Strangely, I see Father’s Day as a distinctly ‘grown up’ holiday. Sure, it is a great photo ‘op for the kids to pile on the bed and watch him drink that bad coffee they made and eat the best darn burnt toast he’s ever experienced, but for adults -especially those who are parents themselves- it is a chance to meditate on the dads in their life, and by dad, I mean the guy who was there for them, the guy who helped shape who they are today. Family tends to be complicated so I realize that guy may be Dad or an Uncle, a Grandfather, a Step Father or just some close to the family. So whoever was that father-figure in their life, now is the time to recognize their efforts.

Father’s Day is typified by a card and a gift, the real challenge is to find something or do something that reaches beyond cliche and says, “I saw this gift and I know you will love it.” This is a tall order, I know, but it is the goal. In other words, get the gift for the ‘Man’ not the title (of ‘Dad’). Parents are very elusive when it comes to gifts, this we know. So whether it’s a practical gift or an artful one or a funny one, get him something that speaks to him, thank him for trying to put his best foot forward and give the guy a hug.

Unique Father’s Day gift ideas from Etsy:
Rains on the Plain | Hoop Print
A Cagey Bee | Baseball Painting
By the Wayside | Vintage 70′s Japanese Frosted Drinking Mugs
Emmie Bean’s Shop | Custom Father’s Day Print
Xoelle’s Shop | Big Top Freestyle Tie
Brief Moments | Instrument Landscape Photos
Beautiful Bridget’s Shop | Lambs Wool Neckwarmer
Etsy Finds; 48 Hours of Deals for Dads

Related Articles;
5 more great Father’s Day gift ideas
Free money for Father’s Day

• Gross Motor Skills Development – basic play skills, climbing stairs, playing with rider toys (tricycles and such) as well as push toys (includes strollers, shopping carts, et al.) will help them keep up during play time. If your kid doesn’t like to swing on swings, or climb the jungle gym it is not a deal breaker, you may see them break those fears trying to keep up with their friends when they go to preschool (and if not, it’s still okay).
• Fine Motor Skills Development – basic skills holding and cutting with safety scissors, chalk and crayons is a good start, dealing with closures of clothing (ie. zippers, snaps, buttons, etc.) will all keep them ahead of the curve. Playing with puzzles, legos and other building blocks are fun ways to build these skills.
• Language Development – of course teachers have realistic expectations on what is capable for their age group but putting an emphasis on helping the kids express their immediate needs (rather than the dreaded grunting, screaming and pointing us parents are used to dealing with) will put them ahead of the curve. Don’t worry so much about their grammar or pronunciation. Bonus points earned for the occasional “please” and “thank you,” but then again that’s true for any age group.
• Social and Emotional Development - again, teachers understand that there may be the expected issues with “sharing” and “playing well” with others but there is a wealth of social cues to be gained by having your toddler experience other “class” environments leading up to preschool. A good example of this are the type of story time classes at your local library, kids yoga classes, and mommy and me classes that may be offered in your area, as well as basic play dates with local kids.
• Potty Trained – depending on where they go and when the start preschool this may be mandatory or it may be a bonus. As you may know most toddlers between the age of 2-3 years old (depending on your kid’s development) will be prime for being training. When touring various preschools find out what their policy is on potty training.

These items came from a couple conversations with various preschool teachers and educators, so consider this an inside perspective of what will ultimately help your kid adapt to their new environment.

Whether you are a first time parent or not, we all have our own expectations and understanding of where our kids should be developmentally, but it is helpful to know what your kid’s school expects of them as well. Use this list as a springboard to ask your local preschool what they expect from incoming kids.

Sited and Related Links:
Wikipedia | Philosophy of Education
Family Education | Your Preschooler: The Social Observer

Science Daily pointed out that one-in-eight educational programs for kids is not of high-quality, it makes some eye opening observations. Meanwhile, the mainstream media industry seem to be sparking up the annual argument whether television in general is melting our children’s’ brains. Reuter’s sources claim that too much TV, web and video raises children’s’ odds for smoking and obesity while sources of the Detroit Free Press tries to take a more moderate stance arguing there are positive (or not so harmful) aspect to moderate amounts of education-based programs for children.

I find bits of truth in both articles and they both raise valid questions about each side of the fence, which will give my wife and I something to ponder when we are enjoying that third cup of coffee at the kitchen counter (at 8am) while the boys are plunked in front of Sesame Street for a few minutes while we catch our breath.

A Inland Empire local newspaper, The Press-Enterprise, did some investigating for toxic/unsafe toys that are on the shelves this holiday season. I will try to mention as many of these types of reports as possible. They named these toys; Silly Fish Squirters(Toysmith), Pony Land Scented Pony Pet (JA-RU Inc.), Red Plastic Super Car (Four Seasons General Merchandise) and I would like to add a warning for any toy made by OKK Trading (they’ve had numerous recalls this year alone).

As a side note, sign-up for the Wii Holiday Giveaway! It’s pretty straight-forward, we teamed up with Noobie to offer a chance to win one of these hot consoles retailing for $250. Contest ends on December 12th and no, you’re email address is not redistributed or sold to third-party vendors.

With our second child (boy) we discovered the many benefits of leg warmers for the tots. Sure they look cute but they are also a significant “parent hack” as listed below;

• Makes diaper changing a breeze
• Perfect for airing out diaper rashes when the child needs nakedy butt time
• Promotes independence while potty training
• Keep legs warm; great with carriers & strollers
• Protect soft knees from harsh surfaces
• Allows barefoot walking to help your baby develop balance
• Light-weight sun protection
• Great protection against bugs, i.e. mosquitoes
• Toddlers will love them for playing dress-up
• Extends wear of childrens clothing (knees and elbows)
• Arm warmers for all! (Road Bikers, Kids, Adults, etc.)
• Soothing for eczema and other skin conditions
• Wear over bandages to keep child from removing
• Provides compression for ice or heating pack
• Wear over a cast to protect & individualize outer layer
• Wear under a hospital gown to keep arms/legs warm

Listed below are a number of online shops that have a decent selection and reasonable prices. Leg & arm warmers have caught on as a baby accessory in the recent past so you can find them in mainstream stores as well, but with a limited selection of styles and colors.

Related Sites;
Paisley Monkey (Organic Leg Warmers & Arm Warmers)
Baby Snazz (Great Selection)
BabyLegs.Com [*Photos above courtesy of BabyLegs.Com]
Jaminga.Com (Unique selection, a bit more in price)

Without really thinking about we throw away our hard earned money on things that are by-in-large minor conveniences – coffee, bottled water, cigarettes, etc. Here’s the breakdown based on recent reports of the top ten biggest daily expenses.

• Coffee – Average price for brewed coffee is $1.38 a cup. Considering the U.S. average consumption is 3.2 cups a day, we’ll assume one of those cups is purchased on the go. There are 260 weekdays a year – that’s $358.80 a year on a modest Starbucks routine.*BTW – Women indicated that having a cup of coffee was their way of relaxing whereas a cup of “joe” for the guys, was inspiration to get the job done.
• Cigarettes – Current national average are hovering around $4.54. In NYC they are as high as $8 a pack on the street. Pack-a-day smokers fork over $1,660-$2920 a year! Weekend smoker? Buying a pack once a week adds up, too: $236-$416 annually.
• Alcohol - Depending on your “poison” and the mark-up of your favorite “watering hole” be-it the local Sports Bar or the VIP Room, we can set an average of $5 per beer including tip, buying two beers per day adds up to around $3,650 annually and you can figure twice that for two mixed drinks a day at the local bar which is a whooping $7,300 a year annually for celebrating the spirits.
• Bottled Water – A very common vice for soccer moms, kids and dads on the go. A average bottled water costs about $1 at the convenience store. One bottle of water per day costs $365 annually – never mind the negative impact on the environment with all those plastic bottles. Buy yourself a reusable water bottle (preferably a non-toxic kind) and fill it up with filtered water at home or at work. Actually you could add a positive offset to this line item – recycle your other bottles at the end of the week. At a nickel a pop, and that starts adding up quickly!
• Manicures – Surveys found that the average cost of a manicure is about $20. A weekly manicure sets you back about $1,040 per year. And if you indulge in a Mani’ and a Pedi’ expect an annual set-back of $1,560.
• Car Washes – It is common to get a basic wash once a week here in LA primarily because of all the pollution (sediment) that’s about $12 per car or $14 for a SUV — that’s $676 a year. The average cost for a basic auto detailing package is $58, according to Costhelper.com. The tab for getting your car detailed every two months: $348 per year.
• Weekday Lunches Out – $7-9 will generally cover a decent lunch most work days. If you buy rather than pack a lunch five days a week for one year, you shell out between $1,820-$2,350 annually.
• Vending Machines Snacks – The average vending machine snack costs $1. Buy a pack of cookies every afternoon at work and that’s another $260 per year.
• Interest charges on Credit Card - According to a survey released at the end of May 2007, the median amount of credit card debt carried by Americans is $6,600. Rate tables on Bankrate.com indicate that fixed interest rates on a standard card average 13.44 percent. Making the minimum payment each month, it will take 250 months (almost 21 years) to pay off the debt and cost $4,868 in interest, which is an average annual interest payment of $231.80. Ouch! And if you are trying to figure out a way to slip in an extra payment or two to make a dent on those high balances, consider taking the money you’re already saving by not buying that bottle of water or cup of coffee every day to make an extra payment or two.
• Unused Memberships – Costhelper.com reports that the monthly service fee at gyms averages between $35 and $40. At $40 per month, an unused gym membership runs $480 per year.

This list represents about $12,045.60 per year in personal savings! This means mom and dad have the potential of saving $24k a year, outstanding!

Remember the “Monkey See, Monkey Do” Affect with the little ones. Children grow up learning about personal finance and money management from their parents!

Related Articles;
Detroit Free Press | Your kids learn about money by seeing…
Washington Post | For Modern Kids, ‘Philanthropy’ Is No Grown-Up Word

Related Sites;
Family Education | Ways to Teach Kids About Money
CNN.Com | Kids and Money in Twelve Lessons

At a glance it is clear that the best ranking states for education, health and economic measures are New Hampshire, Minnesota and Massachusetts. Some of the lowest scoring states, across the board are Mississippi (poverty, reading), Louisiana (overall) and New Mexico (overall).

Highlighted is a small selection of the data sets available (to see additional data follow the link below), focusing on the measures for 8th graders state-by-state since that is mid-stream for school-aged children.

EDUCATION | 8th Graders Who Scored at or Above Proficient Math Level;

• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• North Dakota & Vermont (tied)
• Kansas
• South Dakota
• Montana, New Hampshire, & Pennsylvania (tied)
• Colorado, Maryland, Virginia & Wisconsin (tied for 11th place)

EDUCATION | 8th Graders Who Scored at or Above Proficient Reading Level;

• Massachusetts
• Vermont
• New Jersey & Montana (tied)
• Maine, Minnesota & New Hampshire (tied)
• Ohio, Pennsylvania & Iowa (tied)

EDUCATION | 8th Graders Who Scored at or Above Proficient Science Level;

• North Dakota
• Montana
• New Hampshire, South Dakota & Vermont (tied)
• Minnesota & Wisconsin (tied)
• Wyoming
• Idaho
• Ohio, Michigan, Virginia & Colorado (tied for 11th place)

EDUCATION | 8th Graders Who Scored at or Above Proficient Writing Level;

• New Jersey
• Connecticut
• Massachusetts
• Vermont
• New Hampshire
• Colorado & Maine (tied)
• Illinois
• Florida & Pennsylvania (tied)

HEALTH | Lowest Infant Deaths [per 1,000]

• Utah
• Minnesota
• Washington
• Massachusetts
• New Jersey
• Iowa
• New Hampshire
• California
• Nebraska
• Nevada

HEALTH | Lowest Child Deaths [per 100k]

• New Hampshire
• Massachusetts
• Connecticut
• New Jersey
• Minnesota
• Washington
• Hawaii
• Maryland
• New York
• Illinois & California (tied)

HEALTH | Lowest Teen Deaths [per 100k]

• Hawaii
• Rhode Island
• Massachusetts
• Connecticut
• New Jersey & New York (tied)
• Minnesota
• Oregon
• Washington
• New Hampshire

POVERTY | Children in Poverty (100%)

• Maryland & New Hampshire (lowest)
• Connecticut & Hawaii
• Massachusetts, New Jersey, Utah, Wyoming & Virginia
• North Dakota & Vermont (tied for 11th place)

OVERALL | Based on Split Data 2005-2006

• New Hampshire
• Minnesota
• Massachusetts
• Connecticut
• Utah
• New Jersey
• North Dakota
• Iowa
• Nebraska
• Vermont

SITED LINKS:
The Anne E. Casey Foundation | 2008 Kids Count Data Center

I have absolutely no idea how factual these numbers are but it still makes you think…

I’ve just come across one company, HealthGrades.Com, that makes it their business to track hospitals, nursing homes and physicians through a formulated rating system. They do not rate (‘best’ or ‘worst’) the physicians per say instead, to help consumers compare physicians, they profile physicians and provide national benchmark data. They have a number of tiered composite systems for rating both nursing homes and hospitals but most of them come for a price (generally $18-20 bucks will get you the full report).

Digging deeper into the subject, I’ve found there are a number of ‘top hospital’ lists out there, and like anything it seems the deeper you dig the more unclear the findings can become. I think what is most important here is that there are some pretty robust tools available to those who want to find out how their local hospital does compared with regional, state and national averages. And maybe the best way to evaluate a medical facility is based on the overall composite and a given procedure (if it applies). As an example, Cedar Sinai rates average for their maternity ward but overall has a great rating.

There are quite a few options when looking for the best hospital or if you want to look-up your pediatrician’s scorecard. Strangely enough some of the most incomplete or uninformative sites I found are the government sites, go figure. Here is a current list of hospital, physicians, and nursing home rating sites that have struck me as somewhat objective and informative for consumer use;

• HealthGrades.Com
• The Leap Frog Group
• U.S. News – 2007 Top 100 Hospitals
• Thomson’s Top 100 Hospitals
• Parent’s.Com | Top Ten Children’s Hospitals

National Account Balance estimates from the CIA World Fact Book (published 12th February 2008)

• 1st: China $363,300,000,000
• 5th: Russia $74,000,000,000
• 14th: Canada $28,460,000,000
• 161st: United Kingdom $-111,000,000,000
• 163rd (last place): United States $-747,100,000,000

Not on this list but notable is Iraq ($7.802 billion – 2007 est.), Iran ($19 billion – 2007 est.) and Cuba (-$750 million – 2007 est.).

Once you get beyond the velvet rope the real work begins. You must be stealth in both judgment and approach when taking tours of potential schools for your little angels. Then you’ve got to have a list and check it twice. Here is a worthy checklist (peppered with my thoughts and wise-cracks) vis a vis the National Association for the Education of Young Children. They’re the world’s largest organization working on behalf of young children with nearly 100,000 members, a national network of over 300 local, state, and regional affiliates. Whether you actually write out a list or you just keep a running tally in your head maybe one or two of these will help you and your search.

1. Children are playing and working with materials or other children and the space feels inspired and the personnel are actively engaged with the children. They are not aimlessly wandering or forced to sit quietly for long periods of time.
2. Children have access to various activities throughout the day, such as block building, pretend play, picture books, paints and other art materials, and table toys such as legos, pegboards, and puzzles. Children are not all doing the same things at the same time.
3. Teachers work with individual children, small groups, and the whole group at different times during the day and the ration of teacher-to-student is low. They do not spend time only with the entire group.
4. The classroom is decorated with children’s original artwork, their own writing with invented spelling, and dictated stories. The space is designed and or arranged to accommodate the children (chairs, tables, sinks and bathrooms are all easily accessible and safe to use for small children).
5. Children learn numbers and the alphabet in the context of their everyday experiences. Exploring the natural world of plants and animals, cooking, taking attendance, and serving snack are all meaningful activities to children. In general, there day is varied with an array of meaningful activities and experiences that they can learn and grow from.
6. Children work on projects and have long periods of time (at least one hour) to play, explore and and interact. Filling out worksheets should not be their primary activity.
7. Children have an opportunity to play outside every day that weather permits. This play is never sacrificed for more instructional time even if the weather is not desirable.
8. Teachers read books to children throughout the day, not just at group story time.
9. Curriculum is adapted for those who are ahead as well as those who need additional help. Because children differ in experiences and background, they do not learn the same things at the same time in the same way.
10. Children and their parents look forward to school. And of course, parents feel safe sending their child to a given kindergarten.

Sited Links:
Education.Com
National Association for the Education of Young Children