Reading Consistently to Your Kids

Good reading habits are a big factor in your child’s academic success. It’s very important to start off on the right foot by reading consistently with your kids each week, even during the summer. Here are some tips you can use to encourage your child to be a good reader.

1. Build time for reading into your daily routine
Reading with your child is a good way to let them know that you think reading is important. It can also help parents judge the reading level of a child. If you are reading to your children on a regular basis you will be the first to recognize their areas for improvement.


2. Make reading fun
Kids are much more likely to enjoy reading when they perceive it as fun. Here are some tips to keep reading fun.

·        Pick books that they will enjoy

·        Try using props to help tell the story. This works very well with young children.

·        Switch up the surroundings. Try reading all around the house and when that gets boring, try reading at the library or in the park.

·        Make reading interactive. Ask questions or introduce your experiences and knowledge into the story.

4. Read by example
Let your child see you reading on a regular basis. Tell them what you are reading. Show them that reading is important, interesting and enjoyable. Buy books or let them use your eReader. Support their reading habit as much as possible. Money spent now on books will be paid back later in academic success.


Have fun reading!

Surviving Errands with the Kids in Tow

Between work, kids and school it’s hard to get errands done and even harder when your kids are whining, crying, and throwing temper tantrums in the process. Here are a few tips to take the some of the stress out when running errands.

 • Explain the game plan – tell the kids exactly where you’re going on your errands and how long it should take.

• Set the rules – tell them what is, and is not, acceptable behavior and that you’re shopping for others not for them. This will help to alleviate the “mommy or daddy can I get” questions.

 • Tell them what’s expected - no running, inside voice, stay with the parents. • Review car etiquette – no yelling in the car, buckle your seat belt, no throwing anything in the car.

 • Keep your kids busy – play I spy when you are going through the store. Let them help push the cart. Have them help you find items you are looking for like a scavenger hunt. Sing some songs if your car ride is longer than expected or, you are stuck in traffic.

 • Give time off for good behavior – reward your children with a play date or something they like to do if they are good during errands. Just make sure you are not bribing them but rewarding them to reinforce proper behavior.

With these tips you might get done all of your errands and actually get some time for yourself.

Helping Children Adapt To A New Sibling

When a new member of the family is introduced to their sibling it is an exciting time. But it can also be a difficult time for the new brother or sister. Here are some tips that might help make the transition a little easier.

The older the sibling, the more difficult it can be for them to adapt.

· Child under 18 months of age may have fewer issues adapting to a new sibling. They might not understand or recognize the change that is about to occur

· Children between 18 month to 3 years of age may have a more difficult time. They can recognize and comprehend that change is going to occur but they might have a more difficult time talking about what they are feeling.

· Older children will have an easier time because they can discuss the impact of a new sibling with others which can ultimately help them adapt.

Setting the stage for this change is important. Here are a few tactics you can use to prepare siblings

· Read books to your child about the introduction of a new sibling

· Involve siblings in the preparation activities including shopping, decorating and preparing the new room

· Let your child make a special gift to give to their new sibling

· Attend a sibling prep class at a local hospital. They learn about topics such as what to expect on the big day and how to be careful around new babies

· Once the baby is here make the sibling a little helper

You might experience regression with your child. Some signs of regression include: being more demanding, more bathroom accidents and trouble sleeping. Keep your cool when your child demonstrates these behaviors because in most cases this is temporary and it will pass after a few months.

Source: www.preschooleducation.com/

www.babycenter.com

Family Activities that Won’t Break the Bank

With today’s economic environment, parents are looking for ways to entertain the kids that won’t break the bank.  In a world that’s very hectic, it’s good to slow down with simple, low cost activities. Here are a few ideas:

A national treasure – your local park

You remember parks, right? They are the big open spaces we often fly by in the car on the way to the movies or the mall. Parks offer an almost unlimited amount of play and learn opportunities for your children. From hiking to biking to simply walking through the woods, being out on a wooded path is simply majestic. It’s a great way to remind yourself and your kids that there is a great big world out there to see and explore, full of wonder.

Backyard and neighborhood play

We are all busy and we often forget about our neighbors. If your neighbor has kids around the same age as yours, make an effort to connect with them. Set up activities that all the kids can do together. Try a neighborhood treasure hunt. Pick a theme for your kids to spot during your hunt, for instance who can find the most trucks in your neighborhood or how many pumpkins are in you town. 

Another national treasure – your local library

Have you been to your local library lately? They aren’t the stuffy, quite, boring places you remember. They have adapted to the times.  They have become the center of learning and social activity in the community (particularly for younger children). They offer family game nights, Lego clubs, family movies and more.  If you haven’t made a weekly trip to your library a regular part of your family’s activities calendar, you should.

Check your local family blogs and community calendars

So many activities go on in your community that you are unaware of. Search the web once a week for parades, fairs, swap meets, craft and car shows. Soon you’ll have a list of favorite sites and blogs to go to for information on a regular basis and you’ll never be bored again. 

Communicating With Teachers

Open communication with teachers is an important guiding principal at the Goddard School. With the new school year under way, you might be wondering how to best communicate with their child’s teachers to keep the lines of communication open so everyone has a wonderful school year. Here are a few tips to cultivate a strong relationship with your child’s teacher:

• Take time to touch base with your child’s teacher on a regular basis. Find time before and after school to have quick conversations about your child. These quick conversations can be a great supplement to parent/teacher conferences. But be conscious not to cut into your teachers daily planning and preparation time.

• Spend time in your child’s classroom if possible. Many schools advocate parent participation through reading to children and helping out during class activities. Not only does this help your teacher out, it is a great way to experience how your child and teacher interact.

• If your child’s teacher comes to you with a problem or if you have to address a concern with your child’s teacher, try the following:

o Listen to the teachers point of view
o Express your concerns calmly and productively
o Avoid assigning blame
o Collaborate to determine the proper solution to the problem

It is important that you and your child’s teacher work as a team. Working as a team offers consistency at home and at school and results in stronger, quicker solutions.

The main thing to remember is that working together to find out the best way to help your child will help to foster a positive and nurturing learning environment and set the stage for a great school year.

After School Snacks

Now that the kids are back to school, you have probably witnessed the scene when the kids walk in the door home from school.  They head right to the refrigerator to find something to eat.  As a parents your concerned they might ruin their dinner or are they getting a healthy snack.  Below are a few tips to keep everyone happy.

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•          Carrots and celery with ranch dressing
•          String cheese and frozen grapes
•          Fruit with yogurt dip
•          Apples and peanut butter
•          Hummus and pita chip
•          Yogurt Sundae with low fat yogurt, berries and low fat granola
•          Fruit Smoothie (low fat yogurt, ice cubes and a cup of fruit)
•          Low fat popcorn sprinkled with parmesan or cinnamon
•          Fruit Salad
•          Frozen yogurt pops (place some yogurt in small paper cups and freeze for a few hours)
•          Homemade trail mix

Make it easy on everyone by cutting up fruits and vegetables before you leave the house in the morning.  Make it a special time preparing the snacks with your kids even little ones can help you grab a few items from the refrigerator, the plus side it they can tell you all about their day.

Learning Rules

Rules are an important life skill. At home, at school and then at work, rules are a fact of life. So starting early to begin to teach and reinforce the importance of your children following rules is a good idea. You might be asking yourself, how early can I start to teach this skill? Well, studies have shown that kids start to understand the difference between right and wrong as early as a year one year old. And, since rules are based on right and wrong you can start with some very basic rules at this age.

 • Young babies need one word reinforcement. Use the words no and yes to reinforce good from bad. As your child gets older, begin to introduce the consequence behind the rule. No, don’t do that, because you will get hurt.

 • Be specific about rules as your baby develops. For example, no don’t color on that picture book. Rules aren’t always black and white; it’s o/k to color in a coloring book but not in a picture book.

 • Like teaching any skill, it is important to be consistent with rules. It may be a pain to always be the enforcer but if kids know rules can be bent or broken they will try to bend them and break them.

 Your child looks to you and other adults to provide structure to their lives. Rules can actually provide comfort, support and boundaries to your child. This can help them become confident teens and well-adjusted adults.

Packing Healthy Lunches

 It’s that time of year again and the kids are going back to school. Many parents struggle with what to pack in their kid’s lunches. Here are a few healthy lunch ideas that hopefully will keep you and your little ones happy.

 • Cold-cut roll ups (lean, low-fat turkey, ham, or roast beef with low-fat cheese on whole wheat tortillas)
 • Single portion-sized cups of unsweetened apple sauce or fruit without added sugar
 • Trail mix made with cereals, nuts, pretzels, dried fruit or raisins, and a few chocolate morsels
 • Low fat cheese spread on whole wheat crackers
 • Veggie sticks with low-fat dip or dressing
 • Baked chips or pretzels are a better choice than high-fat potato chips or cheese snacks
 • Whole grain bagels topped with cream cheese-vegetable spread
 • Air-popped popcorn flavored with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese
 • Low fat cheese cubes and seedless grapes make a delicious side dish for sandwiches or wraps
 • Cold strips of grilled chicken with honey mustard dip
 • Dried cranberries or cherries are a sweet alternative to raisins
 • Cold pizza (shredded mozzarella cheese with pizza sauce on a flour tortilla, whole wheat pita, English muffin, or mini pizza shell)