I love my kids’ teachers. I really do. They work so hard and they care so much and they’ve been nothing but amazing this entire school year.
So I’m not blaming them for the onslaught of time-intensive end of the year activities that always take place in June. I’m really not.
Today I'm drowning, trying to manage the end of the year chaos. The last day of school can't come soon enough, it s been a hectic year with four kids and four schools to juggle.
Between 15 candles, gift cards and handwritten notes to all the people who have influenced my children this year, it's been a bit overwhelming to say the least.
Call it Volunteer Vampires - a dilemma many of us struggle with (and feel guilty about struggling with). In simple terms, how much to volunteer at our children’s schools?
Teachers - for much of the day, they are the center of your child's life. So of course, you want to give him or her a creative gift from the class that they're sure to remember all summer.
But we all know how busy the mad sprint to the finish of the school year is, and if you don't have the time to dream up something fabulous, don't fret!
We have 10 fabulously inspired end of the school year gifts that are perfect for any teacher on your list!
1. You’re Out of This World!
Eight years ago, when my son was born, I made the decision to quit my job as a college counselor in order to dedicate myself to writing full time.
In a recent KidsHealth survey, almost 90 percent of students said they felt stressed day in and day out. And so often, when kids are stressed, their parents are as well. Just as much pressure can be felt after the school bell rings as during school hours.
If your after-school schedule feels more hurried, stressful, and complicated than you would prefer, try the following the solutions to make life a little simpler for you and your child:
Reassess the After-School Schedule
Every day, we hear about the side effects of childhood obesity. Increased risk for diabetes and heart disease, low self-esteem, and depression all make that list, and apparently, so should difficulty with math.
According to a Child Development study that surveyed more than 6,250 individuals, children with “persistent obesity” (aka, starting in kindergarten) scored lower on math tests in grades one through five, than children without weight issues.
The seasons are funny. We wish for the warmth of summer but after two months, parents are counting down to fall and the start of school - except that with the start of school comes HOMEWORK. Uck.
You know, that stuff that turns your kids into weepy messes. Or tantrum monsters. Or defiant demons. They refuse to do it and you spend two hours screaming about it and then perhaps you even do it for them. Yes, you know who you are. We will get back to you in a bit.
So how can you make homework time work better for you and your child? Here are a few tips:
So this sealed envelope was sent home from Ava’s school the other day.
The parents of a 6-year-old in Maryland are fighting his suspension last month for making a gun gesture with his hand, aiming his fingers at a classmate and saying, "Pow."
The first grader was suspended for one day (Dec. 21) for what school officials described as his threat to "shoot a student."
Now, the boy's family has enlisted legal help to file an appeal, asking that the incident be expunged from his school record.
