use
this as a way to sharpen your reflexes. .Points will
be deducted for wearing a cup.
Mark Thrice is our nationally syndicated humor
columnist and a Gold Medalist in the Parenting
Olympics
et
Each fall, all:
public and
Catholic elemen-
tary schools in
Grey Bruce hold
Let's Learn
Kindergarten reg-
istrations. This
year, children born
in 2006 and start-
ing Junior
Kindergarten in
2010 or children
born in 2005 and
starting Senior
Kindergarten in
2010 are invited to
attend.
Parents and
caregivers may
wonder why chil-
dren z areregister-
ing for school
almost a year
before they actual-
ly attend. Let's
L earn
Kindergarten reg-
istrations give
children a chance
to meet school
staff and become
familiar with the
school , before they
go to Junior or
Senior
Kindergarten. For
most children,
Let's Learn is just
the first step to
going to school.
Between the fall of
2009 and the fall
of 2010, there are
many :. other
chances for a child
to find out what
school is all about.
Let's Learn is
also a .great way
for parents to learn
more about their
child's growth and
development as
well as the pre-
school resources
and services in
their community.
The registrations
are attended by
staff from a , num-
ber of support
services. Parents
can talk with staff
not only about
their ( child's
growth and devel-
opment but also
speech, dental
health and any
concerns they may
have about their
child. They can
also get informa-
tion on activities
for preschoolers in
their community,
learn ways to help
their children get
ready .. for school
and help support
their children in
the move into
school.
Parents who : are
not sure if their
child will, be ready
to go to school in
2010 are encour-
aged to bring their
child anyway
Parents can take child's,readiness.
advantage of all of
the services at the
registrations, learn
about the .school
and get informa-
tion to help make a
decision on their
For more infor-
mation please call
your local elemen-
tary school or the
Grey Bruce Health
Unit at' 519-376-
9420 or 1-800-
263-3456.
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'09 - NO INCREASES!
Sept' th November, ZOOS
Plus Entlrro 2010 Season
Save 8% on New PAZ lax
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Forms and Information on line at biaktjorsegoIf.ca
519-395-0009
1436 Bruce Rd #11Kincardine N2Z 2X5
Photo. by (writ -Rid
Brookside Public School had its first day of school .onSept, 1, but
before -that a lot of the staff were busy getting the school ready
for opening day. That was the case "of Grade 1 teacher Susan
Robinson who is seen here putting subject stickers on all of the
P S
Shelot ofhelp : from her. daughter Maya.
books. hada Sh aY
Rating:
•
1
•
• More at: www.iovattspuzzles.corn.
To solve a Sudoku
puzzle, every number
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• Each of the nine
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• Each of the nine
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• Each of the nine
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• Remember, no
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