Parenting Archive

My thoughts on parenthood, and what it's like to be a mom in the Philippines.

McDonald’s $3 Shrek Glass Recall

from www.nytimes.com

McDonald’s is taking the unusual step of paying customers a premium to return Shrek drinking glasses that it has recalled because of concerns that cadmium used in the paint on the glasses could come off on children’s hands.

The company will pay customers $3 for every glass they return. The company had been selling the glasses for $1.99 with a food purchase and $2.49 without food. It announced on Friday that it was recalling millions of the glasses, which are painted with characters from the movie “Shrek Forever After.”

Long-term exposure to cadmium has been associated with a variety of health problems, including kidney and bone ailments.

And with that, I say kudos to you Ronald.

Let’s Talk About Ekomini

I know I am not good in terms of money handling and that is one thing that I wouldn’t want my kids to inherit. As much as possible I want them to learn the value of money and saving up. But it’s quite hard since they are not really aware of the monetary value of things. They know denominations like thousand, hundreds and tens. They know that thousand is greater than hundred, but teaching them to save up is another thing.

And if you are a mommy like me, we don’t have to worry anymore. There’s a new product in town that appeals like a toy but promises to educate our kids about money. It’s the newest piggy bank in town, Ekomini, but not just an ordinary piggy bank. It’s interactive! It is a money box that connects to a computer and with this, the kids can easily track their savings and even play online in Ekominiville.

This is an educational game that will teach the kids about savings, planning for purchases, investing and donating to charity and social causes. And the best thing about this product is that it has a parental interface that will help the parents be involved with their kid’s activity.

This interactive and very educational children’s toy is ideal for kids ages 6 to 12 and the price is only #39.99.

School Hunting

Some parents have been doing this since March, for some, they have been thinking about it for year now. What’s that? School hunting of course. I have been through that and I tell you it’s not as easy as buying treadmills but there are similarities. The thing is, unlike exercise equipment where you can return it if you are not satisfied with it, in choosing a school for your kid, it’s not the same. Once you are in or once you enrolled your kid, you are stuck there for a year. And there is no refund when you are not satisfied with their teaching. So if you are first time parent for a student, here are some points you might want to consider when looking or choosing for the best school.

My sinister teacher told me that some of the parents she encountered are more concerned on things like air condition, playground and school canteen. They won’t ask for the curriculum, for the achievements of teacher and even for the license of the school. So if you are looking for a good school, the first thing you must know is, if it is accredited by the education institution in your country. And if yes, you must also know what are the achievements of the teachers. As you know, in some private schools, they accept a teacher even if it does not pass the board exam for teachers. So a parent should know that details. Although playgrounds and air con rooms play a big part in terms of the kids enthusiasm, this should not be the major factor that will help you decide if the school is best for your kids or not.

Word of mouth is another thing. You can ask around in your area. You can ask parents for some name of the schools that they find good. Parents may be biased but they are the one who knows and experienced how a certain school works.