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Two Extra Hands to Help You Make Thanksgiving
[Editor’s Note: Although he is known as the Old Educator, his friends (not to mention his family) prefer to think of Glenn Honeycutt as a seasoned educator. Clearly, Mr. H. can teach in the kitchen as well as the classroom.]
Just because Thanksgiving is the most important family meal of the year, it doesn't mean you have to spend hundreds of hours cooking and cleaning. Here are ways to keep the holiday hassle to a minimum.
- Clear your fridge well in advance to make room for all the Thanksgiving food.
- Keep the Butterball Turkey hotline number (1.800.323.4848) on your fridge door. Why go at it alone when there are trained professionals who can answer any question you might have about storing, thawing, cooking or carving your bird?
- Better yet, purchase a roasted turkey from a local restaurant or gourmet shop. This is the ultimate Thanksgiving luxury. No defrosting, no checking and poking for hours. Best of all, a cool kitchen.
- Cut back on the number of side dishes you serve. Nix the brussel sprouts casserole nobody touched last year.
- Leave some or all of the peel on your mashed or roasted potatoes. You'll save precious prep time.
- Bake just one kind of pie. (Pumpkin is less time-consuming than apple.) Even better: order from your favorite restaurant or bakery.
- Use disposable roasting pans or line your casserole pans with foil. The less washing you have to do, the better.
- Have your Tupperware containers and their matching lids lined up and ready to accept the inevitable leftovers. You'll be thankful you did.
Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten?
A recent email asking for advice on sending a child turning 5 at the end of November, to kindergarten, prompted me to share my answer with readers. The mother indicated her child’s overall social and academic skills were above average. “Thank you for writing. There are different schools of thought about kindergarten. My daughter has a similar concern with her son who has attended the Goddard School since he was 3. He will master anything the public schools throw at him. Our concern is that he’ll not be challenged enough and will “turn off” to learning. Unless there is some type of enriched program or effort to challenge academically strong children in your school, and teachers are willing to go above and beyond, your child will be at risk of losing interest in learning. Excitement and enthusiasm about learning are maintained through the introduction of stimulating and challenging material.
How to Parent a Successful Student
[Editor’s Note: It is disheartening for the editor of thefrontpageonline.com to hear the longtime school principal Glenn Honeycutt refer to himself as “The Old Educator” because he has known Mr. Honeycutt since Mr. Honeycutt was a teenager in the past century. Whether he is old or merely mature, Mr. Honeycutt is prepared to impart weekly wisdom to parents who are baffled by how to successfully guide their children through the school syste.]
Regardless of the grade level, children return to school in the fall full of excitement and enthusiasm. They are eager to see old friends, meet new ones and discover what the year has in store. How long this excitement and enthusiasm lasts is directly related to what parents and teachers are willing to do to promote it. Too often, everyone falls back into a previous groove of behavior. Maintaining a heightened level of excitement and enthusiasm causes the learning curve to improve. The challenge for parents and teachers is to maintain the “Back to School,” emotional high as long as possible. Parents and teachers get excited about the first day just like the kids. It’s an opportunity to get Junior off to a fresh start with the hope of doing better. Teachers are eager to meet new students, impact their lives and establish new relationships. Parents focus on new backpacks, bus schedules, shopping for clothing and finding out about the new teachers(s). “Back to School” is a focal point for businesses as well. The average family spends over $400 on items for children.
Regardless of the grade level, children return to school in the fall full of excitement and enthusiasm. They are eager to see old friends, meet new ones and discover what the year has in store. How long this excitement and enthusiasm lasts is directly related to what parents and teachers are willing to do to promote it. Too often, everyone falls back into a previous groove of behavior. Maintaining a heightened level of excitement and enthusiasm causes the learning curve to improve. The challenge for parents and teachers is to maintain the “Back to School,” emotional high as long as possible. Parents and teachers get excited about the first day just like the kids. It’s an opportunity to get Junior off to a fresh start with the hope of doing better. Teachers are eager to meet new students, impact their lives and establish new relationships. Parents focus on new backpacks, bus schedules, shopping for clothing and finding out about the new teachers(s). “Back to School” is a focal point for businesses as well. The average family spends over $400 on items for children.
