Category Archives: Education and School Videos

Stacked Up: School Library

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It’s a rite of passage of parenthood: volunteering at your kid’s school. I signed up for the school library, thinking that I can label and stack and organize.  Deciding on categories is tough, though.  We aren’t dealing with the Dewy Decimal system.  Ours is more like, “There’s a bear family in this book; oh, right, I’ll put the animal sticker on it.”

Those tasks can always be more tedious than one imagines.  Now that I can barely bend over, I might have to retire my library hat for while.  But the last time I was in the library, it looked fine.  Not my fault if people don’t put books back in the right places!  Here are other ramblings of a library volunteer.

Home Schooling

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What would you say to a mom who says she might never send her kid to school? Well, the folks on Babble.com got an earful when one mom said just that. It’s called “Unschooling.” Now, I really try not to judge other mothers’ choices, but from personal experience, this was the nicest way I could say: BAD IDEA!

Bully Kids

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Can you control your anger when another kid is mean to your kid? Would you be able to control your anger if no one else was watching? Do you wish you could say, “Hey, saggy pants, you want to take this outside?” I wish I were an animator; I could do something funny with that.

The sounds in the background are a teacher leading some 5-year-olds through a class… I didn’t notice any bullies, though.

High School Reunion

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Actually, mine was a Junior High/High School reunion because I’m a product of an LA public, magnet, alternative school. My handwriting might be akin to a serial killer’s, but I’m a skilled critical thinker and free spirit.

My reunion was not in a ballroom at the airport Radisson, like they usually are. Instead we had a potluck at a big, pretty park, organized on Facebook. The last reunion we had was at my mom’s house (site of many great parties, since my mom was the original “Cool Mom”) ten years ago.

Vivien had fun with the other kids, but the only thing I didn’t like was how hard it was to look good at a park picnic.

Vivien for President

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Parents, listen up! It’s never too early to plan for our children’s future, right? We try to put away some dough for rainy days, college, shoes… So while we’re planning their future careers, shouldn’t we also consider the future of our country? In this video, I lay out my plan for young girls to take over the world – I mean, the USA. Let’s start there.

The School Lunch Dilemma

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Okay, this got a little choppy, but when I held up the potato chips there was a longer story there. Hey, it’s hard to fit it all in, in under 70 seconds.

My cousin Margo is a schoolteacher. She teaches elementary kids on a military base. According to her, lunch is a big problem, as the families are poor and the kids don’t get adequate nutrition. She actually has kids who come to class with a bag of chips for lunch.

The harried quality of this video captures how I feel on the mornings I forget to make something the night before. Other times, I really enjoy putting the meal together. It’s like an airplane meal. Little bit of protein, little bit of fruit, etc.

What are your favorite things to put in your kids’ lunch?

Happy Manners Day!

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Just because I do not always have them, I do love good manners.  I think a little social order is a good thing. In San Francisco, where I’ve never met more men who will NOT open the door for a woman–even when on a date–could use a little manner review.  And of course, I am sure it comes as no surprise most people’s traffic manners are abysmal.

Well, lets start with some kiddie manners.  At Beverly Hills Manners there is a great survey to take.  Here is a sample question.

We live in a time where bad manners are running rampant. People are offending others without care. Here’s an opportunity to select your biggest manners pet peeve:

People who show up late without apologizing

People who fiddle with their cell phones and Blackberry’s during dinner

People who insist on using foul language

People who talk with their mouth full

People who do not respond to emails

People who cut in line

I chose “People who cut in line” which are yours?

Kiddie Parties

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Okay, let’s sort out this whole kiddie party thing, shall we?  Does anyone remember having big gift bags when they were kids? I think it’s a spillover from celebrity gifting suites for award shows. If kids gift bags get any bigger we are going to have to pay taxes on them.

Have you ever gotten invited to a big kiddie party, where you don’t know any adults accept the host? Torture. I’ve had to pass on a fair bit of kiddie of parties because they are smack in the middle of naptime, and it’s just not worth it. I went to one that was great and it was great, partly because it wasn’t too big. I actually could sit. There is nothing worse than having nowhere to sit.

What are the highs and lows?

Moms Who Soldier On

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My Minnesota raised mom has taught me a lot about self-discipline, among other things. Even though I attended alternative schools and my mom has always been a free thinker, she is very grounded and never has given to airy-fairy beliefs. My dad (Georgia raised), while all Southern Gothic is a contrast to mom’s toughness. No histrionics with her.

In this vlog my mom talks about generational differences in mom’s from the ’70′s to now. She also speaks about what was happening with the mom’s of her generation. When everyone diminishes the present day, it’s worth noting, there are some improvements.