UND-Pilsa Blog

Cupcakes are great year-round. Whip some up this Halloween for an easy, fun halloween treat. Use a basic recipe and follow these tips to decorate festive cupcakes. Here are three fun ideas:

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Has the power gone out at your house? Did you notice if your refrigerator broke last night? Do you have qualms about food that was in the freezer?

If this happens, don’t worry because there are easy to follow instructions for food safety.

If the food has been completely thawed or even warmed to room temperature, throw it away. Discard it if it has been out of the refrigerator for over two hours.

Make sure to cook the food right away if it’s almost thawed and still a little cold. The cooked foods can either be consumed or put in the refrigerator to eat later.

The food can be refrozen if there are still ice crystals visible on it. If you do not have a freezer available, throw it in a cooler and add dry ice. These items will need to be cooked, because your freezer will not offer the same longevity that a normal freezer would offer.

Once food starts to show off the markings of freezer burn they need to be thrown out immediately.

Storms and accidents will always cause power outages; however, you can use preparation to be ready for whatever happens.
If your existing fridge or freezer has seen better days, the best advice that anyone can give you is you invest in a new one. Definitely consider a large refrigerator/freezer as used in America is if there is space for it. Any kitchen will be much better by having this. A broad selection of American refrigerators and freezers is available for viewing at this site.

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As I gently wake in the morning to the sun’s first subtle peek
through my dark bamboo shades, I turn onto my left side and a
smile quickly overtakes the corners of my mouth. My senses are
filled with my precious child, peacefully slumbering, and
perhaps dreaming of a day filled with new discoveries and
adventures. Moments such as these offer me a sense of
contentment that all is perfect in the moment.

If only I had known that my heart would be captured by this
amazing being that I brought into the world only three short
years ago. If only I had known the passionate feelings that this
tiny soul would inspire in me, welling up in my heart and
permeating every inch of me.

This motherly devotion, this motherly love.

Devotion is defined as the ardent, often selfless, affection and
dedication to a person or principle. This definition does not
begin to describe the actual feelings that motherhood has
inspired in me- and countless others. But as with everything,
devotion may carry a darker side than the beauty of ardent,
selfless love. The dharma of motherly devotion, not coupled with
the devotion to self, will ultimately lead to the loss of one’s
spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being. The mothers are
not the only one who suffer. The children do as well.

As a mother, I have learned the value of one’s time. If I had
only known the incredible commitment involved in nurturing a
child before embarking on the journey of parenthood. Would I
have spent more time in meditation and personal development,
rather than reaching for the remote control and lazily yawning,
rather bored with my existence? Would I have spent an extra hour
at the bookstore, gratefully perusing the aisles, enjoying the
aroma of the bookstore coffee shop, rather than running quickly
in and out, and grabbing the book that I was looking for before
heading to my next activity? It is not relevant at this point,
but it does cross my mind occasionally.

I certainly wouldn’t trade this time in my life for anything,
but sometimes I do feel wistful for the “get-up-and-go/do-as-I
please” me who has clearly been put to rest. I tell people to
treasure their time before children because it will never be the
same.

I feel very fortunate to have adapted rather easily into my role
of motherhood. There are some that I know who have had great
difficulty accepting this drastic change in their lifestyle. I
did not experience this process as a painful one, but I truly
understand the overwhelming nature of parenthood itself and the
sense of a loss of freedom.

I have known no greater joy in my life than when I am laughing
in unison with my son, nurturing, loving, nourishing, cuddling,
kissing boo-boo’s, sharing in joy’s, and wiping tears, bottoms,
and noses. Yet there are moments when I sense my own resistance
to motherhood. The sound of my child’s call to “Mommy” is like
nectar to my ears, sweet and filling; so when my ears suddenly
begin to sting a bit, I know it is time for self-care.

Devotion-yes, devotion in absence of self-care-not advisable.

I know I may never again have the abundant free time I once did
until my child becomes an adult; and that is perfectly okay with
me. I also know that in order to be an effective parent, I must
take sacred time for myself, even if for a fleeting moment each
day.

Self-care can be a myriad of things: Yoga/exercise,
meditation/quiet time, nutrition, personal and spiritual
development, solitude, time with spouse or friends, hobbies,
reading, going to a movie that is silly or feeds the soul, or
just plain adult-centered fun. It becomes very challenging to
fulfill these desires as a parent, especially in the first few
years when the child’s needs are so intense. Even as children
become more self-proficient, new situations arise that require
different parenting skills and a staunch presence in the child’s
life. The holiday season that is upon us, also becomes
especially trying as giving is on everyone’s minds and mothers
are scrambling to create the perfect holiday for their families.
But what about receiving?

The balance is difficult to juggle, but it is an integral part
of being a parent. The airplane analogy to life states that if
there is a need for oxygen on the flight, the adult must put a
mask on first in order to be capable of assisting children and
others. This is true, of course, in life as well. We must feed
our souls in order to nurture our children’s souls. When I take
that important time, even if for just a few minutes, to engage
in activities that fill my “adult” needs, I come back refreshed
and able to be fully present as a parent , open to the love that
the devotion of motherhood brings.

Our children will have many teachers in their lives- the first
are their parents or care-givers. They learn through so many
different methods and senses. The not so obvious method is that
of silent observation. They watch, they see, and they absorb
habits and qualities that are prominent in their parents. Those
qualities may someday prompt a, “Wow, they must have gotten that
from me.” These are often qualities not realized until we see
them in our children. An amazing coach of mine once told me, “If
you take care of yourself, your son will know it’s okay to take
care of himself.” What are your children learning from you? What
can self-care bring to your devotion?

Devotion-yes, devotion seasoned with self-care-the most
rewarding, amazing experience in my lifetime. May you all have a
joyous, blessed, and devoted holiday season.

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Author Interview Raising Courageous Kids: Eight Steps to
Practical Heroism By Charles Smith

In the newly released book Raising Courageous Kids: Eight Steps
to Practical Heroism (Sorin Books, July 2004, paperback, 224
pages), author Charles Smith offers parents a treasure chest of
resources for recognizing and nurturing the qualities of courage
and heroism within their children. Looking at developmental
stages between birth and adolescence, Raising Courageous Kids
provides parents with practical, realistic guidelines for arming
children to meet challenges with courage. As an added source of
inspiration, Raising Courageous Kids features numerous “Mighty
Heart” stories of children who have risen to the level of
real-life heroes through tremendous acts of courage. I am happy
to share the following interview with author Charles Smith and
strongly recommend that parents, teachers, grandparents and
anyone playing a role in the raising of a child or young teen
read this book and begin to implement its principles.

LH: Best wishes on the recent publication of your sixth book,
Raising Courageous Kids: Eight Steps to Practical Heroism and
thank you for participating in this Book Spotlight interview. In
the acknowledgments for this book, you express appreciation to
your own family for their support. To begin, could you share
with our readers a little bit about your own background, family,
and career as an educator?

CD: My father died in the Army Air Corps shortly after WWII when
I was thirteen months old. My mother and I lived for two years
with her parents, my wonderful grandparents. My grandfather was
a storyteller, writer, and radio producer. I still find his
imagination and creativity an inspiration. My mother remarried,
and I spent the rest of my childhood in Detroit where I attended
St. Suzanne grade school and Catholic Central High. I graduated
from the University of Dayton with a degree in psychology. I met
my wife Betsy at Barney Children’s Medical Center in Dayton
where I worked as a play therapist with severely and chronically
ill children. After I graduated from Purdue with a Ph.D. in
child development I joined the faculty at Texas Tech University
where I taught preschool and eventually served as Director of
their Child Development Center. For the last 26 years, I have
been a parent educator with the Kansas State Research and
Extension Service and a professor in the School of Family
Studies and Human Services at Kansas State University. My wife,
son, and daughter, each in their own way, have inspired me by
their courage.

LH: You write that the events of September 11, 2001 prompted the
writing of this book. Why do you feel that the message of
Raising Courageous Kids is so important at this point in time?
What is the main message you hope readers would take away from
the book?

CS: I began working on Raising Courageous Kids the day after
9-11. I was emotionally overwhelmed by the courage demonstrated
that day. I had to understand why the firefighters went up the
steps of the WTC while thousands of office workers rushed to
safety. How could the passengers on United Flight 93 rise up
against their captors? Why did a young office worker lead many
to safety from high in the WTC only to return to rescue more,
eventually perishing in the collapse? I knew that these amazing
acts of courage were not spontaneous acts of combustion. They
were part of a tapestry of a person’s life composed of threads
that could be followed far back into time to where they
originated during childhood.

We live in an age that requires remaining steadfast in the face
of danger and fear. My hope is that this book will increase
public discourse about the meaning of true heroism and the
origins of courage. I hope the book inspires parents to
recognize and nurture the beginnings of courage in their
children.

LH: While the book is not a “how to” or program per se, you
offer eight “Steps” for courage development from the birth of a
child through early adolescence. Could you briefly describe
these steps?

CS: Courage begins during infancy and early childhood with the
emergence of willpower. A baby pushes herself from the mattress
to look around. A toddler gets up after falling down. A
two-year-old tells his dad, “NO! ME NOT go bed!” A wise parent
recognizes the precious spark of willpower even while insisting
that it’s the child’s bedtime. Children need parents who convey
the strength of their restrictions.

The presence of love in a young child’s life builds caring. Our
devotion invites children to care about other people. To reach
out to others in their time of need, children have to have the
ability to care. Research on Carnegie Hero Medal recipients and
rescuers of Jews during WWII reveals a common conviction in the
value of human life.

During the preschool years, children begin to develop the
ability to recognize and evaluate danger, which I call
vigilance. Brain structures responsible for understanding
context and the assessment of risk grow stronger.

Children also learn to regulate and moderate their fear arousal
through composure. Imagine a preschooler climbing up a slide for
the first time or a first grader jumping off a diving board.
These little victories over fear are stepping stones to greater
accomplishments as children grow older. Composure reduces the
danger of panic, which only increases risk.

During late preschool and the early elementary years, children
can learn empathy, which involves both awareness of how the
lives of others differ from their own and compassion toward
their suffering. Caring and empathy both work together to
contribute to valor.

Children can also begin to form a moral foundation that builds
integrity. Their internal code is more like a gyroscope that
points to true north than a wind vane that simply points to
where the wind blows.

Accepting accountability for the consequences of one’s choices
demonstrates a commitment to justice and the capacity for honor.
Children can learn that they make choices that have an effect on
others.

The final step is the capacity for valor, the ability to elevate
courage by a noble purpose. A young teen may intervene when
someone is being attacked or facing some other danger. They do
not simply stand back passively, but neither do they act
recklessly without regard for their own safety or that of others.

Each of these eight steps combine in movement more like a dance
over time than walking up a flight of stair steps. The eight
steps build on each other and continue to grow throughout
childhood.

LH: I loved and was tremendously inspired by the “Mighty Heart”
profiles shared in the book. Can you say a few words about the
origin of these stories and their role in the book?

CS: First, I think it’s terribly important to emphasize that
there are two very different forms of courage. One form of
courage is displayed in emergency situations where quick
thinking and rapid risk management is important. The Mighty
Heart stories illustrate this form of courage. The other form of
courage is more persistent and enduring in situations where risk
and danger continue over time. A child with cystic fibrosis who
faces the struggle of difficult physical therapy and manages the
fear and worry that accompanies the constant danger to her life
is an example of persistent courage. Enduring or persistent
courage is just as noble as the more dramatic and newsworthy
emergency forms of courage. The great risk in emergency
circumstances is panic. The great danger in persistent
circumstances is depression.

Most of the Mighty Hearts described in Raising Courageous Kids
are young recipients of the Carnegie Hero Medal. They serve as
examples of the incredible capacity for courage and heroism that
can reside in young people under the age of eighteen. The
challenge all of us face, regardless of age, is to combine
courage with the capacity for vigilance. Only tragedy can
result, for example, when someone who does not know how to swim
jumps into a raging river to rescue a drowning person. I use the
phrase, “Be smart with your heart.” In other words, don’t run
away when someone needs help or when you might be facing danger.
But do the right thing in a smart way.

LH: What role do you feel faith plays in the raising of
courageous children?

CS: When a child or adult is afraid, the choice to boldly go
forward to do the right thing is made possible by hope. Even the
passengers on United Flight 93 acted in hope to stop the horror
of what the terrorists intended, if not to save their own lives.
The child who pushes herself down the slide or jumps off the
diving board for the first time is acting in faith. Every act of
courage is a risk. The outcome is in doubt. True faith and trust
in God can give strength to weak knees. The test of fear is also
a test of faith. Are we willing to do the right thing, the smart
thing, and place ourselves in the hands of God? The stories of
sacrifice and nobility demonstrated by Jesus and the saints were
an important part of my Catholic upbringing.

LH: For parents with older children (ten to fourteen), is it too
late to begin emphasizing the importance of facing challenges
with courage?

CS: I think there are two parts to your question. First, what
action should we take with older children and second, what can
we expect to accomplish.

I’ll start with the second question. A child who has never
experienced the devotion of a loving adult is at risk for
becoming a sociopatha person who is incapable of feeling guilt
and shame and has no conscience. This outcome is extremely
difficult to change because early experience has had profoundly
negative effects on brain physiology. Other children may have
experienced this love, but were never encouraged to stand up for
themselves and face fear. A child who has had a lifetime of
running away out of fear is going to have a very difficult time
with finding the heart to face and manage risk during the teen
years. Is it possible to make a difference with this child? Yes.
And that brings me to the second question.

Regardless of the probability of being successful, we should ask
ourselves, “What is the noblest thing to do?” Would that be to
give up? To retreat from the challenge? No. We have to assume
that anything reasonable is possible. We don’t know what lies
within the inner core of this young man or woman that could be
touched by our efforts. The word “inspire” comes from the Latin
for “breathing life into.” We have to believe that we can
inspire any child, while at the same time accepting the
difficulty of the task. This is our own test of courage, to hold
on to hope and do the right thing even when the risk of failure
is high.

LH: Are there additional resources you could recommend that
might assist parents in fostering heroism in their children?

CS: I would like to invite your readers to visit my new website
at:

http://www.raisingcourageouskids.com

There are many resources for them to examine at the site
including several informative PDF files. They can also view my
speaking/travel schedule, read about the book, and send their
comments to me.

Teachers of 11-13-year-old children might be interested in the
Everyday Hero curriculum guide I created at

http://www.ksu.edu/wwparent/programs/hero/

Raising Courageous Kids has several outstanding references that
I think parents and teachers might enjoy reading.

LH: Thank you again for your time and for this wonderful book,
Raising Courageous Kids. Are there any closing thoughts you
might wish to offer?

CS: Thanks for the kind words about the book and for the
opportunity to visit with your readers. I would love to hear
from them about any questions they might have about the website
or the book.

Our greatest monuments to those who take risks and make
sacrifices on behalf of others are not made of stone, steel, and
glass. They are not found in parks, on city streets, or in
public buildings. The greatest monument is an enduring shift in
the human spirit, a transformation made possible by the caring
of others.

For More information or to order Raising Courageous Kids visit
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1893732762/digitalcropper-
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