5111- 11.111 I3 I I L •

Rx: No
Spankin

The American Academy of Pedi-
atrics recently issued a report
encouraging parents not to use
spanking as a method of disci-
pline.
According to the report, the
more a child is spanked the
more likely he is to suffer prob-
lems in later years, including
marital troubles, and the more
apt he is to abuse his spouse
and hit his own children.
Dr. Mark VVolraich, a pedia-
trician in Nashville and chair-
man of the Academy's Committee
on Psychosocial Aspects of Child
and Family Health, labeled spank-
ing "corporal punishment and pos-
sibly child abuse when you're talk-
ing about children under 2 years
of age and children over 6 years
of age. "
In an article published in Pedi-
atrics, the academy instead sug-
gested parents discipline children
by taking away privileges.
Despite its findings, the academy
also noted that children are
spanked in 90 percent of Ameri-
can homes.

•

,1MIgfw

..11

A LEG-o To
Stand On

Children have been using them to
build everything from towers to gar-
dens to robots. Now, a 48-foot semi-
trailer filled with LEGO models and
interactive activities will be visiting
cities throughout the country, includin
Birmingham.
From Thursday, Aug. 6, through
Sunday, Aug. 9, the LEGO Imagina-
tion Celebration Truck will be in the
Martin Street Plaza (in front of City
Hall) in Birmingham. During the first
two days, the project will visit local
children% hospitals and schools. On
the weekend, all children will have
the opportunity to enjoy an outdoor

tent filled with LEGO play tables,
computer game stations and a race-
way where they may build and race
LEGO cars.
But wait. There's more! As part of
its 25th anniversary, LEGO also is
sponsoring the "Search for the Ulti-
mate LEGO Creation Contest." Boys
and girls ages 5-12 may bring their
creations to enter the contest, which
will be judged in each city by local
celebrities. One semi-finalist from
each market will be eligible for the
national championship, to be held in
December 1998 in Florida.
There is no charge for admission.

Calling Dr. Science

If you still think science is boring or
too hard or just not for you, the
check is in the mail — literally. The
Museum of Science in Boston,
Mass., is offering a science-by-mail
program which pairs a boy or girl
with a scientist pen-pal, for children
in grades 4-9.
Children may sign up for the pro-
gram by themselves, in small groups
or with an entire class. During the
school year, they will receive two sci-
ence -activity packets, which they
may choose themselves. The packets
were created by science and educa-

tion experts and help children
explore a variety of topics including:
• Destination Mars
• Communications
• Science Magic
• Simple Machines
• Imaging
)c, Flight
The science pen-pal will be avail-
able to help with projects by phone,
e-mail, fax or even the snail mail.
The pen-pals are affiliated with any
number of organizations including
hospitals or universities, or a profes-
sional group such as the Association

for Women in Science.
Children are free to work at their
own pace in this non-competitive
and non-graded program. The price
for an individual or small-group mem-
bership is $54, while the cost for a
class-pack membership is S324. For
information about schedules, contact:
Science-By-Mail
POB 6080
Boston, Mass. 02212
1-800-729-3300
e-mail: sbm@mos.org
vvww.mos.org/mos/sbm/science-
mail.htn-d

Where
Baby
Meets
Web

If you've ever had a crying
baby, you know the best solu-
tion to her woes is not a gen
tle hug, or a pacifier, or even
a quiet walk outdoors: It's
"Baby Songs." This wonderful
series of videos, created by
Hap Palmer, shows babies
and toddlers involved in all
kinds of charming activities:
wiggling their piggy toes, ask-
ing Daddy to be a horse,
singing about the thrill of tak-
ing off their diapers and how
they've "never felt so free."
Now you and your little one
can visit "Baby Songs" on the
Web! Yes, at long last, after
requests from babies world-
wide, "Baby Songs" has
entered the computer age.
Check it out at
www. babysongs.com

7/10
1998

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