Everyone wants their children to do well at school, although parents are the biggest teachers of all in a child's early life. Then they start leaving you every day for their lessons, but you can still be a big influence on how they progress in school and in the rest of their lives. There are many things you can do to help support your children through their school days. Not every child can be top of the class, but you do need to know that they have achieved the best they are capable of.
As soon as a school year starts you should get to know the teacher. Let them know that you are there to support your child and if there are any problems you want to be informed right away. They should also be aware that you like to reward good work with a 'well-done', so you want to know if they excel at something as well.
Make sure to attend all official parent-teacher meetings, but never be afraid to speak with them at other times too. You should also remember that the teacher is not the only person that can affect your child, as there are others that dictate the way the school is run, as well as administrators and lunchtime staff. The more of them that you know, even if it is just to say hi, the more you will understand how your child can do well in the school you have chosen for them.
You can also find that the school your child is in is underfunded and that could be a great concern for the teachers and those in charge. Teacher Funder has been set up to help tackle this problem as it allows parents, students, and businesses to make donations to the school.
Ask your child's teacher how they are doing compared to other students, and if they need extra help in a particular subject, either do it yourself or arrange for some extra lessons. If they are having trouble learning generally, it could be that they need a specialist teaching and you should ask for this.
You should let the school know about your concerns and perhaps arrange a meeting with the teacher and the principle. Your child has rights if they need a specialist help, and they will be able to give you the advice you need.
Let your children know how important homework is and make sure they do whatever they are given. Don't be afraid to help them with it if the need arises, as they can get very stressed out if they do not understand something and the teacher is not there to help.
If you cannot help them in a particular subject, make sure they have the resources they need for answers. There are many of them online that are there to assist children of all ages.
When they know they have tests coming up, they can become worried about them and you can help by showing them how to prepare and overlook through their work with them to double check that they understand it. A worried child will not do so well in tests, as one that is confident that they know the subject. You can help them to gain that confidence.
Teachers appreciate help in the school, no matter what form it comes in. If you can spare just a few hours each week to volunteer, your children will see this as a positive move and will be proud that one of their parents is giving up some time to help at the school. It does not have to be anything academic as there is much more to running a school than teaching. Help could be needed preparing things for an art class, or at break time watching the children play to make sure no one gets hurt. There are all sorts of jobs that you could help with and this could free the teachers to concentrate on what they should be doing.
Have a positive attitude toward learning at home, and the best way to do this is to show them that you are still learning too. Show them that you value education and use it as part of your daily lives to reinforce the principle. Even some video games are educational and you should encourage them to play these as well as the normal ones that most children play. Learning through play, no matter what age they are is a good way for them to remember things. Playing cards, for instance, can help them with mental arithmetic and Scrabble or Hangman can assist them with spelling.
Reading, of course, is very important, but it does not have to be things they have no interest in. It is better to read a comic book than nothing at all, as they will still learn from them.
It is not only school subjects that you should encourage them with. A documentary on TV can be a great way for them to learn about something new, as long as it is fitting for their age.
Children respond well to active learning and it can also teach them to be independent and to learn things on their own.
Although learning is crucial for your children, so is just being a child and having fun. You should let them play with their friends as then they are learning how to socialize and how to treat other people and that is an important part of them growing into well-rounded adults.
Don't just tell them that manners matter; use them all the time yourself. They will learn more by example than any other way, especially when they are very young.
Teachers play a vital role in the education of your children, but so do you. Their attitude towards school work and school life often reflects the attitude at home and if you show them the importance of education, without putting them under too much pressure to do well, they will work to achieve the best they can and that is all you can ask of any child.
This entry was posted in Help Your Child Succeed at School and tagged Always Help, Be Involved, Befriend their Teacher, Give Confidence, Influence, Learn by Example, Learn Through Play, Parent Help at School, Parents, Positive Attitude, Role Model, stress, Support, Teach at Home, Teachers, Value Education.
Breakups can be difficult at the best of times, but they can be particularly challenging if you both have kids together. Doing what's best for you and what's best for the kids isn't easy. Here are a few tips to negotiating a breakup when you have children.
Once you've decided that you're definitely breaking up, the first thing you'll need to do is tell the kids. If your kids are older, they may have already sensed that you weren't getting along, but the news could still come as a shock. If you and your partner have come to a mutual agreement, it's important that you both tell the news together so that your kids realize that you're both serious about it. You should break the news at home where your kids are likely to be comfortable. Make your kids understand that it's not their fault and allow them to ask questions, being as honest with your answers as you can.
After one of you has moved out, your kids will have to get used to sharing time between the pair of you. You'll need to decide the best way to do this – it's usually healthy that your kids have a stable base, which means spending most of their time in one place. They can make regular visits to the other parent's house. Coming to an amicable agreement isn't always easy – in the case of a bad breakup, one partner may attempt to claim full custody in which case you may have to look into hiring child custody lawyers. When arguing this decision, make sure that the kids aren't around so that they don't feel caught in the middle.
Depending on the amount each of you is earning, you should both contribute a certain amount of funding towards your kids. If you were financially reliant on your partner, it may be their job to continue paying for the kids. Making financial arrangements isn't easy and may also require hiring a solicitor or a financial adviser to come to a fair decision.
A sense of routine is important for your children – it will give them something familiar to cling onto. When sharing out parental care, try to arrange a schedule so that your kids know when they're going to see each parent. Try to keep up other routines that existed before such as keeping bedtime at the same time and allowing them to attend the same after school clubs.
One thing that many parents don't do is listen to their kids. If your kids are young, they may not be able to make decisions for themselves, but in the case of older kids, they may want to have some input when it comes to how much time they spend with each parent. You need to approach the situation practically, but you should still listen to you kids and let them have a say.
This entry was posted in Manage A Breakup When You Have Kids and tagged Explain, Keep Schedules, Kids Finances, Kids First, Let Them Have A Say, Listen To Your Kids, Love Them, Mutual Agreement, Routine, Sharing Quality Time, Split Families, Stable Base, Takes Time, Talk To Them, Time To understand.
With the winter holidays on the horizon, the time has come to start thinking carefully about presents. (The best part of the whole holiday experience). And what better way to show people you care about them than by choosing themed gifts based on their love of film?
Take a look at some of these ideas.
No, your loved one probably isn't going to be winning any Oscars for their films any time soon, but that shouldn't stop them from dreaming, should it? A replica Oscar trophy can help your loved one imagine that they really have made a contribution to film and accepted an award in Hollywood for their efforts.
Okay, sure, replicas aren't made from real gold either – that'd be too darn expensive. But the electroplated gold sure does make them look real enough.
When Despicable Me hit the big screen, few people thought that it would be as popular as it was. But the animated film franchise following the adventures of criminal mastermind Gru and his minion underlings soon became a classic. Now you can barely go five minutes without one of the films being shown on TV.
Minions, a spin-off film featuring the small, yellow bespectacled and somewhat disaster-prone creatures, also became a box office hit and spawned a raft of merchandise, perfect for the film buff you know. Shops like TV Store Online sell Minion-themed uniform union suits, complete with minion-face hood.
Darth Vader is perhaps one of the greatest characters ever to grace the big screen. With his rasping breath and evil mask, he's truly a frightening sight to behold. But that doesn't mean that he isn't loved by film buffs the world over.
A Darth Vader mug is every Star Wars fan's dream, and will undoubtedly be their favorite mug, come Christmas day.
Cinema popcorn is expensive. Even with combos and meal deals, you often end up spending more on food than you do on the tickets to see the actual film. But all that could change if every person in the land owned a popcorn maker: a device that could accurately recreate that cinema feel, but without the extortionate price tag.
It turns out that such devices do indeed exist and can be found in major retail outlets up and down the country. Just make sure that you buy one that's dishwasher-safe. You don't want any nasty surprises.
Wouldn't it be great if you could just talk to your TV and it would show you whatever you wanted to watch? Well thanks to Alexa voice integration with the Amazon Fire Stick, you now can. Just sit back, shout at the TV, and it'll show the film buff in your life whatever he or she wants to watch. Oh, and you might benefit just slightly from this modern marvel of technology too if you happen to live with them.
So there you have it: gifts for the film buff in your life to bring some of that big screen magic to the holiday season.
This entry was posted in Gifts for Movie Buff In Your Life and tagged Alexa Voice Integration, Amazon Fire With Alexa, Big Screen Magic, Darth Vader Coffee Mug, Family Movie Night, Loved One, Major Retail, Minion Uniform, Movie Buff, Oscar Trophy, Popcorn Maker, Recreate the Cinema, Star Wars Fan.
Has the fiery passion that once existed in your relationship been reduced to embers? It could be time to rekindle that flame.
Many couples in long-term relationships can end up settling into a dull routine. Here's how you can break free of monotony and make your relationship exciting again.
Dates are a great opportunity to focus purely on each other, which could be needed if you've both been distracted by other commitments. You don't have to go out to an expensive restaurant – simply spending a couple hours together somewhere out of the house may be all you need whether it's walking around a park or going for coffee. It's important to not involve anyone else who may steal the attention. This means not meeting up with friends or family. If you have kids, it's worth getting someone to babysit. This way you're forced to talk to one another and connect.
The beginning of a relationship is often fun because the two of you are going through lots of new experiences together. By trying new activities, going to new places and tasting new foods together you can recapture that excitement. Examples could include trying a salsa dancing class or going ice skating or trying oysters – anything that neither of you have done.
Surprises can also rekindle the excitement of being in a relationship. This could include sending a romantic text out of the blue or looking into flower delivery and having some roses delivered to your partner's workplace or even throwing a surprise breakfast in bed. Such surprises will show that you still care for your partner and may fill them with that initial giddy feeling of love.
It could be worth coming up goals that you can both work towards. This forces you both to work together and support one another. This could be a savings goal such as saving for a dream vacation or saving up to move home. Alternatively, you could try to learn something new together – this could be a new language or an instrument. If you're both out of shape, you could even vow to get fit together by taking part in joint exercises such as jogging or going to the gym together.
Physical contact is also very important for keeping a connection between you. Whilst having kids may result in less time in the bedroom, you can still try to make an effort to hug and kiss one another each day. Hugs, in particular, can be a small gesture with a big impact – they can help to relieve stress and make you both feel supported. If you haven't been getting physical, it could be time to start breaking down the barrier – you don't want to get to a stage where it's awkward to touch one another.
This entry was posted in Rekindle Your Relationship and tagged Affection, Connect, Cuddle, Date Night, Exciting Relationship, Fiery Passion, Flower Delivery, Hugs, Joint Goals, Kisses, Long Term Couple, Love, Passion, Physical Contact, Rekindle The Flame, Relationship, Romantic, Support Each Other, Surprises, Try New Things.