Tell us how much fun your kids had sharing meals at the Giving Thanks Feast......Share the pictures on Facebook with your friends ..We have shared on our facebook page.Have fun ... |
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De-stressing for a Holiday
Sometimes both organizing and actually being on vacation can end up being so stressful that you arrive home from holiday feeling like you could do with having another! Holidays are an excellent chance to reconnect with your loved ones in a manner different from what is possible when at home, but holidaying can end up being really draining.
The good news is that there are a number of ways to avoid stress in order to be able to enjoy a holiday as you should. One good tip is to get rid of technology. Leave your laptop computer at home and turn off your cell phone. Constant communication from home ruins the feeling of escapism, which is part of the point of going on holiday. Make certain that everyone knows you are going away, and make sure you have someone at work positioned to take care of urgent business.
Another good tip is to make sure you get to take part in holiday activities that you really want to, not what you feel like you have to. If this means sometimes taking part in separate activities then that is fine, as nothing is more likely to result in irritation with the people around you than being forced to participate in activities in which you have no interest.
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Get your children fit with these kid-friendly exercises
Physical fitness should start early. As worries about obesity and nutrition fill the media, parents are taking more active steps to ensure that their children learn good exercise habits while they're young. Here are a few simple routines (from the Parenting.com website) that can promote good health and fun for your entire family:
- Pushups. Have your child get into a raised pushup position. Then go through the ABCs, high-fiving your child's hand with each letter (alternating hands). Or try a spelling bee: Pick a simple word and have your child do one high-five (or one pushup) for each letter.
- Sit-ups. Take a ball and lie down facing each other, feet touching. Sit up together and pass the ball to your child at the top of the sit-up, then go back down. Repeat back and forth for as long as you can.
- Water balloon walk. Fill a water balloon and have your child hold it between his or her knees. Then challenge the child to walk without bursting it or dropping it.
- Lunging. Have your child take the longest step he or she can with one foot, then go down in a lunge and hold it for a moment. Then have the child stand up straight and take a step with the other foot. Try walking to the car or the park, lunging all the way.
- Bicycle. Your child lies on the floor, lifts his or her legs, and moves then in a circular motion like riding a bicycle. Ask him or her to say "ha-ha-ha" in time with the movements. This can be particularly effective in helping younger kids head off tantrums.
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Praise appropriately to teach children to succeed
When your children master something in life, from learning to tie their shoes to getting a driver's license, your job as a parent is to show that you admire their accomplishment.
According to Laurence Steinberg, author of The 10 Basic Principles of Good Parenting (Simon & Schuster), praising your children teaches them that learning and achieving are inherently valuable in life.
Think about your own childhood, and you'll probably remember that some of your happiest experiences in life have been when you were recognized for something you had accomplished-and some of your most sour moments have occurred because no one recognized or seemed to care about what you had achieved.
It doesn't really matter what the achievement is, Steinberg says, as long as you let your children know that you think their achievements are marvelous. Remember this advice for giving praise that motivates your child to succeed:
- Make your praise as accomplishment-specific as possible. You'll want to say, "You've done a great job on your science experiment," and not, "I love it that you are so good at science." The second statement links your affection for the child to the accomplishment-not something you want to do.
- Connect your praise to the effort, not the child's abilities. You want to reinforce the idea that hard work pays off, not that your child is a naturally gifted person who doesn't have to work hard.
- Praise accomplishments, not grades. Your words should reflect that you are proud of the achievement, not a grade or rating that someone else has given the work. Tell your child that you're proud of how well he or she is doing in science class, for example, not just that he or she received an A.
- Don't compare achievements. Learning and success shouldn't be a competition against siblings or classmates. Emphasize the child's work without criticizing anyone else's.
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True Facts about Barrington
Guarantee Kindergarten readiness
Pinnacle Curriculum
Large and Open Classrooms
Playgrounds built by appropriate age group
Meals in Cafetaria
Enrichment with Computers,
Spanish, Art, Ballet ,Karate & Phonics
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"The point about zero is that we do not need to use it in the operation of daily life. No one goes out to buy zero fish. "
-Alfred North Whitehead
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Smart marketing For a music teacher
According to a story that may or may not be true, the famous Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski (later Prime Minister of Poland) was abroad, visiting a small town where he was scheduled to give a concert. Taking a walk through one residential neighborhood, he heard music drifting through an open window. Someone was struggling with a Chopin nocturne and growing very frustrated.
On the front door of the house a sign read: "Piano Lessons. $10/hour. Mrs. Jones." Paderewski knocked on the door, and Mrs. Jones herself answered. Once he'd introduced himself, he offered to give her a few lessons. After an hour, Mrs. Jones was much improved, and she thanked Paderewski profusely for the tips he'd given her on playing and teaching piano.
A year later Paderewski found himself in the same town, and he headed back to the house to say hello. On the door he found a new sign: "Piano Lessons. $150/hour. Mrs. Jones (Student of Paderewski)."
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