Grandpa Richards Kids

The Great One (hockey’s Wayne Gretzky) has been asked many times, “Do you think my son can make pro?”

Wayne’s answer is always the same, “He’s 15, just enjoy it. Just let him have fun.”

Grandpa Richard heartily agrees. There is too much pressure on young athletes. They need to enjoy their childhood.

Just let them have fun.

Here is a common piece of logic. God gave us two ears and only one mouth, therefore we should listen more than we talk. Try getting your young son or daughter to agree to that logic. Let’s face it, children are great noise factories.

It may be possible, however, to get them to be quiet on a warm summer’s night. Take them outside and explain how listening to crickets can tell them the temperature. This works great in much of the United States where common crickets live. If you have common crickets in your home area, you can also try this there.

Stop and quietly listen for about 14 seconds, counting the number of chirps. Take this number and add 40 to it. That will be the approximate temperature near the cricket. The value will be in degrees Fahrenheit. (one day I will have to come up with an easy way to make this work in Celsius)

Keep in mind that the cricket is at ground level, possibly in an area where the temperature is different than where you are standing. This should remind you that how we interpret truth often depends on where we are standing. I will leave it to you to explain that last lesson to your son or daughter.

Wooden blocks have always been one of my favourite toys. I even have a spare set in case a grandchild comes for a visit.

Unfortunately, one type of wooden block is being recalled, and not for the obvious reason of having too much lead in the paint on the surface. This one had too much barium in the paint.

Product Name: “Wooden Alphabet & Number Blocks” by First Learning

Full Product Description: 50 piece wooden alphabet and number block set painted a variety of colours; manufacturer’s age recommendation 18+ months; item no. 8409; UPC # 834162008198.

More details can be read at Health Canada’s Consumer Product Safety site.

A relative’s son received a wireless helicopter last Christmas. The little boy in me was very impressed by this flying gadget. Unfortunately, some of them are not safe.

Product Name: “Sky Scrambler” Wireless Indoor Helicopter

Full Product Description: The “Sky Scrambler” toy helicopters have yellow, red or blue decals; product # 1610865; UPC # 694202303351; BH26047 is printed on the helicopter tail.

Hazard Identified: The rechargeable lithium ion battery inside the helicopters can overheat, catch fire, and ignite nearby combustibles, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.

More details can be read at Health Canada’s Consumer Product Safety site.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff today released its evaluation of various synthetic athletic fields. The evaluation concludes that young children are not at risk from exposure to lead in these fields.

CPSC staff evaluation showed that newer fields had no lead or generally had the lowest lead levels. Although small amounts of lead were detected on the surface of some older fields, none of these tested fields released amounts of lead that would be harmful to children.

Lead is present in the pigments of some synthetic turf products to give the turf its various colors. Staff recognizes that some conditions such as age, weathering, exposure to sunlight, and wear and tear might change the amount of lead that could be released from the turf. As turf is used during athletics or play and exposed over time to sunlight, heat and other weather conditions, the surface of the turf may start to become worn and small particles of the lead-containing synthetic grass fibers might be released. The staff considered in the evaluation that particles on a child’s hand transferred to his/her mouth would be the most likely route of exposure and determined young children would not be at risk.

Read the full report by clicking here (PDF file).

Wooden Toys Recalled by Earthentree Due To Choking and Strangulation Hazards.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Wooden Toys

Units: About 375

Manufacturer: Earthentree of Kirkland, Wash.

Hazard: The recalled toys contain small parts or can break into small parts, posing a choking hazard. The recalled rattles violate the federal rattle standard. Some of the toys also have a string longer than 12 inches, which can pose a strangulation hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: This recall involves a variety of wooden toys including egg shakers (maracas), pull toys, rattles, and trains. The toys are painted glossy red, orange, green, brown, yellow or natural wood.

Sold at: Earthentree’s Web site, Fairs, Trade Shows and retail stores nationwide from December 2007 through May 2008 for about $7 to $34.

I have always been fascinated by the fact that many cultures put much more emphasis on name meanings than many North Americans do. I know that my Anglo-Saxon given names, Richard and William, have meanings, but that is not why my parents picked them.

Here is a guest article about name meanings, written by Warren Wong. Enjoy.

A given name or a first name is the name given to a person to differentiate that person from someone else in the family or someone who carries the same surname or last name. This name is given to a person by the parents or guardians. The name is not carried down from generation to generation like the surname. Different groups have different name meanings and use the given names and surnames in different ways. Read the rest…

If you are like Grandpa Richard, you have trouble keeping up on the newest trends for children. My grand daughter is always mentioning this, that, and the other thing to me. Of course, not watching TV shows with a children’s theme (so I see the newest ads) does not help me.

So what is a Webkinz? A virtual pet!!! What in the world? Read the rest…

My grand daughter Jasmine has a new pet. A snail. She found it in the garden and has provided it with a home of water, pebbles, green growing plants, and a top with small air holes. Her mom even taught her that a snail is an hermaphrodite, meaning it is both a male and a female. Not sure what Jasmine thought of that. (and I’d like to know if her mom actually knew that word or looked it up online!!!)

She told me that its name is Shelley. My question back was, “What is its boy name”. A discussion ensued and she finally gave in and added Brayan to the name.

This got me thinking about other exotic, or non-traditional, pets. The resulting article is found at http://www.grandparichardskids.com/article/top-5-modern-pets.

In a recent incident, four children, between 7 and 14 years-old, suffered injuries when they ran stop sign and hit a car. They were riding in an ATV. Two of the children suffered serious head injuries and broken bones, while the other two were treated for minor injuries. The car’s passenger reportedly suffered a neck injury.

Parents need to be vigilant about what their children are doing, and where they are. Even in off-road areas ATVs are a safety hazard for children, even 14 year-olds. Only allow your children to use these vehicles under proper supervision, and only after you are satisfied that they can operate the ATV safely.

For more ATV articles, visit atv-lovers.info.