Great Ideas to Keep Your Kids Busy This Summer

The good ‘ole summer time is just around the corner. Sometimes it seems like it will never get here, but then you blink and the kids are out of school. No one looks forward to summer vacation more than my children. But after about a week at home, they are bored and antagonizing each other (and their mom).

For those of us with very busy lives, it seems inconceivable that anyone could ever tire of just doing nothing. But children are programmed differently. With their growing bodies and growing brains they need more stimulation than we adults do. So keeping kids busy is a good idea as long as you don’t overdo it.

I don’t know about you, but when my kids have a whole day with nothing scheduled, they tend to gravitate toward the TV, computer, MP3 player, or video games. After an entire day of this, they are really cranky! We have found that having an outdoor activity scheduled for each day helps tremendously. One of my daughters plays on a softball team, but simply playing a little game of catch or hitting the ball in the backyard makes all the difference.

Summer camps are another great way to keep kids busy. There is a summer camp that fits every child’s interest. The highlight of my daughter’s summer is her week at an outdoor church camp. She starts planning her trip and packing her bag even before school is out. My other daughter can’t wait to go to a basketball or soccer camp (or both).

Camps are often a cost burden. I remember when I was was a child that there was a ‘Playmobile’ that would pull up to the local elementary school. Since this school was just around the corner, my mom was happy to have her four kids scamper off. And she could stop by after a bit to keep an eye on us. Today, of course, most of us moms don’t just have the kids leave for the local school but you can bring a book and get some reading in while your kids play at the local school grounds – ‘Playmobile’ or not.

And if all else fails, there is the tried and true “play date”. There is nothing like having a friend or the neighbor over to play to get kids away from the television and outside. We’ve also been known to take some of the indoor toys outside or set up a tent in the backyard. By changing the scenery for the well-known toys, they become like new again. Some of those Christmas toys sitting in the closet actually see the light of day. And I get a few minutes to sit in the sun and enjoy my summer!

Child Behavior: How to Regulate Your Child’s TV Watching

Television is a fact of life, and there are few families that don’t have one, or that never watch one. Television can also be educational, informative, and uplifting. But, let’s face it – the vast majority of what is shown on TV is pure drivel – it is far from uplifting or educational, and often portrays behavior that would be quite unacceptable in most social circles. Even worse, it often portrays that behavior as normal, or even desirable.

Another consequence of excessive TV viewing is that it consumes quality time that would otherwise be spent in physical activity or social interaction. Watching television makes lazy viewers of active doers. Instead of playing games in the playgrounds, children become passive spectators. It adversely affects healthy social behavior and turns active children into obese ‘couch potatoes’.

That television influences behaviors is evident from the billions of dollars spent on advertisements. It is the sheer repetition of it that works on the minds of people and comes to surface at the time of making choices.

Ask any parent and they would most likely want to throw the television out of the window, but that doesn’t serve the purpose. You can’t throw the baby with the bathwater. So, let’s be sensible about it and take positive steps to limit your child’s exposure to it. Here are some suggestions:

1. Start with your own behavior. If you spend 4 hours a day watching soaps and sitcoms is it any surprise that your child does too? The biggest challenge for a parent is to be a good role model. It is not what you say, it is what you do that will most influence your kids!

2. If not TV then what? First for yourself, and then for your children, find alternative activities that are healthy and pro-social. The obvious ones are taking up some sports or hobbies – football, hockey, swimming, karate, dancing, painting, scrap-booking, collecting stamps, coins, or butterflies, model railways, woodworking or cross-stitch – the list is endless. But, yes, you actually have to DO something to make this work! If you really just want to relax and chill-out – what about reading a good novel, or even a graphical novel (aka comic book) while listening to your favorite music?

Take a visit to your local recreation center and/or adult education center and see what programs and classes they have on offer. Make a deal with your child that if he attends one of his choice you will offer some incentive.

3. Establish some baseline rules – eg. No TV before school, or after X pm, or during meals. Or maybe have a regular TV-free day: no TV on Tuesdays, for example.

4. Pre-schedule television – ie. People can only watch what has been pre-booked. This cuts out aimless channel surfing. Instead the family will have to look up the TV guide and find something that is actually worth watching.

5. Use television time as a reward for other activities, such as completing household chores, or getting homework done. You will need to draw up some sort of chart to keep track of all this!

6. Watch television together – and then talk about what you viewed. You can discuss the program itself – its values, its quality of acting and scripting – or you can discuss the commercials. Doing the latter is a very valuable exercise as it helps children to be less naive and gullible when it comes to advertising. See if you, as a family, can figure out what strings the adverts are trying to pull to get you to want and buy their product. Do the toys and foods live up to the hype when you actually go and buy them?

7. Remember to be reasonable and fair while turning off the television. Wait till the show is over and give some reasonable warning.

8. You can nip the evil in the bud, so to say, if you stop subscribing to the expensive cable and satellite channels. You can spend the extra money for other activities. This gives you quality time with the family and helps you bond better. A family outing or a home-cooked pizza turns out to be much more fun than watching others do similar things on the screen.

All said and done, beware of going to the other extreme. Don’t become overly critical of the television either. Remember, excess of everything is bad. Be selective. Find the good programs and watch them together. Engage in physical activities and be more sociable. Very soon you will wonder how you and your kids ever found the time to watch so much of television.

10 Step To Helping Your Teen Deal With Peer Pressure

I thought I had seen it all. As a mother of 5, I was used to dealing with a messy house, skinned knees and sibling rivalry. I am sure I could write a book on each of these subjects. While they seemed difficult at the time, I have found recently that they were pretty easy to deal with compared to what I am dealing with now. You see, I now have a teen! When your child is young, almost any problem can be whisked away with a hug and a kiss.

As of a few days ago, I have a teenager! Now the problems are much more difficult. Raising young children is easy. If something goes wrong, all you have to do is give them a few kisses, a quick hug, and maybe a few minutes on mom or dad’s lap.

The issues that face teenagers, drugs, alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy, smoking, aren’t quite so easy to solve. These problems need a well thought out plan to address their many complexities.

Prior to their teenage years, we spend a lot of time teaching our kids right from wrong. As your kids, figuring out what is right and what is wrong isn’t so easy. It takes a lot of preparation and a lot of coaching from you. Teen peer pressures can distorte the viewpoint of even the best kid. Here are several strategies you can use to address teen peer pressure.

1. Who am I really?: One of the biggest things a teen is trying to figure out is who they really are. A lot of the information they use to figure this out comes from other teens. This may not be the best source of information for your teen to use. Spend time talking to your teen. Get the to visualize and verbalize who they want to be and what they believe in. You need to help them really understand what their belief system is and why it is important to them. Then, whenever they have to make a decision, have them ask themselves if their decision fits the picture of who they want to be.

2. Know what you are getting into: Any time your teen leaves the house, make sure that the both of you know what you are getting into. Ask as many questions as you need to until you are both comfortable that your teen will be safe. This is not the time to be shy.

3. Can I ask you something?: Practice having your kids ask questions of their friends. What will we be doing? Will your parents be there? Who else will be there? They might be embarrassed the first time, but it could help them avoid a situation they would be uncomfortable in.

4. HELP is just a phone call away!!!!: Your teen may find himself or herself in a situation that they know you would not approve of. Make sure they know that they can call you for help no matter what situation they find themselves in. Your teen needs to feel confident that they can count on you when they need you most.

5. Lights, camera, Action: Role playing, with you as your teen’s friend can really help your child be ready for a difficult situation. Pretend that you are your teen’s friend and try to talk your teen into situations they should avoid. Be clever and persistent like your teen’s friends would be. Coach them on how to handle different situations.

6. Make me the bad guy: Your teen is most likely afraid of looking like a “goody two shoes”, even though they may want to do the right thing. Tell your teen it’s ok to blame you. Have them try “No way, my dad would kill me if I did that. It’s not worth it”. It’s likely that their friends will be able accept that excuse.

7. What is a “real friend”: Ask your teen why a good friend would ask them to do something that they were uncomfortable with. Your teen should examine the motives of that “friend”. Maybe they really aren’t a friend.

8. How do you define cool?: Who does your teen think is cool? Ask them to make a list (FYI – If you make the list, this is going to be a lot easier). Ask them to tell you why they thing these people are cool. Point out to your teen that people who are cool are not cool because they follow the crowd, but because they do their “own thing”. You are not cool when you follow the crowd, but you are when you blaze your own path.

9. Confidence Building 101: Being a parent is hard work. Sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in what isn’t right, what isn’t getting done that we loose focus on what is right. Our teens need to hear how much we respect them, how much we love them, and how proud we are of them. If they don’t get positive reinforcement from us, they will turn to their friends even more. Try bragging about your teen to another parent when your teen can “accidentally overhear you. They will beam!

10. Its family time: Your teens are going to have a ton of tough choices to make. They best way to help them make the right choices is to give them a strong foundation of love and support. Make sure that you block off time to spend as a family just having fun. It’s a great time for your teen who can relax and just be themselves without having to worry about peer pressure.

One final thought. Both your teen and you are going to make mistakes. It is important to forgive each other when you do and stick to these guidelines.

Baby Boy Name – It Makes Or Breaks Your Baby’s Life

Today when it comes to choosing a baby boy name there are thousands that prospective parents are now able to choose from. No longer are they restricted to using the more traditional ones that have been passed down through the generations in their families but they may decide to go for something a little more unique instead.

Easy as it may seem, new parents are really torn among so many suggested names to be chosen for their newborn that, going to the internet to search for the most perfect baby names only makes things more dim as it’s a typical case of “Information Overload” in terms of choosing a baby name.

Choosing a baby boy name is often a challenge. If you’re tired of all the ‘normal’ ones why not consider something a little different? Choosing a baby boy name can be a real minefield! Will the name suit the baby?

1. Choosing different brain baby names is unparalleled of the incomparably prerequisite decisions you contract do for your baby. A well-chosen name for baby boys actually ranks second in importance apart from actually giving life and a good future to your child. Choosing a beautiful name which creates awful initials might be problematic; choosing a new spelling for a name will cause trouble for your child in the future, etc. Discuss these issues between you, and also with family and friend.

2. Choose a name for your boy that has some historical meaning as this will further provide you with a wide range of names. When carrying out your search for names like these on websites such as babynamesworld.com they have a search facility called meaning and all you put in there is a specific keyword and it will provide you with a list of names that relate to the keyword typed in. Such keywords you may want to consider using are brave or knowledgeable.

3. It’s so easy to do a search on the internet to find some good inspirational thoughts about what name to use for your baby boy that it is the method of choice when it comes to looking for finding an uncommon or unique name for the baby boy.

There are basically two main groups of parents when it comes to how they actually come up with “the” most perfect name for their baby son – one is always looking for the new names to use; while the other type is to stick with the good old ones such as Peter, John, and Mary…etc

Choosing a name for your baby boy is an important task and one that should not be taken lightly. Which name do you choose and what does it mean? Choosing baby boy names is one of the most interesting points for those parents expecting a boy. It’s a wonder to expect a baby, no matter which sex it will be of.

Ways To Help A Child Cope With Divorce

When a child’s parents have no option left open to them but to separate then they will find a number of different ways that can help them to cope with the situation and feelings that they have. It is important therefore for a child’s parents to remember that they should be provided with ways in which they can easily express how they feel about the matter. Below we offer a few ways in which you as the father can help your child to cope when you and your spouse choose to separate and divorce.

Suggestion 1 – It is crucial that you and your partner remain as friendly as possible towards each other and at all times you must remain civil towards one another when in the presence of your children. When you are going to tell your children that you and your wife are to divorce it is best if you do it together rather than separately as this will ensure that they do not feel as if they are to blame for the situation.

Suggestion 2 – Once you and your partner have separated, you need to make your children aware that although living with their mother they are still welcome at your home any time. It is therefore that you make your home as inviting and comfortable as the home in which they would normally be residing. If you can arrange to have some of their personal belongings transferred to your new home.

Suggestion 3 – Throughout the divorce proceedings it is important that you allow your children to be able to freely express how they feel about the whole situation. In most cases they will not be able to tell you straightaway just how they feel about what is happening, so you should be prepared to be available and willing to listen when they are.

When many parents choose to divorce a lot of children in order to cope with the situation will start to act in ways that are very uncharacteristic. Rather than preventing them from doing something or shouting at them, it is much better if you just talk to them and try to get them to tell you exactly why they are acting the way they are. Also you need to remind them on a constant basis that although you and your partner are no longer in love with each other it does not mean that you do not love them either.

Suggestion 4 – At all times it is crucial when you are alone with your children that you do not speak at all in a negative way about their other parent. This could end up in losing you their trust and love and may result in you losing them altogether.

Many parents will often rely on their children more heavily when the divorce is happening or when it has been finalized. But if you want your child to cope with the situation more easily it is far better to let them lead as normal a child’s life as you possibly can.

Certainly one of the best suggestions would be to any parent when going through divorce proceedings to help a child to cope with divorce is to make sure that you allow your children the chance to express how they feel. Along with allowing them this you should also provide them with an environment that is loving and which will assure them that you still love them as much as you did before the divorce took place.

Should I Start Homeschooling?

Are you planning to start homeschooling your children? You might be feeling intimidated or overwhelmed, but you don’t have to be. You love your children and want them to have the best education possible–what more could a child ask for in a teacher?

God gave parents the responsibility and the right to teach their children; the public education system can’t match what you can give to your child. Once you decide to start homeschooling, you will be giving your children the best education possible.

Even if you feel like you don’t have the necessary skills or knowledge to teach your children, that doesn’t have to be a problem. You can teach your child what you already know, and when it’s time to learn a subject where your knowledge is limited, you can learn it along with your children.

Many people are concerned about money when they start homeschooling. Fortunately, homeschooling can be cheap or even free. If you are able to buy curriculum, choose with caution and prayer.

If you live close to a public library, you have a fantastic resource at hand. The library isn’t just the place to go for a book selection: You can also tale advantage of the selection of magazines, videos, tapes, foreign language aids, computer equipment, homeschooling programs, and phonics tapes.

In the meantime, build your own library at home. You don’t have to spend much money to buy high quality books: You can find bargains online, at garage sales, and in thrift stores.

Once you start homeschooling, you will realize that the process begins with the basics. One of the best things you can do with your child is read aloud. It is important to emphasize the importance of the written word at all ages.

If your children are nearly at the age where they would just start going to public school, you can start homeschooling by easing them into a routine. You can teach one lesson at a time until your child starts having success.

It’s best to begin with phonics. You can soon move on to other subjects such as reading, writing in cursive, and creative writing. You’ll also want to bring math into the picture eventually.

If you take the time to look, you’ll find plenty of resources geared to help you teach all these subjects. You can start homeschooling right away and feel successful. With these resources, you know you won’t have to do it alone.

Do You Spend Quality Time With Your Children

Sometimes we have a tendency to get so wrapped up in our busy schedules that we do forget about quality time with our children. This isn’t referring to time in the car taking the kids to school or dance practice. This refers to good old quality time between a parent and their child. This may seem difficult when a lot of parents are working two jobs, going to school to further their education, or even taking care of sick family members. It may seem impossible to find the time to do interactive things such as playing games, practicing flash cards, doing crafts, and other activities that are important to a child’s development.

The good news is that there are ways for busy parents to still help their kids learn despite their busy schedules. It just takes a little bit of creativity.

Utilizing time well

Organizing time is the key to being able to spend time with your children. If you’re going back to school, try to organize your school schedule to the best of your ability to free up some of your time. The same is not as easily said for work schedules, but there are some cases in which an employer will allow the reorganization of a work schedule. It more or less depends on the type of industry that you work in. Some parents have even had their children’s bus drop the kids off at their work or the kids walk to the place of work. Here, the parent can spend time with their children while waiting for the other parent to pick them up.

Multitasking is another way to be able to spend time with the children. While dad is doing chores throughout the house, daughter can be getting her homework done. If he is working around the kitchen, she can do her homework at the kitchen table so that he can help her when she needs it. Even if you have to wait in the car for prolonged periods of time, having the kids do homework in the car is a great way to have quiet time and be available when they need you.

Making routines out of these two things can make a huge difference. Doing some of the same things repeatedly gets the kids and you used to doing them and it will become a way of life. Children are always learning and making it a routine to do things such as talk to them or help them with their homework enhances the learning experience considerably.

Getting help

It also helps if you can find others to help you. This is especially true for single parents. A good babysitter may be able to help the kids with their homework if you can’t be there. Maybe there is even a summer program or afternoon program that your child can go to until you are able to pick them up and have great conversation in the car on the way home. Even having a grandparent or a friend help out is a great way to keep your child moving where he or she needs to go.

As you can see, there are some creative ways to spend time with your child even if you need a little help here and there. In the end, you will find time to spend with your child even if it is for a little while before bedtime. Doing little things such as reading a book, telling stories, playing educational games making sure your child gets to where they need to be when they need to be there shows that you care and support them in the things they want to do.

What to Do When Your child is Expelled from School

The British have increased their media and news coverage regarding misbehaving children in school in recent days. The topic usually ends with a solution that centers around removing troublemakers from the traditional classroom setting.

This time the discussion was little bit different though. The new twist is that the notion that parents should stay home and watch their children once the kids have been kicked out of school for misbehaving.

This doesn’t make any sense and is a nuisance to parents. The discussion also describes letting special schools stay open or even building new special schools for these children.

The child has been kicked out of the regular classroom which demonstrates that they are having a tough time fitting in with the usual student setting. Then the solution must include finding an educational setting where the students can actually thrive, right?

So, if your child has been kicked out for bad behavior, what do you do? Here are my thoughts on it, having been through it ourselves with our eldest:

1. You have not failed as a parent. Don’t waste time having a pity party for yourself. Perhaps your parenting skills could use some improvement, but that is the case for just about everyone. Try to be a better parent by actively seeking out information through books and materials on raising kids.

2. Do not blame it all on your child’s school. Your school does care for your child and maybe the mishandled education of your child is due to issues beyond their boundaries like not having enough resources or inadequate teacher training.

3. Ask for help from the local education authority (LEA). They should be able to supply an alternative learning setting for your child. You need to be persistent when you contact them, but avoid being mean. You can ask your politicians and newspapers to help you get the engine humming if you need to.

4. DO be prepared to consider alternative placements, such as special schools or even residential placements. Better to deal with it now, than to have your child growing up with the bad behaviors!

5. DO consider the possibility of problems such as ADHD and Asperger’s being at the root of the problems. The right environment makes and enormous difference for children such as these, which is why it is crucial to find the right type of school environment.

6. DO NOT try to pretend that your child is an angel and everyone is wrong about his behavior. Much better to agree there is a problem and be seen to be doing your very best to get it sorted out – but for that you need help from the LEA.

Those are just some of the issues you may have to deal with, so be prepared for them.

The previous tips should be of some assistance to any parent struggling with a child’s behavior. Plus, if you work in the education field please refrain from pointing to kicking the child out of the classroom as the only solution. That would not be a solution and wouldn’t be of benefit to anyone.

How to Deal with Your Child Being Kicked Out of School

The British newspapers and media have spotlighted the topic of misbehaving children in school recently. The topic of discussion usually ends with the answer that entails kicking troublemakers out of the classroom setting.

This time the discussion was little bit different though. The new twist is that the notion that parents should stay home and watch their children once the kids have been kicked out of school for misbehaving.

It does annoy me, this kind of nonsense! At least this time there is some talk of keeping open (and maybe even building more) special schools.

After all, if the child is not getting on well in mainstream (which, since they have just been excluded, is clearly the case), then surely the answer has to be to find a type of educational environment in which the DO get on well?

This makes you to guess what you can do as a parent if you child has been sent home from school due to their behavior. Thinking about this in detail is my forte. Especially since I have had to deal with the similar issues with my oldest child.

1. You have not failed as a parent. Don’t waste time having a pity party for yourself. Perhaps your parenting skills could use some improvement, but that is the case for just about everyone. Try to be a better parent by actively seeking out information through books and materials on raising kids.

2. DO NOT sit around blaming the school. Even if they are useless, the most likely reason is their own lack of resources (blame the education authority, blame the government, blame the voters). The teachers may not be able to help your child, but that reflects a lack of training and lack of time, not a lack of concern.

3. Ask for help from the local education authority (LEA). They should be able to supply an alternative learning setting for your child. You need to be persistent when you contact them, but avoid being mean. You can ask your politicians and newspapers to help you get the engine humming if you need to.

4. DO be prepared to consider alternative placements, such as special schools or even residential placements. Better to deal with it now, than to have your child growing up with the bad behaviors!

5. Seek out help to see if your child may have a learning disability, ADHD or Asperger’s syndrome. These can cause disruptions in the classroom. There is an enviroment in which children who suffer from these conditions can thrive. It is a matter of finding that environment.

6. Don’t be tempted to look beyond your child’s behavior or kid yourself into thinking that they are a model student. You may feel like defending your child and think that everyone is wrong about his behavior. It is more productive to acknowledge that there could be a problem and work it out with help from the LEA.

Well, that’s just a few quick thoughts about it.

The six tips listed should be of some assistance to any parent coping with a child’s behavior. Plus, if you work in the education arena please do not decide kicking the child out of the classroom is the best solution. That is not a productive solution and would upset all parties involved.

Classical Homeschooling – How to Start

Parents who want their children to have the best education possible will want to look closely at classical homeschooling. Homeschooled children have a lot of advantages.

Children who are homeschooled get more individual attention, which translates to a better education.

Homeschooled children have the added benefit of learning in a secure and comfortable environment. These students don’t have to go through the hassle of getting accustomed to different class rooms or learning to adapt to distracting surroundings.

Parents who homeschool their children are creating an opportunity to strength their relationships. Homeschooling parents make a greater impact on their child’s education.

There are several homeschooling methods. Classical homeschooling methods follow a traditional education model.

Classical homeschooling is comprised of three phases: Primary, secondary, and tertiary. Thing of it as elementary, junior high, and high school.

There is a big difference, however, between an institutional form of this education and homeschooling. Classical homeschooling in its true form focuses on the mental development of a child, not just age.

Children don’t have to move on to the next phase until they’re ready.

Classical homeschooling methods go all the way back to the middle ages. This method has been tested and tried, and found to be very effective.

Younger students are taught the very basics: How to read, write, and do arithmetic. Once your children have a solid grasp of these concepts, they are ready to move on to the grammar phase. The second phase concentrates on composition.

The last phase in Classical homeschooling education is the dialect stage. In this stage children seriously study reading and writing and arithmetic. They also focus on rhetoric and public speaking in this phase.

It’s reassuring for children to be able to progress at their own speed in Classical homeschooling. Your children are given the time they need to master concepts before they move on to the next. They aren’t just pushed from one grade to the next.

The great thing about homeschooling, is that even if you want to supplement a Classical approach with something else, you can. You can incorporate units of studies that revolve around a theme for example. Teaching your child at home provides you the flexibility to do this.