9 Great Homework Habits that Work

By Katherine Lee, About.com Guide



Since homework starts as early as kindergarten these days, it’s a good idea to get kids into a rhythm of great homework habits as soon as possible. From ways to help your kids get more organized to giving them ways to minimize and eliminate homework stress, here are some great tips for good homework habits that work.


1.) Divide and Conquer:
Kids can often feel overwhelmed when they look over their list of assignments for the week. Help your child manage his assignments by planning out his work on a daily planner. (This can be particularly helpful if you are at work when your child gets home from school; having a list like this can help your child and your childcare provider manage his workload when you are not there.)
For example, if all the homework is due on Friday, you can try scheduling several minutes for different subject such as reading, math problems or spelling words. Or you may want to have him spend Monday doing reading and reserve Tuesday for math, and so on.

Writing down what needs to be done can be a great way to manage homework, and crossing off assignments when they are completed and tracking their own progress can be satisfying for kids and help give them motivation to continue their work.

2.) Cut Down After-School Activities:The reality is that there are only a few precious hours after school to tackle homework assignments. If your child has an after-school activity every day and is unable to manage her workload, it may be time to take a look at which extracurricular activities can be cut out of her schedule. If she has ballet, soccer, piano lessons, and regularly-scheduled playdates, you may want to consider moving a couple of activities to the next semester and making more time for homework.

3.) Get into a Regular Routine:
Maybe your child is the kind of kid who works better on a full stomach or after fooling around with his toys for a few minutes after school. If so, start with snack time and unscheduled downtime, and set up homework time for about 20 to 30 minutes after he gets home.

If he tends to focus better if he goes right into his work after school, then let him get right to work as soon as he gets home. The important thing is to find what works for you and stick with it so that you have a regular routine. If your child knows what is expected and when, it’ll be easier for him to work more efficiently.

4.) Set Up a Great Homework Area:Having a quiet and comfortable place to do homework is essential to building good study and homework habits. Whether you establish her work area at the kitchen table or in her room, make sure she is surrounded by peaceful quiet, free from TV or other distractions.

5.) Make Homework Fun:Kids are more likely to view homework as less of a chore if you help them adopt a more playful attitude toward their work. For instance, if your first-grader is working on simple math problems, help him visualize addition and subtraction by using small toys such as marbles or even playing cards. If a third-grader is working on multiplication problems, challenge him to get as many correct answers as possible while racing you (to be fair, he should be allotted twice the time as you).
And if you’re lucky enough to get fun puzzles and brain-teasers such as Sudoku puzzles in the homework packet, then work with him on those and make it a fun way to connect with your child after a long day. One word of caution: Try not to take over and do the problems yourself. Your child needs guidance and help getting the right answers -- not the answers themselves.

Be sure to check his work everyday, and try to make that a fun routine as well. Challenge your child to find mistakes on your work, or have him check his own work to see if he can spot any errors. If you take a relaxed approach to the homework and adopt a fun attitude about it, your child will follow suit.

6.) Tie-in Homework to Everyday Life:Learning can often be more fun for kids when they are able to relate the material to things in their own lives. For instance, if your child has to read about immigrants and answer questions about them, continue the discussion over dinner. Talk about your own family’s immigrant experience (“Great-Grandma came from Italy and had to work very hard” or some such) or talk about the ways our world has been shaped by immigrants (“What would life be like today without pizza?”).

By making homework something that is an extension of learning and life, you can help your child see that it is not some separate chore or extra work that they are forced to do.

7.) Work Alongside Your Child:Younger children tend to work better when an adult is nearby, ready to answer questions or help work out a problem. You can sit down with your own work or a magazine article or bills -- whatever quiet activity you can do while your child does her homework.

8.) Schedule Breaks:You know the importance of stretching your legs or taking a break here and there during your workday. Just walking away from your desk for a few minutes can often do wonders to help your concentration and improve mood. The importance of breaks applies to kids as well, and may be even more important because kids tend to be more active and full of energy than adults.

Whether it’s a five-minute break to have some fruit and cheese and crackers or other healthy snack or a few minutes to play with a pet or water the plants, schedule a few breaks into homework time. And consider taking a short walk or doing a few at-home yoga poses for kids with your child to rejuvenate his brain cells; studies have shown that physical activity can help stimulate concentration and cognitive function.

9.) Help Kids Manage Stress:
Some kids can experience more stress over homework and schoolwork than other children. If you see signs of stress in your child or your child is experiencing difficulty with the workload, check with other parents to see whether any other kids are having similar problems. For instance, kids in first grade are usually not expected to spend more than a half hour on homework each day; if your child is having difficulty with the workload, find out what the problem may be and schedule some time to meet with your child’s teacher.

Talk to your child’s teacher about any problems and get on the same page about the teacher’s expectations for the school year. Ask her what you can do to help your child with homework. By working together, you and your child’s teacher can find ways to identify and handle any homework problems that may be creating stress for your child.

Getting Kids to Clean Their Rooms

Make it easy

Cleaning is not an intuitive skill. Nobody is born knowing how to attack a messy room and turn it to serenity. Few of us can effectively wield a broom, dust pan, or dust rag without a lesson or two—and a lot of practice. Making beds takes time. Here are some suggestions for making clean bedrooms possible, and defusing the dust bombs.

• Teach your child how to clean by incorporating him into your own cleaning.
• Cleaning can be a lonely task, and for the social child, it may feel like a punishment instead of a way to contribute to the family. Become the clean team—make the jobs go faster by working together. Your child helps you clean your areas of responsibility, you help him with his room (you're excused for a cup of afternoon tea while he hides all the pictures of the Baywatch beauties—and worse).
• Plan a special activity or adventure for the family to celebrate a successful day of cleaning. It's not really a bribe—it's a treat!
• Be clear about what you mean by “a clean room.” Check out the clean room checklist, below.

Clean? What Do You Mean?

We all know what a truly clean room looks like, but how do you get from here to there? How much of it is your child's responsibility? “Go clean your room” could mean tossing things in the closet until company has gone. It could mean clearing the toys from the floor and sorting game pieces into their boxes, throwing the dirty clothes in the hamper and pulling up the bedspread. It could mean changing the bed, dusting, and vacuuming. It could mean polishing the windows and mirror until they sparkle. Here's your choice (you're balancing on a high crag in the wind, choose now, parent, choose now!): Define, or face the conflict!
Below, I've broken down the process of cleaning a filthy bedroom into small, manageable chunks. You can use these suggestions (and others!) to create an individualized bedroom chore list for each member of the family. If this is successful for you, consider making a chore list for other areas of your home.

Behave Yourself!

When it comes to clean bedrooms, keep your expectations very low. Few kids have clean rooms. They like them dirty, it's the only place where they have control over their environment, and for some kids, a dirty room is a point of honor! This may be an area where something needs to give, and that something may be you.

When you make chore lists for your child, always take your child's age and development into consideration. A five-year-old can get the books back on the shelf and the clothes in the hamper, but she won't be able to do much with the bed. A 12-year-old can do his own laundry with some supervision. Remember, your expectations will change as your child matures.
Using the list will help you define your expectations. It will help your child organize his time and remember his tasks. You'll have an easy, stress-reduced way to check if things have been done. Keep the list small. Better to have too few things on the list than too many (aim for success!)
Here are two quick hints: Separate the job into straightening and cleaning, and don't clean before you've straightened, you'll just make yourself frustrated; and, a filthy room is like an archaeological dig. You've gotta approach it in layers.


Read more on FamilyEducation: http://life.familyeducation.com/parenting/jobs-and-chores/45294.html#ixzz23AWLEbkh

What (and What Not) to Feed Your Kids

Feeding kids can often become a battle; feeding them healthy foods can be a war.

“I have found that if you explain to your children why a food is good or not good for them, things become easier,” advises Maria-Paula Carrillo, M.S., a clinical dietitian at Children’s. “Allowing them to make certain food choices also helps. For example, give them two fruit choices with their meal or let them pick the flavor of their yogurt for a snack.”

Here, Carrillo recommends five healthy foods to serve your kids along with serving suggestions, and she also lists five not-so-healthy choices to think twice about letting them eat and alternatives for them.

Consider these…

Pizza

Stay away from toppings like high-fat meats and extra cheese as well as dips like butter or ranch dressing. But pizza can be a balanced meal if you add some vegetables or fruits and lean meats (like grilled chicken), and choose a thin crust.
Serving suggestion — make your own at home using an English muffin, marinara sauce, low fat cheese, ham or chicken and their favorite vegetable.

Think twice before giving your kids ...

Doughnuts

They can have up to 20 g fat and 20 g sugar per serving, and from 250 to 450 calories per doughnut. In addition, eating one of these for breakfast will have your little one sleepy and hungry within a few hours.
Alternative — offer a whole grain waffle with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and ½ a banana as the topping.

Berries

Good sources of lutein (good for vision) as well as antioxidants and phytochemicals (which help prevent many diseases). Naturally low in calories and fat and rich in fiber. Quick and colorful snack for kids.
Serving suggestion — blend them with milk and ice to make a refreshing smoothie or layer them on top of yogurt and high fiber cereals for an easy breakfast or afternoon snack.

Think twice before giving your kids ...

Candied Fruit Snacks

These sticky “candies” may contain only a small amount of fruit or fruit juice; are usually made of sugar, gelatin, and more sugar; and can cause tooth decay. May have added vitamins but fresh fruits have them, too, and they are natural.
Alternative — try a small serving (1/4 cup) of dried fruit.

Popcorn

The air-popped kind not covered in butter. This snack is a whole grain and good fiber source. Without extra toppings, it is a low–fat, low–calorie snack. For flavor, sprinkle with small amounts of salt or butter-flavored sprays.
Serving suggestion — for a quick snack, have 100 calorie bags of popcorn ready to pop at any time.

Think twice before giving your kids ...

Sugary Beverages

Juice, soda, fruit punch, flavored milks, sweet tea, etc. These high-calorie, high-sugar drinks can cause many problems in children, including rapid weight gain, decreased appetite, cavities, and change in bowel patterns.
Alternative — choose water or skim or 1 percent milk.

Hummus

Made of chickpeas, which are rich in fiber and protein and a good iron source. High in fat, but mostly unsaturated fats (the healthy ones) that decrease the risk for heart disease. Good alternative to animal protein.
Serving suggestion — let them dip carrot sticks and pretzels in it or spread it over bread or crackers.

Think twice before giving your kids ...

Salad Toppings

Can be deceiving. Many salads are very high in calories and fat because of the toppings we choose, such as nuts, bacon, cheese, and regular salad dressing.
Alternative — choose a low-fat dressing (2 tablespoons or less) and limit high-calorie toppings (nuts, bacon pieces, cheese, croutons) to 1 tablespoon per ingredient and no more than four “extra”ingredients.

Eggs

Back on the “good” list. A good protein source but also contain choline, which helps regulate the brain as well as the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Good for vision, too, due to their carotenoid content.
Serving suggestion — include them in more than just breakfast. Eggs are a great variation to your typical dinner protein. Scramble them and mix in a new vegetable or boil it and add it to a salad.

Think twice before giving your kids ...

Sweet Cereals

Many cereals children like best have more sugar per serving than a few cookies. Fiber is also important; make sure breakfast gives kids energy and nutrients that last and help them grow.
Alternative — choose cereal with less than 10 gram sugar and at least 3 gm fiber/serving.

West Nile: Is your child really at risk? | Childrens Med Dallas Blog

West Nile: Is your child really at risk? | Childrens Med Dallas Blog

Salt Dough Footprint Keepsakes

Salt dough recipe:

1 cup salt
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup of water









Mix together into a large bowl and knead it until smooth and stretchy. This last part is important otherwise the dough remains sticky and quite granular from the salt. If it is still too sticky add a bit more flour, if too dry and crumbly then add a tiny touch more water. A little bit of trial and error is all that is needed and it really is so easy!

Once the dough is kneaded, divided it into equal parts and found a shallow bowl that was big enough to accommodate the full length of the childs feet.  Then squish one part into the bowl and flattened it around to the edges.

Then teased it away from the edges slightly and flip it out onto a plate. The underside will be very smooth with a lovely finish, perfect as a canvas for the footprints!

Then get the child to tread one foot into the middle of their dough plaques, one at a time. A firm straight down impression and then lift straight off again works really well. If it gets messed up, the great thing is that you can reform it and try again!

The plaques then go into the oven for 3 hours at 100 degrees C (around 200 degrees F). They need to be placed on baking parchment or greaseproof paper so that they don't stick. It needs to be on a very low heat for a length of time to thoroughly dry out and harden. If the oven is too hot they will rise and "cook". The thinner the dough and the lower the temperature, the better these will turn out! If they are still doughy in the centre after 3 hours then turn them over and put them back in for another 2 hours. If you want to hang yours on the wall then you need to add a hole with a straw before it goes in the oven.

Allow the plaques to cool over night, then feel free to paint & decorate. It's truely that simple & a great keepsake or gift. HAVE FUN!!!!

Back to School Budgeting

Back to School Budgeting

Homemade Play Doh

Best Play-Doh recipe ever!

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup salt (regular table salt)
• 1 tablespoon Alum (in the spice aisle)
• 2 tablespoons mineral oil (in the laxative aisle)
• 1 tablespoon glycerin (near rubbing alcohol)
• food coloring
• 2 cups flour

 

 

 

Instructions:

1. Mix water, salt, Alum, mineral oil, and glycerin together in a pot, warm the pot but don’t let it boil. Just get it nice and hot. You want the salt to almost dissolve BUT not quite. Stir sparingly (it’s okay to stir, but not too much). When you have reached this obscure temperature put the mixture in your mixer and add the flour.
2. Start mixing, as the flour mixes with the liquid add in a few drops of your food coloring color of choice. Let it all mix for about two minutes, till it looks like dough.
3. Let sit until cool (it will get less sticky as it cools).

 

 

Notes:

You can add a drop or two of peppermint oil if you like.  If your dough is stickier than you would like after it cools, just add some more flour!

Car Nut Frame

What you'll need:

• Small wooden frame
• Black acrylic paint
• Washers and bolts
• Permanent adhesive glue (recommended: GemTac jewel glue)
• Photograph of you

How to make it:

1. Remove glass from frame.
2. Paint frame black and let dry.
3. Use permanent adhesive glue to decorate outside of frame with nuts and washers. Let dry completely.
4. Insert a family photo and the glass into the frame.
   

Detergent Packs Warning

Doctors Report Rise In Kids Eating Detergent Packs

by The Associated Press

                                                                               

DALLAS May 24, 2012, 06:19 pm ET

DALLAS (AP) — Miniature laundry detergent packets arrived on store shelves in recent months as an alternative to bulky bottles and messy spills. But doctors across the country say children are confusing the tiny, brightly colored packets with candy and swallowing them.
Nearly 250 cases have been reported this year to poison control centers. Though they remain a tiny fraction of the thousands of poisoning calls received every year, doctors are concerned. The symptoms they see in connection with ingesting the packets — such as nausea and breathing problems — are more severe than typical detergent poisoning. No deaths have been reported.
"We're not quite sure why it's happening," said Dr. Kurt Kleinschmidt, a Dallas toxicologist and professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. "But we've clearly had some kids who have become much more ill. We look at these pods as being clearly more dangerous than the standard detergent."
Tide, Purex and other detergent manufacturers introduced different versions of the packets earlier this year. The lightweight, colorfully swirled plastic packets contain a single-use amount of detergent that dissolves in water. They're intended to be dropped into a laundry machine in place of liquid or powder detergent.
Several poison control centers started to get calls from parents about the packets in March and April, soon after they were introduced in earnest. Texas reported 71 instances of exposure this year, all but one in March or later. Missouri reported 25 cases related to the packets, and Illinois reported 26.
"If you look at the Tide Pods, they're bright blue and bright red and they look very similar to some of the ribbon candy," said Julie Weber, director of the Missouri Poison Control Center in St. Louis.
Paul Fox, a spokesman for Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble, the parent company of Tide, says all cleaning products need to be handled carefully. He said Tide was working with poison control centers and advocacy groups to make sure parents know more about the risks.
"The packs themselves are safe, regardless of who manufactures them, provided that they are used for their intended purpose," Fox said. "The risk becomes when they're left like any other household product within reach of small, inquisitive hands."
While the detergent packets are a threat, poison control centers receive far more reports about other substances annually. In 2010, they fielded thousands of calls about potential poisoning to children under 5 from ibuprofen, diaper rash cream and other household substances.
However, doctors are alarmed about the packets because they appear to be more dangerous than just swallowing liquid or powder detergent.
Dr. Michael Buehler of the Carolinas Poison Center said there were several possible reasons why, including that the packets carry a full cup's worth of detergent in bite-size form or the detergent in the packet might activate more quickly or differently.
"The children get sicker, more severe, and they do this quicker than what we've seen with standard liquid laundry exposure," Buehler said.
In suburban Philadelphia, a 17-month-old boy was home with his mother when she "turned her back for the proverbial second," said Dr. Fred Henretig of the Poison Control Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The boy climbed up on a dresser and popped a detergent package in his mouth, Henretig said.
The boy vomited, became drowsy and started coughing. He was eventually put on a ventilator for a day and hospitalized for a week, Henretig said.
Poison control centers in several states have issued or are preparing warnings for local emergency rooms and parents. Washington state poison control center development director Terri Suzuki said her center has faxed alerts to emergency rooms and posted about the capsules on its Facebook page.
The Indiana Poison Control Center was expected to advise parents in coming days about the packets' risk. One child near Fort Wayne, Ind., tried to eat a packet and nearly had to be placed on a ventilator, said Dr. Brent Furbee, medical director of the Indiana Poison Control Center. Furbee did not know the child's age.
Detergent packets are common in Europe, but are a recent addition to the American market, Fox said. He said Tide Pods had done well against other detergent packets, but it was too soon to say if shoppers appeared to be replacing liquid and powder detergent with the packs.
Kiem Ho, vice president for marketing at Purex, whose consumer goods division is based in Scottsdale, Ariz., said its UltraPacks packaging comes with warning labels to keep out of reach of children.
"This is a new form of laundry product and we will continue to join other manufacturers to safeguard and educate consumers on the correct storage and use of these products in the home" Ho said in a statement.
___
Associated Press reporters Rick Callahan in Indianapolis, Doug Esser in Seattle, Maria Sudekum in Kansas City, Mo., Carla K. Johnson in Chicago and Matt Moore in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

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