Browder Walter - 101 Secrets a Cool Mom Knows

101
Secrets A Cool
Mom Knows

Sue Ellin Browder and Walter Browder
Illustrations by Walter Browder

RUTLEDGE HILL PRESS
Nashville, Tennessee
A Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.
www.ThomasNelson.com

Copyright 2003 by Sue Ellin and Walter Browder

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

The material in this book is meant to be used under the supervision of a responsible adult. The authors and the publisher assume no responsibility for misuse of this information.

Published by Rutledge Hill Press, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, Tennessee, 37214.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Browder, Sue Ellin, 1946
101 secrets a cool mom knows / Sue Ellin Browder and Walter Browder.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-4016-0034-4 (Hardcover)
1. Mothers-Life skills guides. 2. Parenting. 3. Mothers-Conduct of life.
I. Title: One hundred and one secrets a cool mom knows. II. Browder, Walter,
1939- III. Title.
HQ759.B7594 2003
649'.1--dc21

2002156111

Printed in the United States of America

03 04 05 06 075 4 3 2 1

With love and admiration for our cool moms, Naoma Hurdle and Ruth Marie Browder, who taught us If its to be, its up to me and Never despair. When life gets tough, always remember: This, too, shall pass away.

Contents

Cool Moms always thank people who help and support them. So a great big thanks and a round of heartfelt applause go out to:

First of all, our adult offspring, Erin and Dustin, who were always eager as children to learn Cool Mom skills.

Then to Jennifer Browder, Michel Keet, Tom and Carol Brock, Liz ONeil, Darlene and Durward Duffield, who gave us so much wonderful love and support. Also, to the Renaissance-Faire-costumed dad who taught us to hang spoons on our noses one Saturday at the Country Skillet in Willits, California. (Sorry, we lost your name. But we live in Willits now, so give us a call.)

And last, but far from least, to Larry Stone, Geoff Stone, Bryan Curtis, Jennifer Brett Greenstein, and all the other great players on the Rutledge Hill team.

Remember, kids, always say please and thank-you.

As a mother today, youre as likely as any dad to teach your kids how to pitch a tent, kick a soccer ball, or fix a broken bicycle chain. In a phrase, youre what kids call a Cool Mom. You know how to make things work. Whats more, with the special insights youve learned from becoming strong and uniquely yourself, youre raising happier, more self-reliant, more confident children who know how to take on the world.

As a Cool Mom, chances are youve already taught your children lots of neat stuff to make them more capable and independent. But with your 24/7 schedule, you can always use extra help. Thats why we wrote this bookto give you more Cool Mom secrets to pass along to the next generation.

Whats a Cool Mom secret? Its a tidbit of knowledge or a special way of doing a job that produces big results with little effort. At the same time a child learns a handy skill (such as how to throw a spiral pass), a Cool Mom secret also teaches lifes deeper lessons about perseverance, courage, honesty, and other character traits. Take hitting a baseball with the sweet spot of the bat, for example. As a child learns how to send that little white ball sailing high over the outfielders heads, shes also learning its not always those with the most raw power who succeed at what they set out to do. Its often those with the best insight.

Whistling with an acorn seems a simple skill. But while your kid is immersed in the fun of whistling with an old acorn, shes also learning some really important stuff (like how to persist, be patient, and develop a certain sensitive touch to solve problems). With just this one simple skill, youve taught her three (or more) character lessons without saying a word. And later in life, each time she uses the skill, the character lesson will automatically be recalled and reinforced. Its parallel learning at its best.

Cool Mom secrets are solutions that work. They go straight to the heart of whatever problem a child might be having and solve it quickly and effectivelyno nonsense, no fuss. Any one of these secrets will leave a child feeling youve done something smart and cool. When a child is first learning to multiply, for example, anyone armed with Cool Mom Secret 17 can teach a kid how to multiply by nine in less than a minute. When a child wants to see a falling star, anyone who knows Cool Mom Secret 3, How to Catch a Falling Star, will know exactly how and where to find one.

Using Cool Mom secrets, you can teach a child how to fix a bicycle chain, how to see better in the dark, how to get a close-up look at a hummingbird, how to cruise on a skateboard, how to crack an egg with one hand, and even how to blow a six-foot soap bubble. Years later, whenever your kid uses any of these practical skills, he or she will proudly say, My mom taught me that.

Now, is that cool, or what?

Noodles are not only amusing but delicious.

Julia Child, a Cool Mom of fine French cooking

A kid using chopsticks for the first time can be a pathetic sight: Noodles on her lap, sweet-and-sour sauce on her shirt, bits of meat zinging across the table like peas from a pea shooter.

Fortunately, you know how to come to your childs rescue. You know the high and complicated art of using chopsticks. With your help, shell soon be delivering every bite directly into her mouth instead of her brothers lap. The secret lies in the way she holds the chopstick.

Of the several ways to hold chopsticks, heres the one easiest for a kid to learn. Since there are two chopsticks, lets call them Chopstick 1 and Chopstick 2.

First, have your child rest the fat (non-pointed) end of Chopstick 1 in the crotch of her thumb and forefinger, as shown in figure 1. Her thumb should clamp the fat end tight against her forefinger. Now have her lay the skinny (pointed) end of the stick across the end of her ring finger (as shown). Tell her to remember this: Chopstick 1 does not move. When she picks up food, Chopstick 1 remains stationary.

Second, have her grasp the fat end of Chopstick 2 between her thumb and forefinger, as shown. The end of her middle finger should be pressed tightly against Chopstick 2. She can now move Chopstick 2 by raising and lowering the end of her middle finger. When picking up food, its Chopstick 2 that moves, and its the middle finger that moves Chopstick 2.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Third, have her tap the pick-up tips against the table to even them up.

Now shes ready to pick up food. If she forgets, remind her again: Chopstick 2 moves. Chopstick 1 remains stationary.

As your child learns to use chopsticks, you can point out that eating politely seldom comes naturally. It takes practice, but its worth learning. Unless, of course, you like noodles in your hair.

COOL MOM TIPS

Square chopsticks are easier to use than round ones.

Unfinished-wood chopsticks are easier to use than lacquered ones.

Dont grasp chopsticks too tightly, or your hand will cramp.

Friends gotta trust each other... cause aint nothin like a true friend.