Archive for March, 2008
Mar
31
Posted by Kayley Kenzie on
March 31, 2008
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by Kayley Kenzie
Leadership education instructs children how to think and prepares them to be leaders in all areas of life: at home, in the community, in business, and in government.
This is the sort of education that most parents would like for their children. I know I want my children to be innovative thinkers.
Historically, most of the greatest leaders and thinkers got their education through mentors and tutors at home.
As the students’ education progressed, they moved on to prep schools. Continuing through the mentor approach, they would study the classics.
Ultimately, it is the mentor system that develops leaders. Sadly, the leaders that we usually think of in America are trained to be professionals and specialists, not true leaders.
Today’s nation is mostly comprised of followers who are blind to the problems in the current system. If the following generation is going to have a hope of overcoming this problem, it’s our responsibility to teach them how to be leaders who can make an impact in the world.
There are four important components in leadership education: Mentors, time, and classics.
Time. Students need time to learn. It is important to have some kind of structure for your child to learn, such as 5 days a week for 5 hours a day for older students.
This will allow enough time for your child to read and study. Younger students will not need so much time.
Mentors and Classics. We won’t separate these two factors of leadership education because learning how to think well is attained through discussion of the classics.
When the student is reading, it is just as essential for the mentor to read it. Ideally, the student and the teacher alike should write down key ideas in a reading journal.
You can start the day off with a math lesson for the first hour, and writing or discussion with a mentor during the last hour. The time in between can be used for free reading, studying, and experimenting.
For centuries, this type of learning has been the means for acquiring knowledge and skills needed for leaders.
With leadership education, you will be encouraged to find a mentor who can read and study the classics with your children. Although most people are familiar with certain literature and history classics, there are classics for practically all subjects.
There are even classics in science, such as Newton’s Principia Mathematics. I wouldn’t suggest starting out with this, but when the time comes to read a mathematic classic, try it out.
If you want your child to think logically and clearly, leadership education will provide the foundation. If you plan to mentor your child, you must be certain that you are a great thinker and learner yourself.
Mar
31
Posted by Kayley Kenzie on
March 31, 2008
by Kayley Kenzie
Attending a homeschooling convention to select your homeschool curriculum can be refreshing. It leaves you reflecting over the myriad of possibilities that are available.
Or perhaps it simply leaves you feeling more dizzy and confused than before you ever attended.
Maybe you’re the sort of parent who enjoys browsing through catalogues and choosing what looks best. You might prefer purchasing through the internet, mail, or phone. Maybe you’d rather get in touch with the salesperson rather than the other way around.
You might instead be the kind of homeschooler who prefers surfing the web to find exactly what you need.
Regardless of how you shop for your homeschool curriculum online, through a catalog, or at a homeschool convention, here are some important suggestions to consider when making your choices:
* Be familiar with your children’s strengths, weaknesses, and interests. Knowing these factors will help you decide the best material. The resources you choose should not only enhance your child’s strengths, but also address your child’s weaknesses and turn them into strengths.
* Understand what your family is about. Are you a religious family? Do you have special needs children? Maybe you would like to travel more. When choosing a homeschool cirriculum, it is essential that you take these factors into account.
* How does your child learn? Knowing your child’s learning styles are an important consideration when making curriculum choices. Is your child a visual, auditory, or hands-on learner?
* What are your family’s long-term goals? Does your child have goals for him/herself? If you and your child have a goal for him/her to run their own business, you should look for resources to help you accomplish this.
* How much are you willing to spend? Some families who homeschool feel fine about “borrowing” or photocopying curriculum. I personally don’t think this is fair. That doesn’t mean you have to choose expensive curriculum or leave your family destitute. If you plan ahead, you’ll be able to budget the costs.
* What philosophy appeals to you when it comes to homeschooling? There are many different schools of thought when it comes to homeschool cirriculum philosophies. Some examples include unscooling, Classical, Christian, accelerated, literature-based, textbook, and unit studies.
* If you have lots of children and work part-time on the side, it is essential that you take time into consideration. As you purchase a curriculum, you need to think about the time that is also put into your child’s activities and co-op classes.
Before making any firm decision on homeschool curriculum, it is important to pray for guidance and discuss it with your spouse.
Mar
30
Posted by Candace Wrighting on
March 30, 2008
by Kayley Kenzie
Parents choose homeschooling for various reasons. It appears that there is an increasing amount of children who receive this type of education.
The reason more children are being homeschooled varies from family to family. But in general, there are three big reasons why parents decide to take the initiative to teach their children at home.
I’ve been reading lots of different homeschool curriculum reviews. What I found is that the biggest reason parents take their children out of public school is because the system is not giving their children a quality education.
The public education system of America is struggling to give our children an adequate education. Much of this struggling is a result of out-of-date textbooks, inferior equipment, and unfit buildings.
When parents decide to homeschool their children, they have hands-on control over what kind of education their children will get.
The second reason I read about in homeschool curriculum reviews was the desire for parents to determine what kind of influences their children were exposed to.
In many cases, this is based on religious preferences, but in any case, a homeschooling atmosphere will provide a child to learn proper values that important to the family. Families can also determine when a child is ready for certain information.
Public schools are known to not encourage good disciplinary measures. Because of this, kids know they can get away with a lot: Students are known to disrupt and sabotage classes, showing complete disregard for teachers and the learning of their peers.
Discipline is one of the important elements of a homeschooling education.
The safety factor is another big reason I frequently read about in homeschool curriculum reviews. All you have to do is skim a newspaper to see that violence is become more and more prevalent in public schools.
It doesn’t look like it’s getting any better. The acts of violence seem to grow deadlier over the years. After the Columbine High School shooting, there have been other incidents around the nation involving guns.
A homeschool education provides a safe and secure environment, whereas there is a greater risk of harm in public school.
Homeschool curriculum reviews also mention some other disadvantages, and some of them bring up the involvement of the state when you decide to educate your children at home.
Some states require that the person teaching is a certified teacher and that the learning materials are state-approved.
Sometimes parents are afraid that by homeschooling their children, they might block from them athletic and musical opportunities.
Socialization is one of the most commonly voiced fears. People are often afraid that children will lack social skills if they don’t interact with peers.
There are obvious ways around these disadvantages. It is important, however, while reading homeschooling curriculum reviews to look at the pros and cons, especially from state to state.
Mar
30
Posted by Rashel Dan on
March 30, 2008
by Rashel Dan
Head louse treatment may be harder than you think. When you treat your child for head louse, you have to consider some things. Here are some head louse treatment facts.
Fact #1: Some lice may resist treatment.
Chemical based head louse treatment products used to be thoroughly effective. Recent studies show though that some lice have grown resistant to some products. This is why lice don’t all die even when you follow product instructions. This is also the reason why you shouldn’t immediately get angry or complain that you have been misled by a head louse treatment product. Some manufacturers simply cannot control how lice develop chemical resistance.
Fact #2: Resistance can develop from improper use of products.
This resistance to louse products are sometimes our fault. Lice sometimes develop resistance against typical head louse treatment products through the fault of some consumers. Studies again suggest that the improper application of some head louse treatment products may result in promoting resistance among lice.
Fact #3: Some products are only effective if meticulously used.
The best way for you to prevent promoting product resistance among lice is to follow product instructions to the letter. You should strictly follow instructions as to the amount, frequency and duration of application. This is also the only way you can fairly assess if a specific head louse treatment product works or not. In some cases, you may not have a completely effective product even if you follow instructions strictly. This is if your child has acquired lice that are already treatment resistant.
Fact #4: They’ll keep coming back if you don’t clean up.
Away from host, lice can survive a day or two. This means that even if you have an effective head louse treatment, the lice on bed sheets, clothing, and other things around the house could get right back into your child’s hair. You may have to thoroughly clean your kid’s things and your house to completely get rid of lice. One tip is that lice hate heat so you may have to use your dryer and vacuum to help you.
Fact #5: Regular inspection is needed.
Even with a clean house and the right use of a head louse treatment product, your child may still get lice from friends and family who have it. You should therefore make regular head and hair inspections a home policy. Finding lice at an early time can help prevent severe infestations.
Fact #6: Hygiene education is still partly important.
Experts will tell you that excessive cleanliness cannot prevent lice infestations because lice like clean heads. You can however teach your kids hygiene practices and habits that matter. You can for example instruct them not to share combs, caps and clothing with their friends and classmates. Doing so could spread lice faster since some lice may transfer form one host to another through clothing or other personal possessions. Monitor both your child and his things.
Mar
29
Posted by Deepak Kulkarni on
March 29, 2008
by Deepak Kulkarni
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The first thing you should do when planning your pregnancy is to schedule a visit with your OB/GYN. Let your doctor know that you are planning to become pregnant. You will want to make sure you are healthy and able to carry a pregnancy to term. Planning pregnancy is less risky if you are within the recommended weight range for your height. It will be much easier to get pregnant if you are not under or overweight.
Anxiety and pregnancy fears surrounding labor and birth can also be dispelled with the use of regular relaxation and there are several childbirth preparation CDs which focus specifically on relaxation for labor and birth.
It may seem obvious that raw meat is not advisable for eating, but many pregnant women still eat things like, sushi, seafood, very rare or barely cooked beef, and poorly cooked poultry. Eating food like this certainly carries the risk of being contaminated with salmonella, Coli form bacteria and Toxoplasmosis.
Smoking in general can cause health problems. Even if you don’t smoke, being around someone who does smoke during your pregnancy can increase chances of health problems for you and your unborn child.
If you are worried about weight gain during pregnancy, a great alternative to dieting is light exercise. You may not have loved it before your pregnancy, but learn to love it now as it will definitely pay off in the long run by keeping your baby healthy and your body fit. Light exercises will not harm your pregnancy so try swimming, yoga and walking.
Another common problem is fatigue. It’s not surprising really considering the enormous stress you are putting on your circulatory system to ensure your developing baby gets the nutrients it needs to grow. The best advice for fatigue is to get plenty of rest. Take naps, and go to bed early.
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It is much more beneficial for you and your baby to choose healthful food options. If you are craving ice cream, skip the Ben and Jerry’s and reaches for low fat frozen yogurt. This tastes great and gives you a serving of much needed calcium for you and your baby.
You won’t be able to avoid stretch marks entirely. It will assist if you gain only the recommended amount of weight (usually 25 to 35 pounds), and do so slowly. Using a quality shielding lotion may ably help the skin retain moisture and stay supple, minimizing the effects. Stretch marks usually fade and become less noticeable after delivery.
Lack of sufficient calories is a more reasonable concern. If you are a heavy exerciser you must be sure to eat adequate amounts of food to meet both your own needs and those of your developing baby. You are supposed to gain about twenty pounds, regardless of your weight before pregnancy. No woman should use exercise or food restriction to attempt weight loss while she is pregnant.
You should use common sense when deciding which activities are safe. Above all, listen to your own body, and if you’re still worried, discuss your concerns with your doctor. Die-hard exercisers may disagree, but it’s not the end of the world if you have to cut out your workout routine for a short period. The most important outcome of your pregnancy, after all, is a healthy baby and mother.
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Mar
29
Posted by Kayley Kenzie on
March 29, 2008
by Kayley Kenzie
I read many different homeschool reviews before I made the decision to homeschool my children. It was by reading about different parents’ experiences that helped me see the freedom you have when you can expand your child’s curriculum beyond the four to five mandatory core subjects.
One of the most interesting homeschool reviews I read was about a mother who incorporated a home-based business into her child’s education.
As she reflected on her homeschooling experience, she said that her child was intellectually well-rounded thanks to this learning. She believed it helped give her child the skills need to thrive in an ever-changing economy.
As job security is on the decline. For many years it was a common mentality to expect a job right out of college or trade school. Most people thought that once a job was attained that you usually stayed there. This is not the case for most of us in this era.
As I read homeschool reviews, I learned that people chose the homeschooling approach to help give their children the best education possible.
In a homeschool setting, parents strive not only to give their children the best education, they also want their children to be confident and successful.
Most children aren’t exposed to business courses in public or private schools, and they certainly aren’t taught what it takes to start one. This homeschooling mother knew that fact.
If you want to be a mom who works from home and homeschool too, you can do it; and maybe even more efficiently with help from your children. You can teach them how to start up and maintain there own home-based business.
I found this extremely fascinating. Not only is there the potential to earn extra money through your own business, you could encourage your children to save up for their own future.
The money is a big plus, but the lessons learned along the way are invaluable. Can you imagine having a child that knows how to budget, understands the basics for business taxation, advertising, and assigning others to help with the project?
All of these lessons will give your children the skills for building their own financial security, skills that will be with them forever.
Never would I have imagined teaching your child to run a business unless I read those homeschool reviews. Your child could come up with great ideas for marketing, invent a product, or come up with a solution for a common problem that takes off. It’s a wonderful idea to help your child understand how a free market economy works.
You might have your child do research for a product and see what kind of marketing strategies they develop. Your child could also read up on the competition.
I agree with this homeschooling mom that learning about creating a home-based business could be a great supplement to your homeschool curriculum.
Mar
28
Posted by Kayley Kenzie on
March 28, 2008
by Kayley Kenzie
It is not necessary to spend a lot of money on homeschooling curriculum or homeschool books. Just by doing a little bit of research, you will be able to locate many resources to help build your own curriculum without making you broke.
In my opinion, it is better to create your own curriculum because you can quickly change or adapt a lesson to fit the needs of your child. If you find something at the last minute that works better for you and your child, you can incorporate it very easily.
One of the first things we do as a family is choose literature selections for the semester. We like to try and finish five to seven books per semester. We don’t have to buy specialized homeschool books for spelling or vocabulary. We use the literature that we have chosen to do this.
Just as an example, my kids will keep notebooks where they write down words and definitions they’re working on. These same words will be their spelling words for the following week.
For our history lessons, we focus on the time period of the literature we are reading. We then implement science lessons by researching the scientific discoveries of each time period.
When we format our homeschooling like this, it leads to some fascinating discussions at mealtimes.
When you approach learning this way, you have the flexibility to make adjustments according to your child’s interest: You can study a work of literature in-depth, or you can just cover the basic facts. Unlike the hard rules of homeschool books, you can freely make changes when you create your own curriculum.
One thing we do use regular homeschool books is for math. However, we try to turn the standard math worksheets into something more interesting that will help the children incorporate the math skills into everyday life. For example, when we work on fractions, we do a lot of cooking.
It’s important to understand your child’s interests and needs, since this is a key component in creating curriculum for your child. When you build your own curriculum, you are better able to help your child in ways that the public school system couldn’t.
Don’t worry about forking over a fortune just to buy homeschool books. You can build the curriculum your family needs by basing it around great literature.
Mar
28
Posted by Dr. Noel Swanson.. on
March 28, 2008
by Dr. Noel Swanson..
The most effective parenting skill in establishing child discipline is working together. It is effective in dealing with behavior problems of children of all age groups and children of your own or your spouse’s from a previous relationship. Biological or foster parents can benefit from this skill of team work.
Children are experts in manipulating situations to their advantage. They know that if they can’t get something from one parent, they can always turn to the other. This not only creates unnecessary misunderstanding between the parents but also teaches the children to be opportunists. They get wrong ideas and learn to use unfair means to get their way. This can be avoided through team work.
This is why working together as parents is essential to the welfare and stability of a home and well as a valuable parenting skill. The first thing to do is to sit down and have a meeting - just the parents - and work out a system that works for you as parents.
You can divide the activities between you; that is the most practical and effective team work. After all, you can’t agree on everything, but if you divide the areas of activity, each has the freedom to carry it out to the best of their ability. For example, one parent can handle outdoor activities while the other handles indoor activities..
It’s a good idea to establish a norm that children must take the approval of both parents in each situation. This works very well in most situations except at times when one parent is not available.
Once you have decided about the methods to be used, you need to agree on the rules and steps to follow. Once you’ve decided, then go to your children and explain the situation.
Your children must have the perception that you work together as a team. It will help the older children to understand the situation and it will deter them from future parent playing. It works for smaller children just as well too, because establishing this routine will prevent parent playing from occurring.
Apart from establishing child behavior, parents need to work together to take crucial decisions like schooling and education of the children, faith and religion that they will follow and other important matters. Both parents should be in agreement about how to bring up their children. However, agreeing to disagree is also a part of team work, as long as parents can be cordial and pleasant about it. The important thing is that children should feel that parents work as a team. You can iron out your differences alone but must present a picture of working together to the children.
Mar
27
Posted by Kayley Kenzie on
March 27, 2008
by Kayley Kenzie
Most people when they think of homeschools, think of children that are socially inept or aren’t allowed to participate in great learning opportunities. Some people even think that parents who choose to homeschool their children are radicals and a little odd.
This is ironic, since most parents who start homeschools have college degrees and their children’s best interests at heart: They want their children to have a better education. Good homeschooling programs undermine the stereotypes linked to social development.
I have found other family homeschools where I live. By reaching out, we have established a co-op that allows around ten homeschooled children to meet and learn together.
I’m also quite a fan of music lessons and club athletic teams. My children are socially competent and well-rounded.
When you decide to homeschool, there are plenty of different methods and schools of thoughts to select from. Some of them are eclectic, theme-based, Classical, Christian, and natural learning. You’ll want to research all these different techniques to figure out which is best for your family.
When I did my research, I found that a lot of the methods and available resources are duplicates of the materials that public schools use.
It’s important to be aware of the potential problems that can crop up when using materials that concentrate on performance-based education. These resources have a tendency to stifle creative thinking.
Families that are just starting homeschools have a great task ahead of them to determine which method is best and addresses the needs of each of their children. Sometimes multiple methods are chosen in a family.
Each child has his or her own way of learning, something that is important to realize. That’s one of the best things about homeschools: Parents can help make their children’s strengths even better, and help improve weak areas.
Families that are learning about homeschools and how to run one, should stay current on the information and resources that are available. There are some great publications out there that can help you with ideas and homeschooling issues.
In addition, you can even find courses and tutors online that can all help you supplement your homeschool curriculum. Homeschools can have the full benefit of catering to the needs of the child.
Mar
27
Posted by Jayna Ginny on
March 27, 2008
by Jayna Ginny
In the United States, car seat companies’ products must pass certain crash test and safety ratings in order to be sold on the market.
Despite these regulations, not all car seats are created equal, and there is no way we can find out which are the safest car seats based on these tests; manufacturers aren’t legally required to release this information. But at the very least, we can be assured that each car seat sold in the United States meets or exceeds the regulations.
Each year, Consumer Reports does do independent crash test ratings of car seats. It should be noted, however, that these tests are often discounted by scientists for various reasons, including past mistakes, and what they consider poor reporting and poor parameters. However, it may be a good starting point.
Consumer Reports has written about its top picks over the years. Do remember, however, that even the safest car seat in the world is only as safe as the user. If you don’t install it properly or use it properly each time your child rides in the car, then of course it’s not safe.
Consumer Reports’ most recent test included eleven rear-facing infant car seats. It was a retest of the previous year’s test, which had some errors. All eleven seats met governmental crash test standards when attached using the seat belt and when using the LATCH.
(LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children.) Again, we find the United States’ pass/fail system fails to provide us a “best” and “worst” model.
Consumer Reports addresses this problem by trying to identify the safest car seats. They do it by rating the car seats on Ease of Use and Fit to Vehicle. These two things will have an enormous impact on the safety of car seats.
You won’t be able to install the car seat safely if it doesn’t fit properly in the car. If the car seat is difficult to install, someone is more likely to install it improperly and unsafely.
Using these guidelines, Consumer Reports rated the Chicco Key Fit as the safest car seat. The second safest car seat was the Britax Companion.
For the Best Buys, Consumer Reports deemed Baby Trend Flex-Loc and Graco SnugRide as having the best value and features for your money.