LIFESTYLE
Page C2 • Saturday, September 21, 2013
Daily Chronicle / daily-chronicle.com
FAMILY TIME | Teaching kids to be responsible pet owners
Tip of the week While it may feel like your children will never stop asking for a pet, there are a number of positive reasons for bringing one into your home. In addition to the love and companionship a pet brings, having one can be a great way to teach children accountability. At first glance, children may not see the work involved in pet ownership. But teaching children interactive ways to care for their new-found friend can evoke a sense of pride and responsibil-
ity that is hard to find in other daily activities. Here are some tips to make these lessons fun and easy for kids. Teach animal needs: Pets need many of the same things humans need, like food, water and shelter. Break it down for kids to understand that in order to keep their new friend healthy, they need to help provide these needs, and that certain rules must be followed. Make cleaning a routine: A healthy, clean environment is a must for pets of all shapes and sizes. Divide responsibilities and enlist each child with different duties, such as making sure food and water bowl areas, cages and litter boxes are maintained and clean. Create a fun feeding chart: Just like breakfast or after-school snacks, animals also need nourishment throughout the day. Develop a pet feeding schedule with your children so they understand the importance of specific times for feeding. A weekly chart on the wall is a fun way to keep track of the meals. Simply decorate a dry erase board and make sure you have plenty of animal stickers and brightly colored markers on hand. Give them attention: Pets require plenty of attention. From daily affec-
tion to regular exercise, setting aside time to play and interact with your pet should not be forgotten. Make a special pet spot: Just like their owners, pets love to have their own special area to relax. Let the kids pick out the accessories for their new friend – be it a hot pink puppy bed or coastal-inspired sea decor for the bottom of the fish bowl. If your friend is feline, remember they require a special litter area. Making sure this area is maintained with the proper products is an important way to keep your cat happy. Practice pet ownership: If your family doesn’t own a pet yet consider practicing pet ownership. Ask neighbors or family if you can pet-sit for a weekend. With your child in charge of taking care of the animal, they’ll see firsthand whether they are up to the task. You also will be able to gauge if it is a proper decision for you as a family. Following these tips can ensure pets are getting the best care possible, also while teaching kids key life skills. Your kids will enjoy proving they are responsible, dependable members of the family. – Family Features/Arm & Hammer
8MILESTONES
Family movie night “One Direction: This Is Us” Rated: PG Length: 92 minutes Synopsis: A look at Niall, Zayn, Liam, Louis, and Harry’s meteoric rise to fame, from their humble hometown beginnings and competing on the “X-Factor,” to conquering the world and performing at London’s famed O2 Arena. Violence/scary rating: 2 Sexual-content rating: 2 Profanity rating: 2 Drugs/alcohol rating: 2 Family Time rating: 2. The One Direction fan in your house will be begging to see this, and it’s appropriate for youngsters. (Ratings are judged on a five-point scale, with 5 being “bad for kids” and 1 being “fine for kids.”)
Book report “The Year of Billy Miller,” by Kevin Henkes Ages: 8 and older Pages: 240 Synopsis: When Billy Miller has a mishap at the statue of the Jolly Green Giant at the end of summer vacation,
he ends up with a big lump on his head. What a way to start second grade, with a lump on your head! As the year goes by, though, Billy figures out how to navigate elementary school, how to appreciate his little sister, and how to be a more grown up and responsible member of the family and a help to his busy working mom and stay-athome dad. Newbery Honor author and Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes delivers a short, satisfying, laugh-outloud-funny school and family story that features a diorama homework assignment, a school poetry slam, cancelled sleepovers, and epic sibling temper tantrums. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white art by the author, this is a perfect short novel for the early elementary grades. – Greenwillow Books
Did you know? Only 20.8 percent of teen boys and 53.8 percent of teen girls have received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported. U.S. health officials would like those numbers to be much higher.
– More Content Now
8NEW ARRIVALS Kramer
Gehringer
Poole
John and Rachel Kramer of Genoa announce the birth of a son, Wesley Paul Kramer, born Aug. 13, 2013, at Delnor Hospital, Geneva. He weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces, and was welcomed by William, 2. Grandparents are Timothy and Wilma Whiting of Kingston and Paul and Nancy Kramer of Sycamore. Great-grandparents are Barney and Josephine Kramer of St. Charles and Marguerite Tjessem of Burwell, Neb.
Jason Gehringer and Jamie O’Brien of Genoa announce the birth of a son, Deegan James Raymond Gehringer, born Sept. 9, 2013, at Delnor Hospital, Geneva. He weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces. Grandparents are Frances O’Brien of Johnsburg and Raymond and Janice Gehringer of Sycamore. Great-grandparents are Josephine Leonard of Peoria, Ariz., and Chuck and Darlene Leonard of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Rachel Poole and Dylan Taylor of Cary, N.C., announce the birth of a daughter, Lyla Grace Poole, born June 11, 2013, at Rex Hospital in Cary. She weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces. Grandparents are Ron and Belinda Grimm of DeKalb, Duane and Wendy Taylor of Willow Spring, N.C., and Joyce Willner of Cary. Great-grandparents are Floyd Bocklund of Rochelle and Clyde A. Taylor of DeKalb.
8IN UNIFORM Pinne graduates from basic training 50th anniversary Jerry and Annette (Schram) Johns of Sycamore celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Sept. 7 at the beautiful, historic Ellwood-Nehring house in DeKalb. More than 120 family members and friends joined the festive event held exactly 50 years from the day they were married at the lakefront home of Annette’s parents in Pontiac, Mich. The celebration was planned by their daughter, Beth Johns of Seattle, Wash., and featured a slide show of their lives together. Catered by the Hillside with floral arrangements by Glidden’s, guests also enjoyed a five-tier wedding cake that was replicated by Fran Clucas from old photographs and topped with the original bride and groom figurines.
Army Pvt. Kolby B. Pinne has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical
warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches and field training exercises. Pinne is the son of John Fugate of Genoa and is a 2010 graduate of Genoa-Kingston High School.
8PRAIRIE FLOWERS Overwhelmed by act of kindness Because many of the couple’s relatives were able to attend, the occasion also served as a great family reunion.
Larson-Horack
80th birthday
Edward and Mary Larson of Shabbona announce the engagement of their daughter, Ann, to Justin Horack, son of Kevin and Deborah Horack of Watertown, Wis. The bride-to-be is a 2012 graduate of University of Wisconsin-Platteville with a degree in agriculture business and works as a business development coordinator at Charleston|Orwig, an agricultural reputation management and integrated marketing firm. The groom-to-be is a 2011 graduate of University of Wisconsin-Platteville with a degree in civil engineering and works for the engineering firm, CGC Inc. Larson is the granddaughter of Mary and the late Paul Nolan and Robert and Janet Larson, all of Shabbona. The wedding will be held at St. Bernard’s Parish in Watertown, Wis. The ceremony is planned for April 2014.
Ken M. Brown of DeKalb will celebrate his 80th birthday with an open house, hosted by his daughter, Connie C. Brown, on Sept. 29. The open house will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. at Salem Lutheran Church’s Fellowship Hall, 1145 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore. Ken was born on Sept. 27, 1933, in Greeneville, Tenn. He is the widower of Cordia V. Brown. Ken worked for Nehring Electrical Works for 20 years and retired from DeKalb High School after 31 years of service. In retirement, Ken enjoys watching the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs baseball games. Family, friends and co-workers are invited to help Ken celebrate. Please omit gifts, but cards are welcome.
————— To submit Milestones to the Daily Chronicle, email information to news@daily-chronicle. com, send information to 1586 Barber Greene Road, DeKalb, IL 60115, or stop in the office to fill out a form. Forms also are available online at www.daily-chronicle.com/forms.
To the Editor: Living in a small town has again shown me how loving and compassionate friends can be. My son passed away unexpectedly in August 2012. I found out, then, just how many friends he had. Before James died, he had planned to remodel and extend our front porch. His friends came to me and told me they were going to finish what my son had started. This is such a huge act of kindness, that I am overwhelmed. I hope my son in heaven knows what love these friends are showing for him. I want to thank all of you who helped and a special thank-you to the person that got this all started and to the gentleman who donated the lumber.
I would also like to thank the Clinton Township Library for allowing my daughter to place a bench there in memory of her brother. God bless you all! Velma Nix Waterman
Thanks for making Sandwich Fair a success To the Editor: All of us at Fox Valley Older Adult Services would like to thank the many hard-working and kind-hearted groups and individuals who made this year’s Sandwich Fair such a rousing success for us. First of all we would like to thank Larry Dannewitz and the Sandwich Fair Association Board of Directors for provid-
ing the “Meet Me at the Fair” program that was enjoyed by so many seniors and for providing security for the many people crossing Suydam Road from our parking lot. A large number of dedicated volunteers managed and staffed Grannie’s Eatery, our craft booth, the FVOAS parking lot each day – far too many to name individually. We appreciate the many hours of hard work that were volunteered to support the many programs and services that we provide so seniors in DeKalb, LaSalle, Bureau, Kendall and Kane counties can continue to live independent, active lives. Cindy Worsley Executive director, Fox Valley Older Adult Services
Library collection Sisters Rachel and Emily Akers are displaying their collections in the Sycamore Public Library youth department display case this month. Rachel (left) brought her collection of dogs, and Emily brought her Littlest Pet Shop collection. Provided photo