Don’t Cave into Them!!!  Sometimes there are things in life we’re just not prepared for…like when you’re sitting at the table with your very well-behaved straight-A almost 7-year old having a snack, and she hits you with, “Mom, can we go get some of that glitter eye stuff today?”  Your head is spinning, your mouth is agape…you didn’t expect to have this conversation for another four years!

Our children find these newfangled things irresistible, and we must not underestimate pester power.  When they start wanting things that are outside your bounds of decency, here are a few points to consider:

• Teach your kids morals and values important to your family.  We assume that our children will sort of “inherit” our value system.  But because morals and values are such intangibles, we need to make it a point to actually teach children what they are and, more importantly, why we value them.
• Know your role in the parent-child relationship.  Young children are still developing a sense of self-control.  They are looking to us, as parents, to rein in these inappropriate impulses.  They are testing us and asking if we know where the limits are, and, believe it or not, they feel much more secure when the rules are enforced.
• Set a good example.  From an early age, our kids watch, listen and observe our every move.  They process it into what becomes part of their perceptions and realities.  It’s important for mothers to recognize that we are our daughter’s first and most potent role model.  We must be aware of how we dress, and what we watch, read and listen to as well as what we think is important.
• Know what your kids are into and why.  Parents are so busy that we don’t take time to understand our children’s worlds.  They want a toy, we buy it — sometimes not knowing who the character is or what it does.  When junior really wants something, find out what the motivation is.
• Be very aware of your child’s media consumption.  Keep TVs, computers and video games out of bedrooms.  Make it a rule for all screen time to take place in family areas.  While it’s tempting to use the TV as a sitter, make sure you know what’s on.
• Let kids be kids.  Our children are bombarded with media images of who they’re supposed to be.  But if they’re given ample time to be kids and encourage to have a childhood full of wonder, they’ll enjoy being a child and prolong the experience.
• Allow your kids to make choices at an early age.  Making everyday decisions, such as what to have for breakfast or what book to read at bedtime, is a powerful way for your child to build confidence and self-esteem.  Making decisions in small doses and having a little control over their lives helps children to not feel overwhelmed when faced with bigger choices.
• Ensure that the power of family life outweighs the power of peers.  It’s critical to make family time a priority to show that family always comes first.  Create traditions, such as family game night, one a month to bolster your child’s self-esteem.  As kids get older, the influence of peer groups gets stronger.  A confident child will be less likely to cave under peer pressure.

From Green Eggs and Ham to To Kill a Mockingbird, kids seem to pick the classics when it’s time to read, according to a study of 78.5 million books read by more than 3 million children nationwide.

Dr. Seuss’s book was the most popular choice among first graders, Renaissance Learning found. The company, which looked at kids in 9,800 schools for the study, manages a program in which students take computerized reading comprehension quizzes.  Students earn points based on the book’s word difficulty, word length, sentence length, and total number of words.  Many schools even award prizes to students for their efforts in the program. 

Some teachers were pleased with the popularity of To Kill a Mockingbird, which topped the list for ninth-through-12th graders.  Others say the book owes much of its success to the fact that teachers make it a requirement.  (The report doesn’t distinguish between books that were assigned and those students chose.)

Glossary:

Oblivescence:  forgetfulness, forgetting

Keep ‘em Busy

A month into summer now and the kids are getting bored?  Here are two fun activities that can occupy them for more than a day and create memories: 

• Broadway Babies.  Have the kids write, produce and put on a play each month.  Check out library books on plays and theater, and have them encourage friends to join in.  If your kids are tech-savvy, let them create movies.
• Memory Makers.  Start a summer scrapbook.  Let youngsters take photos of anything their hearts desire, using a child’s digital or disposable camera.  Have them work on scrapbooks each week.  By summer’s end, they will have a keepsake.

Keep ‘em Smart

Unless the kids are in year-round school, the long summer break tends to be a time when what they learned in class gets forgotten.  The Brain Quest Workbooks for pre-K to fourth-grade students are a way to help kids maintain their sills and learn new ones.  The cover the three Rs along with science, social studies and other topics like “Time and Money” or “Fun and Games.”

How your child spends his out-of-school hours has a direct impact on his fitness. One way you can encourage him is to set a good example. If you can find physical activities to do together, your child might be more motivated.

Here are some specific steps you can take:

• Limit TV-watching and video game playing—no more than two hours a day—for both kids and adults in the family.
• Give your child “fitness” gifts for birthdays—anything from jump ropes to in-line skates. 
• Make his birthday party something physical. Indoor climbing gyms are popular with the younger set. Older kids might like ice skating, bowling, or facilities with climbing walls, which have become the “in” thing.
• Walk with him instead of driving whenever possible.
• Make family weekends and vacations active ones. Take a bike, ride or swim or go hiking.
• Offer him lessons in tennis, horseback riding, or some other activity he wants to try.
• Get exercise tapes with fun music that kids and adults can do together.

Speaker: Julie Armenta

Register:  949.425.5100

Location:  Crown Valley Park, View Room, Laguna Niguel, CA

Activity # 2013/Sep 25/Thursday/7pm/Free

Julie Armenta, M.A. Educational & Family Specialist, will educate both parents and teens with helpful tips for getting into the college of their choice.  Reduce the anxiety of the application process by being educated.  Julie will guide you through topics such as GPA requirements, test scores, and making your application stand out.  Walk out of this workshop with a clear time-line of where you should be and to help understand the process of college applications.  Due to limited seating, pre-registration is require for this free workshop.