Parenting Tip: Create Intimacy

Patr of being an effective teacher is connecting with your students in ways that mean something not only to them but, to you. The same is true being a parent. As I sit here on this rainy Sunday Atlanta afternoon.  I'm thinking back over the kids that I've known one comes to mind her name is Hawrrah. She was  student of mine at Dewey international Elementary School in St Louis Missouri. She was a beautiful Bosnian Muslim  and always wore scarf over to cover her hair. This is traditional in Muslim women.  One afternoon she asked me if she could come up to the classroom early from lunch I told her that it was okay. She wanted me to see her hair.  For a Muslim woman showing someone your hair is a very personal, private, and important experience. I felt honored she wanted to shared this with me. 

Looking back on this experience shows me how important it so to have on genuine personal, private, and important experience beween each parent and child. It starts with the adult making space and time for these interchanges to happen. When Hawrrah asked to see me during lunch I had no idea what she wanted. It was my making time and space for it to happen imandatory the experience affected and  impacted me deeply. This happened 16 yeas ago and it still affects me deeply. How much more will it affect your life with each child by making space for personal interactions?

This kind of personal interaction will build your relationships. Become intimately involved with your children and,as always,

Believe in Parenting and

A Practical Guide to Back to School

Now that Labor day is over and the kids are back in school. Here are a few practical tips to help your day go smoother.

1.Your kids have been sitting in the classroom all day. Give them a chance to get outside and get some exercise before homework. Kids have less and less time to be outside in the fresh air and play. Let them in the backyard or take them to the park so they can get all of their wiggleses out and be ready to sit down and do homework.

2. When you get home there should be 30-45 minutes of quiet time.  This can be homework time.  But, I recommend that it just be down time before the kids do their homework, so they're more relaxed and able to think.

3. If you haven't already developed a homework area for your child based on their multiple intelligence. This will spark their brain. Which will in turn make the learning easier. (Remember that kids don't actually learn in school. They are instructed  in school. They learn when they do their homework.)

4. Be sure you have an extra stash of everything they need in order to get their homework done. This includes pencils, crayons,  colored pencils, paper  lined and copy paper. I suggest that when you buy all the school supplies for school, you also buy the same supplies for home.

5. Please make sure your kids get protein in the morning. This is especially important if your kids are on the free food program. Make sure they at least drink a glass of milk before they leave for the day. The government food program at schools usually does not include protein in the morning.  Kids need protein in order to think and maintain brain function through to lunch.

Last suggestion make sure you are getting in touch with your children teacher on a monthly basis. This will allow you to see where they need help. Don't wait until parent-teacher conferences talk to your child's teacher often about the way which is best to contact them.

You want to do this for three reasons the first is teachers who know their parents care are more likely to pay attention to those parents kids. Secondly, your development of a relationship with your child's teacher letsaid your  child know that you think education is important. The last reason is because you want to stay on top of your kids education.the You want to stay ahead of the game. I hope you have a wonderful school year.

As always,

Believe in Parentingg