It's that time of year!

Due to new babies, new houses, and general holiday busy-ness we have to take a break from blogging. So...

We may post sporadically, so be sure to check back. We will be back full time in January! See you next year (or maybe sooner)!

Surprise Revealed!!!!

This is our fifth and final post for the week! It's so exciting that we posted everyday, but starting next week we will be back to our Tuesday/Thursday routine.

Now, remember that SURPRISE we mentioned to on Monday? Thank you to our awesome readers for your patience because it is our pleasure to welcome the newest member of our Round on the End Moms Family...

One of our moms gave birth to her little baby girl, who we will call La, early Monday morning! She has asked that we don't show her face online, so here are some fun photos of her friends and family holding little La.

   

She is such a bug! La and her family were released home on Tuesday and both Mom and Baby are doing great!

So how does this all tie into National Young Readers Week? On her very first birthday, I got La a fun book I know she, her mom, and dad will love for years!

Found at Barnes & Noble

It's such a cute book that shows Santa visiting the cities around Ohio. Perfect for any little Round on the Ender because let's face it Ohio is the best. So here's to our newest little reader! May you grow up big and strong with a love for reading, Ohio, and your family. We love you so much!

Mom, I'm Bored! Let's Read!

Here's a list of our top 10 activities for families this weekend!

Family Storytime at the Columbus Public Library Hilltop Branch (10:30-11am)
FREE!


  
Stories for Babies at the Northwest Worthington Library (Saturday 11am-12pm) FREE!

 
Write Now writing workshop at the Pickerington Library (11am-1pm) Something for the Older Kids & FREE!


 
Friends of Bexley Public Library Book Sale (Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, & Sunday 1-4pm) 


 
Family Tales at the Westerville Library (Saturday 11-11:30am) FREE!


 
Read to the Dogs at the Columbus Public Library Dublin Branch (Saturday 11:30am-12pm) FREE!

 
Reading Buddies at the Columbus Public Library Hilliard Branch (Saturday 2-3pm) FREE!


 
Family Storytime at the Columbus Public Library Reynoldsburg Branch (Saturday 2-2:30pm) FREE!

 
Paws for Reading at the Powell Library (Saturday 10:30am-12pm)

 


A warm night in reading with your family!

Check out Experience Columbus and Columbus Parents for more fun family activities happening this weekend!

Jump Start Reading

With all the TV, video games, and smart phone apps out there, it's hard to get kids to pick reading over screen time. One of the best ways parents can encourage their children to read is to read to them and with them. Here are a few tips to get your little ones started right from the get-go so they will love to read before they realize how cool screens are (because let's face it, screens are cool).

Itty Bitties
Make reading tactile. Mary Kate Frank & Rachael Taaffe, of Scholastic Parents, recommend, "Urg[ing] babies to touch and turn the pages. Also mime actions (like eating), and use toys as props." Using books with tactile elements will help to keep them engaged. It will also continue to increase the development of their senses. Also, pick books that are relevant to your child. By selecting something that applies to their everyday activities, like riding in the car, learning to use the potty, holidays your family celebrates, they will understand the material better because they have similar experiences. 

Reading Activity: Create a story bag for your child's favorite bedtime story. A story bag is a collection of objects or materials that help demonstrate the story while you read it. As you read the story, pull each associated object from the bag and hand it to your child. Let them touch and play with it for a moment, then continue reading. Try to find items your baby will enjoy touching and moving, like a stuffed animal, a bell that makes noise, or a pretend flip phone. Also, try to include items of different textures, like piece of silk ribbon for a kite string or burlap square to represent a bag of potatoes. 
 

Toddlers  

Nichole Staker Design

As your baby grows and learns to form sentences, now is the time to make the books more verbally interactive. Ask your child questions while reading the story. Frank & Taaffe encourage asking questions to help your child relate to the characters’ emotions, as well as more simple questions like "Where did the cat go?" Also, point out items your child is learning, like shapes and colors, or objects you have in your house or have seen while you were out. By interacting with your child during the story, you will keep their attention and encourage their enjoyment of reading. 

Reading Activity: Make a library space for your child in their play room, your craft room, or family room. Create a pretend library card for them to use when "checking out" books. By pretending to go to the library, you'll create a special & fun exercise that teaches your little one a beneficial habit. 



By reading early, your child to learn to love books. You will create fun memories together, which you can share for years to come. And who knows... maybe when they hit college they'll come home for your book club because they remember how fun it was to read together.

Raising Readers

One of the best things you can do to help your child grow and learn is to teach them to love reading. Below are some tips and tricks to encourage and not discourage your little brainiacs.

 

Don’t make reading a punishment

By associating reading with punishing your children, you're children will start to see reading as not fun and something they won't want to do, ever. By forcing your child to go to their room and read, you enforce this thought process and teach your child that reading is a punishment. Reading is not a punishment, so don't make it one.

Don’t degrade your kid's choices

Comic books, fantasy, or other types might not be your favorite, but they are most likely your kid's favorite. By saying "No, you can't read Steven King" even if your 7-year-old is sneaking it at night, you're not only saying no to a book, but no to reading. Allow their choices by doing your research and finding similar books you feel are more age appropriate.

Let your kids play with books, even if they can't read yet 

Don't ever tell a child they aren't actually reading a book. If you tell your kids they can't read, they will believe it. Let them pretend and make up stories for the words on the page by looking at the pictures. This activity will encourage the act of reading, and enforce that reading is play.

Is it the right level?

Think about how your kid responds to activities that are too hard. Same goes for books. If a book is too advanced, your child may become frustrated easily and quit. If a book is too easy, your child will become bored and quit. Check the level of a book before giving it to you child. Talk to your child's teacher for recommendations. Or go to the library and let your kids try different books and authors. Once you find an author they like, read every book by that author.

Practicing too much

Remember Hooked-On-Phonics... well it didn't work for me. It didn't work for a lot of kids. Wanna know why? It turned reading into work, with drills and practice routines. Don't force your child to read and reread text until they have it perfect. It will take the fun out of reading and they won't want to do it.

Only help if they ask for it and don’t interrupt if they miss a word, so long as the general meaning is there. If the meaning is off, ask them if there were any words that were new to them. This will help you get to the root of the problem. If it starts to happen a lot, pick an easier book or take turns reading. During your turn, they can read along and ask questions.

Give the gift of reading 

Gifts are special, and starting at birth books make the best gifts – especially if you read them with the person who gave them to you. Book fairs at schools are a great place for kids to get excited about books, and we use them as treats!

Read for fun 

Studies have shown that if parents usually read for fun, kids are more likely to read for fun, too. So pick up a magazine, the newspaper, your kindle, or one of your favorite books. Not only is it great parenting, but it's a great break from parenting, too!

National Young Readers Week

We're so excited it's National Young Readers Week that we will be posting everyday! Not only is it a wonderful week for our kids, but our moms have great memories of reading and this week from their childhoods, too.

We were going to have a super nice post about all these great books from our Moms' childhoods, but something came up that we can't wait to share with you. So follow along this week not only for awesome information on how to encourage your kids to love reading, but for a great... 

 

Okay OhioMoms, what are some of your kids' favorite books? What were some of your's from when you were a child? And what do you think the surprise might be??

Mom, I'm Bored!

Here's a list of our top 10 activities for families this weekend!

Family Night $3 Swim at the Worthington Community Center (Friday 6:30-9pm)


  
Tasty Science Day at COSI, making healthy eating FUN! (Saturday 11am-3pm)

 
Junior Learn to Curl with the Columbus Curling Club (Saturday 2-4pm) Something for the Older Kids


Beyond the Battlefield: Civil War Symposium at the Ohio History Center (Friday 7-9:30pm & Saturday 10:30am-4pm) Something for the Older Kids & FREE!

Will Eisner: 75 Years of Graphic Storytelling Exhibit at the Ohio State Cartoon Library (Friday-Sunday 1-5pm)
FREE!


Super Sidekick: The Musical at the Columbus Children's Theatre (Friday @ 7:30pm; Saturday @ 1pm, 3pm, & 5pm; & Sunday @ 1pm & 3pm)

 
Final weekend for The Lion King at the Ohio Theatre (Friday @ 8pm, Saturday @ 2pm & 8pm, & Sunday @ 1pm)


 
Family Reading Festival with the Worthington Public Libraries (Sunday 2-5pm) FREE!

 
Pistacia Vera has a new Fall themed menu - stop in and try some out together!

 
Ohio State Marching Band at the Schottenstein Center (UPCOMING: Thursday, Nov. 13  7:30pm) 

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

Ingredients:

- 1 cup Milk 

- 1 cup Creamer

- 2 eggs

- 3 tbsp. Butter Melted

- 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

- 1 can of Pumpkin Puree

- 2 1/2 c. Flour

- 1/3 c. Granulated or Brown Sugar

- 1 ½ tbsp. baking powder 

- Dashes of Cloves & Cinnamon (to taste)

Instructions:

Gather all the ingredients listed above. Combine all wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well mixed. Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and sift until well mixed. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet while continuously stirring. 

Place large pan on stove and set to low-medium heat. Spread a touch of butter around pan to lubricate. With a 1/3 cup measure, scoop batter into pan. Shake pan to evenly disperse batter. Allow batter to cook until most of the bubbles have popped. Flip and cook on other side.

Be sure to check out our brown sugar butter syrup recipe!