A Healthy balance

The U.S. Open will be wrapping up this weekend. Summer’s last three day weekend is now just another ( hopefully pleasant ) memory. Much to the dismay of many a school-aged youngster School is back in session across the USA! Children sporting their back packs head off for another new day of learning and fun.
Encourage daily, focused study habits now and our little ones will have a much better chance of enjoying a successful school year.

Start with homework and bedtime rules. Last night while reading together I noticed that his attention was too easily distracted by the TV. Click! Off goes the TV. I probably should have nipped that little distraction in the bud before we even started reading. Instead we got several pages into our book before reality hit me in the face.

Healthy children require nine to ten hours of sleep a night. You have to sort of admire parents who are successful at getting their homework time and bath time wrapped up in time to get their little ones off to bed by 9:00PM. I frequently find myself letting bath time slide until the following morning. Which, of course, means more rushing around in the early morning!

We’ve all read that children who have a healthy breakfast tend to perform better in school. During the early morning scramble to get out the door we sometimes miss sitting down a healthy breakfast. I try to keep some easy foods on hand that we can share during the ride to school. Bananas and oranges are great. A bunch of grapes and some walnuts will help the little guy get a few nutrients before heading into the classroom. A carton of milk – or a little bottle of pedia-sure will surely bolster his morning!

We’ve all read that children who have a healthy breakfast tend to perform better in school. During the early morning scramble to get out the door we sometimes miss sitting down a healthy breakfast. I try to keep some easy foods on hand that we can share during the ride to school. Bananas and oranges are great. A bunch of grapes and some walnuts will help the little guy get a few nutrients before heading into the classroom. A carton of milk – or a little bottle of pedia-sure will surely bolster his morning!

Help your child get better grades this year - encourage a healthy balance of homework and healthy habits!

How to get a child to do homework?

"But Dad, I don't want to be a Nerd" he cried out as i gently tried to get him to sit down and do some homework. The battle lasted for far too long. He employed every delay tactic I know of and then some. When his Mother, Step-Dad and I all tried to convince him of the importance of doing his homework he even burst into tears. Poor little guy - or was this simply yet another delay tactic.

" Not now, Dad - I'm watching this movie" Or, "Can't I please save this game first?" I wish I had never bought that silly little portable game player he spends way too much time with.

Does every parent experience these same challenges just getting their children to begin their homework? Maybe I've been too soft on him. Maybe I need to try a tougher approach.

God gives us a brief window - and a glorious one at that - to teach our children well. How we use this time is totally up to us. I know I need to do a better job of convincing him. To teach him discipline!

To teach him somehow how to fund a happy balance. Maybe these homework tips will be useful.

From 3rd Grade to College

“I’m practically in college, you know - I’m in the 3rd grade now, Daddy!” he reminded me as we drove home last night. He wants to grow up so fast. Just 12 hours earlier I had dropped him off in front of the school for his 1st day of this new school year. And once again, I found myself fighting back tears as I offered a quick prayer of Thanks for the greatest gift the Good Lord has blessed me with – a son!

Slow down the bus – Didn’t I just last week watch his kindergarten graduation ceremony? Wasn’t I just filling a sippy-cup with his favorite orange drink the week before? I swear I picked up a diaper from a corner of his bedroom just last month!

Where did those years go? Why must his childhood fly by so quickly? Later, as we settled into a big chair together for some reading, he handed me the book he’d picked out for the evening. A book about dinosaurs and a magic bus. His fascination with dinosaurs has outlasted Barney ( Thank the Good Lord ), The Wiggles, and the Power Rangers ( a triple Thanks to the Big Guy upstairs ).

I know our reading time together will someday – far too soon for my liking – be yet another pleasant memory. Meanwhile, I hope I can instill in him a love of reading and a yearning for more. I hope he will always have a fascination with something! I hope we can sit down together and do his homework for the evening without even the slightest objection or complaint. I hope he will settle into a habit of studying a little each day. Of reading and writing a little each day.

I hope he will grow to accept daily homework as a normal part of growing up. I hope he will succeed at learning whatever sparks an interest in that wonderful little mind of his. If your little one is just embarking upon his or her journey in education you might enjoy some simple and easy homework tips!

Show Your Children the Ways to Better Grades

Give your child a head start before school starts up again. Encourage your little loved ones to read and practice their writing skills. Show them some of the many ways to better grades. Make it fun! They'll enjoy it more if you make a game of it!

Here are a few easy steps to help get you started:

1. Demonstrate the importance of writing. Do you write a list of groceries or write a check to pay for them? Do you write on birthday cards or take down messages from the answering machine? Show your child how strong writing ability can open doors by explaining the writing involved in various jobs.

2. Provide a good place to write. A quiet environment with stimulating books can inspire your child's writing muse. A desk or table with good lighting eases the mechanics of writing. Both lined and unlined paper is useful, as are writing tools like pens, pencils, markers, and crayons.

3. Allow time for writing. Set aside a certain time each day or week to write. Get your child in the mood to write to a pen pal with a regular Saturday bowl of popcorn. Encourage your child to record the day in a personal journal each night.

4. Follow what your child enjoys. If your child likes a special song, encourage him to write out the lyrics. Have children make lists of favorite possessions: books, dolls, baseball cards. Start a story about a favorite subject or character, and let her write the ending.

5. Play writing games together. Crossword puzzles, anagrams, and cryptograms for children can be found in newspapers or inexpensive booklets.

6. Bring a notebook on outings. Encourage your child to take notes on nature walks, bus or car trips, or special visits to a museum or zoo.

7. Develop advanced writing skills. Make up stories aloud and help your child decide: who are the main characters? What is the setting? What problems are faced and how are they resolved? Arrange for your child to interview someone special and write up what he learned.

8. Express feelings. Encourage children to draw and write about personal thoughts and feelings. Writing poems or songs gives children new ways to express themselves.

9. Write a book review. Ask your child to read a book and write a review.

Follow these steps for a smarter summer and you will see results when your child goes back to school. With practice, your child will learn to "write it right!

Check out even more homework tips!