Today's Parent | Parenting Resources… Articles, Advice, Help & Tips

High school seniors who excel in the classroom, on the field and in the community – who start their day off right with nutrient-rich milk – could be eligible to win college scholarship money.

The National Milk Mustache “got milk?” Campaign, in partnership with USA TODAY, is calling for entries in the 15th annual Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year (SAMMY) Award program. The SAMMY Awards recognize 25 outstanding high school senior student athletes who represent excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership who make the most of their days by grabbing nutrient-rich milk with breakfast.

The scholarship helps educate teens and families on the value of making smart choices – like starting their day with a nutrient rich breakfast, drinking lowfat milk, and maximizing their potential to achieving great things both on and off the sports field.

Twenty-five accomplished teens will receive a $7,500 college scholarship, attend an awards ceremony with celebrity guests at Disney World, and be pictured in a special Milk Mustache ad in USA TODAY.

“Students who start every morning with milk truly reap the rewards all day long,” said Vivien Godfrey, chief executive officer of the National Milk Mustache “got milk?” campaign. “That’s why we are excited to reward these students for their successes in academics, athletics and community service. Breakfast with milk helps set the tone for the day and is a healthy habit that provides much needed nutrients.”

This year’s winners will be selected by a celebrity panel of Milk Mustache role models, including Dara Torres, Chauncey Billups and other Milk Mustache alumni.

“As a judge I’m looking for exceptional students that have formed healthy habits to help fuel their successes. Starting the day with milk is one healthy habit I know I can count on,” said mother, Milk Mustache athlete and gold-medal winner Dara Torres. “Whether it’s a glass of white milk to nourish at breakfast or chocolate milk to help refuel their bodies after a tough workout, no other beverage plays so many roles.”

To date, the National Milk Mustache “got milk?” Campaign has supported 350 talented high school seniors with nearly $2.5 million in scholarships over the program’s 15 year history.

High school seniors who are interested in applying for the 2012 SAMMY Awards program should visit www.facebook.com/MilkMustache. All applicants are asked to describe in 250 words or less how milk with breakfast helps them reach their fullest potential in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. Entries must be submitted no later than March 9, 2012.

After a long day at work, one of the last things a working parent wants to come home to is a pile of homework. Kids certainly aren’t the only ones who dread it. In fact, a recent LifeCare® poll found that 99 percent of working parents feel some level of stress when trying to help their children with homework–and 49 percent of them rate the stress they feel as “high.” Many parents report that their children don’t even begin to tackle assignments while they are in after-care or home alone. When this occurs, they then have a full load of homework to complete in addition to dinner, chores, and sports. More than ever, a working parent must have a few tricks up his or her sleeve to get it all done.

Consider these ideas:

Use After-Care to Your Advantage

Talk with the after-care director or teacher responsible for your child. Ask him or her to have your child complete the easiest homework assignment before leaving for the day. Many children either cannot focus or do not want to do homework in after-care, but they are capable of completing a simple task. By the time your child arrives home, at least one piece of work should be out of the way.

Plan Time While Home Alone

If you are unable to be at home when your child comes in off the bus, arrange to either call home at a specified time or have your child call you upon arrival. During this conversation, ask your child to share his prioritized homework list, again, ranking work from easy to hard. This way, the simple work is completed early on and you can assist with the more difficult assignments as needed. In addition, encourage your child to check off work he has finished so that you will be able to see quickly and easily what has been accomplished and what is left to do.

If your son’s or daughter’s list seems unusually short on a regular basis, ask him or her to print out a list of homework assignments from the school’s online portal so that you can verify the homework load when you return home.

Find a Study Buddy

Many elementary classrooms already distribute a list of contact information for classmates. Have your child identify three students he feels comfortable contacting in case he has any questions regarding homework. Keep their contact information in your child’s homework area. If your student is older, encourage him to choose several trusted peers or one peer from each class, to call with any questions.

Use Weekends Constructively

The weekend provides a wonderful opportunity for working parents to be active supporters of their children’s homework. And many times, weekends are needed to catch up and get ahead.

Schedule a Sunday Planning Session

On a weekly basis (Sunday evenings usually work well), set aside a half hour to plan for the upcoming week. During this time, talk to your child about any extra-curricular activities that might be scheduled and, most importantly, any long-term assignments. Often, it’s what’s not due the next day that can throw even the most seasoned parent for a loop. Create a plan for upcoming projects, book reports, and studying for tests.  Help your child to break them down and write the smaller tasks in their assignment notebook. By previewing the week ahead, everyone is less stressed and more organized and not confronted with last minute surprises that don’t bring out the best in anyone.

By anticipating trouble spots and careful planning, even the busiest parent can ensure smooth sailing ahead.

Ann K. Dolin, M.Ed., is the founder and president of Educational Connections, Inc., a comprehensive provider of educational services in Fairfax, VA and Bethesda, MD. In her award-winning book, “Homework Made Simple: Tips, Tools and Solutions for Stress-Free Homework,” Dolin offers proven solutions to help the six key types of students who struggle with homework. Numerous examples and easy-to-implement, fun tips will help make homework less of a chore for the whole family. Learn more at anndolin.com or ectutoring.com.

College is expensive! For example, tuition, room and board at Harvard College cost $52,652 in 2011-12. Add books and other expenses and four years can top a quarter of a million dollars, and Harvard doesn’t even make it onto the top ten of Forbes’ list of the most expensive colleges in the US. Few will go to Harvard, but the cost of attending more modestly priced institutions can cripple the budget of many American families. Fortunately, you can take steps to mitigate the damage.

Focus on Academic Performance in High School – Bill put a lot of time, effort and money into helping Bill, Jr. become a better youth baseball player. He expects that a baseball scholarship will pay for his son’s college. In the same way, Bill’s preparation for retirement consists of the semiweekly purchase of lottery tickets. The probability of a happy conclusion with either strategy is small.

Less than 2 percent of high school athletes will earn athletic scholarships. Yet, at many schools, more than 50 percent of students earn financial aid based, at least in part, on academic ability. Students and their parents hoping to defray college costs through scholarships should focus on academics not athletics.

Most colleges consider academic ability when determining financial aid packages. They will look at things like high school GPA, class rank, and SAT scores. Other factors include the academic rigor of the high school and the caliber of the courses attempted (an “A” in calculus means more than an “A” in interpretive dance).

Our best advice is to focus on academic performance. If there is a choice, attend the best high school possible. Take academically rigorous classes―advanced placement or college-prep courses. Put effort into your studies rather than learning to hit a curveball. Money invested in a math tutor will yield a higher ROI than money spent on a private pitching coach.

Pass on Your Stretch School – All colleges are not equal. A student who receives significant merit-based aid at one school may receive much less from another. Often, students have “stretch” schools (where they are a marginal admit) and “safe” schools (where they are reasonably sure to get in). A stretch school is often a dream for the student. Unfortunately, if the school is truly a stretch, he or she will probably be at the bottom of the academic pecking order and will receive little or no merit-based aid.

Conversely, the same student could be much more attractive to the safe school. This might mean significant merit-based aid. It’s always difficult to pass on your dream school, but doing so could be worth tens of thousands of dollars over four years.

Maximize Need Based Aid – Think you won’t qualify for need-based aid―you may be pleasantly surprised. Think Ahead, LLC reports that, depending on the school’s sticker price and how many people in your household are in college, even families with incomes that exceed $300,000 annually may qualify for some need-based aid. It’s worth spending a couple of hours to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The Federal Government will calculate your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) based on this submission. The sticker price of your school less your EFC is your demonstrated need. Schools are not always able to meet 100 percent of demonstrated need, but it’s worth a try.

Prior to completing the FAFSA, you can lower your EFC. For example, pay off credit card debt, prepay your mortgage, or accelerate necessary expenses such as buying a new car to reduce available cash. Maximize contributions to your retirement account. You can borrow for college, but you can’t borrow for retirement. If Mom plans to pursue an Executive MBA, doing so while the children are in college will increase demonstrated need. FinAid.org lists several tips to maximize your ability to qualify for need-based aid. Read More

We’ve all seen the headlines, “The Cost of College is Increasing at Twice the Rate of Inflation!” There have even been books written on the topic. Headlines decrying massive increases in the cost of college are sensational. They are attention grabbing. They are also unequivocally wrong!

Oh, it’s true that published tuition and fees have been going up significantly faster than inflation. According to The College Board, from 2005-06 to 2010-11 the sticker price at private, non-profit, four-year colleges has gone up 16.4% more than inflation. Over the same five-year period public, four-year schools have seen the sticker price increase 24.3% beyond inflation.

Statistics like these are fodder for the sensational headlines we are used to seeing. However, they are also an oversimplification that obscures the truth. The problem with such headlines is that the vast majority of students don’t pay the sticker price. Instead, they pay an amount that is reduced by grants and scholarships that are awarded by the school (also called institutional aid). The amount of money that schools actually receive from students is called net tuition and fees―the sticker price less institutional aid. Because institutional aid has been growing rapidly, net tuition revenue has not been increasing as much as sticker prices.

In fact, The College Board reports that, adjusted for inflation, net tuition and fees at private, non-profit, four-year colleges have fallen from $13,380 in 2005-06 to $13,120 in 2010-11, a 1.9% reduction. Over the same five-year period public, four-year schools have seen inflation adjusted net tuition and fees fall 6.4%. While real net tuition and fees have been up in some years and down in others, the truth is that the money collected by colleges and universities has grown at about the rate of inflation for many years. Think about it. All else equal, if net tuition and fees had been going up at twice the rate of inflation for decades, professors would be rich and schools would be awash in cash. Trust us, most aren’t.

At the same time, student loan debt has been increasing rapidly. According to The Project on Student Debt, the average debt for graduating seniors with loans in 1996 was $12,750. By 2008 that number swelled to $23,200. That’s an annual increase of just over 5%, or roughly twice the rate of inflation. Further, the percentage of graduating students that have debt is increasing as well, now eclipsing two-thirds of graduates.

If the real cost of college has been roughly flat, how can the average debt that students take on be increasing at twice the rate of inflation? There are a number of contributing factors.

More People are Going to College – According to the US Department of Education in 1972, 49% of high school graduates immediately enrolled in college. By 1997, the number had grown to 67%. The percentage has fluctuated in a tight range since then. The fact is that a lot more people are going to college these days. One of the reasons is that college loans have become much more available. In days gone by, if your family didn’t have the money to send you to school, you went to work. That’s not the case today. Many more people have access to higher education, but that access requires borrowing.

Mom is Already Working – When Doug graduated from high school in 1976, his mother went to work to pay his college expenses. These days most families don’t have that option. Mom is already working and her income is necessary to pay the family’s bills. In 1975, 47% of mothers worked outside of the home. Recently, this number peaked at 73%. Students like Doug are left to borrow. Read More

The thought of a math test can make even the most confident student stressed out, but for some, the feelings associated with math go far beyond garden-variety stress. For these students, a feeling of intense anxiety develops to the point where they are no longer able to think clearly. Are these emotions a real problem or just an excuse to avoid an uncomfortable academic subject?

Dr. Sian Beilock, author of “Choke,” a 2010 book on brain responses, says that, “People are very happy to say that they don’t like math, but no one walks around bragging that they can’t read. It’s perfectly socially acceptable to say you don’t like math.”

The Latest Research

Studies show that when students solve math problems, they first process information through the amygdala, the brain’s emotion center. Within a millisecond, another section of the brain, the pre-frontal cortex, takes over allowing the student to juggle data and think critically. In highly anxious students, the amygdala is far too active, leaving the pre-frontal cortex underutilized.

What Causes Such Stress Over Math?

Is this reaction learned or biological? The answer is two-fold. First, brain scans reveal that young children who are quick and accurate show a very low level of stress. Those who are slow and less accurate demonstrate a high level of stress in the brain. These early difficulties, even when minor in nature, cause frustration and difficulty later on.

It is also true that math anxiety can be a learned behavior. Dr. Beilock found first and second grade female teachers unconsciously passed on their negative attitudes about math to their female students (males did not seem to be affected). This trend doesn’t just exist in classrooms. Parents can also pass down their own negative perceptions to their children, both male and female.

What to Do If Your Child Experiences Math Anxiety

It is important to recognize that the problem will not go away by encouraging your child to “try harder” or “stop worrying”. Instead, use the following strategies:

• Don’t Let It Slide – Math is the sole subject that is nearly 100% cumulative. Students must have a strong foundation or they will fall behind, lose confidence, and grow to dislike the subject. When you see your child struggling, intervene right away by assisting with homework. You may find that the older your child gets, the less willing he is to work with you. Seek after-school help from the teacher or hire a tutor who can patiently break down concepts, fill in any gaps, and instill confidence. Read More

With flu shots already available from doctors and local drugstores, illness prevention is on the minds of consumers and healthcare professionals alike—and it’s not just limited to the flu. In corporate America, having any illness progress to the point of needing to take a sick day can have a detrimental effect—not only on worker productivity due to lost time, but also on those employees who literally can’t afford to be sick because they may not be eligible for sick time pay.

Sick time is not just a problem for adults. Each year, more than 164 million school days are lost due to illness according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many of these illnesses are caused by exposure to viruses and bacteria that are not only passed from person to person but also live on surfaces through our homes as well as at school and the office. Surprisingly the answer to help allay the problem is actually relatively simple and quite obvious: proper handwashing. Although a variety of antibacterial hand sanitizers and wipes are available at stores, handwashing continues to remain one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread many types of infection and illness. But to be effective, it needs to be done properly.

Now is a great time for both teachers and parents to emphasize the importance of proper handwashing. And the earlier that we teach the importance of good hand hygiene practices to our kids, the better the chance it will become a habit throughout their life.

Remember handwashing is designed to eliminate dirt as well as the germs that can make us sick, including bacteria and viruses. A recent germ study by NSF International, an organization committed to protecting public health, cited bathroom and kitchen faucets as some of the “germiest” places in the house as measured by the level of yeast, mold, Staph and coliform (a family of bacteria that includes Salmonella and E. Coli) detected. Some other germy household items included the kitchen sponge, toothbrush holder, pet bowl and kitchen sink.

To help prevent the spread of germs when handling these items, handwashing is key. Unfortunately while many children and adults think they know how to properly wash their hands, arguably most probably haven’t been taught the best method. In fact, during a demonstration at NSF International’s laboratories in Michigan children were asked to apply a special glowing lotion to their hands before washing their hands. Once the children washed up, they placed their hands under a blacklight, and “problem spots” glowed, showing them what areas were missed while washing. The culprits: under the nails, between the fingers, and wrists.

To make sure these locations are not missed when you or your kids wash their hands, follow these simple steps: Wet your hands with warm water; lather your hands with soap; rub your hands together vigorously for 20 seconds, paying special attention to the nails, between the fingers, and wrists; rinse your hands with clean water; and dry your hands thoroughly with a hand dryer or paper towel.

Here are some ways to help make the process of handwashing fun for children:

· Consider creating a handwashing chart at home that tracks each time your child washes his or her hands. Offer them a prize or reward at the end of clean hands week after a designated certain time frame of good handwashing practices.

· Take pictures of places germs live in your child’s environment, such as on the dog (or its toy or dish) or doorknobs, and post them near sinks, on the refrigerator, or near your child’s handwashing chart. This will help remind them of when they need to wash their hands.

· Have young children count to 10 twice while washing their hands to better understand the required 20 seconds.

· Cook with your child, emphasizing the importance of washing your hands both before and after handling food.

· Check out online sites like scrubclub.org for additional fun handwashing ideas.

Handwashing is important for food safety, disease prevention and personal health.

Cheryl Luptowski, Consumer Affairs Officer, NSF International

Of all the influences on children, language experiences are the ones that are most correlated with academic achievement. High quality language just about equates to school success. Excellent information. Now, what to do?

Read, sing, and talk to your child as much as you can. It’s as easy as RST! Before life got so complicated with every different kind of schedule to honor and every different kind of distraction to take place all day long and every day, parents, grandparents, and other loving extended members of the family were always available to do with children what came naturally–read, sing, and talk to them. That was it, nothing more magical or mysterious than sharing a day with children filled with loving play, happy times, and a world of creativity.

While the world of yesteryear is gone, the incredible world of today is here. We have the excitement and challenge of figuring out how to provide the old kind of child input in our new and modern way. Awesome! Enjoy! Here are some fun ideas. You probably have you favorites.

* When you are reading to your child, point to words as you read them. In that way you are helping your child connect the spoken word with its written form.

* When your child is reading to you, share the activity. Children love it when you say something like “I’ll read the left-hand pages; you read the right.”

* Have fun with traffic signs like STOP and ONE WAY and even harder ones like when your child is ready. Before long your child will be pointing out STOP, ONE WAY, and other signs to you.

* Make a name puzzle for your child out of index cards, one letter per card. Mix up the cards and have fun with your child putting the letters back in order. Older children will love it when you add middle and last names too.

* Once your child can easily lay out the letters in his or her own name, you can use those same letter cards to make up all kinds of different games. Picking one letter at a time, you can take turns thinking up words that begin with that letter. You can match them to items in the room that start with the letter. You can make a complete second set of letters for your child’s name and then have fun playing the age-old game of “Concentration.”

* Look for your favorite version of an alphabet chart. When your child sings the alphabet song, suggest pointing to each letter that he or she sings. After you warm up with that song, take turns singing other childhood songs. Performing for each other in this simple way is great for singing practice, self-esteem, and memory. You can write out the words to any song for extra reading, speaking, and singing practice.

Sally Goldberg, Ph.D. was the first parenting expert on “Parent to Parent,” a FOX TV Channel 7 weekly news segment. A professor of education, parenting book author, and prolific magazine writer, Dr. Sally has been published often in a multitude of magazines that include Parent’s Magazine, American Baby, and Consumer Reports. Having had regular columns in Florida Wise, Florida Baby, Today’s Parent, and Viewpointe, she is now turning her time and attention to Parenting Tips with Dr. Sally.

As states continue to slash education budgets to accommodate declining tax revenues, schools respond by trying to squeeze even more out of their beleaguered teachers: class sizes grow, planning periods are cut, each student gets less attention.

What can we do? Project Appleseed, a non-profit public education advocate, is asking parents across the country to lend a hand in their child’s school on Nov. 17, its 18th annual National Parent Involvement Day. Not coincidentally, it falls during American Education Week, Nov. 13-19.

Volunteers and adult assistants in classrooms make a huge difference, especially with schools and teachers under so much stress. With a little training and a handful of strategies, most adults can effectively assist both teachers and students. One hour a month or a week helping students is a small investment of time that has big returns.

Sometimes, however, the best-intentioned volunteers become yet another pair of hands tugging for attention on the teacher’s sleeve. Volunteers working with small groups of students, such as tutoring sessions, also risk wasting precious instructional time if they’re not prepared and don’t know how to manage the group.

In more than 20 years as a primary and intermediate grade teacher, I have developed a number of simple strategies that allow volunteers to both maximize their usefulness and minimize distractions to the teacher. These suggestions don’t replace training provided by the school, since that’s tailored to the teachers’ needs, but they will greatly enhance time spent working directly with students.

They include:

If you have questions for the teacher: Schedule a meeting that’s not at a time when students are in the classroom. Do not expect to meet with the teacher unannounced for “just a minute.” Also, if the teacher provides materials for an activity, don’t expect him or her to walk you through it. Take time to read the directions and gather supplies days before your classroom visit.

Establish a consistent meeting place: If your group will meet regularly, ask the teacher before your first visit to help you establish a place that you can use every time you visit. Nothing kills an activity faster than spending valuable time looking for a place to work.

Choose your seat wisely: Don’t sit at one end of a rectangular table. Sitting in the middle seat along one side allows you to see all of the students and reach out to touch their work. It also makes you part of the group, and allows you to speak in a softer voice. For round tables, sit so you – not the students – face nearby tables or other distractions.

To help children become active listeners, don’t repeat questions: If the student says he doesn’t understand the question, ask him to repeat what he thinks he heard. If the student is still confused, ask another student to rephrase the question. Once again, ask the first student to repeat what he just heard.

Be prepared for a change in plans: Have a “pocket activity” ready in case a schedule change means you’ll have less time with the children. This is a simple game, such as a math or spelling game, or a book or news article that can be started or stopped at any time without losing its value.

Assistants, especially those who’ve taken the time to prepare, can have a big impact in a classroom. Assistants provide the extra hands and help to gather materials, lead small groups, prepare enriching activities and manage day-to-day tasks. While they can’t solve all of the problems associated with drastic budget cuts, they can help ensure students feel as little of the sting as possible.

Paddy Eger, author of “Educating America 101: Strategies for Adult Assistants in K-8 Classrooms” (www.paddyeger.com) is a 20-year teacher from Washington State whose years as a trainer in the Parent Cooperative Education Program created the basis for her. She graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in elementary education.

This is a poem in rhyming verse about good manners for children. Important words and phrases for good manners are set in bold type and emphasized for easy learning. By the pleasant and upbeat style of the rhymes, children will develop a positive attitude about this subject. Through the repetition and familiarity of specific words and phrases, they will learn exactly what to say in different situations.

The Magic World

Is made up of…
Making Friends
Helping Others
Taking Turns
Being Honest
Cleaning Up
The Golden Rule
Being Fair
Saving the Earth
Recycling
Taking Care of Animals
Respect
Appreciation
Treating Others Well
and
Being Proud of Yourself

We all live in a world of relationships. Good manners are rules of the road. Another name is etiquette. Once your children know them, and know them well, they will be better able to drive safely and securely through the roads of life. With this poem, you have the opportunity to introduce to your children the tools they will need to enjoy life protected by the magic words of manners.

The upbeat rhyming introduction will attract your children. The specific words and phrases highlighted are to focus on useful phrases to memorize. Read each page with your children. The rhyming words and the opportunity to repeat the specially selected phrases will help your children learn the concepts and then be able to say the special words at appropriate times. Many of the stanzas can also serve as stimuli to appropriate conversation.

Introduction

When it comes to children’s manners,
There’s a lot that you should know.
It’s more than “please” and “thank you,”
“Excuse me,” and “hello.”

It’s everything you say and do.
It’s how you treat a friend.
It’s all the ways you are polite.
It’s messages you send.

Sometimes it’s when you’re in your home.
Sometimes it’s when you’re not.
It does not matter where you are.
Your manners mean a lot.

There’s meeting friends and meeting parents,
Meeting teachers too.
There’s lots of things that you should know
For what to say and do.

There’s taking turns and helping out.
There’s honesty and trust.
Many things that you should do
Just because you must.

Even if you make a mess
Or spill or drop or break,
Learn from all that you have done
And mend your own mistake.

Don’t forget the golden rule,
Treating others fair.
They will do the same for you.
That’s how people care.

Don’t forget the universe..
A great big open space.
Recycle all the things you can.
Our earth’s a special place.

For Meeting People
Friends are great, the best there is.
Cherish them as treasure.
Share a friend with someone else.
That’s a special pleasure.

To do the introduction,
It starts a standard way.
Specific words are what you’ll need.
This is what you say,
I WOULD LIKE YOU TO MEET MY FRIEND. Read More

Most people have heard stories or seen images depicting the dire conditions faced by families living in poverty in developing countries. These stories can make people feel compelled to get involved, but often they are left with questions about the best way to help families in need.

Child sponsorship is one of the best ways to connect with and assist families throughout the world trying to survive in extreme poverty – often on less than $2 per day.

Sponsorship benefits are designed to meet critical needs and help families build a path out of poverty. Sponsorship says, ‘We are equal and we need each other. We are interdependent.’

Basic Sponsorship Models

Child sponsorship programs, like the one offered by CFCA, give people the opportunity to impact global poverty through recurring, monthly contributions. Sponsorship donations are then used to provide families in need with basic resources like food, education and health care benefits. There are three basic models, although some organizations combine two or more of the basic sponsorship models to carry out their mission.

Community Projects – Some organizations pool the funds from individual sponsorships to help support larger community projects like the development of new schools or hospitals. These organizations also might distribute general goods like food or clothing to entire communities.

Direct Support – Organizations such as CFCA connect individual sponsors with children in need, providing them and their families with resources such as food, education, vocational training and micro-loans.

Third-Party Support – A few organizations use the sponsorship dollars they collect to support local groups or organizations that already provide resources for people living in poverty, including schools, churches, shelters and food banks.

In addition to financial support, some sponsorship organizations provide a way to create a personal connection with sponsored children through letters. These letters allow sponsors to witness the impact of their contributions and provide a way to offer words of encouragement.

Sponsorship offers a lot more than financial support. What the child and family really are hearing from you is, ‘You are not alone and I believe in you.’ Read More