Children's Health

 Children are more susceptible to pollutants than adults because they are still growing and breathe in proportionately more air. This means indoor pollutants, such as certain chemicals, particles and allergens, can cause more severe health effects in children.

Facts You Should Know

• Children breathe in a greater volume of air than adults relative to their body size.

• Children's organs and respiratory, immune and neurological systems are still developing.

• Children are much closer to the ground, and as a result, breathe in more of the heavier airborne chemicals than do adults.

• Infants and young children breathe through their mouths, more so than do adults, which increases their risk of pulmonary exposure to particulates and fibers that would otherwise be filtered out in the nose.

Back-to-School

Ten Tips for Back-to-School

1.  Easy Does It. Adjusting to new schedules, earlier morning alarms, and stricter meal times can be difficult for children. Take it easy and allow your family to adjust slowly by starting two weeks before the fall routine has to be followed. Start with moving bedtimes or wake times ten or 15 minutes at a time and adjusting meal times by 30 minutes or so. A longer—and slower—transition will help everyone involved.

2.  Three Things. The demands and expectations put on children, parents, and families today can be overwhelming. Many families spend all their time running from one place to another just to stay caught up with everyone else. Don’t let others decide how your family should spend its time, let your family decide. Have each member of your family write down the three things that are most important to him/her in the fall, then have a family meeting to find a way to make sure each person’s items have a time in the schedule.

3.  Everyone Chooses a Responsibility. Once you know what your new schedule will be like, let each member of the family decide what they want to take responsibility for. For example, decide who will make sure people are up on time, who will make the meals, who will drive to specific events, who will clean the kitchen and bathrooms, and who will take out the garbage. You might be surprised by some of your children’s choices, and you just might be amazed at how well they follow through with those choices. When someone chooses to do something on their own, they are much more likely to follow through than if someone else tells them to do it.

4.  Plan Time for You. Don’t forget to book yourself some time in that new schedule. You need time for you and your top three priorities just like your children do. Set a good example for your children by showing them a healthy way to take care of yourself. 

  

5.  Set Expectations Early. At least one week before school starts, sit down with the family and explain what the new schedule will be like, what activities will be occurring, and what to expect. Knowing what will be going on will make it easier for everyone to stay on track.

6.  Review Your Parenting Values. Now is the time to get yourself ready for being the parent you want to be in the fall – review your list of parenting values. If you don’t have a list of values, develop your list. Pick one value to focus on for the month and see how many ways you can bring that value into your everyday parenting during the month.

7.  Celebrate Vacation. Find a way to celebrate, remember, and/or commemorate the vacations you just had. Talk about trips you took, your favorite days, or things you want to remember; make scrapbook pages, a poster to hang on the wall, or a family memory book together. Don’t let the weeks of vacations slip by unnoticed; use them to round out the vacations.

8.  Family Time. Family time can be so scarce during the school year: find one last way to spend time together as a family before the fall rush starts. A few examples are sitting in your backyard, having a family game night, going camping, or making dinner together. Be together as a family, talk, share stories, smile, and laugh. 

9.  Watch the Sunset or Sunrise. Watching the day begin or end can be very grounding – find a quiet spot to watch the sun rise or set with your family. Make an effort to become connected to the earth, the day, and the cycle of life. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that schedules and hectic days aren’t always the most important things in life---find a way to ground yourself now so you won’t be pulled, pushed, and tugged by the less important things when fall hits.

10. Hug Your Children. Let your children know that they are important to you. Before  you send them off to school, activities, child care, sports, etc., let them know how much you love them, how much you enjoy being with them, and how much you enjoy watching them grow and learn. It’s a bit “sappy,” and many kids will brush it off with a drawn out “Mom” or “Dad”, but they’ll get the message and remember it.

Togetherness, Not Teaching

Kids love to feel a sense of power and mastery, so it's critical to let them take the lead when you play. "Your role is to be a facilitator or guide to help your child learn about, refine, and improve physical skills; This creates trust that carries over into other areas of your child's life." So allow your child to initiate the games you play together, whether it's crawling like a cat or kicking a soccer ball.

"Learn new skills cooperatively," Let your child practice a skill (such as swinging a bat) several times before you step in with suggestions for improvement. (This goes for big brothers and sisters too). Kids also enjoy the chance to give lessons. "My kids have been trying to teach me their new poem and I've been trying to teach them to jump rope. Neither of us have been very successful, but it's fun!"

Quality Family Time

Quality Family Time: It's All In The Balance!

Juggling School, Work, and Activities Can Be A Challenge

 

To balance work, school, and activities, here are some quick tips for juggling the various schedules and spend some quality time together:

• Create a family night. The solution is simple and can create memories to last a lifetime. Whether it's movie night, take-out night (think pizza or Chinese, for example), game night, or a family walk night, the key is that a night each week is designated for together time. Relax...and talk with each other! You might be surprised the things you learn from your kids on your special night.

• Enjoy and interact with your child's friends. Yes, really! Letting kids "hang out" at your place gives you valuable insight into what interests and motivates your own child as well as understanding the "crowd" he or she is associating with. For younger kids, an hour or two with a friend can teach sharing, responsibility, taking turns, and other traits through actual learning and experiences. And don't forget that many child experts indicate that free time for play and social interaction can be better for a child's development than too many organized or structured activities.

• Let your child choose his/her interests, and not you. Too many well-meaning parents sign their kids up for activities they're truly not at all interested in or good at, then face conflicts and power struggles as a result. It's another issue all-together if your child constantly begs to sign up for activities and then wants to quit, but kids at even a young age develop certain interests and dreams that they want to pursue. And, they most likely won't be the same dreams you had either! Be careful to choose your battles and accommodate activity requests where practical.

• Consider the commitment when making decisions. More and more activities are emphasizing additional practices and time requirements in today's competitive world. You as the parent have to decide if a particular activity is appropriate for your child.

• Determine your child's commitment as well. If your kid says an activity "might" be fun, avoid committing to a full season or year. Not only could it present a problem for your child if he/she doesn't like it, but will infringe on the other players/members participating in the activity. Many teams rely on a certain number of players or kids to form a group, and a last-minute pull-out could cause an impact on everyone else. If you're not sure, consider signing your child up for a mini-camp or week-long or short session instead. If your kid loves it, then you can always seek something more in the future.

• Assign family responsibilities. If everyone in the family is participating in some type of activity, then general household chores may be harder to get accomplished due to lack of time. Have a family meeting and explain that in order to do these enrichment activities/sports/music, everyone will have to pitch in to make sure the clothes still get washes, dishes done, and table cleared. If you set expectations up front, any grumbling will be minimized. Even small kids can help set the table, clear dishes, or take out the trash cans to the curb.

• Watch for signs of being overextended and adjust schedules as needed. If your kid's grades starting plummeting or you get a note that says Your child often falls asleep after mid-morning snack, you may be asking too much of them. Keep in mind a child's age, personality, and true interest in making decisions.

• Encourage the "all for one and one for all" concept. A family who plays together, stays together is the message and encourage your kids to support each others activities and endeavors.

• Above all, keep family first! Keeping your priorities straight will ensure a happier, better-adjusted family.

Parents, the most important teachers

Absolutely!  All other teachers, good or bad will come and go.  Parents are there for the duration.  Parents who are committed to being involved in their child’s education on a daily basis have a profound impact on what the child learns and the child’s attitude towards education. There is no doubt parents can be the most important educators in their child's life.  Parents just need the commitment and a little bit of help to accomplish this goal.

 

While most parents realize this, it is quite a challenge to have meaningful educational interaction with your child or children every day.  Many parents really want to get actively involved but think:

 

“I don’t have the time.”

 

“I don’t know what to do.”

 

“My child just won’t sit down and do work with me.”

Others think...

 

“I really don’t enjoy doing this.”

 

“Isn’t this the teacher’s job?”

 

“I’ll get a tutor.”

 

“I would not even know where to begin.”

 

The list goes on and on!

This page is designed for you to have meaningful educational interaction with your child on a daily basis. Consider these points and start working on it to have the best results: 

• Focus on creating educational dialogue between you and your child. 

 

• Quickly assess what your child knows,and figure out you child needs to learn.

• Create the repetition your child needs to ensure success, complete it with opportunities for positive feedback.

 

• Create a variety of opportunities to challenge your child to think, problem solve and verbalize. 

 

• Learn more about what your child knows and how to add to the depth of knowledge.

 

• If your child pretty bright but not really excelling with school work?  In this situation, most children don't have the confidence necessary to achieve or they are bored. First assess what your child knows or needs to learn, then goes a step further by helping your child to create the repetition opportunities that are so important to make certain your child has mastered key concepts.  This repetition plus the positive feedback you provide will really increase confidence levels.  

 

• Most bright children love competition and being challenged.  These students get bored when they are not challenged, quite frankly.  How many smart and talented children have muddled their way through school only to accomplish great things later in life once they were really challenged?  Challenge your child in so many different ways. These challenges and the learning that comes will allow your child to really understand how talented they are, how much they can do, figure out or accomplish.  Your positive feedback only adds to this belief. 

 

• Talk about an increase in confidence! Everything changes for the student once the belief of "I can't" or "I'm bored," turns into "I can." 

 

• Is your child a challenged student?  create a positive and supportive learning atmosphere and all the repetition necessary to help your child move forward.  

 

                      In my professional career, I have been exposed to a wide variety of educational philosophies.  I have used my experience and learning to create this page.  While teaching school, I always wondered why more parents were not actively involved in helping their children learn and develop.  Once I became a parent, with all the responsibilities that go with it, I realized how difficult, time consuming and tough it is.  You need to be motivated daily or most every day and so does your child.  This knocks out most families right there.  If you are like me, you want to help your children be more prepared for school but sitting down for an hour or so each night with 1, 2 maybe 3 kids… well, this is a huge challenge.

 

Once you consider these points, you will be shocked at how simple, fun and rewarding it is to be so actively involved in your child’s education.  Your views on teaching and the role you can play in your child’s education will change forever.  You will see teaching opportunities everywhere you go and within many things you do each day. A ride in the car, a walk down the street, eating meals, these are all educational opportunities once you know how to take advantage.  You will be shocked how much you can accomplish in so little time.

Life is so busy and the demands on time for everyone are greater than ever.  Travel, one parent families, two income families are just a few of the issues challenging parents these days.  Children now are involved in so many activities, this can complicate learning as well.  In some families, the grandparents or a full-time care giver, handle many of the day to day responsibilities.  While all this is occurring, the demands placed on students in the classroom are also increasing.  If a family does not have a plan to spend time on education, the student will fall behind.  This places greater stress on all involved.

 Through your efforts, your child will be prepared for the challenges that will eventually come in school.  You will see the confidence level rise in your child.  This will occur because the repetition and challenges you create along with the positive feedback you provide will help your child to know he/she is prepared for most anything to come in school.

10 SIMPLE TIPS FOR ENHANCING THE BOND BETWEEN PARENT AND CHILD.

Just like with any relationship, building a positive relationship between parent and child is one that requires work and effort to make it strong and successful. Parenting is a tough job, and maintaining close relationships and open communications helps to ensure parents and their children stay connected through all ages of their upbringing. Here are 10 simple tips for enhancing the bond between parent and child.

1. Say I Love You

Tell your child you love him every day -- no matter his age. Even on trying days or after a parent-child disagreement, when you don't exactly "like your child" at that moment, it is more important than ever to express your love. A simple "I love you" goes a long way toward developing and then strengthening a relationship.

2. Teach Your Faith

 

Teach your child about your faith and beliefs. Tell him what you believe and why. Allow time for your child to ask questions and answer them honestly. Reinforce those teachings often.

3. Establish A Special Name Or Code Word

 

Create a special name for your child that is positive and special or a secret code word that you can use between each other. Use the name as a simple reinforcement of your love. The code word can be established to have special meaning between your child and you that only you two understand. This code word can even be used to extract a child from an uncomfortable situation  without causing undue embarrassment to the child.

4. Develop And Maintain A Special Bedtime Ritual

 

For younger children, reading a favorite bedtime book or telling stories is a ritual that will be remembered most likely throughout their life. Older children should not be neglected either. Once children start reading, have them read a page, chapter, or short book to you. Even most teenagers still enjoy the ritual of being told goodnight in a special way by a parent--even if they don't act like it!

5. Let Your Children Help You

 

Parents sometimes inadvertently miss out on opportunities to forge closer relationships by not allowing their child to help them with various tasks and chores. Unloading groceries after going to the store is a good example of something that children of most ages can and should assist with. Choosing which shoes look better with your dress lets a child know you value her opinion. Of course, if you ask, be prepared to accept and live with the choice made!

6. Play With Your Children

 

The key is to really play with your children. Play with dolls, ball,  sing songs, or whatever is fun and interesting. It doesn't matter what you play, just enjoy each other! Let kids see your silly side. Older kids enjoy cards, chess, computer games, while younger ones will have fun playing about anything...as long as it involves you!

7. Eat Meals As A Family

Eating together sets the stage for conversation and sharing. Turn the TV off, and don't rush through a meal. When schedules permit, really talk and enjoy one another. It can become a quality time most remembered by young and old alike.

8. Seek Out One-On-One Opportunities

Some parents have special nights or "standing dates" with their children to create that one-on-one opportunity. Whether it is a walk around the neighborhood, a special trip to a playground, or just a movie night with just the two of you, it is important to celebrate each child individually. Although it is more of a challenge the more children in a family, it is really achievable! Think creatively and the opportunities created will be ones that you remember in the future.

9. Respect Their Choices

 

You don't have to like their mismatched shirt and shorts or love how a child has placed pictures in his room. However, it is important to respect those choices. Children reach out for independence at a young age, and parents can help to foster those decision-making skills by being supportive and even looking the other way on occasion. After all, it really is okay if a child goes to daycare with a striped green shirt and pink shorts.

10. Make Them A Priority In Your Life

 

Your children need to know that you believe they are a priority in your life. Children can observe excessive stress and notice when they feel you are not paying them attention. Sometimes, part of being a parent is not worrying about the small stuff and enjoying your children. They grow up so fast, and every day is special. Take advantage of your precious time together while you have it!

Methods for Parents to Get to Know Their Child's School Better

Research shows that one of the most important factors that affects a child's performance in school is parental involvement. All too often, parents assume that just sending their children to school and looking at their report cards is enough. Not true!You should  be involved and actively participate in the relationship between your child and the school.


There are some things you can do to make this relationship positive and productive.


Methods for Parents to Get to Know Their Child's School Better

• First of all, don't just show up at the school; make an appointment to visit.
• After you've made an appointment, go to the school; look around, talk to  people.
• As appropriate, call or write to your child's teachers.
• Talk to other parents about their experiences.
• Be sure to read the minutes of the school board, which are usually printed in the local newspaper.
• Take time to read the school newsletter.
• It may not always be convenient, but try to attend school functions such as open houses and PTA meetings.