So, what do I love most about two- and three-year-olds? Hmm, it is hard to pinpoint, but I believe the most refreshing thing about my job is the honesty. Children are more honest than any other human being on the planet. If they feel something, they say it. Wouldn't that be great? Here, let me elaborate...
Every morning we start a "potty round" about 40 minutes after the children get to school to prevent any accidents. This means we go around asking each child, "do you want to go potty now or in five minutes?" For any parent that has had a difficult time getting their child to stop what they are doing to use the restroom, this is a golden piece of advice: give them a choice to go now or in five minutes. Of course every child responds with, "five minutes," but it allows them to make their own choice.Then, when literally only one minute passes and I tell them it has been five and it is time to go, they drop what they are doing and use the bathroom without any resistance.
OK, back to the point. So, one particular girl was in the bathroom after a number of other students had gone before, and I heard her shouting, "Oh wow, it is really stinky in here. I can't even breathe it is so stinky!" I'll admit it was quite humorous, but I peaked my head in the restroom and said, "
Lila, you might embarrass some of your other friends who have used the potty when you talk like that." She looked at me very confused and said, "What? I am going poop right now." I couldn't help but laugh out loud because she wasn't the least bit embarrassed to announce to the world that she was the stinky one. I suppose I don't want adults being so honest with me, but with the kids, well, I can't help but enjoy absolutely everything they have to say!
ERIN'S CUP OF KARMA
By Erin Feese
I've always been fond of bamboo. It's green and leafy. It grows in China. Pandas eat it. It looks pretty on my shelf (ok, I know
lucky bamboo isn't really bamboo, but it is darn cute). If those aren't enough reasons to like bamboo, I've been hearing a lot lately about the environmental benefits of choosing products made with bamboo.
Bamboo grows fast - as much at three feet overnight (hey, it's got to keep up with those hungry pandas). This makes it a more sustainable product than wood. It can be harvested in three to four years. Another benefit is that bamboo does not require the use of pesticides due to a natural antifungal antibacterial agent. Bamboo is used to make
cutting boards,
serving utensils (check out the sporks!) and even
flooring.
Believe it or not, bamboo is also used to make fabric, which retains the plant's antibacterial properties. These
bamboo sheets claim to keep germs out of bed by blocking bacteria growth. And in a
study done in Japan, people who were suffering from athlete's foot were cured after wearing bamboo socks.
Anti-germ properties aside, I do know that bamboo clothes are oh-so-soft.
Natural Living for Women describes it as "a cross between silk and cashmere."
Bambooclothes.com and
Naturallybambooclothing are two sites I found offering bamboo clothes, but there are many more. Shirts are about $20 and pants are about $40. The clothes are pretty basic, but hopefully as bamboo becomes more popular, more stylish attire will be offered.
And if you want to start small, I saw a bamboo loofah at Target the other day for under $5 in their "natural beauty" section.
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