Grandpa Richards Kids

I have always been fascinated by the fact that many cultures put much more emphasis on name meanings than many North Americans do. I know that my Anglo-Saxon given names, Richard and William, have meanings, but that is not why my parents picked them.

Here is a guest article about name meanings, written by Warren Wong. Enjoy.

A given name or a first name is the name given to a person to differentiate that person from someone else in the family or someone who carries the same surname or last name. This name is given to a person by the parents or guardians. The name is not carried down from generation to generation like the surname. Different groups have different name meanings and use the given names and surnames in different ways. Read the rest…

If you are like Grandpa Richard, you have trouble keeping up on the newest trends for children. My grand daughter is always mentioning this, that, and the other thing to me. Of course, not watching TV shows with a children’s theme (so I see the newest ads) does not help me.

So what is a Webkinz? A virtual pet!!! What in the world? Read the rest…

My grand daughter Jasmine has a new pet. A snail. She found it in the garden and has provided it with a home of water, pebbles, green growing plants, and a top with small air holes. Her mom even taught her that a snail is an hermaphrodite, meaning it is both a male and a female. Not sure what Jasmine thought of that. (and I’d like to know if her mom actually knew that word or looked it up online!!!)

She told me that its name is Shelley. My question back was, “What is its boy name”. A discussion ensued and she finally gave in and added Brayan to the name.

This got me thinking about other exotic, or non-traditional, pets. The resulting article is found at http://www.grandparichardskids.com/article/top-5-modern-pets.

In a recent incident, four children, between 7 and 14 years-old, suffered injuries when they ran stop sign and hit a car. They were riding in an ATV. Two of the children suffered serious head injuries and broken bones, while the other two were treated for minor injuries. The car’s passenger reportedly suffered a neck injury.

Parents need to be vigilant about what their children are doing, and where they are. Even in off-road areas ATVs are a safety hazard for children, even 14 year-olds. Only allow your children to use these vehicles under proper supervision, and only after you are satisfied that they can operate the ATV safely.

For more ATV articles, visit atv-lovers.info.

A recent accident in California highlights the need to be vigilant about children and open windows.

In this case, a babysitter placed a 2 year-old boy on a kitchen counter which was flush with an open window. The babysitter then turned briefly to tend to a meal cooking on the nearby stove. When she turned back, the boy was gone, having fallen out of the window to the ground below, a 12 foot drop.

It is thought that the boy was fascinated by some brightly coloured flowers in a window box.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that each year more than 4,000 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries received from falling from a window. The CPSC knows of at least 120 window-fall related deaths of children since 1990. Most of the injuries and deaths were to children under the age of 5.

One easily installed safety item are window stops. These stop the window from open more than a certain amount. The recommendation is that they be set to a maximum of 4 inches (10 cm). Some models have a feature whereby an adult can release the stop so that the window can be opened further.

Install window guards or window stops to prevent children from falling out of windows. If you are in doubt about whether to put a guard in a particular window, go ahead and install a window guard there. Better to be safe than sorry. Do not place furniture under or near a window to avoid giving children a way to climb directly to the window. NEVER depend on screens to keep a child from falling out of a window.

Childhood obesity is considered to be an epidemic in the United States and a leading group of pediatricians is recommending that children as young as 8 years old be given cholesterol-lowering drugs in hopes of preventing heart problems later in life.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends that children as young as 2 years old start having their cholesterol levels screened if they have a family history of heart disease or high cholesterol. Screening should start no later than 10, the academy said.

It’s summer! I remember when I was young, we’d have a great July and early August, and then we’d start to get bored. As a parent, I would have loved to try some of these ideas. Maybe you can do them with your kids.

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As the long, lazy days of August arrive, keep it fresh with these fun ideas from Lever 2000 (www.homebasics.ca) . They’re guaranteed to help you relive the joys of your childhood, while savouring the moments that will fuel your kids’ nostalgia when they’re older. Read the rest…

I was at my grand daughter’s home yesterday and had fun taking photos of her and 2 other children playing on a water slide. It got me thinking about how much more the children are outside during the summer, and how safety issues change focus.

With the water slide, the danger is obvious - make sure there are no objects sticking out of the ground in the area where the slide is put. Also, there should always be an adult within sight, as young children could drown even in the very shallow water found on one of these slides.

ALWAYS remember: Read the rest…

Some sobbering news that makes the pain even worse for families who lost children in the recent earthquake …

• the one child rule that affects Chinese families (although I have heard that couples who lost an only child will be allowed to conceive again if they so desire)
• reports that shoddy workmanship led to many building collapses, and claims that much of the poor construction was aided by corrupt inspectors

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?
You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
10 year old boy

No person really decides before they grow up who they’re going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you’re stuck with.
10 year old girl

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
10 year old girl

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
8 year old boy

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MUM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don’t want any more kids.
8 year old girl

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
8 year old girl

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that Usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
10 year old boy

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
I’d run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
9 year old boy

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
When they’re rich.
7 year old girl

The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn’t want to mess with that.
7 year old boy

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It’s the right thing to do.
8 year old boy

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It’s better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.
9 year old girl

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN’T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn’t there?
8 year old boy

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.
10 year old boy