Parents Lead

The Benefits of School Volunteering and Parent Involvement: How You Can Help to Drive Your Child's Success

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:41:54 +0000

asked:

What would you expect to be the biggest problem facing the American public school system? Is it poor teaching? Lack of proper facilities for inner-city kids? Wasted resources down the infinite drain of petty politics and bureaucratic snafus? In fact, research shows that lack of parental involvement is the biggest problem facing America’s public schools. Children enrolled in the education system spend 70% of their waking hours outside of the classroom, and decades of research consistently demonstrate that parent involvement is of cardinal importance with regards to their child’s success in school. Students with engaged parents, on a whole, tend to have lower rates of suspension, fewer instances of violent behavior, decreased rates of drugs and alcohol, better school attendance, increased motivation, better self-esteem, and higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates. I argue that parenting, like teaching, requires talent and social aptitude, not the least of whose tenets revolve around self-insight and the active pursuit of furthering a child’s prospects of success in an increasingly competitive world.

“When parents are welcome in the school and are consulted about decisions affecting their children,” Project Appleseed elucidates, “an atmosphere of trust and collaboration develops between school and home.” The school is the omphalos of its community, as the quality of its services determine not only the success of its students, but the insurance of its own future, as well. Indeed, the earlier parents get involved in their children’s education, the more powerful the effects. Here are seven ways you can be a true superhero in your child’s scholastic upbringing:

Establish a daily household routine: Studies show that when parents encourage reading at home, students fare better in class and progress more rapidly than if they were only to read in school. Be firm with bedtimes, leisure time, and household responsibilities, but not stringent to the point of authoritarianism. In a world defined by flux and social upheaval, the importance of providing stability and encouragement for children at home cannot be stressed enough.

Monitor extracurricular activities: Children spend the vast majority of their time with parents, either at or near home. Surely, parents need time to work and run errands, and families can’t always afford babysitters or day care. Get your kids involved in extracurricular activities like sports, school clubs, and community support groups for children. With some targeted research and effort, you’ll find that a wealth of community resources are available to provide your children with enriching, fun, and collaborative environments, even if you can’t be there to participate.

Can You Feed Your Children Raw Food?

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 03:30:56 +0000

asked:

Every mother wants the best for her child. You want your child to look healthy, grow proportionately, feel energized and have a great immune system. So, why do most parents in America feed their children junk food by the time they start eating table food? Why do most restaurants serve French fries or macaroni and cheese for side orders and not steamed broccoli? It is really a sad situation to watch young children who are obese. Even schools offer peanut butter and jelly or ice cream for lunch.

To ensure that your child is eating correctly you must feed them plenty of fruits and vegetables. But the trick is to make it delicious and fun. For instance, for breakfast, arrange a platter of fruit, oranges, grapefruit, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, they will love it!

Fires and Fire Safety – How to Protect Your Family From Fires

admin — Sun, 06 May 2012 20:26:52 +0000

Alexandra Smilansky asked:

This year has been unprecedented in terms of fire damage and destruction. The fires originated in different locations throughout several states and raged for days. As some fires were put out, others started in different locations. In several cases, the cause of these fires seemed to be due to the dryness of the season coupled with the windstorms that are common this time of year. However, arson is suspected as the primary cause of at least one fire.

Many acres of land have been scorched but the damages have not been isolated to farmland, prairie or forest fires. This year’s fires have been particularly destructive to residential homes and populated areas, which is particularly alarming. Homes have been destroyed and people were displaced, contributing to the financial burden the fires caused. Some communities have been evacuated as fires came too close and threatened lives.

People need to take fires seriously and prepare for them ahead of time. Smoke detectors should be installed on every level in the home and in every room in the house, except in bathrooms and close to kitchen appliances. However, when installing these alarms, they should not be placed close to fireplaces, ceiling fans or windows. In addition, smoke alarm batteries should be tested on a monthly basis to make sure they work effectively. Smoke detectors do save lives, so it is very important to maintain them properly and replace them as necessary.

In addition, each family needs to determine a safe plan of escape in case of fire in the home. Fire drills should be conducted in the home a few times each year to refresh fire safety ideas to children and adults alike. This practice may seem silly or unnecessary, but it does save lives. Fires can overwhelm people and cause panic. If one is prepared, it is easier to spring into action and act quickly. People at times attempt to save valuable or documents or they try to save each other. When there is a plan in place, everyone knows their role and what they need to do. Once family members are out, a pre-selected family member should go to a neighbor and call the fire department, if firefighters have not arrived at the scene.

In case of a fire in the home, acting quickly to get out is crucial. One should stay close to the floor, where smoke is not as thick because smoke can overwhelm with its toxic fumes. It can also sting and burn eyes, impairing vision temporarily. Small children need to be reminded repeatedly to get out of the house in case of fire. Their natural inclination is to remain inside and hide. Hiding is the worst possible thing to do in case of a fire. That is why it is so important to have a plan and to talk to family members about escape plans and alternative ways out. Once family members are safely outside the house, they should not re-enter the property. If a family member is missing or is still indoors, a firefighter, ambulance or police personnel responding to the fire should be notified immediately.

Family Guy The Bird Episode

admin — Sat, 05 May 2012 20:24:13 +0000

asked:

Click here to see the Family Guy The Bird Episode or To watch Family Guy Full Episodes.

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Parenting – The Toughest Job You Will Ever Do

admin — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:20:34 +0000

Joseph Then asked:

Parenting is one of the toughest but at the same time can be the most rewarding job you will ever do. It is easy to have kids but not quite so easy to bring them up right. Sometimes it seems like a thankless task other times small things can make everything worth it. However the most important thing about child rearing is the fact that your child’s future is on the line. How well you handle this important job will affect your child’s whole life.

Parenting begins from the day your child is born. How well you nurture and build a relationship with your baby will lay the foundations for your future success in child rearing. Admittedly some children are harder than others to handle but the important groundwork begins in infancy. It is very important to build a close loving relationship with your infant. Even if you have to go to work at this critical period you can still build a loving relationship with your baby by spending as much time as you can with them when you are home.

As your child grows into the toddler years you will face new challenges with your parenting n regards to discipline and outside influences. However you will still need to continue to build your bond of love and respect for each other. As your child explores the outside world all sorts of questions arise and you will be competing with teachers and peer pressure for your child’s attention. It is very important at this age to keep communications open and maintain your confidence and mutual respect. This is the age where your child will be observing their peers and other people and will often try to challenge your authority. Maintain your discipline but pick your battles and be prepared to compromise. Always remember that deep down a happy child is one that knows there are limits and boundaries in life. This will make them feel secure and build the foundations for a stable adulthood.

The rebellion of the teenage years is sometimes the worst part of parenting and can seem like one long continuous argument. It is very important to keep communication open at this stage more than any other time. This will help you through these difficult times. Sometimes you may need a little counseling to help you through these tough times. Do not be afraid to ask, and remember it is a temporary stage. If possible get support from other family members. Their experiences can often help you. Once you are over this period you will be able to reap the rewards from your hard labor, as your kids will begin to look after you and lend you their support.

Marriage: What is the Altitude of your Attitude?

admin — Fri, 04 May 2012 09:39:41 +0000

asked:

How would your relationship be affected if you enjoyed greater self-esteem? What if you were to face life more enthusiastically and deal more effectively with inevitable problems?

The higher the altitude of your attitude the more self-confident and together you will feel. You will be amazed at the effortless success of your relationship.

Examine your attitude toward yourself, toward your partner, toward your relationship and toward life in general. If you rated the altitude of your attitude as soaring high, under the radar or grounded, where would you be?

A negative attitude about our self, our partner, or our relationship will keep our relationship grounded. If you want your relationship to soar to new heights then you will need to raise the altitude of your attitude.

Not only does our attitude affect our behavior, it also affects our perceptions. When the altitude of your attitude in on the ground your vision is restricted and you can only see what is right in front of you. Raising your attitude will give you a whole new perspective, one that allows you to see the beauty and wonder of your relationship as well as the obstacles.

Your attitude determines how you “see” your relationship. Are you focused on the problems in your relationship? Or are you focused on the strengths?

Chaos, Children, and Chores

admin — Fri, 04 May 2012 05:52:06 +0000

Nicole Dean asked:

Of course we all love our children dearly, but who knew they’d be so messy? When you have children, you can never count on how long your house will actually stay clean after you’ve cleaned it. A day? An hour? Less? Cleaning up after your kids does not have to take on a life of its own. By making a clean and organized home a priority for the entire family and by setting and sticking to household standards, you can avoid feeling more like Maid than Mom.

Ages of Your Children

Household chores are not just for older children. Children as young as two can learn to be organized. Toddlers can learn to put away their toys, brush the dog, put their dirty clothes in the hamper and help to unload groceries.

Older children need regular household chores. Studies have shown that children who have chores at home get better grades, are more social and more confident than children who do not have chores. Children need a certain amount of responsibility and need to learn to be accountable for their actions. Requiring your children to do household chores will help them to be more well rounded (and organized!) as they grow. Older children can make their beds, keep their room organized and clean, dust and vacuum, wash dishes, feed pets, and water plants.

Rewarding Efforts

Always thank your children when they’ve completed a chore and praise them for doing it and doing it well (when deserved).

The traditional chore chart on the fridge is a great parenting tool for positive reinforcement. Reward your children with stickers on the chore chart next to the chore they’ve completed. When they get X number of stickers, they get a reward – a new book or toy, their favorite dinner, a trip to the movies, etc. The chore chart system can be tweaked and customized for your family to suit each child in the house.

Your older children may be more apt to take their chores seriously if there are dollar signs involved. Base your children’s allowance on what you can afford, how many chores your children do and how well they do them. For instance, you can pay according to age (so an 8 year old would receive $8 per week). Or come up with a pricing system that works for you. Luckily, my 3 year old is quite happy with stickers, and my 8 year old is thrilled with Yu-Gi-Oh cards.

Flexibility – Make it Fun!

When it’s possible, allow your child to choose chores that they like to do. Their response will be better because they will enjoy what they’re doing. My three-year old loves to dust. I let her turn her music up a bit, hand her a damp rag and she goes to town. It’s a different story when it comes time for her to clear the table after dinner though. That’s like pulling teeth – without pain killers!

Do your children fight over who does which chores? Rotate chores from week to week so that your child isn’t stuck doing something he/she hates every week. (This week Susie dusts and Johnny takes out the trash. Next week it’s Susie’s turn to take out the trash and Johnny’s turn to dust.)

Try not to base household chores on gender. There’s nothing wrong with your son having to wash dishes or do laundry and there’s nothing wrong with your daughter taking out the trash or washing the car. No housework is strictly for girls or strictly for boys. Send your son off to college with the ability to do his own laundry, and your daughter with the confidence that she can haul out a ladder to change a light bulb.

If rotating chores doesn’t work to stop bickering, try writing the chores down on little pieces of paper and having your children pick their chores from a hat each week.

If your children don’t have chores, it’s not too late to start. Hold a family meeting and explain that you need help to maintain the house and that effective immediately everyone is going to start pitching in. Introduce chore charts and allowance/reward systems and explain to each child which chores they’ll be responsible for, when each chore needs to be completed and if necessary, how to do it.

Be sure to have consequences ready for chores that aren’t done and explain them in advance. In our house, if one chore is neglected or refused, it’s a done deal – no allowance, no negotiations. It may take a few weeks to get your family in full swing, but it will come together – I promise.

You are Mom, not Maid. You can ask for help and get it! Your children may not thank you for it now, but later on it will pay off for them – and for you! Make housework a part of your children’s routine and make yourself less stressed. Sit down and supervise for awhile …you knew you had kids for a reason.

Parents’ Night Out – Send the Kids Out Instead of Bringing a Babysitter In

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:28:54 +0000

Amy Blakeslee asked:

It was supposed to be the perfect night out: you, your husband, a romantic dinner and a bottle of fine red wine. But as you are putting the finishes touches on your makeup, the phone rings and it is the babysitter calling out sick fifteen minutes before she is due to arrive. You frantically call the other three sitters you know, but they are already booked for the evening. With a sigh of disappointment, you change into sweats and order a large pizza for the family to share.

Alternative to babysitters

No parent wants to make plans for that rare night on the town and have the babysitter cancel at the last minute. For a dependable source of child care, you might consider taking advantage of parents’ night out events hosted in your local area. These events are typically sponsored by trusted organizations in your local community such as:

Churches Schools YMCAs Extracurricular organizations such as dance studios, martial art centers, camps, etc.

The organizations announce in advance the date, times and cost for providing the child care services. You drop your children off at the organization’s location rather than having a babysitter come to your private home. Members of the organization watch your children so you can go out to dinner with your spouse, catch up on errands such as grocery shopping or enjoy some peace and quiet to yourself.

Benefits for you and your children

The fees for parents’ night out are much more economical than paying a traditional babysitter. At parents’ night out, you pay per child per hour or a lump sum per child for the whole evening. To further reduce your costs, some organizations provide a discount for two or more children.

This can add up to a savings of 50% or more than what you would pay a babysitter. For example, in Los Angeles, the going rate for a sitter is about $15.00 per hour for one child. However, many organizations charge only $7.00 per hour for each child at parents’ night out; a savings of $8.00 per hour!

You can also feel secure in knowing that your children are being watched by child care professionals or employees of the organization; people you already trust with your children. Instead of one individual with your children, there are multiple staff members on site to watch all children.

Activities are usually guided by the staff members and can range from art projects to group games to story time. Occasionally, age appropriate movies will be shown for all children to enjoy. And your kids will love getting to play with friends and schoolmates.

Tips to get the most out of it

There are some things you should keep in mind before you bring your children to parents’ night out:

Due to the group nature of it, a parents’ night out may be a better child care option for older children. A child may not get individual attention and this could be especially stressful for younger children. Try to pick up your kids before their bed time. Children may become over stimulated when they are involved in group activities. They may have a hard time winding down at home; causing them to miss their bed time and possibly oversleep the next morning. Make sure to feed your children dinner before you drop them off and pack a light snack for them. Most organizations do not provide dinner or snacks. It’s best to check in advance if you are not sure. Do not bring kids when they have homework unless the organization provides a quiet spot just for this activity. Note in advance when organizations you belong to have scheduled their events. Most organizations hold them once a month or once per quarter and you should take advantage of them when you can.

As you can see, a parents’ night out is an excellent alternative to hiring a babysitter and will give you peace of mind to enjoy yourself on those rare evenings with no kids.

Parents, Teachers and ABA Training

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:45:29 +0000

Garrett Butch asked:

If you are not aware of ABA training, and you work with children with Autism, you may want to explore this fascinating opportunity immediately. If you are already aware of it, but haven’t yet taken the ABA training, it is essential that you do so. This applies to teachers, administrators, classroom aides, and to parents too.

This is because the training will introduce anyone to the most effective strategies for helping children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) of any kind. Based on the science of Applied Behavior Analysis, ABA training is among the only accepted and advocated treatments for people with ASD. It uses an innovative set of approaches to get results, including precise teaching techniques, intense observation, and a huge amount of positive reinforcement.

What the basic ABA training will do is introduce the parent or teacher to the simple fact that there is no standard approach to helping an Autistic child to learn the most beneficial and positive behaviors. Instead, it places an emphasis on the use of observation to determine why a certain behavior is, or is not, developing in the Autistic child.

The easiest example to use is the child who has failed to develop any ability to communicate. This is something that the child has not chosen, but is due to the symptoms of their Autism. A lack of speech or language is actually a somewhat common occurrence with Autistic children, and the ABA strategies can be used to overcome the problem.

This is because it will teach the parent or teacher to begin to identify the factors that are actually influencing this behavior. For example, is the child not receiving enough positive reinforcement for their vocalizations? Then this must be something that is encouraged through very precise teaching strategies that reward the child for any vocalizations or attempts to communicate orally.

Because there is no known cure for ASD, and because it manifests itself in such a wide array of forms and levels of severity, the ability to use a tool such as ABA is actually extremely effective. This is because it relies on observation and analysis, and then provides the parent or teacher with a powerful method for changing socially significant behaviors. This means that the Autistic child who receives teaching and encouragement from parents or teachers who have been trained in ABA strategies is far more likely to enjoy meaningful and beneficial changes in their pre-existing or disabling behaviors.

Panic Attacks – Children

admin — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:05:10 +0000

John H Moore asked:

Panic attacks in children are a real problem just as they are in adults. Unfortunately, due to the pressures of modern day life our children are beginning to suffer the same problems that adults do and this problem is getting worse. You would think that children wouldn’t suffer from panic attacks, but they do. They suffer just the same as adults so what can we do to stop children’s panic attacks?

Our children should be having the most carefree, fun and enjoyable times of their lives, but instead they are under pressure from a very young age. Children are growing up far too quickly and are unable to enjoy all the normal things that a child should be doing. It’s time we got back to basics and make our children feel happy and safe again.

How Can We Prevent Panic Attacks In Children?

Children today have a lot more pressure and stress in their lives than ever before. The expectations for them to be a success are higher, whether it’s at home or at school. The children also have more bullying to cope with, especially at school, and as a result they can live in fear on a daily basis.

In today’s world there is much more for a child to cope with, such as crime, sexual abuse, and more marriage breakups than ever before. Any child who has witnessed the break up of their parents will feel the pain just as their parents have done, and this will without doubt affect the child’s mind in a big way.

In order to prevent panic attacks in children we first have to identify if the child is suffering from panic attacks. This is not always easy to do unless the parents are close to the child and have a good relationship with them.

First all, make an effort to share their pastimes and thoughts and watch their daily behaviour closely. Panic attacks are fairly easy to spot if you’re paying very close attention and this will always be the first step to preventing panic attacks in children.

What Are The Panic Attack Symptoms?

The things to watch out for are changes in the childs behaviour such as loss of appetite, poor sleeping, anger, crying and sometimes aggression. Your child could even start to shake or become short of breath during a stressful period so look out for the signs.

Just saying that you love your child isn’t enough, you must spend more time with them and be a proper parent again, after all, you brought them into this world so it’s your responsibility to protect and take care of them. Don’t just buy things for them, loving your child is not about money, it’s about spending your precious time with them and showing your support as well.

In order to cure or prevent panic attacks in children, the most important thing is always the involvement and love of the parent. Children require emotional support much more than physical support, so let’s do it.

If your child does suffer anxiety and panic attacks there some natural remedies that you should look at before you turn to drugs, so let’s see how we can stop children’s panic attacks now!