Save Storybook Gardens London

Well here we are again hearing about more money needed to keep up the operation of London's Storybook Gardens. It has become evident now that the big Storybook Gardens overhaul a few years back did not help at all, it just put the park even further in debt.
I have great memories of the park from my childhood it was almost magical and fairytales really did come to life at the park. I've taken my kids to Storybook Gardens a few times and I think I know why the park is not doing well. It seems that London has lost the focus on what Storybook Gardens was and meant to the people who attended the park. Now it seems to have no real theme. There is a merry-go-round outside the park entrance, there a spiderweb, slide, splash pad, animals and a whole bunch of things but no theme. There a a few reminders from the past sort of off the path like an oil bridge, shoe and other things but it's just not the same.
London could revive the park a few different ways

• Get back on coarse and make the park true to the name, failytales never loose their value. Forget using bigger attractions to gain attendance if people want that they go to East Park. Keep Storybook Gardens simple, fun and family oriented and it will survive.
• If you don't want to stay on theme then rename it. A new identity not only give a fresh start but a chance to separate from the fairytale theme and take on a more modern approach. It would be a shame to see the Storybook Gardens theme gone but it is also a shame to keep reading about how poor it is doing.

One thing for sure London must really focus on Storybook Gardens and try to pull it from it's financial slump. Raising admission, paying to park is not the way to do it. These plans of attack will eventually turn Storybook in to a ghost town and that's not a good theme to go with.

London is an amazing city full of amazing people and places. I'm sure if everyone put there heads together a solution can be found.

How Do I Fit In? Avoiding Bullying and Teasing

Trying to fit in and being bullied are things all children face. These are also areas that children with Aspergers struggle with daily. In his book "Aspergers and Girls" Tony Atwood discusses the topics of bullying and teasing. Although he discusses the interactions between girls in this book much of the material still applies to boys as well.
One trait with Aspergers is the inability to analyze social situations, read facial cues, or even be aware when situations aren't as they might appear to be. Joking and sarcasm are often misunderstood and taken literally. These social cues can be learned by people with Aspergers but usually don't come intuitively. Teaching using social stories, watching movies and commercials and even "people watching" in public can help show social situations and what facial cues and body language are being used between people. When trying to make friends and fit in teaching body language is essential. They must learn what clues are saying "I am friendly" or "don't bother talking to me". They also should be aware of their own body language to know how to look approachable and friendly. Observe their interactions with others and discuss privately what may be inappropriate and what may be more appropriate in the future.
In Tony Atwood's book "Aspergers and Girls" he lists a few books that can help in explaining fitting in, making friends, bullying, teasing, and more. Some are the award-winning American Girl books called "The Smart Girl Guide to Friendship Troubles", "Guide to Sticky Situations" and "Guide to Middle School". Another book is called "Queen Bees and Wannabees" which the movie "Mean Girls" was based on.
Bullying can sometimes be relentless and is really intimidating. Obviously there is physical bullying but can also include gossiping, rumor spreading and cattiness. The Aspergers child may be totally unaware of the bullying or what it means. This can change at any time though. Other times they are completely aware but lack the social skills to know how to handle the situation correctly. Many can begin acting out at others, cry, turn inward, act childish, or become depressed. Many times they will not report bullying and teasing because of their inability to deal with the situation. They are needing help but may be unsure how to get it because they are not able to fully explain the situation. Asking children/teens about their friendships, daily interactions and even directly asking if anyone is teasing or bullying them is something parents and teachers need to do often.
Teasing is usually about something the recipient is insecure with or in this situation about a disability. Teasing can also be relentless and cause humiliation. Gossiping usually accompanies teasing and turn into rumors that can become hard to clear up or stop.
Explain when teaching social skills that those who bully, tease or gossip are trying to bring attention to themselves at the expense of someone else. They may have self esteem issues, want to build "power "for themselves, establish status and respect out of fear, or just be insecure. Also give them ways to receive help if they are being bullied or teased. They should always feel comfortable talking with their parents. Establish with teachers and school administrators your concerns so they can watch for problems and also be available to talk to. Depending on the situation parents of the other children may need to be called for a discussion and be made aware of the events.
We have been fairly fortunate with our Aspergers daughter. She is in advanced classes at school which means every year she ends up with the same advanced classes students. They have had time to get to know her and her quirks. Teachers have even reported these students stand up for her and watch out for her. They have been observed gently aiding or correcting her when needed. She has had a few minor situations with teasing/bullying which have been dealt with by school administrators. Our doctor made us aware that although she does not display depression now as she grows and becomes more aware of the social atmosphere around her she very well could become depressed as many Aspergers children do. Watching and monitoring her social interactions closely, discussing her feelings, and teaching social skills is the key.
http://www.aspergerssyndrome.today.com

Children Who Are Victims of Bullying - What Can Parents Do to Help?

It can be tempting when we discover that our child is being bullied at school to rush in with our sword blazing to save our poor victimized 'baby'.
Unfortunately this does not do much for the self-esteem of our child. In fact it simply reinforces the idea that they are powerless and that someone else has to come and save them.
So the first step in addressing the whole bully issue is to realise that your job as a parent is to support your child in developing the mindset and strategies to overcome their fear, as opposed to rushing in to make things better.
Before we can do this we also need to be more informed with what is actually going on at school. We can do this by asking our child questions such as:
a) Who is doing the bullying?
b) What are they doing?
c) What does your child do before and after they are bullied?
You can also make some quiet enquiries at school to ask the teachers if they've noticed anything. It's important this is done in no-fuss kind of way. The last thing we want to do is to inflame the situation any further and make it a "big deal".
Once we're fully informed we can then start looking at our own limiting beliefs around our child and being bullied. Simply get a piece of pen and paper and see what comes out. If you find any beliefs that do not serve you or your child, choose to let them go. You can use the tips contained in the Transforming Limiting Beliefs e-book to support you in this process. If you don't already have the book it can be downloaded on The Liberated Parent web page.
Likewise you can look at your limiting beliefs about your self as a parent e.g. What does it mean about me as a parent if my child is being bullied at school? And finally you can look at your and your child's limiting beliefs about 'the bully'.
Having let these limiting beliefs go, replace them with beliefs that will empower both you, your child and the bully. You can share these empowering beliefs with your child e.g. I am powerful and worthy of respect. You can then support your child to practice feeling these empowering beliefs at a10 out of 10 while visualizing 'the bully'.
Once you address these beliefs look at strategies to support your child such as coaching them on their posture, eye contact and assertive language they can use with aggressors e.g. "It's not okay for you to" .... "Stop ..... ." You can actually role play this until you feel your child's conviction and power coming through. It's important to teach your child to respond assertively to undesirable behavior as opposed to just "ignoring" the bully, which nine times out of ten simply encourages the bully to continue.
Encouraging your child to take up a martial art or a physically demanding sport will also build their physical self-confidence and ability to stand up for themselves. Finally take a look at what's happening around the home in terms of how family members are treating one another. If you notice yourself or other people in the family being belittled or victimized make a conscious effort to address this.
An accompanying video is available with the author discussing How To Deal With Bullying.
About the Author
Dixon Hammer is a life coach who for the past 10 years has been working with children, teenagers and parents to discover the simplest most effective ways to empower and to transform their lives. He is the author of The Liberated Parent Online Course.
Permission Is granted to publish this article electronically in publications as long as the resource box is included without any modifications. All links must be active.
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