With our kids starting school in just over a month, many first-time Kindie moms are beginning to feel like they can’t be prepared enough for what is about to happen. From the emotional rollercoaster, the school lunches, routine changes, worries about our kids’ making friends, eating their lunch, and all the other elements of independence they’re about to embark on. It’s hard to know where to begin with getting our kids prepared. Here is how to prepare for Kindergarten; tips from a teacher and mom. The only thing most of us know for sure is we’re about to be a sobbing mess on that first day of school. Have I prepared my little one for this? We asked Kindie parent and teacher, Ms. McNulty, what tips she would give to other parents. What does she expect kindies to know on the first day of class, and how she’s preparing her…
It’s the time of year that starts to creep up on some families. No matter how fun summer has been, it comes to an end; some of our kids become anxious and dread the unknown ahead. A new year at school can be exciting, but it can be a tough transition for other kids. New class, new teacher, new friends, some see the unknown as exciting and fun. However, for kids who struggle with transitions and change, these exciting times can require a lot of planning and care. Here are some anxious kids transition tips for school. First, parents may begin to see behavior changes in their anxious or sensitive kids this time of year. Kids may start to ask a lot of questions about the new year (which is particularly difficult when you don’t have the answers for them). Some signs they may be struggling with transition to…
Dyslexia is a word we hear thrown around often, but many parents don’t fully understand what it means or how to recognize it. If your kids are struggling to read, and you’re worried that these struggles may be beyond regular development, then you’ll want to read on! We asked Heather McNulty, a reading expert, to help us break down the reading process. Here are the signs your child may be dyslexic, what to do next, how to advocate and tips on successfully helping your kids learn to read. In fact, even if your child isn’t dyslexic, you’ll probably find this very helpful as your little ones start to learn to read, enter kindergarten and take an interest in reading. So arm yourself with these tips, and you’ll find you and your little one will have a smoother transition into the literary world! So, what is Dyslexia? Dyslexia “is a neurologically…
Finding out your child is being bullied is completely heart-breaking for parents. It’s hard to understand how it could happen and even more confusing to understand what to do next to support your child. So often, the mama-bear comes out, and we have the urge to find the bully and confront the bully head-on, even though the logical adult in us knows that’s not the right thing to do. Here are signs your child is being bullied and what to do next. Firstly, parents should remember that disagreements are a part of life, and we don’t want to jump to conclusions over every peer conflict. It’s healthy and typical for kids to deal with peer conflict, and they must learn to manage the situations. Here are a few essential differences that parents should be aware of between bullying and peer conflict: Peer conflict is a MUTUAL disagreement between two kids…
Back-to-school season is a great time to start new routines or tweak existing ones. Maybe you’ve always liked the idea of your kids walking to school, but haven’t been able to do it consistently. To help you hit your stride, here are some common issues and tips to overcome them. “There isn’t enough time in the morning.” In households across the land, the morning rush is a daily struggle. As the new school year begins, some honest reflection might reveal areas for improvement. Could you be more organized? Could you wake up earlier, or pack lunches the night before? Can you minimize or eliminate distractions? You’re likely to have better results (and lower blood pressure at breakfast) if you adopt a structured plan. If your kids are old enough, make it into a mini science experiment. Use technology to record the actual time and distance, then calculate the necessary departure…
One of the most exciting things about our kids starting a new school year is hearing all about it. But, in fact, that rarely happens. Kids are notorious for giving one-word answers or clamming up when we ask about their days. It can be heartbreaking to parents who want open lines of communication and are eager to hear the details of their kids’ day. Kids’ minds work differently than adults; developmentally, they’re just not ready to recall all the details of their day after school. Unfortunately, this is often the time that we see meltdowns happening or our chatty kiddos shutting down. But don’t worry, this is normal. While we may think we need to embrace what happens at school, stays at school but not all hope is lost. Here are a few tips to help your kids open up about their school day. 1) Don’t bombard them with questions. …
Studies show that many students these days have little skills when entering the real world. We live in a world with helicopter parents and apps that do everything for us, but we need to be teaching our kids actual skills. Some students have little to no understanding of how to cook a meal, manage their money, do laundry or even how to make a phone call for themselves! They’re increasing having difficulty transitions from home to college, and that responsibility begins at home. The younger you can teach your kids these basic life skills the more confident they become overall. It’s so important that parents don’t do everything for our kids, we need to let them fail a little, we need to give them the knowledge needed to be independent. Here are some basic life skills to teach your tween or teen to set them up for success. Transportation: How…