Rexanne's Web review - Issue #15

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Been a seriously crazy week. All good! Kids both graduated to the next grade with much fanfare. My older daughter made the honor roll which was quite the surprise for all of us. Quite the wonderful accomplishment too! We're very proud of her so I get to brag here for one second ... ;-) Little one graduated from kindergarten. Awwwwww ... Had a wonderful day Sunday with Grandpa Frank. That is one much-loved man!

Some reader comments and more goodies for you this week so let's get to it, shall we?

"Bed wetting is extremely humiliating to the bed wetter, even with a sympathetic parent. Bed wetters cannot take part in certain 'normal' childhood activities for fear that their secret will be 'found out.' To the parents of bed wetters, hang in there and stay supportive. Seek help from your pediatrician and don't be ashamed, your child is feeling enough shame and guilt for both of you.

"For bed wetters out there, you hang in there too! Your body will catch up to where it is supposed to be and you won't be wetting the bed forever. The next time you go to school, look around you and see all the 'normal' kids that are in your class. One of those 'normal' kids is probably a bed wetter too. Thank you, Rexanne, for addressing such a 'hot' topic with so much sensitivity."

"My parents used to pull the 'Finish everything on your plate, there are children starving in ...' To which I replied 'Fine, if you want to send this to them, be my guest, I am full.'

"You were quite right about later eating disorders. I know several very overweight people who are because of clean-your-plate guilt. Incidentally, one of my nieces went through a period when she would eat nothing but peanut butter sandwiches. Seems she was about 5. My sister was frantic but the doctor told her it was just a phase, don't press it. The niece is now a star player on her college volleyball team and loves spinach."

Thanks for your input, Libby! I used to say the same thing to MY parents! LOL! Kids are sometimes a lot more sensible than parents ...

"Rows and rows of butterfly toes
Bloom from cocoons to tickle my nose
All different colors from A to Z
Flowers & flutterbyes
Planted for me!"

"... to remain curious, open, unsatiated in relations with nature is tenfold more difficult than the cultivation of a stable, satisfying point of view, but a thousandfold more precious." (Gardner Murphy)

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It's pool and beach weather here in Southern California ... opens up all sorts of safety issues, such as water safety for the very young, sunscreen, heat stroke, etc. These are all good points and should be addressed. I will provide links to warm weather safety following my weekly "rant!"

What's been on my mind for the past week is the way some parents and grandparents feel about their little ones (toddlers and younger) being naked anywhere other than the bathtub or the privacy of their bedrooms.

The other day, I was swimming at our condominium's pool with my younger daughter. A very dear neighbor had her grandchildren at the pool, too. Yes, our respective kids had a great time together but what bothered me was my neighbor's attitude about her 2 year old grandson's insistence on being naked. This little sweetie was having the time of his life running in the warm sun, naked and free while his father and grandmother were frantically chasing his little bare butt around the pool, trying desperately to cover his nakedness.

It was all I could do not to holler: "Leave him alone ... he's feeling free and so good about himself!" I did, finally, have the opportunity to toss my two cents in when my neighbor asked if I thought any of our other neighbors would be "angry" that he was uncovered. Oh, what relief to spill my mind! LOL! I told her absolutely not ... who in their right heart would begrudge a baby feeling so liberated and happy? Well, she got the point but her son, the toddler's daddy, insisted on chasing after the poor child with a towel, his diaper or any other cover-up he could fathom.

I envisioned the grown man this baby was to become, having trauma lurking in the recesses of his mature mind over this attitude. He will most likely feel ashamed of his nakedness, of his natural state, if you will. Geesh ... sad.

Babies are born free. Toddlers have not been programmed with shame or guilt yet. It is society and parents who plant these seeds in innocent minds, thus creating uptight individuals. I am NOT advocating a clothing optional society, please don't misunderstand me. I am just trying to protect the innocence and healthy freedom of the very young.

If an individual takes offense at the naked body of a two year old, it is their sorry problem, NOT the child's. If we must cover up our child's nakedness to preserve the "rights" of others who might object, so be it. But by allowing our kids the sense of healthy openness and freedom to feel the sun on their bare butts, we help to create healthy attitudes about their bodies and their imminent sexuality. (This is another rant ... I'll save it for next week's newsletter! LOL!)

There are so many restrictions in society as it is. Our kids should be allowed as much physical freedom as possible. By age 5 or 6, they will begin to assume a more universal attitude toward their nakedness and not demand liberation from garments so much, if at all. Allow them those few, unrestricted years to run free, to feel nature on their skin and to rejoice in their precious little bodies.

As always, any comments or input about my rants are most welcome. Even if you don't agree with me, we would love to know what you DO think!

OK, I promised you summer safety links ... Here's a link to The Red Cross online safety tips and information that will give you much good advice on summer safety for our kids: Red Cross Safety Tips

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Rexanne Mancini is the mother of two daughters, Justice and Liberty. She is a novelist, freelance writer and maintains an extensive yet informal parenting and family web site, Rexanne.com – http://www.rexanne.com -Visit her site for good advice, award-winning Internet holiday pages and some humor to help you cope. Subscribe to her free newsletter, Rexanne’s Web Review, for a monthly dose of Rexanne: http://www.rexanne.com/rwr-archives.html

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This article is available for reprint at no charge providing the resource box with the writer's information is included and remains intact.

This is Cooking Light magazine, online. Don't let the "light" scare you off! ;-) Plenty of terrific tips for food preparation, seasonal veggies and a really wonderful "Healthy Kids" page with ideas for good, nutritious snacks, meals and ideas on making good food appealing to munchkins.

There is a super search feature on Cooking Light too. Enter the ingredient or recipe title and voila. Also, there is a search mode using calorie counts if you are so inclined. Suppose with summer upon us (in the US, anyway!), we should consider eating lighter, huh? Either to shed a few unwanted pounds or just because it's too hot to steam up the kitchen with elaborate meals. Either excuse you choose to fly with, do give Eating Light a try. I promise I'll bring you a really gooey, sticky site for next week! ;-)

Meanwhile, MarthaMyDear has gone overboard in her zest for summer cooking fare and has created yet another awesome page filled with tantalizingly delish recipes, tips, witty dialogue and her unique perspective on the kitchen ritual: More Summer Catch All

Two recipes I will definitely try are the Broccoli Bake and the Cheddar Potato Bake. Oh yummmmm!

This is a site you and the kids can have a little fun with. The kids will know the words to these songs, but will you? I knew one! Kids love to sing along with their favorite songs, just like some uninhibited adults we know. They'll have a blast here, belting out "A Hunting We Will Go" with Elmer Fudd or "You Beautiful Doll" with Taz, the man. Hey, you might discover a natural-born singer lurking in your home!

Sunday, at our Father's Day bash, he reminded me of a trick I should have remembered from my own childhood:

Lighter fluid works great for removing Band Aid sticky marks. You know the glue stuff that's left when you remove a bandage? Pour a little lighter fluid onto a cotton ball and wipe the offending area. Comes right off. Naturally, be sure to avoid the reason the bandage was there in the first place.

My dad also said lighter fluid works well for removing crayon marks! Seems this is what my parents used when my sister and I got a little carried away with the coloring. I would do a test patch on any furniture or fabric first.

Got a tip or trick your fellow readers would enjoy or could use? Please send it here for possible publication in one of the next issues: Tips

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Weekly Time Waster: Wheel of Fortune!
(Because life is supposed to be fun!)

Are you one of the people who watches "Wheelie" (as we call it in our house) and solves the puzzle long before the contestants do? Well, you can now gloat for real. Wheel of Fortune online is lots of fun! Play by yourself to see how much money you *could* make or play against other Wheelie fanatics online. Either way, this site is a great time waster!

This is a very touching and inspiring page on loving your children. From the moment they are born, to how to care for your siblings, the sentiments are wonderful. This is actually a card you could send to online friends and loved ones if you so choose. Or, have a look around the entire site for other fun and heartfelt online cards and wishes.

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The fine print: This newsletter is copyright - 2000 - in its entirety. Please pass it on, but also please leave it intact. :-)

You are receiving this email because you sent a specific message asking to be placed on the mailing list for this newsletter. If you wish to be removed from this list, see the unsubscribe notice above. This is NOT SPAM, nor will you ever see a recipe featuring SPAM in this newsletter! ;-)

I have personally checked out the links provided here but they could possibly lead you to any number of bizarre and/or offensive sites. Surf at your own risk. The DIRECT links on this page are all family friendly unless stated otherwise. While this newsletter is family friendly, it is not necessarily intended to be read by children. Parents should always monitor their children while they are on the Internet.