Enrollment in a summer program helps young children make new friends and further their love of learning.  Sometimes new experiences, such as the last day of school, increase separation difficulties and create insecurity and dread ' especially for the very young. Planning some transition strategies will not only help your child adjust and make the most of the summer months to come, it will also help you handle upcoming changes.

To help smooth transitions of all kinds at any time of the year, there are several things you can do to build confidence in yourself and your child:

1. Talk to your child about what is going to happen ahead of time. The unknown is the core of discomfort with any change. Children under age 3 may need a week to adjust, while an older child may need more time to process an upcoming change.
2. Continue to provide continuity in your daily routines. Keep as many scheduled elements of your child's day without drastic changes. As you take one day at a time, your child can learn to do so too, without high anxiety over what is coming next. Before summer starts, make play dates with cherished friends who may not be in the same summer program as your child.
3. Share around themes that are related to transitions. Responding to your own child's interests, read books about new situations and the anticipation of change. Point out the many changes that are happening in nature this time of year.
4. Respect and acknowledge your child's emotions. It eases emotional strain when feelings are honored and accepted. Most importantly, let children express whatever they feel. Remember that it may be hard for them to identify what they are feeling and why. Nonetheless, those emotions and attachments are real.
5. Allow your child to know your own emotions about transitions. There is comfort in knowing we are not the only ones who feel the changes, whatever age we may be. Be sure to express your happiness about the good experiences of the past school year. Celebrate both the endings and beginnings with your child.
6. Meet and greet the new teacher with your child, if at all possible. Children who are having fun now don't want the fun to end. Will the new teacher smile and be likeable? If your child and the teacher have met before the summer program begins, then you will both know the answer is yes!
7. Ask your child's current teacher if there is anything in particular to share with the new teacher. The experienced teacher may have some special insights about your child that would ease the transition to a new teacher or new environment.

When the old and the new come together, some children have no trouble adjusting. For others, it is a normal and natural childhood experience to feel a little rocky. Successfully managing the school-to-summer transitions is a great pattern to cultivate year after year. We hope you find these few tips helpful to your own family's summer strategy.

Use Testing to
Increase Learning

While most people might think that one of the absolute best ways to maximize learning skills is by studying, research has shown that a better way to learn is by taking tests on your chosen subject.
Studies have shown that students who studied and were then tested ultimately had better long-term recall of the subject (even on information that was not actually featured in the test) than did students who were given extra time to study but did not take a test.
Researchers believe the reason testing improves recall better than studying alone is because using our memory to retrieve information changes the way we access data.
When we remember something, it becomes much easier to recall that information in the future.

Students who test themselves on what they have learned are therefore more likely to remember that information at a later date, such as during a real exam.

Get Organized

Time management for a whole Family can be pretty difficult, and it is certainly very different than time management for an individual.

With multiple people trying to go in different directions, keeping on track can certainly be a challenge.

That said, it is definitely possible to get your family organized.

One good method of organization is to hold family meetings. Family meetings offer the ideal forum for a family to be able to share their successes, plan upcoming events, talk about any issues that may be causing problems and think of solutions together.

Because all members of the family will know that they have a chance to actually be heard, they are much more likely to want to contribute to the family plan and feel a sense of pride that will give them the motivation to do their part.

Regularly scheduled family meetings will help you keep your family focused.

Spend Less than You Earn and Get Paid What You're Worth

It is a pretty basic idea, yet a large number of people still struggle with this simple rule. The truth, however, is that it is easy to start working on it.

The first step is to calculate the precise worth of your job by evaluating your contribution to your company, your tasks, productivity and skills, and by being aware of the going rate inside and outside the firm you work for.  If you are underpaid by even a thousand or so per year, it can have a very significant, cumulative impact over the full course of your working life. However, regardless of how little or how much you are paid, you will never get ahead financially if you are spending more money than you are earning.

Sometimes it is actually a lot simpler to spend less than it is to try to earn more; just a little bit of effort toward cutting costs can result in large savings.

The ideal employee: How to make a name for yourself

Keeping your head down and just doing your own job isn't enough if you want to succeed and advance at work. To be the kind of employee that managers dream of'and to demonstrate your value to your organization'practice these work habits:
 

' Attention. Don't stick your head in the sand. Keep up with what's going on in your organization and department.  

' Attitude. Be friendly and positive. Don't complain about problems, solve them.  

' Communication. Tell your manager and your co-workers what's going on'no surprises.

' Compliance. Follow your manager's directions, and observe your workplace's rules. Think for yourself, yes, but don't go off in your own direction.  

' Participation. Don't hide in your cubicle. Get to know people, and take part in workplace activities.  

' Reliability. Show up on time. Finish your work on time. Keep your commitments.  

' Responsibility. Actualize your own learning and growth. Be accountable for your work'errors, too.  

' Tact. Honesty is one thing'but rudeness is never acceptable in the workplace. Tell the truth, but take people's feelings into account.  

' Teamwork. Don't just look out for Number One. Support your team, department, and organization.  

' Time management. Don't waste time. Look for ways to organize and streamline your work.  

' Trust. Show that you're worthy of your manager's trust by meeting your deadlines, ignoring gossip, and not sharing personal or confidential information.