GenParenting

Parenting resources for all who love and care for children

Benefits of Volunteering At Your Child’s School

Benefits of Volunteering At Your Child’s School

My daughters have been very fortunate to attend an elementary school which offers a parent participation program. This type of alternative education program emphasizes parent involvement with classroom learning, whether it be to accompany students on a field trip, prepare classroom materials at home prior to the teacher’s lesson, or to read with a small group of students. The idea is that students who receive support from multiple adults will have a more enriched learning experience.

How to Volunteer at School

Even if your children are not in a specific parent participation program, you can still volunteer in your child’s school. There are many benefits for you and your children when you seek out opportunities and get involved with your child’s education. Here’s my top 10! [Read more…]

How We Can Support Our Children’s School Success

How We Can Support Our Children’s School Success

At this time of year, we become overwhelmed with our children’s busy school schedules and the increasing demands for homework projects. For example, our children must complete research writing assignments, complex math problems, and science fair projects. Summarized below are ten effective strategies for helping you balance your children’s daily lives:

  1. Teach your children how to be responsible.
  2. Nurture independence.
  3. Model resilience and conflict resolution.
  4. Guide your children’s spiritual and moral development.
  5. Schedule physical fitness and enrichment activities.
  6. Encourage healthy eating habits.
  7. Manage allowances.
  8. Support career exploration.
  9. Organize family activities, play dates, sporting events, and vacations.
  10. Convene family meetings.

[Read more…]

Overcoming the Winter School Day Blahs

Overcoming the Winter School Day Blahs

School is back in session. The mornings are dark and the evenings are even darker. It is cold, windy, and snowing outside. How do we keep our energy up and our kids focused at school? Here are suggestions shared by parents at a recent workshop:

  1. Have children wake up to an alarm clock playing happy music each morning.
  2. Teach children how to breathe deeply each morning as we engage them in some morning stretching and yoga types of exercise.
  3. Allow enough time for kids to get dressed, make their beds, and eat a nutritious breakfast.
  4. Sing songs as we walk or drive our kids to school.
  5. Help them pack a nutritional lunch and snacks for school.
  6. Plan for outside play each day after school.
  7. Balance the afternoon play with a nutritional snack.
  8. Make time for homework in an organized workspace with limited distractions.
  9. Engage your family in nightly family discussions during dinner.
  10. Schedule quality time with each child and read to them at bedtime each night.

[Read more…]

How Can We Support Families Living Through Disasters?

How Can We Support Families Living Through Disasters?

Happy new year! Each year I reflect on all that is good in the world. I also ponder on what I can improve upon and how I can approach each day with integrity that contributes to improving the lives around me. As an educator, I find that I am most happy when I am helping a child learn a new skill. A child’s look of satisfaction and achievement is all I need as the payoff for teaching and nurturing success.

Coping with Community Disasters

As a community member, I am challenged on how I can best respond to the multitude of disasters surrounding our communities. As a California resident, we have suffered through horrific wild fires. Other parts of our country have struggled with tornadoes, hurricanes, and flooding. Our communities continue to be challenged with poverty, homelessness, and various injustices. [Read more…]

Tips for Managing Holiday Stress

Tips for Managing Holiday Stress

It is that busy time of year! All of us struggle with maintaining a sense of balance and calm in our daily lives. During this time of year, I struggle with juggling a demanding work schedule and maintaining my serenity with more demands for childcare and holiday celebrations. [Read more…]