Working Moms Can Help Out at School Too

"But Mommmmm, why can't you come to the party today?  Sierra's Mom ALWAYS comes."

That's a question working moms would rather not have to answer.  Of course they would love to be able to be available for every field trip and holiday party.  Mom wouldn't mind having all the little classmates see her in the library and say "Hi Suzy's mom."  Nonetheless, for variety of reasons, that simply is not always possible.

There are however, a number of ways that working moms can help out at school.  If it isn't feasible to actually go to the building before or after school or during lunch, there are plenty of projects that can be done at home.  Teachers always have lots of paper that needs to be cut.  Remember where you put your scissors?

If you aren't available to be at school on the actual day of the party; there is still much pre-planning that you can do.  The younger children usually have a craft, a game and a snack at their parties.  You could volunteer to send juice boxes, cupcakes or plates and napkins to school.  The room parent in charge of coordinating the party would be ever grateful if you took on the task of providing a craft for each child to do. 

For a fun easy winter craft send enough pinecones so that each child gets one.  Then send a bottle of corn syrup and a box of Dixie cups.  Next, at home put a scoop of bird seed into individual zip lock baggies.  Finally cut one strand of yarn for each child.  The children will tie the yard into a loop at the top of their pinecone. Next they will dip the pinecone in the corn syrup that was poured into a Dixie cup. The final step is to put it into their baggie full of birdseed and then shake.  Voila' you've just provided a birdfeeder craft.  The party committee will appreciate it more than you know.

You could also help out at the school carnival or music programs.  Most of those events are usually at night, and may fit into your schedule better. Parents are often needed at evening sporting events too.  Concession stands always need smiling faces to serve up hot dogs.

An often overlooked area of consideration is simply calling the teacher.  Tell him/her that you'd love to help but that your schedule doesn't allow you to come in during the day.  Guaranteed the teacher will have no problem giving you something to do.

So the next time your child asks you why you can't be at the party, remind her of the twenty six paper teddy bears you just cut out so that her whole class could enjoy learning about hibernation!

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When you don't like your child's teacher

You're hoping, praying and crossing your fingers that your child gets Mrs. Smith for 2nd grade.  You've heard so many wonderful things about her and you just know that is the best teacher for your child.
However the notice comes home that next year your child is assigned to Mr. Jones' class.  Ugh!  That's not what you wanted.  You just don't think your child will be as happy in that class.  Before you decide that second grade will be a horrid experience, let's examine your feelings toward your child's new teacher.
Is it that you really don't like your child's new teacher? Or is it that you like the other teacher better?  Do you have any first hand knowledge or experience with either teacher?  Sometimes it's easy to be fond of one particular teacher, either because of the good things you've heard or because your older child had that teacher. But is that fair to the new teacher?
Did you have a bad experience with the new teacher?  Or did some of the other mothers just gossip about how strange that particular teacher is.  Consider this: there are an abundance of teachers out of work.  If your school had a teacher that was as horrible as the rumors state, don't you think that teacher would be let go?  Sure there's tenure and all that, but there are too many unemployed good teachers, for a system to hang onto a bad apple.
Or perhaps that new teacher actually did something you don't agree with.  Keep in mind that there is no perfect teacher.  Unless you feel that the teacher made a decision that is grossly misaligned with your beliefs, is it something you can live with?  If not, make an immediate appointment with the teacher to discuss it.  If you still are not satisfied, go to the principal.
All I'm saying is give the teacher a chance.  Give him a chance to prove your preconceived notions false.  Give him a chance to discuss the situation (which caused your dislike).  Most schools will be reasonable with you if you are reasonable with them.  Make sure you have data as to why you would like a different teacher for your child.  "Because you like Mrs. Smith better" is unlikely to get your child switched into a different classroom.
Lastly, keep in mind that if you prayed that your child would be assigned the teacher best suited for him, then likely that is the teacher your child will have.
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Make This Year Better Than Last Year.

Remember that incident from last year?  You do?  Then it's time to put it behind you.  It's history!  If last year wasn't such a good school year for your child, you should be even more bound and determined to make this year better than last year!

"But you just don't understand.  Last year this happened or my child …"  Unless something tragic and life changing happened last year in school, then it's safe to say, it doesn't really matter what happened last year, this is a new year; a fresh year.

You may not always be able to change circumstances.  However you (and your child) have complete control to change your reactions to situations.  Let's take a few examples of what may have happened last year to make it not so good.

Embarrassment – It's tough being a kid.  Things cause us to be mortified.  Ever wet your pants in school?  My husband did.  He wanted to die. He thought he'd never live it down.  I'm pretty sure he's the only person on the planet who remembers that.  Teach your child to try to make light of embarrassing situations.   Sure that's easier said than done, but if he can laugh with others, it won't be so traumatic.

Friendship woes.  She's not my friend anymore.  I was the only person not invited to the party!   I can't believe she said that to me.  Unfortunately, hurt feelings are a part of life. Acknowledge your child's feelings and put it behind you – it's a new year.

Situation with a teacher.  I heard of one 4th grader who didn't report to the safety meeting at the end of the school year.  He told the teacher/coordinator that he forgot about the meeting and asked if he could still be a safety.  The teacher said no because the student didn't demonstrate responsibility.  The child fretted for weeks that he'd actually be assigned to that teacher the following year.  In his mind, "he hated that teacher". Guess what?  That child was in that teacher's class.  And that child ended up loving the teacher and having an excellent year.

Remind your child that things are not always as bad as they seem. Remind them that things have a way of working out.  Remind them to worry about nothing.  Ninety percent of the things we worry about never happen; and as for the other ten percent, it's out of our span of control anyway.

Make a conscious decision to have a better year this year!

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Motivating your Child to Care about School

Wouldn't we all love to hear an enthusiastic "Great!" when you child is asked how school is going?  Instead you might get an apathetic "It's ok" response.  Or you may even get "it sucks!"  How do you motivate you child to care about school?
The fact is your child may never love school.  For some, academics come naturally, while others struggle throughout.  You can't force the love of school, but you can encourage your child to care about his education.
I always knew growing up that I had to go to college.  It wasn't an option in my family – I had to at least show up for the first day of college.  My parents said that they had an obligation to ensure I had a good education and I had an obligation to get good grades. 
When we'd see adult fast food workers or someone busting their hiney behind a deli counter, my parents would remind me the importance of career options.  I learned that while there was nothing wrong with working in a cashier position, some people didn't have other options because they didn't have a college education. 
I knew early on that I didn't want to spend my adult life flipping burgers.  For me, that was motivation to care about school. For others, that motivation may not work.  Some people are motivated by money.
Show your child different salaries of various careers.  If she has aspirations of a six figure salary, she'll need to start laying the ground work now.   Some children may not respond to any future aspirations.  They are only concerned about the present.
You may not be able to get your child to love school, but perhaps you can help him not hate school.  You know your child better than anyone.  You know his likes and dislikes (if you don't, I strongly suggest you stop reading this article immediately and go hang out with your child!).
What is your child interested in?  Good grades?  Being able to participate in extra-curricular activities? Money? Future earnings? Find what makes your child tick and you'll have a head start.
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Club Z! wants you to increase your General Knowledge! (PART 3)

101 How many legs do butterflies have? 6 Legs & 2 Pair of Wings 102 Who invented the Nintendo Wii? Kashi Kabushiki 103 What year does the Nintendo Wii come out? Late 2006 104 Who invented the Light Bulb? Humphry Davy 105 Who invented the washing machine? James King 106 Who invented the first electric washing machine? Alva Fisher 107 Who invented the safety pin? Walter Hunt 108 Who invented the Vacuum Cleaner? Hubert Booth 109 Who won the Football World Cup in 2006? Italy 110 Which country hosted the Football World Cup in 2006? Germany 110 Who is the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom? David Cameron 111 Who won Men's Singles title in French Open 2010? Rafael Nadal (Spain) 112 Who won Women's Singles title in French Open 2010? Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 113 Who won Men's Doubles title in French Open 2010? Daniel Nestor (Canada) & Nenad Zimonjic (Serbia) 114 Who won Women's Doubles title in French Open 2010? Serena & Venus Williams (USA) 115 What is the longest word in English in which each letter is used at least two times? Unprosperousness 116 What is the most popular breed of dog? Retrievers 117 Who is the CEO of search company Google? Eric Schmidt 118 Who is Miss USA 2010? Rima Fakih 119 Which country won the Thomas Cup title for Badminton in 2010? China 120 Who was the first Indian to join the Indian Civil Services? Satyendranath Tagore 121 Who was the first woman Governor of India? Sarojini Naidu 122 Which two countries have signed the Nuclear Swap deal with Iran? Brazil and Turkey 123 Who won the Madrid Masters men's tournament in 2010? Rafael Nadal 124 Who is CEO of Yahoo? Carol Bartz 125 Who is the first man to climb Mount Everest without oxygen? Phu Dorji 126 How many words can you make from a five letter word by shuffling the places of each alphabet? 120 127 Speed of computer mouse is measured in which unit? Mickey 128 Who topped Forbes list of 'Billionaire Universities' in 2010? Harvard University 129 Barack Obama's birthday is on which date? August 4, 1961 130 Which bird is the international symbol of happiness? Bluebird 131 What is the pirate's flag with the skull and cross-bones called? Jolly Roger 132 What is the common name for ascorbic acid? Vitamin C 133 Which useful household item is made from naphthalene? Mothballs VISIT OUR WEBISTE: www.clubztutoring.com/GTA