GenParenting

Parenting resources for all who love and care for children

Elementary School Kids and Screen Time 

Elementary School Kids and Screen Time

During the winter months, our kids tend to spend more time indoors with rainy and snowy days. Some kids are happy reading, doing art projects, or playing games. Many children become attached to their computers and ipads. Kids can spend hours playing online games, texting with friends, watching youtube videos, or watching television. Research indicates that these extended hours of social isolation, lack of exercise, little creative thought, or no participation in team activities can contribute to various mental and physical health challenges. Additionally, many parents lack the skill or time required to provide adequate screen time supervision that ensures our children are safe when using various social media applications or platforms. [Read more…]

Safety Plans for High-Risk Kids

Safety Plans for High-Risk Kids

As our students become more anxious with home and school challenges, we find that we become fearful about their health and well-being. Some children will demonstrate their anxieties and stress by having nightmares, not eating, over-eating, sleeping too much, spending hours on screens, or isolating. As parents, it is our job to try and understand what is troubling our children and seek support when needed. We should not be afraid to ask for help. The longer we ignore or avoid a problem, the more frustrated and troubled our child may become. [Read more…]

Homeschool to Traditional Classroom

Homeschool to Traditional Classroom

As our son approached middle school, I realized that I was no longer equipped to teach him adequately in math and science.  Neither subject was enjoyable or interesting to me in middle school, except that time we took apart our science teacher’s lawn mower, cleaned it, and managed to get it running again.  He called it a unit on engines.  I think it’s called free labor.  Either way, it was memorable.  But I digress.

As seventh grade loomed around the corner for my son, I knew that I wanted someone who excelled in math and science to teach him.  I could either hire private tutors and shuttle him to those classes, or he would need to return to a traditional classroom where the teachers could handle his questions without having to google the answer.  We chose to find a school.

Since he had been homeschooled since kindergarten, I wanted the transition to a classroom to be successful, both socially and academically. I had been his primary teacher since kindergarten, and I had some educational concerns.  How would he adjust from a flexible homeschooling schedule to a traditional school day with several different teachers and formal grading?  Would we discover that he had major gaps in his learning that would prevent him from succeeding? [Read more…]

Washer and Dryer Dilemma

Washer and Dryer Dilemma

by P J Caposey, Guest Blogger

I often use this question when speaking to educators, but it applies (perhaps even more directly) to parents as well.

At what age should children start doing their own laundry?

I would argue that the earliest a child could start doing their own laundry is as soon as they can read and safely reach all of the appropriate buttons, soaps, and other necessary components to running a washer and dryer. I assert that a child should start doing their own laundry commensurate with the skills and lessons you are intending to teach them. Context matters. [Read more…]

Embrace and Learn from Mistakes and Challenges

Embrace and Learn from Mistakes and Challenges

by Erik Youngman, Guest Blogger

Regardless of your children’s age and where you live, there are daily opportunities to help children embrace and learn from mistakes and challenges. Teachers and parents have an important shared responsibility and opportunity to model and empower critical skills to children. Children make progress when teachers and parents model and empower learning from mistakes and challenges with a growth mindset. Progress and change are dependent upon specific skills that are required and improved while learning with a growth mindset and become even more important as expectations and rigor increase. [Read more…]