Yesterday afternoon, I learned that my maternal grandmother passed away. This did not come as a big surprise, as she had been in hospice care since Thanksgiving weekend. Still, death is never easy to deal with and being so far away from my mom and family right now is especially difficult.
Talking to my son about my grandmother’s death was also something that was not easy. Family is very important to me. I want to pass on to my son the value of relationships and the appreciation of family and respect and admiration for previous generations. How do I do that when we don’t get a chance to spend time with my extended family as much as I would like to?
My grandmother was the first person to find my son’s ticklish spot (under his chin) when he was just nine months old. Of course, she’s amazing with babies and children since she had seven children, fifteen grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren. Her husband died when her oldest (my mother) was just fifteen. She’d been through a lot in her 90+ years on this planet.
A book that I plan to share with my son is And What Comes After a Thousand?, a beautifully illustrated and touching story about an old man and a young girl who share so much together. After his passing, Lisa must come to grips with her loss and finally recognizes that Otto will always be with her, just not in the same way.
It’s one of those books that you know you’ll want to share with loved ones but is definitely not a bedtime story or one that you anticipate having a reason to read with a child. I’m bringing a copy home today and will set aside a special time to talk with my son about life and death.
He’s got the life part down, almost. Just last night he asked me if he could have a little brother. This was followed by him trying to “see” if there was a baby in my belly. How do I explain that not everyone with a “belly” has a baby inside? I wish there were a book that spoke about that sensitive subject.
14 Nov
Made In China
Posted by hipm0m in books, celebrations, china, commentary, education, health scare, healthy, kane/miller, literature, panic, publishing, shopping, toys. Leave a Comment
Just recently, there has been a discussion about banning books (perhaps that’s the wrong term) that were printed in China. Until this became an issue, Kane/Miller was known for the high quality books that we print, with regard to the paper quality and durability of the books that we publish, along with the book’s content.
Parents and educators are in the middle of a frustrating time as toys are being pulled off the shelf and health scares related to these particular toys are presented to us in the media. I feel for the parents of those children who have been effected by the chemicals found in these toys.
What I don’t understand is the idea that removing books printed in China from library shelves would help to keep our children safe (or healthy). What our public and our communities are in need of is education regarding safety issues and learning how to reach those inside the corporations which have allowed such items to be sold in the first place.
As a parent, I realize that my argument is emotionally based, but who wouldn’t want to protect their child? We wouldn’t allow for lead paint to be in our homes or in any products that we bring home for our children and yet, I find it very difficult to believe that books from China could be doing my son any harm.
Kane/Miller is working on providing certifications that show that our books are safe and should hopefully encourage those who might have doubts to continue to purchase books based on the quality of the writing and illustrations, rather than where the product was shipped into the United States from.
Our nation has been purchasing toys “Made in China” for so long now that sadly, we’ve forgotten that there are companies here who have been making educational, high-quality products for our children as well.
I highly encourage everyone reading this to think outside the (toy) box and pick out toys – and other items – that you feel comfortable with, no matter what that criteria might be. Please don’t judge a book by its cover, or the country that produced it.
The media has spoken and while I applaud those who have already been purchasing items for their little ones that don’t have batteries or are not made of plastic, I realize that there are those that simply don’t have the resources to discover what else might be out there.
Earlier this year, my post entitled Batteries Not Included contained a list of companies who do offer these types of toys. I urge you to check them out, set aside some money to purchase items from them for the holidays or birthdays and spread the word to others.
Peace Begins in the Home