Bullying is no laughing matter. This is especially true of parents to sensitive children. Yes, maybe some kids could toughen up and such, but is getting made fun of and beat up the way to toughen up? I don’t think so. I feel kids should grow into their own self worth by feeling confident in themselves, never hurt and alone. There are lots of different techniques and ideas about this, each parent is different- as is each child. However, they all share a common thread, the desire to get active and be aware of your kids surroundings. This is easy to say at home, where we can keep an eye on our kids, most times. But what happens at school where parents are not there to protect their children, and the teachers are the responsible adults? How can a teacher hope to contain a group of 30 kids and get them to learn and get them to get along?
How about a little help from the inter-webs. Take a look at, Mentoring Minds and their bullying prevention program and classroom management solutions. Not only are there guides [Read more…]
Mentoring Minds
Tips for Sending Your Kids to College Without Going Broke
Here’s some shocking news: The price of college tuition is not getting any cheaper.
OK, that may not be so surprising, but for those of you who are preparing to send your
high school students away to a university, this tidbit might be: Many financial analysts
predict that the cost of college will rise approximately 6% every annual school year. So,
being that the price tag of an in-state public university is currently averaging around
$22,000 (you can close to double it for a private institution), then you know that for each
year, you need to add about 6%.
It’s definitely something that can take your breath away, but it doesn’t have to seem
so consuming if you simply do some thorough financial planning ahead of time. If you’re
looking for some ways to find the gentle balance between sending your child off to
college without going broke, check out five effective tips below.
Try community college first. You know, there used to be a time
when community colleges carried a bit of an odd stigma to them. Basically, if you were
a student who didn’t have good enough grades to go to “a real school”, it was a suitable
compromise. These days, a lot of people are opting to get an associate’s degree and
one of the main reasons is because it’s a great way to save up some money so that you
can go to a “big school” later. Plus, if you complete your first two years there, the added
bonus is that you enter into a four-year institution as a junior rather than a freshman.
Start up a 529 college savings plan. Something that more and
more families are opting to do is start a 529 college savings plan. The benefits of having
one on the federal level is that it’s tax-free money that you can save up that doesn’t have
a 1099 attached to it until you make your first withdrawal (a withdrawal that only the
donor can make). On a state [Read more…]
Top 5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of a Parent Teacher Conference
Parent teacher conferences, though a dying practice, are essential components to
helping kids do as well as possible academically, emotionally, and socially during their
early schooling years. That 30 minutes appointment with your child’s teacher is the best
way for you and your spouse and your child’s teacher to get on the same page about
your child’s development. Here are 5 tips to help you get the most of your conference.
Prepare
When you know you have your conference looming, start preparing. Take plenty of time
to develop a thorough list of questions or concerns to discuss during the meeting. 30
minutes will fly by so the more prepared you are, the more effective and efficient your
meeting will be. Ask your child about school, the teacher, the class, friends, and anything
else leading up to the conference. This will not only let you see school through your
child’s eyes, you’ll also be able to write down any concerns over what your child has to
say.
Attend
Do your best to pick a time when both parents can attend the conference and then
don’t forget to go! Many teachers report that parents ditch conferences way too often. If
you can’t even make it to one 30-minute conference a year, what does that show your
children about the importance of education?
Listen
Start the meeting by listening to what the teacher has to say and make sure you actually
[Read more…]
Various Types of Tutoring Services: Which Is Right for Your Child?
Even smart, motivated kids may have times where they need a little extra help when it comes to their academic pursuits. And while most parents can provide for this need in the beginning, offering assistance with math, science, history, and language at least through grade school, some adults may lose the ability to help their kids with homework as the subject matter becomes more advanced. Plus, most working parents already have a pretty full plate between the time constraints imposed by holding a job, running a household, and seeing to the many necessities of their family. So they simply may not have much time left over to sit and do homework with their kids. Luckily, there are professionals out there who can provide your children with the extra attention and instruction they need. And there are several types of tutors to consider.
For starters, you may want to look into tutoring programs that are sponsored by your child’s school or community organizations. These generally take place after school and they are meant to help underprivileged children get the help they need when they can’t afford paid tutoring services. In most cases the tutors are volunteers, and they may be teachers, advanced older students, or even college students seeking experience or simply looking to give something back to their community. In any case, your child may be eligible for free services in your area. And while you might balk at instruction that comes from other students, learning from a peer may be more helpful in some cases than learning from a teacher.
Of course, if you have the money to pay for a tutor there are many more options. For example, [Read more…]
Win Dinosaur Train Books
Teaching Kids How to Respond to Medical Emergencies
When we have children, it’s our responsibility to mentor and mold them—to teach them all of the things
that they need to know to thrive as adolescents and young adults. In the midst of teaching them about
manners, hygiene and life values, sometimes other things are inadvertently overlooked; things that are just
as important, like how to respond to medical emergencies.
If this is not something that you’ve given a lot of thought to, but you know that it’s vital to your child’s
personal development, here are three things to teach them about what to do should an unfortunate
circumstance like a medical emergency present itself.
Teach them some important phone numbers. Every day, the news features heart-wrenching stories of
children that witnessed a parent, grandparent or babysitter that was hurt in the home, but they didn’t know
what to do. Depending upon the age of the child and the situation at hand, their ability to assist may be
limited, but they can always call someone. Make sure they know how to dial 9-1-1, along with a couple
of other numbers, including a neighbor and your cell number if you happen to be away at the time. In this
cell phone age, a lot of people do not have home phones. However, if you have a child living with you,
[Read more…]
5 Ways to Help You Child Improve Their Writing Skills
Learning to write is such a huge part of our children’s development. It helps them build confidence,
discover their creativity, and express themselves to the rest of the world. Wherever your children are in
their development, they could always use a helping hand and strong focus on improving their writing skills.
But like everything else with our kids, if it’s not fun, they’re simply not going to do it. And who can blame
them? They’ll have their whole adult lives to do things because they ‘have to’. Childhood is about play,
and even working to improve their writing skills should be as playful as possible. This isn’t about tests or
grades; it’s about giving them the tools to succeed in life. So here’s a look at five ways you can help you
child become a better writer that they’ll actually embrace.
Set up a chalkboard wall. While your child is learning to write, you’re going to want to set up opportunities
for them to experience writing as art. And one great way to do that is by creating a chalkboard wall in
their room. You could buy a chalkboard and set it on an easel or hang it from the wall, but you should try
painting a chalkboard on the wall itself. It’s cheap and easy, and there’s something about a chalkboard that
just encourages kids to write. At first they may use it to draw, but you can sit with them and suggest words
or stories they can connect with their images.
Bring writing wherever you go. You’ve got the chalkboard wall, but opportunities for writing don’t have
to stay in the bedroom and the classroom. Pick up art supplies that will let them practice their writing
wherever they are. Sidewalk chalk is fun and easy to use, and you’ll never have to worry about the mess it
makes. Bathtub paint is another fun options, so they can show you the new words they’ve learned during
bath time. And an etch-a-sketch [Read more…]
Teach My Preschooler Review and Giveaway
As our little guys and gals get bigger and bigger, we all know the day will come when they will pull on their backpack and trot into preschool for the first time.
We all try our best to prepare them as best we can, practicing letters and numbers, reading to them, teaching little lessons about life when appropriate. Often times, the best way to keep your kids interested is by making a game of it, playing with toys and keeping the lessons fun.
It is this way of thinking with got the Teach My Preschooler the iParenting Media award as well as the Dr. Toy Top 100 toy award. With this package, you get 4 packets each, with emphasis on a different preschool subject- math, reading, printing and counting. Each packets has flash cards, foam letters or numbers, activities and tons of different ways to learn and have fun with your kids!
The fun part of Teach My Preschooler is it’s similarities to a board game. So if your kids like playing board games, it can be easy to incorporate this into learning time. Another [Read more…]
