How Parents Can Help Children When They Struggle Academically

February 14, 2013 by 3 Comments

Children that are having a tough time in school often wind up needing a little bit of external assistance when it comes to establishing a sense of motivation. Not every kid loves to head into the classroom, and it can be seriously tough for a child to understand how important scholastic success is. Of course, as parents, it’s not like we can sit our children down and appeal to their logical brains. We don’t always have the option of explaining to our little ones that school is very important when it comes to the future, and instead have to rely on methods that are sometimes a bit more indirect. When you’re trying to help a child that is having a tough time academically, the power struggle is something that you want to avoid at all costs. Children will never learn when they’re upset. If you want to seriously help you child when he or she is having a tough time in school, there are a few good strategies that can help your child find scholastic success and have a great time doing it.

When your child is having a bit of trouble in school, it’s important not to get angry or upset. Of course, many parents feel like they are directly [Read more…]

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How to Get Involved in Your Teen’s College Search

January 22, 2013 by 3 Comments

These days, the prospect of going to college is not reserved only for the privileged few. Students
don’t have to exist within the circle of the wealthy elite in order to continue their education, earn a
degree, and increase their chances for gainful employment and the opportunity to advance in the
workplace. And yet, getting into college and staying the course is no cake walk. With competition high
for admission to most schools, even good grades, extracurricular activities, charity work, and a killer
essay are no guarantee of acceptance, especially if your teen is set on a prestigious school. While they
may not want to listen to the advice of his or her parents, it is your duty to do what you can to help find
the school that is right for them. So here are just a few ways you might get involved in the search.

The first thing to consider is that selecting a school will be, in most cases, his or her first choice as an adult.
As such, you don’t want to interfere too much. That said, you also can’t sit on the sidelines and let them
make a horrible decision that could ruin the rest of their life. You might not be able to stop them, but you
can certainly voice your concerns. And if you happen to be footing the bill for the college experience,
you definitely shouldn’t let anyone go off half-cocked and apply to [Read more…]

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How Prepared Is Your Teen for the College Admissions Process

January 15, 2013 by 5 Comments

A dream that most parents have for their children is for them to get to a place where they are prepared to go to college. That requires having a good education, a solid financial plan and also the know-how as it relates to college admissions. After all, no one can get into college just by walking onto the campus. There is a process of applying that must take place first.

If you have a teen that is getting to graduate from high school and you’re curious about if your child is even ready for the college admissions process, we have a few tips to help you to come to the conclusion that’s best for you and your son or daughter.

Assess if your child is mature enough for college. There was a recent report that revealed that there are a lot of children who may be “smart enough” for the first grade, but they still do poorly because at 5 (and sometimes even 6), they are not emotionally mature enough for the environment. The same can apply to teenagers when it comes to college. There are far too many teens that are sent to a university because “that’s what you do after high school” when the reality is that they need a bit more time to figure who they are and what’s next. You can save a lot of money and disappointment by asking yourself “Is my child mature enough for college?” [Read more…]

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5 Ways to Build a Better Relationship With Your Child’s Teacher

January 11, 2013 by 2 Comments

In school, children start building the educational foundation on which the rest of their lives will
stand. They will learn the fundamentals of basic areas of learning, forge their first lasting friendships,
and build positive relationships with their teachers. As a parent, one of your concerns should be building
your own relationship with your child’s teacher. Follow these guidelines to get to know your children’s
teachers and help the little ones make the most of their time in school.

  1. Introduce Yourself Right AwayOn the first day of school, or even before, try to introduce yourself to your child’s teacher. There may
    be some kind of open house for parents and their children to come get a feel for the school and meet
    the teachers. Take advantage of these opportunities–this will be your first chance to meet the faculty
    and introduce yourself as a caring, involved parent. Getting to know the teachers early is the start of a
    positive parent-teacher relationship.
  2. Stay in Touch Via EmailIt is beneficial for both parents and teachers to stay in touch regularly. Take down the teacher’s email
    address so that you can maintain contact even when you’re too busy for a face-to-face [Read more…]
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Fundamental Money Concepts to Teach Your Kids

January 8, 2013 by 1 Comment

Being a parent (in part) is about instilling education, tools and values into your children that can help them to become thriving adults, right? Well, one of the things that will help that to happen is by making sure that they are smart about money.

As a matter of fact, if you are someone who has had some “hard knocks money experiences” in your adult life, you might want to think back to your own childhood. Oftentimes, when it comes to both the good and the not-so-good, we tend to do what was modeled to us and that’s not always what would have been best.

So, in order to help you raise your child to be a financially responsible individual, we have enclosed five fundamental money concepts that you should teach your children just as soon as they can say “dollar bill”:

Money doesn’t grow on trees. OK, technically, in a roundabout way it does (being that paper comes from trees), but we all know what the saying really means. Money is not something that anyone can just wish for and it suddenly appears in large quantities. It’s something that must be earned. For adults, that’s by having a job. For children, that usually starts by doing chores around [Read more…]

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Teaching Your Kids Basic Skills Before They Leave for College

January 4, 2013 by 1 Comment

Sending the kids off to college inspires mixed feelings in the hearts of parents all over the world. You may be simultaneously proud of your kids for coming so far and working toward their goals, yet also sad and lonely as empty nest syndrome starts to set in. The most common sentiment for parents of new college students is worry: every parent worries about their children for a variety of reasons, but now that they’re going off to college everything is magnified. Reduce your own worries and help your kids find their footing in this new chapter of life by teaching them a few basic life skills before they leave.

Every college student should know how to cook. When you have them living under your roof, it’s easy to promote a healthy and wholesome diet for your children, but all bets are off when they leave for college. Many students put on the Freshman 15, extra pounds that come with the average freshman’s tendency toward junk meals. By teaching your children some basic recipes and cooking techniques, you can help them save both their money and their health by cooking nutritious meals on their own and avoiding the temptations of pizza and french [Read more…]

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Wonder Forge Games Review #GiftGuide

December 24, 2012 by 1 Comment

As my daughters get older, I find myself beginning to instill in her my love of playing games with the family! When we were kids, (and even now) my favorite part about family get togethers was all the games that we used to play. I am so glad to share with you some wonderful kids games .

Wonder Forge has over 50 games that are not only fun, but they also help boost self-esteem and help build on many of the skills that parents are working on with their children already! For my review, I was sent Dazzling Princess Game, Enchanted Cupcake Party Game, Never Land Challenge Game, and Fun Machine. All of these games are for 3 and up, as well as with two or more players.

disney princess game

Dazzling Princess Game is a great game for your young girls! You have to collect sparkling jewels to help decorate your bracelet, ring, and tiara.

This game helps work on:

  • Counting and matching
  • Imaginative Play
  • Turn-Taking and Playing together

 

disney cupcake partyThe Enchanted Cupcake Party Game is another great one for your kids! In this game, you work together to make as many cupcakes as you can before the party begins. You have to follow the recipe cards to pick the perfect fancy liner, frosting, and topper.

This game [Read more…]

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How to Find a Qualified Math Tutor for Your Child

December 15, 2012 by 4 Comments

Children often require a bit more specialized instruction in their studies than they receive in school every day. When children aren’t do well in their math classes, for example, it is not because they’re not intelligent. Many very bright students do poorly in school for any number of reasons–they may have trouble concentrating, or their instructors’ teaching styles may not be those which are ideal for your child. The best thing for students like this is, in almost all cases, a qualified tutor who can provide one-on-one instruction. But how can you find a qualified math tutor for your child?

Start by honing in on your child’s particular learning style. Different children benefit more from different styles of teaching–this has been known for many years. No two brains are exactly alike, and the way we process information varies widely from person to person. This is one of the main reasons that many intelligent children have trouble in math classes. Math instruction involves complicated abstract concepts that are difficult for many children to visualize and understand. If a student who benefits more from visual instruction is stuck with a teacher who can only express these concepts verbally, [Read more…]

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