A Word About FEAR

Three-year-old Madie WANTED to have a good time at her birthday party, and I think she did. When she and her mom greeted me at the front door she was very happy and excited wearing a beautiful, bright party dress and a Dora the Explorer party hat. She said please and thank you and smiled a mile a minute.

Then the show started and Madie wasn't sure what to do. For the first few minutes she walked that fine line between laughter and tears - she even stepped up with the help of an older friend for the show opener - Magic Dust Bunnies. But then the tears finally won out a few minutes later - the birthday girl retreated to the safety of the big, comfy couch and a big person hug.

It should be said that none of the other kids were crying and the show went very well - everybody had fun, dad helped with the egg bag, another kid made a birthday cake, and, of course, Bubble the Pet Monkey Puppet killed.

This isn't the first time I have seen tears and fear from the birthday kid - and it is never about me or any other performer. It is about being the center of attention. Sometimes we don't realize that this great event of loved ones coming together to celebrate the life of a little person can be very stressful on the little person. It is not an every-day, common occurrence to have gifts and attention showered on us. Even as adults, accepting birthday wishes can at times be a little embarrassing and stressful.

Prepare for the FEAR and ATTENTION:

1. Prepare kids for what to expect and what is expected from them during the party. Remind them every day for a week ahead.
2. Take kids to see as many live performers as possible. Learning to be a good audience member is an important social skill
3. If hiring a performer - let him/her know about your child's personality. Will the birthday kid be comfortable with the attention? Will the birthday kid be willing to help-out during the show?
4. Schedule a performer at the beginning of the party - and let guests know so they can be on time. The longer into a party the more anxiety can build.
5. Hire Mr. G because he knows how to work with all kids.

Madie is only three and will have many, many more birthdays - they all deserve to be special with nothing to fear.

A Rough-Housing Birthday Party

I recently read about a study which found that families with two daughters make for the happiest and most well-balanced households. Of course, I had to agree being the proud papa of two little girls, but I also started thinking about what we might miss around our house with no little boys in the mix. I think I got a taste last weekend.

Saturday was Joshua's big day with a Mr. G KIDshow and about 15 of his second-grade buddies. Controlling excited boys like this for a show is a little like herding distracted cats, but they soon got into the show and had a great time with Bubble the Monkey and really encouraged Joshua as he came up to help out. At one point in the show we do a trick that magically produces a big bowl full of Blow-Pops - and this is where it got good. Unlike a mixed-group of boys and girls who show excitement but remain in their seats - it only takes one boy to rush the stage trying to get to candy for chaos to ensue.

This was the first of three times the boys became a rolling boil on the floor in front of me. The second melee came when an errant balloon flew into the audience sort-of accidently/on purpose. The final time was after the show when balloon sculptures became less-than-lethal weapons.

Through it all, the kids laughed and shared and celebrated Joshua's birthday with good, high-energy and respectful fun. The boys always came back to the show after sharing a few headlocks and noogies.

My next show is a Mother-Daughter banquet. I can't wait to see the difference.

I love my girls, but having a house full of rough-housing boys once in a while might be a lot of fun.

Oh, and I still have some show dates available for June - so give me a call, send me an email or contact me on Facebook.

A Birthday Recommendation

"Usually, I don't hire entertainment for Birthday parties but I am so glad that I did this year.   Mr. G was a huge hit!  He did a fantastic performance that had everyone laughing and involved.  

As the kids arrived, he led them in a great game of Simon Says and then rolled right into the show.

He included the kids & the adults.  Most importantly, he made the Birthday Girl a very active participant.  She really enjoyed herself. They had a balloon blowing contest.  Obviously,  Mr. G's won with the help of his air pump.

For me, hosting a party that has adults as well as kids of all ages is difficult.  Finding activities that keep everyone engaged is almost impossible.  Mr. G was the answer.  He did a wonderful job bridging the age gap.

After the show,  Sophie opened her presents while Mr. G made the kids balloon figures.  Most of them picked swords or wands which they later took outside and used to battle each other.  I guess that is one way to run off all that cake!"

"KIDS" show? Yes....well, maybe

"Mr. G Kidshow is the greatest. I want him when I turn 65. What a great party!"

Sophie's great-aunt posted this on my FB Page after the show for her 10-year-old niece and about 20 of her 4th-grade school friends. Honestly, some performers don't even like to perform for 10-year-olds - they tend to be on the old side, but I like a challenge. It was a great party. We started with a little impromptu "Simon Says" before the show while guests were still arriving and transitioned nicely into my opener. Sophie was quite a great performer as she cam up to be the star, and everybody had a great time. EVERYBODY.

The best comment came after the show when Great-Aunt Francie told me that I should do a show for adults. I told her that I already do and that she just saw it. I appreciate this remark so much because I work hard to craft my show into a "family" event. I make sure that from the beginning the adults in the room know that I am entertaining for them too...and that they should participate accordingly.

I've been thinking recently about marketing to senior centers. It might really be nice to perform for some folks who remember the the acts who inspired me: WC Fields, Jerry Lewis, Keaton, The 3 Stooges, The Marx Brothers, Chaplin.

I will be thrilled to do Francie's 65th birthday party! Good entertainment appeals to kids of all shoe sizes!

Celebrate LIFE!

At a recent birthday party for 6-year-old Maddox, I asked the audience of boys and girls scattered around on the living room carpet to wish Maddox a "Happy Birthday!" There were twenty-plus kids - all his best friends from school along with his four brothers and baby sister and these kids practically gang-tackled Maddox. They patted him on the back, rubbed his head and gave him hugs while screaming their birthday wishes! A KIDshow can often seem on the edge of anarchy (unless you are an expert at audience control like myself), but order was quickly restored after a few more laughs and yells.

And why not?  I couldn't help but appreciated the zeal of the impromptu celebration. This day was all about Maddox, a celebration of HIM - not something he had done, not an accomplishment of some type and not a holiday in the traditional sense. Just him. The unique, perfect, wonderful Maddox.

Birthdays are a celebration of LIFE and the gratitude we feel for that person being in our lives. It seems to me there is nothing more important than celebrating the lives of the people we love.

Ideally, we would show this appreciation every day, but a birthday is a special celebration for a unique, singular individual whom we are fortunate to know. Think about Maddox again - four brothers and one sister between the ages of 3 and 10-years-old - a great big, happy, loving family. And having that day be all about that one little guy does great things for his self-esteem and his sense of place within his family and within the world.

Make the most of each birthday in your family. Let those you love know how much you appreciate their place in your life. Celebrate LIFE.

Why Teach?

This is a great post from The Apple at Monster.com. For a long time I worked with teachers as a teacher and got to hear every horror story in the world about how teaching can stink. There were always the stories about how teaching is sublime as well, but during the course of the year it always seemed that the teachers I knew had more complaints than success stories.

Here is the post by Kevin Bibo:

Why Teach?

        "I went to my 20th high school reunion this weekend. One of my friends, Charles, told me that he could see that I really cared about the success of my students. Another was encouraged by my efforts and said, “that’s what the world needs, more committed teachers!” The thing is, other than sharing the fact that this was my 10th year in the classroom, I didn’t tell them anything about what or how I do what I do. Their comments, while enjoyed by my ego, confounded me. How did they know I cared about my students? How did they know that I was committed to my service?

        Teachers are definitely a breed apart. True we are made, and not created, but it seems like you can always tell a good teacher when you see one, even if you don’t see them teach. I ran into an old student of mine at the car wash earlier that day. She shared with me her desire to teach. I encouraged her because I knew already that she would make a great teacher. Her personality is inviting, she seems naturally kind and patient, she doesn’t judge but instead shares a warm smile. She will be a great teacher regardless of subject matter or grade level. I could see that in her, just like my friends could see it in me

        But I haven’t always been able to see it in myself. The “it” being the qualities and energy of a good teacher. I reflect on my teaching, but usually my reflections display all the things I need to fix, or don’t do very well. Still, I endure, and continue to work at improving myself because I just love what I do, and couldn’t dream now of doing anything else. However, teaching was not my first choice. I did not see myself as a teacher when I was younger. Other people did: my father and my wife. They suggested I try teaching; and it was a good fit. But what makes teaching a good fit for me? And why do I fit teaching? Have you ever asked yourself why you teach?

        For some, the answer is obvious. They teach because that is what they have always wanted to do. For others, they teach because teaching provides a steady paycheck and great benefits. Still others are called by some higher authority to spend their days wiping noses and answering the same question three or more times an hour. If we are to be successful teachers, teachers who change lives, we have to look deeper than the desire, the paycheck, or the calling. I think we have to look deep within ourselves and recognize that not only does the world need great teachers, role models willing to give selflessly, but that we too have a need to play the role or inspirer, sage, and friend.

        Not everyone needs to know that their efforts are meaningful. But I do. I gave up pursuing a career in television because I didn’t want to spend my time away from my family selling soap. It was fun, but empty. Teaching allows me to make the world around me a better place. I regularly see alumni who tell me that the time spent in my class made a difference to lives and changed them in some way. Not all my students, but many share the same experience. Is there something I do directly that changes them? I’m not sure. Like Charles said, it is very important to me that my students are successful. I don’t know yet exactly how that plays out in my classroom, but it is at the top of my list of priorities. As my other friend pointed out, I am completely committed to my students success, but what does that look like?

        The answer is that it is different for different teachers. But one thing is certain, if you are not invested in your students success, and if you are not committed to them, then I have to ask you, why teach?"

As I said, I have had the pleasure of working with many great teachers and administrators as a teacher, a learning specialist, and most recently as a sales consultant. When the topic of "Why Teach?" came up, especially with new teachers, I was always interested in the answer.

"Because I love kids," was the most common reply for Pre-K - 8 teachers, and, from my perspective, not the best answer. Loving kids is a great place to start. But, I think even more important is the talent for teaching. I believe there are some requirements for teaching that cannot be learned - love is one of them - but so is the inherent wanting and ability to communicate, share and relish ideas in a meaningful way. To share knowledge and provide value. To be so excited by an idea or skill that your skin jumps when you think about it and the need to share is bubbling out of you.  

I remember the first time I read The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963. I knew that first and foremost my kids were going to love the dialog. They were going to laugh at and fall in love with Kenny and Byron Watson. They were going to get caught-up in the story of the civil rights movement. They were going to sit in awe of the events surrounding the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. I knew all this because the book had that effect on me, and I knew I could carry that enthusiasm into the classroom.

My students learned the mechanics and art of writing funny dialog. They learned about story structure. We supported their history studies by digging into lesser-known events of the civil rights movements. We sharpened their math and geography skills by taking a virtual road trip to Birmingham to visit the church. We compared historical events and fictional events using Watsons and Spike Lee's film Four Little Girls. Heck, I even actually went to the church during a Spring Break to take pictures and talk to the congregants.

Everything was aligned with benchmarks and standards - but most importantly to me - they were excited learners. 

Flash forward a few years. I'm sitting at a traffic light when the car next to me starts honking. I look over to see a smiling young woman waving, so I roll down the window.

"Are you Mr. Smith?" she asks.

"Yep, I sure am!"

"I had you in middle school. I loved when we read that Watsons book in your class!"

"It's a great book!" I yell back just as the light turns and we drive away. She had a baby in the rear seat and she seemed very happy.

Why teach? To bring excitement to everything and to share.

Picture Books and READING

Dr. Suess and Maurice Sendak don't have to worry, but other writers of children's books really took notice of a recent New York Times article that may have been the beginning of the end for children's picture books. This article says that picture books are sitting on the shelves of book stores and then being sent back to the publisher because they are not selling! So, this may be a product of "the economy" (which I'm pretty tired of hearing about and don't understand) but really this is another result of our heavy emphasis on standardized testing and reading scores!

Another example of the tail wagging the dog (which actually sounds like a great title for a children's picture book). Anyway, parents have decided that the pressure is on for their kids and they need to push them a little harder and force them into chapter books in Kindergarten and First Grade. Don't get me wrong, there are great chapter books for young readers, but this trend discounts the great possibilities picture books offer for young readers.

The truth is, teachers and parents should be using picture books to teach reading strategies and to allow kids to practice reading strategies. As the father of a soon-to-be two-year-old, I can tell you that picture books will always have a place in our home. We are visual learners first, and helping kids make connections between ideas, words, and things is vitally important. Picture books can model story elements for kids AND help them with the process of reading, counting, problem solving, communicating and critical evaluation - all 21st Century Skills for success.

For Teachers and Parents check these out:


Books For Teaching Reading Strategies

Why Picture Books