JUST FOR KIDS
WHO ARE THE PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
by Lucretia Voigt
Labor Day means the end of summer to most of us. It didn't start out that way, however. I mean, if they wanted a holiday to end summer, they could have called it Back To Reality Day.

Labor Day became an official National Holiday in 1894, and was first celebrated in Massachusetts as early as 1887. The holiday was proposed by the Central Labor Union to honor the workers who keep this great nation running smoothly. Samuel Gompers, the founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor, is quoted as saying, "Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country. All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."

That's a little heady for most children to understand. Without going into too much detail, you can explain to your child that Labor Day is a holiday to support those people who help make his life easier every day of the year.

A good way to start is by reading some books. (Notice how I always go back to books? I should be getting royalties from these publishers!) Good choices are books about firemen, policemen, construction workers - you get the idea. For the picture book group, try "Maisy's Fire Engine" by Lucy Cousins, "Curious George and the Firefighters" by H.A. Rey, Margret Rey and Anna Grossnickle Hines, "Officer Buckle and Gloria" by Peggy Rathmann, "Digger Man" by Andrea Griffing Zimmerman and David Clemesha, "Good Morning, Digger" by Anne F. Rockwell and Melanie Hope Greenberg, "The Post Office Book: Mail and How It Moves" by Gail Gibbons or "Pizza at Sally's" by Monica Wellington. For older children, "Who Keeps Us Safe" by Ellen Catala, Jack and Rebel, "The Police Dog" by Patricia Finney and Peter Bailey or many of the non-fiction DK and Eyewitness books about specific jobs, which are winners.

A wonderful way to help your child understand the meaning of the holiday is to have him make a list of the people he sees everyday. The person who serves mom her coffee (he may not realize it, but that person is up there with saint in order of importance), the baker who makes his favorite morning bun, the grocer who stocks his favorite plums, the natural food expert who stocks his favorite crackers, the construction workers who provide hours of free entertainment, the librarian who tells such wonderful stories, and the shopkeeper who stocks an ample supply of books that satisfy his constant curiosity.

Once you and your child have made a list of the people in your neighborhood, make some thank you cards to hand out. You can use 8 1/2" x 11" card stock and fold it in half. For elementary school age children, or artistically precocious toddlers, have them draw pictures on the front of the card of the recipient doing what makes your child's life better. The inside of the card can be a simple "Thank You" signed by your child.

For toddlers who are artistically challenged, or elementary school age children who know their way around the computer better than you do, there are numerous clip art images that you can use. A color printer is preferred. You can decorate the front of the card with several pictures and print them directly on the card. For you scrapbookers and Martha Stewart Living addicts out there, work with your child to make a collage of pictures cut from magazines showing people in similar jobs.

The icing on the cake, so to speak, is helping your child make cookies as a special thank you treat.

Here is an easy Peanut Butter Cookie recipe to make with toddlers. Have your child measure out 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, and 1 egg, and put them in a large bowl. Mix all ingredients together - your toddler can help with this, but you may need to get it started. When the ingredients are thoroughly mixed together, have your child fashion the dough into small balls about the size of a large spoon. Place on a cookie sheet. Flatten the balls of dough with the back of the spoon and sprinkle sugar on the tops. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

For elementary school age children who can use the stove under your guidance, try these No Bake Fudge Cookies. In a large saucepan, have your child combine 2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup milk, and 1/2 cup butter. Turn a burner to medium heat, place the saucepan on the burner, and have your child stir the mixture until it boils. Let the mixture boil for 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from heat and have your child measure out and add 3/4 cup peanut butter, 3 cups quick cooking oats, 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Have your child stir the mixture well. When dough is well blended, drop by teaspoon onto wax paper. Let the cookies sit for 1 hour.

The people in our neighborhood make our community the wonderful place we call home. Teaching our children to appreciate those people is a lesson that can only make the world a better place. Who knows - maybe you'll

get a free coffee out of it! I