Parenting

Some youngsters have a great amount  of difficulty with putting words on the page . There are diagnosable learning difficulties  , such as dysgraphia, that can present barriers to  the ability to put words on the page  . These  strategies might prove of benefit in alleviating some of the distress faced by parents, teachers and students  alike when writing is a challenging procedure  for the student :

1. Separate the tasks  of 'planner', 'author' and 'editor': People who experience difficulties with writing  often find it particularly hard to recall  the mechanics of writing. The basics of spelling, punctuation and grammar are inclined  to get ignored somewhere along the way when these students are attending to the actual  process of writing. To begin , put on the 'planner' hat to give birth to  and organize ideas. Secondly    put on the 'author' hat to get it down on the page. Finally , don  the 'editor' hat to get the technical aspects of writing right.

2. Do not jump straight in: Although a majority of  students  think that head down, pen down is what makes up the total  procedure  of writing, this really  doesn't  work for most of us. If you skip the planning stage , the initial  draft becomes so much more challenging to create . For some students it becomes impossible . I know that if I was going to climb Everest I would want a really detailed  plan developed . Remember that writing is just like tackling Everest for reluctant writers. Actually , some of them would no doubt rather try climbing Everest.

3. Begin the creative process: Any well-tuned machineneeds some time to get going . For a less  well-honed   machine this is even more essential . Start any writing session with a pre-writing activity . Use whiteboard brainstorming, index cards, sticky notes or mind maps to compose ideas. Mind maps are particularly recommended for hesitant writers as they are a graphic mode of taking notes . Creative and calming visualization may also be useful for relieving anxiety before a writing assignment .

4. Outline  the structure of the written piece : This need notbe a totally  intellectual process . Use index cards or sticky notes and physically move the ideas around. Join them together to hear how the paragraphs should be sorted within the overall structure of the essay . Each distinct idea or group of ideas becomes a paragraph or  series of paragraphs. Try and give each group a 'topic sentence', an introductory sentence that links the ideas within the paragraph into one unit  and gives the reader a brief introduction to the primary  idea behind the paragraph.

5. Wear the 'author' hat: The next stage is to prepare the initial draft. This is where the student puts all the organized paragraphs into a sequence. In this stage the student can't be thinking about spelling, punctuation or other 'editor' tasks. Instead,the student is in 'author' mode and should be concentrating only about the structure  of the piece and the coherence of the writing. Just getting it on the page in the organized structure is enough during this phase.

6. Read it to another person: When the first draft is finished the writer should read the narrative out loud, preferably to somebody else , in order to hear if it flows properly and if anything needs to be extended or clarified -- teachers like to see the use of examples and clear , sharp writing with appropriate and relevant detail. The students should ask themselves "Does it sound right?", "Does it make sense?", and "Do I need to add anything more?"

7. Wear the 'editor' hat: In the last stage , the role of the 'editor' comes in to play . The writer should edit for run-on sentences, incomplete sentences, correct spelling, punctuation, grammar and the correct use of capital letters. A simple checklist may be a useful resource to remind the student the points they need to  concentrate on when they edit their piece of writing.

8. Use technology : Making use of a computer can be helpful in the process of writing , particularly for reluctant writers. There is a characteristic that is  intrinsically motivating about a computer screen and the simple fact that there is no pen and paper around is something of a gift for reluctant writers. There are several software applications that help writers to enhance their typing efficiency . Also, software developers are always coming up with new and improved solutions for students with reading and writing difficulties . For example , applications with speech recognition and text prediction are far more common and more reliable than they were even just a few years ago.

9. Choose your arguments wisely: The school day and  study programs shouldn't be a constantbattle of wills. This is emotionally painful for parents, teachers and students. Set reachable and realistic targets for the amount of writing required or for the amount of time spent on an assignment . Remember that the task of writing is an onerous job for some students and that they may  need  frequent breaks to organize themselves for the next attempt or extra time periods to finish a piece of writing.

10. Praise the effort : Praise is probably more important than a tangible reward (although most kids and adults like the tangible ones as well). In celebrating achievement , always focus on the effort involved and how much it was appreciated by everyone . Be positive in pointing out areas that have improved and be constructive in describing aspects that require greater attention . For the latter, keep the quantity of constructive criticisms to a minimum. It is best to concentrate on one thing at a time.

The evidence shows that writing can be a daunting chore for some people. Despite this , there are strategies that teachers and parents can utilize so that the fear of tacklinga writing assignment can be addressed . With time, resilience and patience , these individuals may get to feel  the  satisfaction that results from finishing a well-developedpiece of writing.

It seems like every year, moms struggle with the dilemma of just what to do for their kids’ birthdays.  Every year, birthday parties get bigger, more complicated, and unfortunately more expensive .  Combine that with the fact that many birthday parties, especially those at “kid-themed” places allow a limited number of kids and can be really expensive, and you have a large potential for disaster .

Here are some ideas you can use to create memorable themed birthday parties for your kids, year after year.   First of all, consider a theme that will tie the whole party together – this will make shopping for supplies, food and a venue that much easier.

Secondly, decide how much you want to spend .  Your budget should cover tableware, like plates, napkins, cups, utensils, and tablecloths, decorations, drinks, food, invitations, games, prizes and of course the cake.  Decide how much you want to spend for every item and stick to it.  You don't need to spend a ton of money to create a memorable birthday party.

Next, take some of the themes you’ve thought of and sit down with your child and ask what he or she wants .  There are the typical themes like princesses or pirates, but maybe they will want to have a character-themed party based on their favorite cartoon or movie.  

Now that you have a theme, you can go shopping and see if there are decorations and tableware in your theme.  Generally, items with a recognizable character on them will cost more than a non-character item, so you may want o mix and match – go for the princess plates, but pair with the plain pink cups.  

When it comes to decorations, it’s tempting to just start buying the pre-made ones, but this can be a great time to get creative and save money.  Can you find templates or crafts on the Internet that feature the theme character?  If so, use those to make your own decorations.   This will free up your budget to spend money on other things.

You should also buy or make the invitations with plenty of time to get them addresses or passed out.  Consider making your own by using your color printer and some postcard paper.  Download images off the internet and add them to your own design.   Also remember that a lot of schools frown on passing out invitations in the classroom, unless everyone is invited.  You may want to invest in some stamps and mail invitations out to prevent any hurt feelings.  Giving families two to three week’s time to respond is a good idea.    And don't forget the power of the Internet.  It's perfectly acceptable to use an online invitation service like Evite to send out the invitations.

So what should you plan on doing during the birthday party?  If it’s warm outside , obviously you can plan lots of outdoor activities, from tag, to water play, to organized games.  For winter birtday parties , you should plan on a few games and crafts in keeping with the theme.  And depending on your child’s age, don’t make the party too long.  A craft project will take some kids five minutes, others twenty, so don’t plan on an hour of crafts.  

And don’t worry about goodie bags.   Most of the time, they are filled with disposable junk that just gets thrown out.  Save the money and spend it elsewhere or if you feel you must, sometimes a simple picture book – perhaps about the character can make a simple and affordable parting present.  

Next up – food.   The birthday cake will be the centerpiece of the whole party. Depending on your baking skills, you may want to budget the money for a store bought cake, or you could make it yourself.  In addition you will want to have some snacks and “real food” – like pizza.  Be sure to mix in some healthy snacks like veggie sticks and dip.   And make sure you have juice and water.  Skip the soda is possible.  If parents are sticking around with the kids during the party, make sure you have some grown-up food - like extra pizza or a platter of sandwiches.

Some parents worry about having a birthday party and all the gifts that come with it – most kids don’t need more toys.  Are you tired of the glut of toys and presents that comes with a party?  You can always specify no gifts on the invite and instead suggest that guests bring a can of food to donate to a local charity.   In this way, you won’t have to deal with a lot of new gifts or thank you notes and your child will get a great lesson in charity.

A themed birthday party can be a lot of fun for your kids, but they can also be a lot of money and work for the parents.  But don’t feel pressured to purchase everything related to the theme.  At the end of the party, your children will be most interested in having their friends over, being the center of attention and enjoying themselves.

About age six months your baby will be ready to eat solid food.  This is when your baby's mouth has changes and it will now be able to manage swallowing the food.  Another good way to tell if your baby is ready is when your baby has reached double its birth weight.  If however, you feed your baby solid food prior to this then your baby may have a hard time to digest the food.

You will need a few things before you start feeding your baby solid food like bibs, a bowl and spoon that is not breakable, and a food processor will come in handy.

The initial solid food to try is baby rice, it is low in protein and it is not likely to cause any allergic reaction.  Mix the rice with breast milk or formula and mix it thin so it will be easy for your baby to swallow.  When you baby has gotten used to the rice cereal there are other cereals that you can try, then try mixing it with some vegetables.  Vegetables before the fruit because your baby may not like the vegetables after trying the fruit.

Any dairy made from cows milk needs to be avoided until your baby is one year old.  When your baby has had cows milk for more then a month you could try other dairy products.  It is best to put your baby on solid food gradually do not be in a hurry wait at least twenty four hours before you introduce a new food, this is to be sure that your baby is not having any reaction.

Remember that you should let your baby be in charge.  You'll be informed by your baby whether or not it needs a top up or if they are still hungry.

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Running Bikes for kids are actually growing in popularity for one particular reason; they actually work! A toddler push bike is simply a bicycle frame having no pedals. This may well sound odd, nevertheless can teach a kid as young as 1 to balance on a two wheel bicycle, devoid of ever needing beginner wheels.

When a child starts using a balance bike for kids, they move the bike along with their feet. To begin with, their feet will always be on the ground while they move around. If they are tall enough, they could sit on the seat, but this is not even essential. The goal of a balance bike for young children is to support the child to get knowledgeable at two points. The initial one is steering. After they have the steering perfected and can also reach the seat, they can push the bike along with their feet while sitting down.

Once they arrive at this stage, undoubtedly, they'll lift their feet up off the floor. Employing a balance bike for little ones, some will start accomplishing this the exact same day. Slowly and gradually, a young person can learn to balance on the bicycle without trying. By doing this, the Strider kids running bike is helping youngsters to sidestep those trainer tires altogether, and start feeling confident on the two wheel bicycle at a incredibly young age.

Now how is this experience completely different for a young child in comparison with an older child who has never learned to ride a bike? Employing a balance bike, the young kid learns steering, then balance, devoid of ever having to take into consideration pedaling. When pedaling to move is introduced, it is a much simpler course of action.

When pedaling is needed and also the child hasn't mastered the capability to balance, the kid usually becomes fearful. Even though they'll still likely master the bicycle, it'll be a far more hard procedure. Using a toddler push bicycle, the baby develops the balancing skill naturally and by themselves.

If you have a young kid, we recommend the littlest toddler drive bike, the Strider Push Bike, for children from 1 to 3 yrs . old. If you get them started early, you may be astonished how fast they start riding a two wheeler. Visit Balance bike for toddlers for all the info, and have your baby riding quickly!

It is widely recognized, that students forget or lose from 3 weeks to 2.5 months of academic skills over the summer break .  Studies have repeatedly proven this and the phenomenon even has a catchy name, Summer Brain Drain.

As parents, if we are concerned about keeping our kids at the top of their game, we find a nice summer reading program from the local library or book store.  If we think there is a reading problem, we might step it up a notch and sign the kids up for an engaging summer reading program from a local tutor or learning center.  

If you think that's all you need to prevent summer brain drain, please read on.

As it turns out , math skills deteriorate more from summer brain drain and deserve at least as much attention as reading skills.  A thorough review of 39 studies concluded that math suffers the most from lack of use during the extended summertime break.

Of course we can involve our children on a daily basis with practical math in fun ways at home.  One of my favorites is reviewing fractions while making cookies or other treats .  (e.g. Measure two quarter cups of brown sugar because I need a half cup total )  These at-home math drills can easily be adjusted for the appropriate age and grade with older students calculating surface area for painting projects and younger students counting out the right number of nails.   Little gardeners can figure out how many plants or seeds to buy to fill an area with tomato plants.  Young travelers can map out a journey and estimate how long the trip will take.  Shoppers can figure out sale prices or which box of waffles has the lowest cost per unit .

While these activities help, especially when you know and focus on your child's weaker areas and calculations which are easily forgotten, studies still show that much of the computational skills which generally are not practiced over the summer, are simply lost .  For this very reason, many schools have changed from a traditional school year calendar to year round school.  

Most states in the U.S. now have several schools with year round calendars.  Many schools are currently debating or actively switching to year round schedules.  If your child is not attending school year round , studies show he or she will be forgetting at least one month of math each summer, and that summer loss is cumulative.  Your child will forget approximately a year of math instruction and will later be competing with students who have had the benefit of year round school.

So what is a concerned parent to do?

The best solution I've found is to enroll kids in a great summer math program.  While not as readily available as summer reading programs, summer math programs are out there and are even more important.

Some things to consider are as follows.

Does the program create an individualized plan after thoroughly evaluating your child?

Is the curriculum is both fun and comprehensive?

Are the teachers academically qualified with appropriate degrees?

Will you receive appropriate reports to track your student's progress?

What results are to be expected?

This summer, give your child the opportunity to have fun and get a step ahead of the coming school year.  Your choice of summer activity will either leave your child behind, with the old summer brain drain, or put your student far ahead of her peers, and spare you the tortuous nights struggling with math homework for next school year .  The choice is yours.  Good luck!