Raising An Internationally Minded Child

Trying different foods is a great way to introduce children to other countries and cultures.

I found this neat list of dishes associated with specific countries. You can look for these at restaurants or get adventurous and google recipes. Try finding recipes you can cook together with your children!

Meat Pie

A meat-filled pie that's sized to fit in your hand for easy eating. Pies can also contain potatos, onions, and mushrooms. On average, each person in Australia eats more than 10 pies a year! Harry's Cafe de Wheels is a meat-pie "truck" that's an institution in Sydney.

Feijoada

A stew consisting of beans, beef, and pork. Feijoada was brought to Brazil by the Portuguese. The stew is eaten with many other side dishes including rice.

Dim Sum

Literally translated, "dim sum" means a little part of the heart! Dim sum consists of small dishes of delicious food such as dumplings, steamed buns filled with meat or sweet pastes, meatballs, and spareribs. Going to dim sum is called "yum cha" or "drinking tea" since tea is always served at dim sum meals.

Kushari

Made up of rice, lentils, and macaroni topped with a sauce consisting of garlic, vinegar and tomatos.

Crêpe

A very thin pancake filled with either sweet or savory fillings and then rolled together. Sweet fillings include fruits, spreads and syrup. Savory fillings include eggs, ham, mushrooms, cheese, and various meats.

Sauerbraten

A pot roast consisting of meat (typically beef) stewed in a liquid mixture of water, vinegar and spices. Often served with potatos, red cabbage, and noodles.

Moussaka

A layered and baked dish that usually consists of eggplant, ground lamb, cheese and a white sauce.

Masala Dosa

A variation of dosa which is a thin pancake made of rice and lentils. A masala dosa is stuffed with potatos, onions, and spices. A very popular dish in South India!

Chelow Kabab

A very popular dish consisting of steamed rice (chelow) and a variety of different types of grilled, roasted or stewed meats.

Pasta

Need we say anything else? Many countries have developed their own versions of Italian pasta including China, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, and the Philippines!

Sushi

Raw slices of fish placed on top of a bed of rice vinegar-flavored rice. Typically dipped in soy sauce mixed with a spicy green horseradish paste called wasabi.

Kimchi

A traditional Korean vegetable side dish. There are over 100 different types of kimchi available in Korean cuisine. The different types are characterized by the main vegetable (often napa cabbage), condiments, and the amount of salt and spices used.

Mole Poblano

One of many different types of moles or sauces used in Mexican cooking. Ingredients include: chili peppers, ground nuts, spices, Mexican chocolate, and salt.

Bobotie

Spicy ground meat baked with a topping made with eggs. Sometimes, bobotie can include a curry flavoring, dried fruit, and nuts.

Ms. Candice says: "I have made a vegetarian version of bobotie using soy beans, which are cheap and plentiful in Laos and Thailand."

Helping Children Cope and Comprehend Catastrophe

Our preschoolers have very limited world views. 

When they hear news about frightening world events such as the tsunami in Japan, it is important to remind ourselves how to help our children.

 

The emotional effects of watching such a catastrophe can be tremendous.  Children and teens can feel especially helpless when they see these images of the devastation, including homeless and injured Japanese children and orphans on the news. Kids absorb worry and sadness from their parents, or from classmates who have family ties in Japan.

 

One of the difficulties experienced by parents is that they have not had adequate time to deal with their own reactions when they are called upon to deal with the impact on their children.

 

Emotional reactions vary in nature and severity from child to child. Their responses to a disaster are determined by age, previous experiences, temperament and personality, as well as the immediacy of the disaster to their own lives. 

 

If you know a child who is showing signs of stress, worry or fear that maybe related to the Japanese earthquake and its aftermath - such as stomachaches, sleeplessness, bedwetting, or moodiness - I'd like to offer some ideas about how to help kids comprehend and deal with such a catastrophe.

 

Read this Huffington Post article for:

 

*  Tips to Help a Child Cope

*  How Kids Can Help Japan Right Now

    and

*  How Kids Can Help When The Crisis Has Calmed, But Donations Are Still Needed

 

Turn Off Your Lights, Turn On The Earth

WHAT IS EARTH HOUR?
Earth Hour is driven by the global community’s will to protect the planet we share. Earth Hour’s exponential growth – from a single-city initiative in 2007 to a global movement across 128 countries in 2010 – is indicative of the growing desire for a cleaner, healthier world that is gathering momentum by the hour.  
At 8.30pm on Saturday 26 March 2011, Earth Hour will mark a moment of global contemplation to go beyond the hour; a collective commitment by individuals throughout the world to be the ongoing change they want to see in it.

Earth Hour 2011 will ask the world to:·      
Switch off your lights for Earth Hour at 8.30pm, Saturday 26 March 2011 and celebrate your commitment to the planet with the people of the world·      
Sign up and Share stories of your actions that benefit the planet on earthhour.org <http://www.earthhour.org/> ·     Sustain your actions beyond the hour – www.beyondthehour.org <http://www.beyondthehour.org/>

HOW DO WE INVOLVE OUR CHILDREN?
In a bid to extend the message to young children and their caregivers, the Earth Hour organization has appointed the globally loved animated character Pocoyo as the first Global Kids’ Ambassador of Earth Hour, Beyond the Hour.  Pocoyo will reach out to millions of preschool-aged fans across the globe, fostering “Learning through Laughter,” to inform children about environmental issues.

You can find a fun activity book, promo, screensavers and wallpaper at http://www.pocoyo.com/earth_hour_2011.html



“20 SIMPLE IDEAS FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS TO HELP CHILDREN TO GO “BEYOND THE HOUR”, AND HELP SAVE OUR PLANET!”

Here are some tips for going beyond hour. Big or small, through all our efforts combined, these changes will help make a difference.

Turn off lights and appliances at the wall when not in use            
Explain to children that lights, TV’s and computers use energy, and that it is in short supply!  This is an easy way to reduce wasted energy and carbon. If you switch off just one appliance at the wall you could save 99 pounds of greenhouse gas!  Ask your child if he can imagine what 99 pounds might look like, and show him/her some examples – like twenty 5 pound bags of potatoes!

Stop using plastic containers                  
Explain to your child that every bottle they throw in the trash sits in a big pile at the local dump.  Have your child help you pick out fun, brightly colored refillable or reusable containers.

Make recycling fun!
Make recycling fun by inventing games such as tossing non-breakable recyclable items into trashcans at a short distance!  Use recyclable materials in craft projects, for example use cardboard to make masks, or paper to make airplanes!   Create art projects such as paper mache and mosaics. And donate discarded items to charity!

Have a candlelight family hour!
Once a week, have a candlelight family hour and tell stories or play games instead of watching TV.

Use the sunlight to warm up a room
The house pet knows this and you kids will enjoy it too.  Open blinds and drapes on a sunny but chilly day and enjoy the glorious warmth that pours in through the windows!

Close drapes and blinds when it’s too hot!
In the summer heat, turn down or off the air-conditioner to save energy by teaching children how they can keep from getting hot and sticky by closing the drapes and blinds to keep the room cool.   They will enjoy their playtime better and parents will save money too!


Watch your water use            
Only 3% of the world’s water is fresh water, and of that, two-thirds is frozen in glaciers and polar ice-caps! Teach kids water-wise habits at home at a young age.   Turn off the water while brushing teeth, take shorter showers, and no water-hose fights in hot weather!

Throw a green birthday party            
Kids parties generate a lot of trash. Email invitations; choose reusable kid-friendly cups and plates; and create a craft activity for kids to take something home instead of wasteful goody bags.

Walk more            
Walk to pre-school with your kids!  It’s fun to spend the extra time with your children, great exercise and you save on gas too.

Take public transport when you can            
Buses and trains ease congestion, reduce emissions, and allow you to relax with your kids.  Relax and read a book together instead of driving the car!

Car pool            
Double the efficiency of your car by carpooling to pre-school!


Take a reusable cloth bag when you go shopping – decorate bags with your kids!            
In addition to being manufactured from non-renewable fossil fuels, plastic bags degrade extremely slowly.  Buy a canvas bag, and decorate it with recycled items!
           
Buy local, seasonal produce            
Take the kids for a fun morning out and buy produce at your local market!   Explain how far much of the food you buy has travelled before it reaches your table. Food produced locally costs less to process and transport, and it’s fresher and better for you.

Cut down on meat            
Try to eat a little bit less meat by having the children help you to make one extra vegetarian meal each week.  It takes only about 723 gallons of water to produce 2.2 pounds of wheat, but 3250 gallons of water to produce 2.2 pounds of beef.

Plant natives in the garden            
Enjoy some fresh air with the children in the garden and plant native plants!  Kids might like to have their own miniature size garden box to tend! Use native plants, they require less water, care and maintenance. Plus, you will be creating the ideal conditions to attract native species to your backyard or balcony by creating a habitat for them.

Start a compost            
What kid isn’t fascinated with worms? Create a worm composter!  Almost 75 per cent of household waste is compostable. Composting not only saves landfill space, but recycles material and saves money on fertilizers.  Worms to speed up the process.  Ask the children to fill the composter with food scraps and in a few months, they will see how the “garbage” becomes rich dirt they can help you spread around to make the garden grow.

Grown your own fruit and vegetables            
Watching things grow is exciting!  Reduce your footprint and have your kids help you grow their own veggies. Let them choose seeds, plant and tend them together.  Fresh veggies are good for you and for the earth. No packaging and no food miles!

Install a rainwater tank
See how much rain you can catch!  Secure your own water supply and collect water for use in the garden. Rainwater is free, so parents, that means a reduction in bills too!

Share your tips with friends!
Have a weekly contest with friends to see who did the most to help save the planet!

 

The Holiday Season

Simbang Gabi: Philippines

In America, people complain about the holiday shopping season starting earlier and earlier each year. But Christmas in the Philippines starts with the "Ber" months! That's right, SeptemBER is the first of four months to get decked out in lights and covered in parols (star lanterns).     

"I'd like to believe our country celebrates the longest Christmas season...ever. Everyone is excited when the 'Ber Months' hit us." - Carmine Dinglasan, Manila

 

As the "Ber" months wind down and the anticipated day nears, Simbang Gabi begins. Starting on December 16th and continuing for 9 days until Christmas Eve, churches across the archipelago open their doors at the break of dawn and invite in the masses to worship. Young children, teenagers, adults, and elders alike gather at 4am to partake in Simbang Gabi. Locals say that the fun part of Simbang Gabi is that if you complete 9 straight masses without missing any, you get to make a wish! After mass the streets are filled with food stalls selling yummy treats like puto bumbong (sticky rice) and bibingka (rice cake). Pictured to the right, a girl from Manila offers her guest bibingka while a parol glows in the background.  
Summer Time Christmas: Australia                            

The sun Down Under sure isn't shy around Christmas time in Australia. While much of the world is still searching for Frosty's carrot nose lost in the snow,this country in the Southern Hemisphere is in prime time summer. Most Aussies happily trade a fire for a fan, roast bird for a seafood feast, and reindeers for kangaroos. It's common for fish markets to have a line out the door on Christmas Eve and for families to celebrate Christmas outdoors. Camping, beach side BBQ's, and lounging riverside are typical ways to spend Christmas in Australia.   

"I love Christmas when it's hot. You lot are truly missing out" 

- Kellie Newstead, South Australia

  

Though Santa may swap his thick red coat for bordies and a hot roast gets kicked to the side to make way for fresh fish, Christmas in Australia has common roots to the United Kingdom. This means Christmas trees fill town squares and carols fill the warm night air. 

 

Carp for Christmas: The Czech Republic and Poland

Old Town Square: Prague, Czech Republic

In Central Europe carp is a delectable dish served up for Christmas Eve dinner. Carp is a fresh water fish that is often bought live days before the Christmas feast and is kept alive in the bath tub! The scales of the fish are then used in many superstitious ways to bring good fortune for the following year. Carp scales are hidden underneath plates to bring money and people put a scale or two in their wallets to carry all year. 

"It doesn't mean we love fish so much but this is our traditional Christmas dish. Perhaps once upon a time we needed to find a way to get rid of all the carp in our ponds." 

- Ondra Burda, Prague

However your family rejoices, whether you decorate a palm, pine, or tree of plastic, Christmas is a special time to gather with family and partake in your favorite traditions. Share these international Christmas traditions with your friends and family. Do you have a special way to enjoy Christmas or know of a fun way other countries celebrate? Tell us about it!

No matter what country we are from or where we spend Christmas, our Dutch friend sums it up nicely:

"We celebrate by visiting friends and family and being in their company, celebrating their friendship, and the fact that we are together. It is a moment of standing still in the world that goes by around us." - Toine Sterk, The Netherlands

Activities

 

1) Have an International Holiday

Clearly, there are many ways to ring in the holidays. Add a little spice to your holidays and combine a tradition from another country in with your own. Here are some ideas:

 
• Hide the Scales: Surprise your dinner guests with a fish scale under their plate. At the end of the meal announce that each person has a special treat under their plate and tell them about the tradition from Central Europe. If you don't have any scales handy (which most of us don't) create your own using translucent paper and color pencils. 
   
• Sing Australian Carols: Adaptations had to be made to "Frosty the Snowman" and "White Christmas." Learn the words to an Australian carol such as "Six White Boomers," a song about Santa's kangaroos. Perform this for your friends and family in true holiday spirit. 
   
• Build a Filipino Parol: The streets of Filipino towns are filled with parols that light the streets. Traditional parols are made from bamboo lining and thick tissue paper, most commonly in the shape of a star to represent the guiding star that led the Three Kings to the manger. Parols come in all shapes and sizes and Little Passports has a fun and easy way for you to make your own. Visit their Facebook page for instructions on how to create a parol of your own!
   

2) Map Activity
 
Can you find these countries on the map?

• Slovakia

• The Netherlands

• The Philippines

• Belgium

• Australia
   

3a) Bonus Questions:

1) Is Australia the only continent that lies ENTIRELY in the Southern     Hemisphere?

2) Do you know where the original Santa Claus comes from?

3) When does Santa Claus come to town? (HINT: It's not December 25th)

4) Is Simbang Gabi in the Philippines reserved only for families? 

3b) Bonus Answers:

1) No, Australia is not the only continent entirely in the Southern Hemisphere, Antarctica is there too! Additionally, most of South America and the bottom half of Africa are also in the Southern Hemisphere.

2) While many Canadians claim Santa as one of their own, St. Nicholas of Myra is from modern day Turkey.

3) St. Nicholas comes to towns across Europe on December 5th or December 6th in honor of his names day (12/6). The Netherlands and the Czech Republic celebrate St. Nicholas on the 5th, while Belgium celebrate on the 6th. Children in the Netherlands and Belgium write letters to Sinterklaas while children in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia write to Mikulás (American children write to Santa Clause).

4) No! Simbang Gabi is celebrated amongst friends and family alike. Groups of young people gather together to attend mass and then hit the street for the yummy food stalls together.


These fun facts were compiled by http://littlepassports.com/.

National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

In the US this week it is National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.

This information is from the California Poison Control System.

Children are most commonly exposed to lead by eating paint chips or dirt that is contaminated with lead.

“Lead poisoning is an important cause of learning disabilities, anemia, as well as growth problems, and children exposed to lead may have attention and aggression problems.” - Dr. Richard Geller, Executive Medical Director for the CPCS. 

To prevent lead poisoning, children should wash their hands frequently, wash their toys often and eat a diet high in iron and calcium.  
Children who are undernourished can absorb more lead into their bodies than children with well balanced diets.  

1. Make sure your children do not chew on painted surfaces, such as toys or window sills.
2. Children's necklaces and bracelets, adult watches, as well as religious jewelry from Mexico, have been found to contain lead.
3. Keys frequently have small amounts of lead in them – do not let babies play with or teethe on your keychain..
4. Folk medicines (especially home remedies) imported from another country also contain lead. These include: pay-loo-ah (fever and rash treatment); azarcon (also called Maria Luisa, Liga, Alarzon, Greta, Coral and Rueda); Asian folk remedies, including Ghasard, Bali Goli and Kandu; and Middle Eastern folk remedies, including farouk and bint al zahab.

Customizeable Color Sheet Printables

I was just introduced to http://twistynoodle.com/ , a website with free printable worksheets and 

coloring pages for Early Years.

You can customize the text of the coloring sheet and select different fonts. 

One of the choices is D'Nealian, which is a good begining handwriting font.

I am having fun with this!

Peace One/International Day Coming Up!

We would like to encourage your child to wear his/her national dress for this special Peace One/International Day next Tuesday morning, September 21st.

For the afternoon, however, please be sure that your child has his/her VIS sport t-shirt available for the soccer tournament, as they will be divided into house teams.

This day will be big and extremely 'out of routine' for our little ones. Should you have the chance to make yourself available to EY for that day, we encourage you to stay; particularly for the break, international lunch, and soccer tournament. Yes! our little one are part of the BIG game and there will be lots of great photo opportunities throughout the day.

You can find more details about this special day's event in last week's Dragon Tales.