What's the Point?

I was trying to figure out a way to teach my three kids the importance of keeping clean, of properly washing their hands and their other parts too.

They stared at me blankly as I was explaining germs and bacteria, molds and viruses when suddenly I had an idea. Why don't we do an experiment?

Off we went in search of a slice of bread, a sealable clear plastic bag and a spray bottle full of water. I wiped the kitchen sink with the bread for effect, sprayed it lightly with some water and finally sealed it in the bag. As we put it in a dark nook out of reach of little hands, I told them we'd take a look at it in a few days to see what, if anything, happened.

Sure enough 72 hours later we had quite the scientific culture growing happily on the bread.

"See, what happens," I said "if we don't keep ourselves clean? So what have we learned?"

"Not to wipe our bums in the sink!" my wife Kathleen replied.

Happy sweeping!

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions

Ever have one of those moments when you want so much to try and avoid something that in doing so you end up creating a much bigger, messier problem?

It happened yesterday as I gave my son Milo a yogurt shake -- a really yummy one with frozen bananas, blueberries, mangoes, peaches and a cooked beet for added iron and a vibrant, kid-friendly colour. As I handed it to him I also handed him the standard warning not to spill, as it would stain his clothes.

Being the typical 4-year-old that he is, Milo quickly forgot the warning and moments later I caught him just millimetres away from wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!" I jumped in, trying to stop the act in progress.

Unfortunately, I startled my purple-moustached friend causing him to drop the cup and all its contents on the floor. Now I had purple shake on my pants, my shoes, Milo's pants, the mat on the floor, the floor, the cupboards on the other side of the kitchen. Everywhere but Milo's shirt sleeve!

As I tried to comfort Milo, upset that he had stained his clothes, I removed his messy pants and socks. And as I did, he wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Say It Ain't So ...

You can always count on a kid to remind you of your age. Here are some examples of how each of my kids has bruised my self-esteem:

My sweet 2 1/2-year-old daughter Willa was exploring my face one day.

"What dat on your lip, Mommy?"
"I don't know," I said. "What does it look like?"
"A eyebrow."

Another day, while sitting on my lap, 4-year-old Milo lifted my shirt up and patted my bare stomach.

"Mommy? Your tummy is full?" he asked.
"No," I replied.
"What happened to it?"

And finally ...

My then 5 1/2-year-old daughter Neva and I were cheek to cheek looking in the mirror, comparing our eye colour.

"They're blue and grey and green, Mommy," she said. "Just like yours."
"Yes, they're exactly the same colour." I replied.
"Except," she added, "mine don't have all those red lines."

So all you mothers out there, join me in declaring to our children: "You did this to me!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Try and Try Again!

As parents we encourage our children and sometimes push them to do things they think they can't. It's part of our job and it's part of their learning. But it doesn't end there, does it? Part of their learning is also to repeat what we've taught.

The other day I was holding 2 1/2-year-old Willa, as I often do, while I was making supper. At one point I told her I needed to put her down.

"Willa," I reasoned, "my arms are tired and I need to use the big knife. I can't hold you and make supper at the same time."

Her gentle and encouraging response: "You have to try!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com