7 Ways to Survive the Start of the School Year
May 23, 2007
It happens every year. Just when you are settled in to the lazy days of summer, you are startled to find Back to School catalogs in your mailbox and bikinis going on sale in favor of turtlenecks. Your local store has devoted an entire aisle to pencils, notebooks, and lunch bags. Soon there will be no more long days at the beach, late nights watching movies with popcorn, or mornings free of alarm clock jitters. It’s enough to make you dread September, but it doesn’t need to be that way. With a slight change in attitude and a plan in place, September can be one of the best months of the year.
1. PracticeDon’t wait until Labor Day to get ready for the changeover to the school year. Begin pulling back bedtime during the last two weeks of August-around 8:30 to 9:00 PM for elementary school kids.
2. Lower Your ExpectationsMajor transitions equal disruption. Routines change and priorities shift. Allow yourself extra leeway when it comes to chores and tasks. Avoid scheduling appointments during the month surrounding the start of the school year.
Want To Further Your Childrens Studies?
May 22, 2007
Being in a competitive world, the lowest qualification to secure a good job is a degree. However, a degree subject may be perceived as too general and the acquisition of a specialist skill through professional courses or a post graduate program may help improve employment prospects.
Before you jump into a specific course or program, do take a look at the following considerations:
Top Ten Reasons For Consolidating Your Student Loans
May 21, 2007
Top Ten Reasons For Consolidating Your Student Loans
by: Mike O’Brien
From saving money to improving your credit score, there are many benefits to consolidating student loans. Here are the top ten reasons why you should streamline these debts.
1. Peace of mind
Have you had sleepless nights worrying about whether or not you can afford to pay your bills? By consolidating your student loans, you can save up to 60% on monthly payments.
2. Lock in a low interest rate
By organising your Federal student loan consolidation before June 30th of this year, you can take advantage of the current low interest rate of 4.7 percent. As well, you will secure this interest rate for the life of the loan, so you won’t have to worry about a rate increase.
3. Streamline your payments
Have you racked up multiple loans with varying amounts over the course of your time in school? It can be confusing to keep track of all of the bills. When you consolidate, you will simplify your life by only having to pay one amount to one lender.
4. Auto-pay
Powerful Tips for Increasing Your Childs Self-Esteem
May 20, 2007
Here is a list of ways to convey the message "You are worthwhile" to your children. This list could fill a hundred newsletters, since the ways to raise responsible, happy children are limited only by our imaginations. Here are some places to begin.
1. Tell her on a regular basis that you love her. Actually say the words. If you think, "I don’t have to tell her. She knows," you are wrong. It doesn’t count if you think it but don’t say it out loud.
2. Tell him that you are glad he is your child. Say the words and mean them. If you don’t feel it, there is something wrong and you should find out what’s going on. We all have moments when we have a hard time getting in touch with our positive feelings for our children. I’m not talking about those times. I’m talking about in general, most of the time, if you’re not feeling good about being your child’s parent, something is wrong. He will never feel good about himself if he senses that you are not connected to him.
Buy Flowers For Hillary Duff… Or Your Favorite Teen
May 20, 2007
Buy Flowers For Hillary Duff… Or Your Favorite Teen
by: Wesley Berry
She loves clothes, talking on the phone, boys, teen stars like Hillary Duff, and a great pair of vintage jeans, but will your teen girl love a gift of flowers? Absolutely! In a recent survey, flowers proved to be among the most favored gifts men and women give and receive. And, since your teen is a young woman in training, there’s no doubt that she will appreciate beautiful flowers, too-especially if you customize the gift to fit her special interests.
When considering a gift of flowers for your teen, you first have to ask when it’s appropriate to send her flowers. The answer: Anytime! Of course, if you prefer to give flowers on special occasions, here are some ideas:
* Her birthday. Birthdays are an obvious choice, but think about having them delivered at a time of day when she’ll garner some special attention (unless she’s the shy type who might be embarrassed by this). For example, have the flowers sent to school. Of course, it’s a good idea to call the school first and find out if they have any special policies concerning gift deliveries. Include a small gift with the flowers, such as a CD by her favorite band.
Managing Sibling Rivalry
May 19, 2007
It is human nature to feel competitive and envious toward others. A moderate spirit of competition is a positive and productive attribute in school and in business. Sibling rivalry is a normal part of growing up in families. The competition between siblings starts when the second child is born. Unfortunately, many parents ignore it and some even make the situation worse.
When occasional fighting becomes a constant series of arguments and fights, it must be dealt with to avoid years of discord and even potential danger. Here are some tips that will help you lessen your frustration over argumentative brothers and sisters and help them learn to get along better.
Do your best to offer each of your children equal amounts of praise and attention. This is true if they are competing for your attention or if they are participating in a school or sports activity.
Encourage your children to participate in activities that they truly enjoy. Don’t expect them to always join activities that they must do together or where they will be competing against each other.
Potty Training At Daycare and Preschool
May 18, 2007
With 61% of children between the ages of birth and 6 years in daycare, it’s important that parents work closely with their child’s care provider while potty training. When you child is ready for potty training, the right potty training guidance and supplies can make all the difference.
Be Sure Your Child Is Ready ? Before you begin potty training, make sure your child is ready. Your child should show the following signs of potty training readiness:
· Expresses an interest in the potty · Express the need to go potty (verbally or through body language) · Able to dress and undress · Uncomfortable in wet diapers · Stays dry for two hours · Imitates family members · Interested in big kid underwear · Has regular bowel movements
Introduce Potty Training - If your child is in daycare, he or she will probably notice that there are other children around who wear cotton underwear and use the potty. This kind of light peer pressure can motivate your child to want to use the potty. Start introducing the idea by watching a potty training book or video together. Be sure and tell your child’s daycare provider that you are beginning the potty training process. You child’s daycare provider can help by watching for signs of potty training readiness and answering questions from your child.
Choose the Delivery Mode for your e-Learning Course
May 17, 2007
There are so many ways to deliver instruction online that the topic warrants its own lesson. In fact, deciding how you are going to deliver a course is critical to the way that you design and develop the course!
Your first decision is whether or not you will deliver the course “live” or in a synchronous mode. If you deliver it live, it means that you and the students need to be online at the same time. There are numerous courses delivered this way. One of the oldest models for this is a telephone course.
You can also deliver a teleseminar, which is a fancy way of saying a course via telephone. In a teleseminar, everyone calls into a central number where there is a “telephone bridge”. The bridge can handle many simultaneous connections, so everyone can hear one another. And because everyone pays their own long distance bill to the bridge, it’s an affordable technology to use. Bridge pricing varies, but if you’re paying over $20 per hour to rent the bridge, then contact us and we’ll put you in touch with a more reasonably priced vendor!
Surviving as a Single Parent
May 16, 2007
Emotional Overload
Many single parents say they deal with a variety of emotional issues that you might describe as "extra baggage." Some examples include:
? Self-pity
? Depression
? Guilt
? Anger
? Envy
? Fear
? Severe money problems
? Loneliness and isolation
? Frustration
? Exhaustion
These issues present such a challenge because they undermine your daily functioning and emotional well-being. But they can be managed successfully so that you manage your family in a positive way.
10 Ways to Speed Your Recovery Process
Becoming divorced or widowed and then facing years of single parenting is a shock to anyone who experiences it. You will need to take steps to recover and heal. Here are some suggestions:
1. Some churches, synagogues, counseling centers, and therapists offer free and low-cost divorce recovery workshops and grief support groups. Look for them in the newspaper and Yellow Pages. If you don’t see any listed, call a few places that may be able to refer you.
2. Look for local peer support groups and networks.
3. If you have access to the Internet, search for support services in your area.
Developing a Fantastic Relationship with Your Child
May 15, 2007
Here’s a scene: A parent “might suddenly grab a happliy playing child and shower him with excited hugs and kisses without warning.” What’s wrong with this picture?
I would say that, simply, the parent is not in synch with the child in the case described above. The parent is not on the same page. Yes, parents have to move over to their child’s page to be “on the same page”, not the other way around, starting in infancy. Parents who have no history of being treated with any sensitivity at all will have a hard time with this. But–here’s the clincher–giving up is not an option! Here is how to practice getting more and more able to “read” what page someone is on
Step 1: Guess what they’re thinking/experiencing at the moment and explain to yourself why you think so.
Step 2: Check it out with the person. In a very casual way, just say, “You know, I want to be a more aware person. I’m trying to understand you a little better, so I hope you’ll help me. What I’m trying to do now is guess how you feel and why. Can I run by you what I came up with?”
