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4 Tips for Helping Your Child Adjust to a New School

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 So, you’re thrilled that you were able to sell your home quickly, and you’re moving into your new house in a gorgeous new neighborhood!  However, your child may be less thrilled than you as they face the challenge of transferring to a new school. Change can be daunting for children, and also for their parents who may be feeling guilty about uprooting them during such a transitional part of their life.  [Read more…] about 4 Tips for Helping Your Child Adjust to a New School

Originally posted on November 21, 2021 @ 11:34 pm

Teaching History in Modern Day Elementary Schools

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If you have seen Jay Leno’s television segment titled Jaywalking, you know the purpose is to ask random people on the street basic questions. You have probably noticed that this segment tends to poke fun at people’s ignorance. On a recent episode, individuals were asked simple history questions such as, “What ship carried the Pilgrims to America?”. Sadly, there were far too many individuals who didn’t know the answers. Members of the audience find this lack of knowledge hysterical, leaving many to wonder if it’s comical because they also don’t know the correct answer. [Read more…] about Teaching History in Modern Day Elementary Schools

Originally posted on March 28, 2014 @ 6:50 am

How to Help Your Children have a Memorable Last Day of School

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Last Day of School

The last day of school usually brings excitement and high energy to those children looking forward to their summer break. But for some kids the end of the school year can result in anxiety and sadness. They might be worried about missing their friends, their teacher or are already feeling anxious about the next school year. No matter which reaction your kids are having, there are several steps you can take to make sure their last day of school is fun and memorable.

Listen

If your child is acting out, gets moody when you talk about school coming to an end or seems anxious, encourage him to talk about his feelings. Let him know it’s alright to be sad about school ending – lots of kids feel the same way. Going over the summer schedule or making solid plans for play dates with his friends may help him feel more secure.  [Read more…] about How to Help Your Children have a Memorable Last Day of School

Originally posted on May 9, 2013 @ 2:06 pm

Finding Family-Friendly Neighborhoods in Atlanta

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Kids in the Water at an Atlanta park

Once you’ve decided to move to Atlanta, the next thing to do is choose a neighborhood. Everyone wants a good neighborhood, but defining that term can take a bit more thinking. Of course you want an area that has low crime and charming local restaurants, but you’ll need to take your family’s lifestyle into consideration when searching for the perfect new home.

Here are some neighborhoods that are great for families with children. They offer plenty of family-friendly activities, easy access to public transportation and plenty of kid-friendly destinations within walking or biking distance. [Read more…] about Finding Family-Friendly Neighborhoods in Atlanta

Originally posted on July 10, 2013 @ 6:50 pm

I Hate Homework!

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Hate Homework

Ever since my daughter started 1st grade, one thing that has been a constant battle is HOMEWORK. I can’t say that I blame her point of view. After a full day at school, then some club or sports afterwards, who wouldn’t just want to veg on the television when they got home? Add the fact that she has 2 little brothers making noise (and a mess) somewhere close by in our very “cozy” (read: small) house, or the new puppy is tugging at her heels….so it can’t be easy to get back in school mode and work when there are so much better things to do at home!

After another especially bad argument of “This is the 10th time I’ve told you to do your homework!” , my husband, who is always silently neutral when I am close to hysterical, said why not try this – LET HER FAIL. Hmmmm……. If she wont do her homework, she’ll have to deal with explaining to her teacher why, she’ll be made to do it at recess instead of the playground and she’ll probably not be happy at all with the consequences. So instead of Mom-the-Ogre banging her head against the wall, our 8-year-old will learn a valuable lesson on her own…….what a great idea!!!

So this is the plan starting tonight at our household. Will let you know what happens. In the meantime, here are a few useful homework tips I found:

Hot Homework Tips

Parents Homework Tips

Homework Tips According to Grade

Photo via Jessicizer

Originally posted on September 8, 2010 @ 1:14 am

The Report Card

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Report Card

The other day my husband and I went to the first PTC meeting with our daughter’s teacher, Ms. A. Report cards had just come out and I was eager to see how N had fared in the first term of first grade. It was a big adjustment for her as her preschool was tiny (8 kids on her class!), and her new “big school” was huge (almost 1,000 kids up to grade 12!). I knew that she was happy there, but as any parent knows, the way your kid is at home and at school can be two very different things.

Well, Ms. A told us that N was an enthusiastic learner, did well in all her subjects, especially p.e, art, computer and music. She then also said N was not really a “self starter” and needed some time (i.e. would play, draw or get distracted) before she could sit down and complete a task. In maths, she was very good with numbers, but often got confused with “problem solving” work. In reading, she had also improved vastly (she could hardly reading at the end of Kindergarten), but tended to rush through reading, using context clues to guess the words rather than going through them slowly.

Of course, I also had other questions- like the grading system, which was new to me, ranging from 4-1 (4 being the highest, and meant to be “super, super” not given lightly) and I was used to the old-fashioned ABC’s or 95, 85, 75 etc. N mostly got 3’s, a few 2’s, and two 4’s, but I can’t help but feel that she could have done better – that I could have done more to help her.

I think its up to us as parents to really know and understand our kids learning styles (again, think of the Animal School) as it could really help them not just in their school years, but for the rest of their lives.

Photo via AJC1

Originally posted on June 7, 2010 @ 4:43 pm

School Germ Alert!

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germsTwo weeks ago I got an ubiquitous letter from my daughter’s school warning of a mini-epidemic of gastroenteritis going around. It listed the symptoms and how to keep it away (washing hands, etc) – okay, thanks. As if you can say that to a 6-year-old and expect them to remember to wash their hands in between the playground and lunch break! Unlike us Mums who have a keen awareness of germs and potential carriers (if I see someone coughing at the bank I immediately run for cover and whip out the antibacterial gel), kids just don’t notice these things and find it extremely difficult to stop touching things and (horrors) put their hands in their mouth.

Well, I did what I could. I gave them spiel about the germs and the hand washing, pumped them with vitamin C and hoped for the best. As fate would have it, on the night of baby Will’s 1st birthday party, Nat came to our bedroom at midnight and promptly vomited. It wasn’t too much birthday cake, cookies or lasagna as I hoped, because she couldn’t hold down anything for the next 24 hours. She then came down with a fever, had diarrhea, and for the next few days just lay on the sofa, totally miserable. Classic symptoms of gastro.

What’s worse is that we had planned a trip to Disneyland for their birthdays and it was just a few days away. And just as we were considering canceling the whole vacation, she got better. But then her brother got it, then the baby got it. And this was after I had lysol-ed my house like a madwoman! Luckily, the boys had a much, much milder version, and were pretty much their normal selves apart from a bit of runny tummies for a few days.

Now back from our great holiday (boy, did we narrowly miss disaster because of these school germs), my daughter came home from school today with ANOTHER letter, this time saying that there is a cold virus going around the school. HELP!!

Apparently, some schools and parents have taken the matter into their own hands, with things like the Germy Wormy and the Sniffle Sleeve. Good on them. Worth mentioning at the next PTA meeting I think.

Photo via Gotta Be Mobile

Originally posted on February 13, 2009 @ 7:39 pm

Letting Go in First Grade

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Balloon
Letting go of the balloon

When you have a new first grader, the world suddenly revolves around two words Moms like me hate to hear (and, gulp, do). Let Go. Ever since Kindergarten, my daughter has proudly been telling us, her teachers, and anybody who cared to listen, that when she turned 6, she would be going to the biggest school in our area. A huge co-ed establishment with fantastic facilities and a great sports programme, my sporty, sassy and independent kid loved the idea of it, and so did I, until the day came when I actually had to leave her there. On her own.

So there she was, hair neatly braided, brand new Hannah Montana backpack and My Scene lunchbox, sitting in her first grade classroom with 13 other 6-year-olds whose Moms were slowly leaving the open door where we all peeked in. As I watched my child sitting proudly at her desk, I secretly hoped that she would look back at me and say she didn’t want me to go (which she never did), and eventually, as I made myself walk away as all the other parents had, I realized that today we had both reached a milestone. She was growing up and I was letting her get to it.

Photo via against the tide

Originally posted on September 1, 2008 @ 8:17 am