Parent Quiz Helps and Still Brings Smiles to Kids' Faces

Kittanning, PA - Ask the parent of a four or five-year-old "Do you know how building a paper airplane can help your child in life?" and you'll probably hear one or two weak guesses, but none of them has really thought about it. This short article and a one-page download concerns early childhood development and you may be someone's hero by passing this information along.

If memory serves correctly, the first time I conducted my "Parent Quiz" was at a local Kids' Day in 2003 at the Belmont. While other members of the Kittanning Kiwanis Club were reading to kids and letting them pick out a book to take home, I waited for the kids to rejoin their parents and then gave the parents a quiz.

BOY, THE KIDS LOVED THAT!!!!!!!

"Do you know how building a paper airplane will help your child in life?" There were a few decent guesses but nobody guessed correctly. It's important for kids and too much fun NOT to share, so here goes:

Delayed Gratification: Until every fold is done, you don't have an airplane and it will not fly. Delayed gratification helps a child stay focused in school and not expect everything to have an "instant" benefit.

Frustration Tolerance: If you don't hold the airplane right, how big a deal is it to try again? Some kids will instinctively make adjustments while others need coaching from a BIG person - both are OK. Frustration tolerance allows a kid to keep cool while problem-solving.

Paying Attention: Who can create a great paper airplane without watching someone else or reading instructions? I haven't seen anyone do that! If a child's goal is to have an airplane, they have to pay attention or they're only going to have a folded piece of paper that looks goofy and doesn't fly.

Leadership: Any kid worth their salt is going to show their friends how to make paper airplanes just because they can. Tip: As an adult, you can take this one step further and encourage preparation through role playing. After all, who wants to teach making paper airplanes and none of them fly? Kids do not want to be embarrassed and you don't either, right? Part of leadership is being prepared to lead.

Sharing: An older sibling is undoubtedly going to be pestered by younger sibs to "Let me do it!" Easy answer - make more than one! To teach sharing, take a few minutes and announce a "learning to share lesson". Which is better? Taking turns or flying one paper airplane back and forth (or around a circle if three or more kids are there). Let the kids decide and they will find out that sharing can be fun. Contests are fun, too. SHARE THE FUN!!!!

A real story: When I was doing the "Parent Quiz" at the Fort Armstrong Folk Festival, a small town fair, a grandmother stepped forward and said she wanted to learn how to make a paper airplane so she could show her granddaughter. I showed her and two of her friends how to do it. Then, standing in the grassy park and aiming toward the blocked-off street, she launched her plane again and again, retrieving it despite her age and coming back to the same place to throw it again. For the record, I love seventy-year-old kids and hope to be one someday!

Paper Airplane Template: http://www.local4all.com/content/parentquiz.pdf Copyright 2003-2006 Carl Bromley

Reproduction rights: * Use the "Parent Quiz" all you want to help kids but don't claim to have created it, ok? * For individuals using it for hometown kids and family, mention me if you feel like it. *

Newspapers and other media should give proper credit and a link to parentquiz.local4all.com.

Thank you's go to *

• Kids who inspire me constantly
  
• God who is my enabler
  
• Janet Crawford who I've heard twice on the Kiwanis program Young Children Priority One and to
• Dr. Joseph Strayhorn whose book "The Competent Child" discusses the psychological skills children need to learn for the best chances of success in adulthood.