Estate Planning for Parents with Children under 25

Whether your child is still a minor or college-age, this presentation is for YOU!
On Wednesday October 5 at 7-8:30 p.m., estate planning attorney Michelle-Shari Kruss will discuss how to determine guardianship for minor children and decide who will receive  your assets.  She will also identify important legal documents to assist your college students with financial and medical decisions.  This event is intended for an adult audience.

Learn new skills with Lynda!

WCCLS is proud to announce it's latest online subscription acquisition: Lynda.com!  lynda.com is an award-winning online learning site with over 4,000 video courses in business, creative arts, and technology for your personal and professional growth.  Here you can learn from recognized industry experts.  Plus, the courses are for all skill levels.  You can learn at your own pace and earn certificates too!


Once you create your FREE account with your own login and password, you can begin to access the online video courses.  To learn more about Lynda.com and how to create your own profile, check out this FAQ Sheet from WCCLS.

Beatrix Potter: Her Life & Works

Calling all adults who love children's literature!  

Terese Blanding of Billings, Montana will share the story of Beatrix Potter, the creator of The Tale of Peter Rabbit and other well-known books. Potter escaped the confines of a restrictive household in Victorian times to become one of England's most successful writers, naturalists, businesswomen, and sheep breeders.  Books, drawings, and other Potter memorabilia will be exhibited.  Come hear this fascinating lecture on Wednesday September 14th at 7-8 p.m. in the Burgess Community Room.

Developing Problem Sovling Skills

As adults, we have come across many problems throughout our lifetime and have developed skills to deal with them.  What about children who face a problem for the first time?  This can be difficult for us adults as we see a child we love struggle.  How do we help kids overcome this challenge?  The Search Institute has developed a list of useful tips when dealing with children who face a problem.  Use these tips to help you think about how you support youngsters in solving challenges they encounter.  To learn more about the Search Institute, visit this link.

1. Encourage "playing with" the problem. Encourage young people to throw out lots of ideas, make conjectures, and consider many different possibilities--even some that are outlandish. Look at the problem from many perspectives. This flexible thinking is an important skill for forming better solutions than the first that come to mind.
    
2. Guide the young person to break a big problem into its parts. Then focus on aspects of the problem that the young person doesn't understand or that seem like they have more potential to be solved.
    
3. Ask the young person to work through the problem out loud. Not only does this help you coach the young person, but it also slows down the thinking process.
4. Model and talk about the problem solving process, rather than focusing on getting the right answer. Talk through the steps you take and ask the young person to do the same so that it's easier to learn.
    
5. Have the student work through the problem on her or his own. Give only as much assistance as you need to when the young person is really stuck. And when you do so, limit your guidance to questions or suggestions that will help the young person move through a specific issue without solving the whole problem for her or him.
    
6. Ask open-ended questions. Instead of, "Do you think that will fit in there?" you might ask a more open-ended question, such as, "What do you think it will take to get everything to fit inside?" Ask follow-up questions that encourage the young person to articulate their problem-solving process. This not only helps you learn and guide, but it reinforces the skills.
        
7. Give positive reinforcement when young people overcome an obstacle or master a new problem-solving skill. Be specific in highlighting what they have done or learned.

Having Relationship Stress?

Are any of you parents out there experiencing stress in your relationships?  If you are experiencing stress with those at work, or home, or with yourself, this class may help!  Participants will learn how to use self hypnosis to decrease relationship stress.  Self hypnosis is a safe, natural skill that anyone can develop.  If you have ever had a daydream, then you have experience self hypnosis.  Some come to the library community room on Wednesday February 12th from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and relieve relationship stress with self hypnosis!  This program is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Tigard Library.

Maker Mondays

If you're looking for something fun to do with your teens, or you'd like a little break from the kiddos to brush up your technological prowess, you simply must join us for our Maker Mondays series of events. We're meeting every Monday from now until August 19 to share amazingly simple technology tools that will inspire you to create, repair and entertain. Next Monday from 4-6 p.m. in the Technology Room, experts from Free Geek will show you how use free, open source software to transform your old, slow computers into well-oiled, customized machines that will actually do what you want them to do. The following week will be an incredible 3-D printing demonstration, and the week after that we'll show you how to make music and games using simple apps on your devices, and you'll get to play with our Makey Makeys, a deceptively simple technology that transforms pretty much anything into a controller.

The Maker movement is a growing phenomenon, and people everywhere are tapping into their powers of invention. It turns out, with a little innovation and help from fellow making enthusiasts, you can create whatever you can imagine, regardless of skill level. Want to disguise a mixer as a Boba Fett helmet? No problem. Want to make shrinkydinks and polymer clay mustaches using your own "Easy Make Oven?" Why not. How about a "PB & J 2.0" with 9 different flavor combinations? Yum. 

Underground Northwest--Cheap Travel Options

Looking for free or cheap local travel options?  Adults are invited to attend the "Underground Northwest" library program on Wednesday June 5th from 7 to 8 pm where you'll learn about the world of little-known options for inexpensive summer activities and vacations around the Pacific Northwest.  These jaunts include food, art, science, cultural heritage, and scenic activities.  Learn all about these things you can do in Portland and beyond!

The impact of TV content on 3-5 year olds

There is a lot of research that shows children under the age of two shouldn’t be exposed to screen media, that media use should be limited for older children, and how parents can use media more effectively with their children to limit negative impacts or even foster learning. Now there has been a study published in the New York Times, Certain Television Fare Can Help Ease Aggression in Young Children, Study Finds which addresses this issue.  While the study was on children ages 3 to 5, it is still recommended that children under two have no screen time.

Key points from the article include:

• That reducing exposure to violence-laden videos and television shows and increasing educational videos and shows reduced the children’s aggression toward others, compared with a group of children who were allowed to watch whatever they wanted
• Exposing kids to less adult television, less aggression on television and more pro-social television will have an effect on behavior
• The children who watched less violent shows also scored higher on measures of social competence, a difference that persisted after one year
• Merely being exposed to pro-social media doesn’t mean that kids take it that way--even educational programming with messages of empathy can be misunderstood by preschoolers, with negative consequences.

.      Important tips for parents to remember:

•      It's not just about turning off the TV, it's about changing the channel
•      Watch television with your child and ask questions during the shows about ways to deal with conflict
•      Set TV goals for your preschooler
•      Stick with age appropriate programming

Wild Plants You Can Eat

Thinking about doing some hiking or camping with the family during spring break or this summer?  Or perhaps just hanging out locally? John Kallas, author of Edible wild plants: wild foods from dirt to plate will be presenting on Tuesday, March 26th, from 7-9 p.m. in the Burgess Community Room.  Learn to identify, harvest, and prepare nutritious, delicious edible wild plants found in the wild and that can also be found within walking distance of your kitchen.  Kallas has been teaching about edible wild plants since 1978.  This event is for adults and books will be for sale at the event. 

More Resources to Help Your Child

On Friday December 14th we posted a blog about resources to help you help your child during the wake of tragedy.  Today marks one week since the tragic shooting at the Clackamas Town Center.  We would like to offer you some additional resources that may be helpful to you when speaking to your child regarding tragic events.

American Academy of Pediatrics
Resources to Help Parents, Children and Others Cope in the Aftermath of School Shootings

PBS
How Do You Explain the Newtown Shooting to Kids

National Education Association
School Crisis Guide

Connecticut Education Association
Talking to Children About Violence

Save The Children
How to Help Children Cope with a Crisis

Talking to your kids about tragedy

While we have observed some unfortunage tragedies in the news this week, perhaps your child may be asking you questions that may be difficult to answer.  We would like to help you share two websites that offer tips in talking to your kids:

PBS Parents: Mister Roger's Neighbor Hood, Helping Children with Scary News:

http://www.pbs.org/parents/rogers/special/scarynews-thoughts.html

Addresses issues such as helping children feel secure, limiting your own television veiwing, talking and listening to your child, and helpful hints.

University of Minnesota Extension Service:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/youthdevelopment/components/7414-05.html

Offers pointers on how to talk to your children about violence against kids.  This is from their Preventing Violence in Our Scools Webpage. 

Learn More About Homeschooling in Oregon

Do you want to know more about homeschooling?  Join us for a FREE presentation by the Oregon Home Education Network, featuring a panel of experienced homeschoolers.  Panelists will provide an overview of homeschooling in Oregon and answer questions.  Participants will receive a handout with a list of homeschooling resources.  Join us in the Puett Room on Tuesday October 23rd from 7 to 8:30 p.m.  This event is open to adults only.

Favorite Book Fridays: Steamy Steampunk

Are you a grown up reader with grown up taste? Do you like vampires? Werewolves? The British royal family? Spunky and curvaceous heroines with attitude who sport cleverly engineered attack umbrellas? Do you find improperly tied cravats distressing? Have you ever wondered what a cravat is? Would you love to soar across European skies in a zeppelin? Dude, I totally have the book for you. 

I'm currently reading the fifth book in the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger, which begins with Soulless. Most of my reading time is devoted to YA books, and though this series has irresistible cross-appeal for mature teen readers, I relish cracking open these grown up books with their promise of fun, atmospheric Victorian fantasy.

Alexia Tarabotti is my hero. Her tongue is as sharp as her wit, she is stylish without sacrificing comfort and practicality, not shy about her fondness for food, calm and resourceful in any crisis (like intra-carriage golum attacks or finding oneself without cake when unexpected guests have arrived), and she is unfailingly infuriating to the man/werewolf who is drawn to her in spite of himself. If you have a fondness for Sherlock, steampunk, supernatural romance, highly decorated hats, and scrumptious tiny sandwiches with the crusts removed, you will love Alexia too.   

Reading Rainbow for the next generation

Reading Rainbow ran for 26 years on PBS.  Now it's back, but for the ipad.  Reading Rainbow held a "relaunch" party in New York on June 19th to introduce its new iPad app that incorporates classic Reading Rainbow segments, 16 new video "field trips" starring Burton and 150 narrated interactive books. According to this article from ABC News announcing the relaunch, http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/reading-rainbow-back-ipad-tv/story?id=16608395 parents can purchase monthly unlimited access to this content.  However, if you prefer the real thing, we've got plenty of Reading Rainbow segments on DVD at the library that you can always check out and take home!

Meet the Collection Mondays: Parents

Thank you for joining us on our journey over the past few months as we looked at all of the collections that are housed in the children's and young adult rooms at the library.  We hope you found it informative and were able to learn more about what the library offers young patrons.  This week will be our last post in the series as we will be highlighting the Parents Colletion today.  Join us on Fridays as we begin a new series called "Favorite Book Fridays" where youth services staff will post their thoughts and comments regarding their favorite children's and young adult books. 


The Parents Collection is housed in the children's room at the library.  We've decided to keep the collection here so parents can browse books for themselves while allowing their children to puruse their own books and play with puzzles, puppets, and our game computers withouth having to leave the room to go upstairs.


The collection consists of nonfiction materials (books and DVD's) intended for use by parents, teachers, childcare providers and youth advocates on topics geared towards raising children from birth through 12 years of age.  The emphasis is on practical materials on topics such as:

·       Books on “how-to” parenting such as discipline and child rearing (includes secular and religious viewpoints)

·       General works on pregnancy and birth

·       General works on family values, family units, and nurturing

·       Books on child development (physical and educational)

·       Toilet training (resources for parents and juvenile literature)

·       Sexual abuse and prevention (resources for parents and juvenile literature)

·       Children’s safety, health, fitness, and popular works on disabilities

·       Books dealing with the educational needs of children by age/grade level through 6^th grade (enrichment activities, programming, curriculum support)

·       Books offering suggestions for entertaining children (activities, crafts, family outings/travel)

·       Bibliographic reference works and readers' advisory materials

·       Books related to children's literature, early literacy, literacy, and reading

·       Home schooling resources

·       “View and Reflect” resources for child care workers

This is just a sampling of subjects that we carry in the collection.  Other topics of interest that are in the collection includes baby signs, family cooking & cook books, first meals, family travel, gardening with children, and green living.  Stop by the children's desk today as we would love to show you the collection!