08/31/2001

Girls in Technology: Update

and

Are We Spending Too Much On Our Children?

Q1: Last year you posted an article about the CT Girls and Technology Network and its excellent conferences for middle school girls. Do you have information about this year's programs? Is the Network still operational?

A: The CT Girls and Technology Network is thriving and is proud to announce a series of Girls and Tech EXPOs for CT middle school girls. Building on the success of the First Annual Girls and Tech EXPO, hosted last fall by the University of Connecticut Schools of Engineering and Education, they have four more in the works. The fall 2001 EXPO will be at Quinnipiac University and is described below.

In the spring, Housatonic Community College will host the Girls and Tech EXPO for Bridgeport area middle school girls on Tuesday, March 26, 2002. In September of 2002, they will be back at UConn/Storrs and are in preliminary discussions with Connecticut College for October 2002.

The EXPO at Quinnipiac University is in partnership with State Senator Joseph J. Crisco, Jr. It will be held at Quinnipiac on September 13, 2001, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Expo is aimed at middle school 7th grade girls from south central Connecticut, who will participate in hands-on workshops showcasing a wide variety of tech-related careers. Most of the presenters will be members of the Quinnipiac University faculty, representing a broad range of careers, from mass communications to veterinary technology. In addition to these interactive sessions, the girls will have opportunities to meet girls from other school districts and towns and to ask career-related questions of both Quinnipiac students and women exhibiters after lunch.

The CT Girls and Technology Network, hosted at CT Voices for Children, is a statewide collaborative of business people, educators, and policy makers, in existence for three years. Their goal is to provide opportunities for girls in all areas of technology (arts to engineering), to benefit them as individuals and as members of the highly competent workforce we need in Connecticut.

For further information, call Jean Rozett at CT Voices for Children, 203-498-4240, or Ann Pollina,Westover School, 203-577-4501 .

Jean A. Rozett
CT Voices for Children
33 Whitney Avneue, New Haven, CT 06510

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Q2: Am I spending too much on my child? Kate often asks herself this question, because she believes that she does, in fact, overspend on her daughter.

A: Kate thinks that the answer is, "Yes."

"Could it be because when I grew up our family did not have enough money to get the things that everyone else had?" she wonders. "Or, could it be that this is what our society has evolved to?"

Maybe it's both, she concludes.

"I know people who had the things that everyone else had when they were growing up and overspent on their children as well," she continues. "I realize we all want the best for our children; we want them to be happy, to fit in and to have what we did not. But, are they really happy? Do they really appreciate all the material things we give them, or are we trying to make ourselves happy? I know when I buy my daughter an expensive gift, that I think she will absolutely love .I am the one who is happy."

When her daughter just says "thanks" Kate feels aggravated and unappreciated.

"Is it her shortcoming or mine?" she wonders. "I am beginning to think it is my shortcoming. Have I given her so much that she does not really know how to "appreciate" any longer? Don't get me wrong, she is a great child, but am I doing her an injustice? Will she grow up expecting things handed to her?"

Kate mulls these questions over and wonders whether other parents who overspend on their children feel like she does. Kate believes she should change this situation, making an effort to amend this by giving her daughter chores and an allowance, then expecting her to save money for the things she especially wants. She doesn't want her to grow up overlooking the simple things in life or to become ungrateful and selfish.

As parents, we generally want our children to have a better life than we had, but buying them everything that money can buy won't necessarily make their lives better. In fact, it's something that can create problems.

"I love my daughter," Kate says, "and I spend a lot of time with her. I know she is grateful for that. She needs balance, a healthy balance, and I plan to provide it partly by curbing my spending a bit. By giving her everything she wants, I may hurt her more than help her find happiness. The hard part is changing a pattern I have already created.

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Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.