Well Rounded Children

One of the things I put a lot of effort into is having a well-rounded son.  Not just a child that is good at academics or athletics or art, but a child that has experience in all.  I believe that children should try their hand at all types of things before they are allowed to say they don’t like something or they don’t want to try.  That is actually the rule in my house….you have to try before you give up.  So every spring I begin to look at what activities my son can participate in for the rest of the year.  I start by looking for activities that I know he likes best.  My son LOVES LEGO’s so I am always looking to see if he is old enough to participate in a LEGO robotics camp.  Once I have found an activity I know he will love I look for activities to help develop his other muscles. 

If you have a little boy like me you most likely have experienced the resistance to all things academic and only having the desire to play.  This is why I try so hard to find different activities for him to participate in.  I remember when I was in middle school my dad asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up and taking me to the library to look it up.  As I got older doing that helped me decide to go to college.  As I began to look into what was necessary to get into college I noticed they all asked what I did besides go to school.  I had a few extra curriculars but not enough to make me stand out.  Luckily for me since I started looking at what I wanted to be when I was in middle school my dad had me start to look at what it would take to get into college in 10^th grade.  Thank God for my dad!  I spent the next two years participating in whatever activities I could. So the tradition continues in my house only I am starting in elementary school.  I am hoping to create the habit of being able to balance school and extra curriculars at a young age to help ensure the well roundedness of my son as he gets older.

Below is a short list of resources I use to help well-round my son…Enjoy!

Reading Camp

Summer Camp

DAPCEP

Michigan Science Ctr

After School Enrichment (check with your child’s school)

Seasonal Sports (check your local recreational facility)

Moms’ Night Out

Being a mom is one of the most thankless jobs I have ever loved.  But I am not only a mom, I work full time and I am a student.  I find myself wishing weekends could have just one more day, just one more day that I could have all to myself.  So every once in a while I call (actually text) my girlfriends and start throwing out dates, because like me my friends are super busy moms.  Most of the time we end up doing something that involves the kids or just getting together to watch movies and have a glass of wine with the kids (no wine for the kids though =)). 

Occasionally there is an event or its one of our birthdays and we get to be free of the kids.  I remember when my son was younger I used to feel bad for leaving him.  Asking myself was a bad mom for wanting to leave him.  I had to realize that I was a better mom when I did.  So today when I go on a Moms’ Night Out evening and he asks can he come with me or when I will back I simply kiss him on the forehead and tell him I love him and that mommy will be back later.  I no longer feel guilty for leaving for a couple of hours before he goes to bad.

So now that we have set a date with our friends and we will not feel guilty what should we do??  Where should we go??  Don’t pick somewhere that you could have actually brought your child with you to do.  Remember what you used to like to do before the kids.  Go see a rated R movie, go have a drink, go to the theatre.  And if you are still at a loss for ideas check out one of my fav pintrest boards.  The bottom line is to have fun.  Every mom deserves it and that includes you.

Are you ready for Social Media and your child?????

So I don’t have a teenager or even a pre-teen so technology for me and my son stays strictly to apps and games that I choose for him.  But my sisters and my best friend have teenagers and the choice of what their kids read and see is out of their hands….so to speak.  For the parents that I know somewhere between the age of 10 and 13 kids have their own smart phone and or tablet.  This means that these kids can download and go to basically any site they like.  Hearing this freaked me out.  How do you keep you kids off non-child friendly sites??  How do you keep them from predators?? How do you keep CONTROL?? Ok, I needed to take a deep breathe.  At some point I am going to have to let go and trust that you taught your child right from wrong and what is dangerous and they will heed to those lessons. BUT before I do I am going to have to know how to teach my son the dos and don’ts of selfies and what social media sites are ok and what is acceptable behavior.  So I had to do a little research.  The media would have you believe that selfies can be dangerous and damaging to the child.  As what you put on the internet stays on the internet FOREVER!!  And what about making “Friends” on social media….you don’t know who these people really are.  But according to the article The Upside of Selfies and Social Media  it really isn’t that bad.  Teens actually feel more comfortable via social media as they can be themselves and aren’t afraid of being judged as they are in room full of their peers.  So there is a point for social media and creating confidence in teenagers.  I remember being 13 wearing glasses and being too shy to participate in extracurricular activities, social media could have helped me.  But how do I monitor what my child is doing and saying and to whom.  Well in the article 5 ReasonsEvery Parent Should be Aware of Instagram it advises that you should create your own account and “Friend” your child so you can see their page.  This made complete sense to me.  When I was a younger teen I used to wait until my mom went to bed to talk to boys so she couldn’t hear what I was saying.  Having your own account will allow you to see what your child is saying and what people are saying to them, but far less intrusively.  So maybe social media isn’t as bad for teens as I had thought……but it’s a good thing my son is only 8 because I am certainly not ready for it.

Apps for kids

As a parent of an elementary school age child I have come to realize that kids today are being taught in a different manner than we were.  I remember having a chalk board built into the wall in elementary school.  My son’s school was just built in the past 10 years and all of the class rooms do have a chalk board but they also have a SMART board where the teacher can plug in their computer and the kids can see anything on that computer, from a power point presentation to the internet.  Technology is now fully integrated into our educational system.  With that being said it is easier now to help your child learn when they are at home.  Before you would have to either have the teacher send extra worksheet home or go to the local educational store and buy a workbook.  Not today!  It is as simple as typing in “educational games” on your smart phone or tablet’s app store search and you will get a laundry list of applications for your child.  To shorten this list I would suggest adding your child’s age or grade to the search for a bit of a more tailored list.

My son, like most little boys, is no fan of school.  He would rather play ALL day.  This is what made me first go in search of fun/educational apps.  If he has to be playing and it has to be on my iPad it needs to be educational in my house.  Just a word of caution, as you go in search of apps for your child to play on, all apps aren’t educational.  Recently an app was removed from iTunes and Google Play as it encouraged little girls to perform plastic surgery on what the app described the character as “This unfortunate girl has so much extra weight that no diet can help her,".  (Apple Removes App Following Twitter Uproar Over Sexism).  Be sure to check out the description of the app and even some of the reviews before you download.

Unfortunately, all apps will not be free.  In this case get in touch with your child’s teacher and see what apps and websites the school is already paying for and get the login in information.  I did this with BrainPop and my son LOVES playing with the robot character.  Below are a couple of useful articles that detail the importance of using technology to encourage  students, especially elementary school age, to learn and other articles that list some of the best educational apps.

http://www.teachthought.com/apps-2/38-best-elementary-learning-apps-for-students/

http://www.appsmagazine.net/apple-ios/8-best-ipad-and-iphone-apps-for-students-2013.html

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/01/28/students-need-stronger-502/2/

Planning a great birthday party!!

If you are like me you are short on time to plan the best birthday party ever for your child. And let’s face it kid’s birthday parties can be expensive, so what do you do??  There a couple of options, you can save some money by just having a couple of your child’s friends over and have cake and ice cream, or you could have a full party but at home, or a third option is to find the most cost efficient way to have a party at one of the kid’s entertainment places.  All parties need cake (or some other sweet) so I will talk about that last.  Since I have actually done all three options let me help you choose.

1.       Invite a couple friends over – just because you only have a couple of your child’s friends over doesn’t mean it can’t be a GREAT party.  You will want to spend some time thinking about what your child and his or her friends really like to do and to eat.  My son and his friends have a couple of favorite video games and toys.  I set the room I am going to let them play in up with the two video game systems we already have and their favorite toys, (my son’s birthday is in the winter but you could also set up the back yard for the kids to play in). I let him open his presents first so they have more options to play with.  And after about an hour or so of playing I serve his favorite food.  The first time I did this I thought he was going to be disappointed but he wasn’t at all.  He actually told me that year that was the best birthday party he had to date.  Remember all kids want to do is play.  Create an environment for that and you will be all set to have a great birthday party.

 

2.       Full party at home – This party will be a little more expensive as you will have more children over but still should come in under the budget of going out and paying a place to have a full birthday party where the kids play on their video games or what have you, and they establishment serves food and cake.  The way you set up the area for the kids to play in will be basically the same except you will just want to add more activity options depending on the number of kids you invite.  If you have an outdoor party some options to keep the kids busy are water toys like, slip and slide, a water sprinkler and water guns.  (With the water party make sure you tell the parents up front to bring swim gear. ) For the food option you could take your kid’s favorite food and have a make your own bar.  This works well with hot and hamburgers and sandwiches and won’t cost much.  The other option is to buy a variety of pizzas.  I am sure you can find a local pizza place that is running a special. Great birthday party plan complete!

 

3.       Don’t want to have a bunch of kids in your house but don’t want to pay an arm and leg to have a birthday party out??  Figure out where you want to have the party and ask for their ala cart options. Most places a 10 child minimum to have a party and they can start as low as $14 and go all the way up to $30 per child.  My problem with these places is no package ever has exactly what I want to be included or they want me to use their catering service and or allow them to make the cake.  So instead of being frustrated ask if you can pick the activity or the combinations of activities your child will like.  Also ask if you can bring your own food or cake.  These place charge a surcharge for the services of their staff.  Save this money and plan your party great party ala cart!

 

So now let’s take cake and or treats.  There are a couple of bakeries in the metro area that make awesome goodies.  For birthday cakes I love Mrs. Maddox bakery.  She makes cakes, cupcakes and a variety of other treats.  She is reasonably priced and treats are delicious.  So what if your child doesn’t like traditional birthday cake??  My son and could do without birthday cake so I have discovered the cookie cake is great alternative to birthday cake and doesn’t cost that much more. These can be purchased thru the bakery department at most grocery stores or your local Mrs. Fields. 

When it comes to birthday party planning just remember to keep calm a great birthday party is a breeze.

Picking the right school in 5 easy steps.

Parents it that time of year where schools will start accepting applications for the fall semester.  How do you decide what schools to apply to?? My son is only in the second grade but I am always on the lookout for the best school.  Here are 5 easy steps I use to choose the school that will be best for us.

1.       Determine the attributes of the perfect school for you and your child

Does your child have special needs?? For example does your child have asthmas and may require a puff on their inhaler at least once a day.  You will want to look for school that has a nurse on staff.  Or does your child have special learning needs where a smaller class environment would be more conducive for him or her. Review the teacher to student ratio of the school you are interested in.  Do you prefer private of public??  If private how much is it per year and do they have scholarships or financial aid.

2.       How does the school rated??

You will definitely want to look at how each school you are considering rates.  Websites like Great Schools.org will give you information on how the children of the school do on standardize testing, what the cultural splits are in the school, and any after school programs they have.  They also have a section for parent feedback so you can get a feel for what other parents think of the school.

3.       Visit the schools you are interesting

Once you have created a list of schools that you think would be a good fit, make appointments to take a tour and to talk with the enrollment coordinator.  Seeing a school with your own eyes will tell you if what you read about the school is correct.  Ask questions specific to your child’s needs.  Note how the school is set up.  Not all schools are set up the way they were when we went to school.  For example my son’s elementary school only has 2 grades per floor.  Each floor has its own cafeteria and each class room has its own bathroom.  To me this was a plus.  It meant for the most part only kids of similar age and size interact.  This helped calm my fears of the stigma of bullying in elementary school.

4.       How do you apply??

Know the application process of the school you want to apply to.  Do they accept applications via their website or do you have to walk the application in??  What is the deadline for turning in application??  What is the criteria for acceptance??  How many spots are open for the grade you are applying to??  Knowing all of these things will help manage your expectations.

5.       Decide which school your child will attend in the fall

If you have followed all of the steps above you know exactly which school is your dream school and your decision is made.

Deciding where to send your child doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful.  Just take one step at a time and your decision will make itself.

Picky Eaters

Picky Eaters

Is your child a picky eater??  I know mine is.  Ever since my son started eating table food he has turned up his nose at anything that looked “weird” to him.  I have never thought it was a problem that my son was a picky eater but some of our relatives did.  They were so concerned that it made me worry about it.  Now that he is about to turn 8 and he is still a picky eater I am far less worried and to be honest most parents shouldn’t worry either.  Because soooo many people voiced concern about his eating habits when he was younger I did some research.  Between the ages of 2 and 3 20% of the children in America will be labeled a “picky eater”.  Being a picky eater is defined as a child who whines about what they are served, refuses to eat foods of a certain color or texture and eats just enough food to get in there daily suggested calorie count for normal growth.  My son is all of these things.  In my research I found that a lot of being a picky eater has to do with the texture of food.  For example some meats are easier to chew than others.  The tougher the meat the more likely the child is to refuse this.  When my son was a toddler all I could get him to eat were hot dogs, then eventually he moved up to chicken nuggets and for the longest time no matter what other meats he tried he would say they were nasty or looked weird.  The problem was he never complained about how difficult they were to chew so I didn’t know this was the problem.  Him being a picky eater has gone on for so long I have learned to tune all the other “helpful” advice out.  I have tried recipes you find in parenting magazines to get your child to eat new foods and none of them seemed to work for us so I developed my own system for feeding him.  I took an inventory of the foods he liked and I went in search of the healthy options.  For example my son loves macaroni and cheese from a box so I found the macaroni that is either made from whole grains or even vegetables.  Yogurt is another big hit with him but most kid’s yogurt is full of sugar and artificial colors so I found the brands that sell the all-natural version of kid’s yogurts.  The bottom line is that there is no need to worry or fear that your picky eater’s  eating habits are a problem.  As kids get older they find reasons to broaden their food horizons and eventually will eat “normally”.  I have attached below some of the articles that I found helpful.

 

http://www.childrenshealthnetwork.org/CRS/CRS/pa_pickyeat_hhg.htm

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/the-picky-eaters-project-kids-and-nutrition/index.html

http://keepkidshealthy.com/parenting_tips/picky_eaters.html

Hello World!!  My name is Leslie and I am the proud mom of a soon to be 8 year old little boy.  Anyone who knows me knows my fav thing to do is plan his life....what school should he go to, what sports should he play, should he learn to play an instrament, is 8 years old too early to be worried about girls?!?! So this is my passion, ensuring that he and I have a FABULOUS life.  Check back for posts on all things parents are concerned about.  Let me help you plan a fabulous life for your child.