Roughly speaking, we could divide the world into two types of people: those that tend to be the optimist and those that tend to be the pessimist.
How to infuse positive beliefs and optimism in your child
By Randy Cale, PH.D
Roughly speaking, we could divide the world into two types of people: those that tend to be the optimist and those that tend to be the pessimist.
The Pessimist: He or she tends to complain no matter how many good things they get in life. They might have all the money in the world, are blessed with healthy, happy children and have a house full of cool goodies.
So, how can they complain? They magically find a way to discover the negative in everything!
They will complain about the bad weather or about new programming on their new TV. Or it could be about about traffic, their cell phone signal or the government. No matter how good things are going, their tendency is to keep finding problems. It’s just what they do, and they do it well.
The Optimist: The optimist takes a different view and sees the world through the eyes of a “glass that is always at least half-full”. They believe in the positive nature of things, and actually find it!
They may praise the weather even when it’s raining and say, “How beautiful the raindrops are!” They may be getting a cavity filled and find a grateful thought about the quality of their dentist. They may be sitting in traffic and find appreciation for a song they had not heard in years, or cherish the chance to connect with an old friend.
You might say the pessimist sorts for the problems and seeks to find things that are wrong in the world. The optimist, on the other hand, tends to search how things are working and sees what’s right in the world.
Bottom line: An optimist tends to have a happier, more fulfilling life and experiences more success in most ventures. (The same, of course, is true for our children.)
How would you like your child to experience the world? Honestly, it is hard to argue for realism or pessimism. Why? Because life is so much more frustrating and painful, and lacking in the same levels of fulfillment and joy.
I find most of us want our children to experience optimism, happiness and a positive orientation toward the world. For good reason, these optimistic children do have a qualitatively better life, with more fulfillment and success.
Building your child’s healthy beliefs
In order to infuse your child’s belief system with optimism, you must often go against your natural tendencies.
When your child is spouting out negativity or self-defeating ideas, we tend to correct these moments. STOP! Don’t do that. Your repeated efforts making it better actually makes it worse.
Instead, when your child expresses negative beliefs, do not try to correct her, argue with her, preach to her or give any response. DON’T GIVE ANY ATTENTION TO THE NEGATIVE BELIEFS OF YOUR CHILD or else you are encouraging them to develop more.
Their brain thinks that you and the world care about this negativity, and it clings to it more than ever.
What to do then?
Be patient. Wait for moments when they are not spouting out negativity. In those moments, offer them your truth, your positive beliefs and do so authentically.
Choose a time when your child is engaged in an activity, such as when they are playing with you,or when you are telling them bedtime stories. You can then describe your positive view and optimistic outlook to him or her.
Catch your child off-guard, when he or she is not arguing for the negative view, and caught in his or her pessimism or problem. Be patient, and wait for a moment of calm. It’s then that you can influence their beliefs by suggesting:
I believe in you
You are intelligent
You can do it
You are a born winner
You have the capability
You can handle this
We will get through this
Everything is possible in this world
These beliefs will become a treasure for your child.
As your child develops positive beliefs and strengthens them, she will be able to face failures of life with a positive outlook. Failures will be “stepping stones for success”.
Dr. Randy Cale offers practical guidance for a host of parenting concerns. For more information visit www.TerrificParenting.com.
Once upon an App
By Ciara McCann
There seems to be a gadget or electronic device for just about everything these days, and many parents on the go carry a bag full of them to keep their children engaged throughout the day. Now your cell phone can be your arsenal of technologies that will not only entertain but educate your child at the same time.
In the spring of 2009, Libba Evans came up with an idea after noticing something strange on her new iPhone – a surprising lack of applications for children. This discovery inspired Evans, a grandmother, long-time businesswoman and former North Carolina Secretary of Cultural Resources, to develop Once Upon an App.
Evans began collaborating with local illustrators, narrators, musicians and designers on an application that uses classic illustrations that are digitized in an interactive form for children to learn and enjoy.
The company released their initial app to the public in late September 2009. The first stories available included “Humpty Dumpty” and “The Three Little Pigs”. Not long after, their holiday app of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” reached the top of the iTunes “What’s Hot” list.
“The apps blend high-tech with high art,” said Evans. They feature high resolution, early 20th century illustrations and simple melodies to help expand children’s imaginations while immersing their attention in a fun and easy-to-use way.
“The classic stories have such great character-building messages, so children can learn and be entertained at the same time.”
Children aren’t the only ones benefitting from this app. Parents can utilize the stories to keep their children occupied, such as during traveling, grocery shopping, dining out or waiting at a doctor’s office.
Once Upon an App employs a team of three full-time staff based out of Winston-Salem, NC, and has partnerships with local design experts and software developers. From start to finish, an app typically takes three-to-four weeks to develop. Their goal is to develop four new apps each month.
“We identify stories that we believe will capture a child’s attention while providing an educational component,” said Evans. Once a story is selected, the team creates a storyboard and the illustrations, writes the voiceover copy and hires talent for the narration and musical composition. It is then put together and submitted to Apple to be sold in the iTunes App Store.
As far as deciding which stories to ultimately go with, the team looks within for help.
“We have vetted our children’s storybook apps among our harshest critics,” Evans said, referring to their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. This is in addition to the thousands of others around the world who have downloaded the stories.
“So far, their reactions have exceeded our expectations,” said Evans.
Each app is typically 10-30 page views and has a run time of less than five minutes. They are either free or cost 99 cents to download and work on not only the iPhone, but also the iTouch and the new iPad. In fact, when the iPad launched last month they had more than 1,600 downloads in one week.
“We believe we have a solid business plan, the expertise, and the patience to grow the business over time,” said Evans. “We’re here for the long haul.”
To learn more about Once Upon an App, visit www.onceuponanapp.com.
Summer Camps
ADIRONDACK CAMP
Lake George
547.8261; www.adirondackcamp.com. Established in 1904, boys and girls ages 7-16 create personalized activity schedules at this camp.
ALBANY KIDS DANCESPACE at eba and
ALBANY ART ROOM MYTHS and LEGENDS SUMMER DAY CAMP
eba Theater and Albany Art Room, Albany
For more info: 465.9916; www.eba-arts.org, www.albanyartroom.com
Mornings at eba Theater and afternoons at Albany Art Room.
Albany institute of history &art
THREE-DAY ART CAMPS
(Ages 6-8, mornings; ages 9-11, afternoons)
Masterpiece Puppet Theater: June 29-July 1. Art That Goes: Aug. 31-Sept. 2
THE ‘TUTE FOR TOTS: ONE-DAY ART WORKSHOPS
Wednesday mornings through July & August, 10:00 to 11:30 am (ages 3-5)
Textures & Shapes Funny Faces Sculptures Popsicle Stick Buildings Landscape Collage Fishy Drawings Much more
SUMMER IN THE CITY
Wednesday afternoons through July & August, 1:00 to 4:00 pm (ages 12-15)
Watercolor Facades Ceramic Gargoyle Faces Tunnel Book Cities Botanical Brown Bag Books One-Point Perspective Drawings Much more
THURSDAY ART WORKSHOPS
(Ages 6-8, mornings; ages 9-11, afternoons) Through July & August
My Fantastic Room Fabric Collage Totes Photography: Making the New Old
Creating Mystery Creatures Much more
ARCHEOLOGY SUMMER CAMP
Ten Broeck Mansion, 9 Ten Broeck Place, Albany
For more info: 436.9826; www.tenbroeckmansion.org
Open for children entering 5th and 6th grades in fall 2010.
ART/CULTURAL/ENTERTAINMENT
440 State Street, Schenectady
For more info: 374.0376; www.myersnortheast.org
Myers Ballet School-summer day and evening classes
CAMP SCULLY
40 North Main Avenue, Albany
For more info: 453.6613; http://campscully.squarespace.com
Residential summer camp for children ages 7-17, and day camp for children ages 5-7 located on Snyder’s Lake, Rensselaer County.
CAMP IS-SHO-DA
238 Waters Road, East Greenbush
For more info:.286.2566; www.gsneny.org
Located on 100 acres of fields and woods in East Greenbush, the camp is open to girls entering grades 1-12.
CAMP NASSAU GUILDERLAND COMMUNITY CENTER YMCA
One Camp Nassau Lane, Guilderland
For more info: 456.6929; www.capitaldistrictymca.com
Camp Nassau is proud of its 52-year heritage and continues to strive to provide a traditional camp experience to all campers.
CAMP SCHODACK
Krouner Road, Nassau
For more info: 766.3100; www.schodack.com
About 270 campers join the family atmosphere and amazing traditions.
COLUMBIA COUNTY HISTORY EXPLORES SUMMER CAMP
James Vanderpoel House, Route 9, Kinderhook
For more info: 758.9265; www.cchsny.org
Columbia County Historical Society sponsors the camp for kids ages 6-10.
HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S
SUMMER PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN
80Vandenburgh Avenue, Troy. For more info: 629.HVCC; 877.325.HVCC; www.hvcc.edu/kidscamps. The community college offers summer children’s programs including athletic camps, circus theatricks, summer academy, summer educational enrichment program, technology enrichment program, and a theater workshop.
IRISH STEP DANCE CLASSES
Renaissance Arts Studio
331 Main Street, Middleburgh
For more info: 827.6696; 827.5637; www.artsmrc.org
IRISH STEP DANCE CLASS INFORMATION
Summer Camps @ The Studio For Art & Craft
576 Main Street, Cobleskill
For more info: 827.5637 or 827.6696; www.artsmrc.org
FIDDLE & STRINGS SUMMER DAY CAMP
Old Songs, Voorheesville
For more info: 765.2815; www.oldsongs.org/ camps.html. For ages 6-18.
FIDDLING DEMYSTIFIED for STRINGS
Old Songs, Voorheesville
For more info: 765.2815; www.oldsongs.org /camps.html. Teens and adults.
FRENCH MUSIC WEEK for adults
Old Songs, Voorheesville
For more info: 765.2815; www.oldsongs.org /camps.html
OFFICE OF PARKS, RECREATION
& COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
Clifton Park Town Hall, Clifton Park
For more info: 371.6667; www.cliftonpark.org/ town/parks-rec/fullhalfdaycamps.asp. Full and half day camps at Clifton Common Arena 9am – 4pm
SAINT GREGORY’S SUMMER CAMP
121 Old Niskayuna Road, Loudonville
For more info: 782.1363; www.saintgregorysschool.org. June 28-August 6, 2010 for boys and girls ages 3-12
SAND LAKE CENTER FOR THE ARTS
2880 Old State Highway 43, Averill Park
For more info: 518.674.2007; www.slca-ctp.org
SARATOGA CAMPUS at THE ARTS CENTER
320 Broadway, Saratoga Springs
For more info: 584.4132; Ttobias@saratoga-arts.com ; www.saratoga-arts.org.
Weekly summer camp for boys and girls 3-6.
SARATOGA CHILDREN’S THEATRE
8 Lakewood Drive, Saratoga Springs
For more info: 580.1782; www.saratogachildrenstheatre.org
Programs for ages 5-18
SCHENECTADY MUSEUM
& SUITS-BUECHE PLANETARIUM’S
SCiWORLD CAMP
Nott Terrace Heights, Schenectady
For more information: 382.7890, Ext. 224; www.SchenectadyMuseum.org/camps
The six-week, hands-on summer camp, held July 6-August 13, inspires and excites children’s interest in wonders of science, technology, engineering and math. Registration required.
Themes include: July 6-9: Explore the Milky Way: A Trip through our Solar System; July 12-16: Peek at Nano; July 19-23: Wild Weather; July 26-30: Gameology; August 2-6: 3-2-1-Blast Off!; and August 9-13: Mystery Solvers.
SIDNEY ALBERT ALBANY JEWISH
COMMUNITY CENTER SUMMER CAMP
340 Whitehall Road, Albany
For more info: 438.6651; www.saajcc.org
Camp for ages 3-15 from June 28-September 3, 2010. New specialty camps offered.
SUMMER ACADEMY FOR YOUTH
The College of Saint Rose, 432 Western Avenue, Albany
For more info: 800.637.8556; www.strose.edu
The College of Saint Rose sponsors its 18th Annual Summer Academy for Youth for youth entering grades 6-10.
SUMMER THEATRE AT the REP (S.T.A.R.)
111 North Pearl Street, Albany
For more info: 462.4531, ext. 301; www.capitalrep.org. The 5-week summer theatre intensive program geared for kids ages 11-16 will meet at The Egg in Albany the first four weeks. Limited to first 30.
SUMMER SPORTS CAMP AT SKIDMORE COLLEGE
815 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs
For more info: 580.5351; www.cms.skidmore.edu. Camps offered in basketball, volleyball, boys’ lacrosse, guard camp, field hockey, tennis and baseball.
SUMMER CAMPS AT THE STUDIO FOR ART AND CRAFT
576 Main Street, Cobleskill
For more info: 823.4053; www.thestudioforartandcraft.com
SUMMERSTAGE
Schact Fine Arts Center, Russell Sage College, Troy
For more info: 274.3295; www.nysti.org
New York State Theatre Institute offers those ages 9-16 a program of performing arts training, creative expression, fun, social interaction and performing opportunities.
THE GUILDERLAND PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT
Tawasentha Park, 188 Route 146, Altamont
For more info: 456.3150; www.guilderlandrec.com. A Summer Day Camp program is open to Guilderland youth ages 5-13.
TIME TRAVEL CAMP
Ten Broeck Mansion, 9 Ten Broeck Place, Albany. For more info: 36.9826; www.tenbroeckmansion.org. Open for children from 4th to 8th grade.
TINY TOTS TEA ROOM – ENCHANTING PRINCESS CAMP
1536 Crescent Road, Clifton Park. For more info: 348.1050; www.tinytotstearoom.com. Weekly for girls ages 3-7.
TINY TOTS EARLY LEARNING CENTER
1536 Crescent Road, Clifton Park. For more info: 348.1050; www.tinytotstearoom.com. Weekly summer camp for boys and girls 3-6
ymca Camp Wawa segowea
Session for a ll ages 7-15.
For more info: 656.9462 ; www.wawasegowea.org
YMCA CAMP CHINGACHGOOK
1872 Pilot Knob Road, Kattskill Bay
For more info: 656.9462; www.chingachgook.org. Established in 1913, this residential coed summer camp is offered to those ages 7-15.
Greater Glenville Family YMCA Day Camp
127 Droms Rd, Glenville
For more info: 399.8118; www.cdymca.org; phodge@cdymca.org
Grades 1-8. Monday- Friday 7am-6pm
June 28- Sept 3, 2010
One week sessions available. At the Capital District YMCA we deliver camp programs in a safe, welcoming environment. Kids who attend our camps, enjoy a variety of fun activities. Specifically campers enjoy activities involving arts and crafts, sports, swimming, group projects and creative play. With the guidance of our highly skilled counselors, kids develop positive social skills to help them in school and in life. Financial Assistance is availale
Saratoga Sailing School
The school offers two week-long evening sections of Adult Learn-to-Sail; one week in June, and one week in July. Two week-long sections of Adult Intermediate Sailing are available, both in July. For juniors (ages 9-17), the school offers two two-week daytime (9 am – 4 pm) sections of Junior Learn-to-Sail, but the June section is filled; only the July section has openings. Junior Intermediate Sailing has two week-long daytime sections available, one each in July and August. Junior Advanced Sailing, a week-long daytime course offered in early August. For more information 475.0122; www.saratogasailingschool.org.