- a fun, social summer event for the neighbourhood!
If you want an affordable, unique and a memorable social gathering for everyone in your neighbourhood or just a chance for your child to meet new kids, this summer try organizing a park-hopping night.
Adults who have been pub hopping, know that it is defined as: "to move in a group from one drinking establishment to the next, drinking at each." Park-hopping is similar to pub hopping except the pubs are replaced by parks and candy is the booze substitute for this night of cheap and fun thrills.
We had four rules:
Never go during the day. It was an added thrill for the kids to begin after dinner on a spring or summer evening and stay out until darkness fell. For some kids, it meant staying up later than usual and therein lies one cheap thrill.
We needed provisions (refreshments and things to nibble). Our kids did not get sweets too often, but during our park-hopping event they got to fill grab bags from larger bags of candy spread over the kitchen table. The visual of a kitchen table completely covered in colourful heaps of tasty candy starts the thrills for the night!
Next we would plan a route from park to park to park and don't miss a single one on your list!
The final rule: All adults must try the playground equipment too!
We would tour each park, trying out all the fun playground equipment and then move onto a different park and start all over again!... Hence the term "park hopping."
Writing this has put a huge smile on my face and while my kids are older now, Shanna, age 24 said it was one of her favourite things to do as a kid. She looked forward to all the different equipment in each park like good swings in one, a really big slide in another, and challenging monkey bars in another.
If you read the interesting facts below from Wikipedia on pub crawling, it will likely get your creative juices flowing about all the possibilities for this kid-friendly event of park-hopping. I visualize a fundraising event, an annual community event or even a Guinness world record in a new category called Park-Hopping!
Annually in London, United Kingdom, thousands of New Zealanders take part in the Waitangi Day pub crawl, a crawl around the Circle Line on the London Underground. Starting at Paddington they work counter-clockwise around the line, usually ending at Westminster for a haka (traditional New Zealand challenge/dance) and then many continue on to the Temple Walkabout bar. While numbers vary depending on the weather, in 2008 there were reported to be around 12,000 people involved.
Source: Wikipedia
Are you bully savvy?
Bullies inflict pain. That pain affects everyone from the parents of both children to friends, teachers, community and the unlucky child who is bullied. When a child is being bullied parents go through many emotions from desperate to helpless, overwhelmed, angry and even panic. What parents want is an answer to the question, "What should I do?"
In looking at the issue of bullies, we need to empower ourselves with knowledge and strategies that will help prevent it in the first place. How can you empower your child and yourselves? Make smart, preventative and simple moves before it happens to your child.
First, understand the bully.
They are often angry frustrated children who are taking it out on other kids in the form of being mean and bullying.
They are usually gutless when separated from their peers.
Their M.O. (method of operation) is to group together and convince others in the group to pick on someone.
What can you do?
Start with asking your kids good questions:
Who are the bullies in their grade? You may begin to hear their names over and over in general conversations with your child. Stay alert to who they are. Knowledge is power.
Ask your child how they would deal with a bully? This will give you an idea of how bully savvy your child is and what steps you need to take to further empower them.
Explain to your child that they need to stay nice and that bullying usually has very little to do with the specific value of a child as a person but more to do with a bully thinking that the child might be an easy target because the bully mistakenly thinks they wont react.
11 strategies to insulate kids against bullies.
Create safe havens in your neighbourhood (Your home, safe store, friends' homes) which help act as insulators against bullies. Kids feel far more secure knowing that there is more than one safe haven in their neighbourhood.
Tell your kids to stick with friends as much as possible. If someone offers to walk them home, take the offer.
Practice the Confident Girls and Guys "bully yell." Simply put, tell your children that it is using their loudest voice against a bully. The fact is that all kids can be loud, making this strategy an easy one. Kids need to learn to yell the bullies name if they know it (most usually do) and the offensive behaviour in their loudest voice to attract attention. Example: "Jason, don't hit me!" This will tell everyone within ear shot who the culprit is and exactly what they have just done. Bullies don't want to be caught so using the bully yell directs all the attention immediately to the bully so there is no question later on about who was present during the offensive behaviour. Practice the "bully yell" with your kids...again it's empowering and it reduces stress about being bullied.
Help kids recognize the behaviours and motives of a bully. Sometimes it will help to call the bully on the phone and tell them how painful it is to be picked on. Use your best judgment with this one.
Have your child teach a sibling what you've taught them! It's all about empowering everyone in the family and this way you'll know if your kids were really listening when you taught them what you think they should know!
Parents can empower children by being assertive. Call the
bullies' parents but don't be threatening...be involved. Speak with your child's
teachers to make sure there's a class attitude that bullying will not be tolerated.
Talk to teachers and tell them that if one child is getting bullied, it needs to be everybody's business. Suggest they instil a value system in the classroom and on the playground that someone who sits silently and watches a bully is as guilty as the bully himself. Recommend a spirit of inclusion - and enforce it. Propose the teacher holds workshops in their classes or hire someone from the community to teach everyone the latest techniques and see the newest video's on the market.
Use stress and worry busters like meditation, yoga, breathing exercises. I am currently collaborating with White Swan Mediation Group on a meditation/relaxation CD for kids under 11. It will be on sale by June. Contact me for more details.
Outdoor camps (such as outward bound) are a super summer option to help your child feel empowered. www.outwardbound.ca
In severe cases personal alarms could be used.
Barbara Coloroso wrote an exceptional book titled: The Bully, The Bullied and the Bystander. It is a must read!
Now that your family is bully savvy, you'll all feel safer and more confident! Good luck everybody!
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Quotes from Girls Workshops
"My goal is to stop buying stuff I don't need."
"My goal is to not waste my spare time."
"She was a great presenter and I would want to attend other workshops presented by her."
"She was fun and energetic and full of life. She made it fun."
"I gave Monique excellent because she was fun and interesting."
"I loved her enthusiasm and how she could relate to us."
"She seemed like a down-to-earth person who isn't just saying this from a sheet."
" She was kind and taught me a lot of things. She was respectful."
"You rock! Come back soon."
"She showed us how to feel confident in ourselves."
"She was very enthusiastic and got me involved in the program."
Quotes from Guys Workshops
"I think she is the best person that has come yet!"
"It rocked!"
"The workshop really inspired me and taught me to at least try."
"She was funny and had good stories."
"Good, awesome, sweet, nice, cool, strong!"
"You did a good job and thanks for making the workshop fun!"
Bullies inflict pain. That pain affects everyone from the parents of both children to friends, teachers, community and the unlucky child who is bullied. When a child is being bullied parents go through many emotions from desperate to helpless, overwhelmed, angry and even panic. What parents want is an answer to the question, "What should I do?"
