The Pendulum Is Swinging Back!!!

If you follow my blog, you know that I am a believer in the free range kid movement.  I think that society focuses on the rare, statistical anomalies in terms of horrible events - "horrible" defined as kids getting kidnapped, murdered, tortured, neglected, or otherwise treated badly.  Crime rates are down from when I was a kid, significantly down in some areas, and today's kids have a bigger chance to get hit by lightning then  get hurt by strangers.

I noticed something this past week.  The fear mongering seems to be going away.  Yes, the media played up that poor girl in Colorado who disappeared, but people still take their kids to the park.  This past Halloween, I saw several groups of  older kids (8+ years old)  walking around without parents.  For younger kids, the parents dressed up in costume and walked with them from house to house.  No one drove their kid around and no one seemed stressed out.

I hope that this is a sign of better attitudes to come.  I hope that parents will realize kids need to run around outside, that kids need some unsupervised time so that they can learn to manage their own activities.  Kids also need to learn, on a gut-level, that they are okay without their parents.

Has anyone else noticed the shift?

Welcome Back to School!!!

The 2012-2013 school year begins today in Cobb County.  Curiosity and trepidation fill the school buses as kids start a new grade.

Will I like my teacher?  
Will I have too much homework?  
Will I have friends in my class or classes?
What will happen this year???

Parents have just as many questions, wondering if they (the parents) will like the teacher, if their child/children will do well academically and socially, and if they will be able to afford all the related expenses (PTA, school supplies, foundations, new clothes, more school supplies,...)

Though I have said this before, I will say it again - talk to your child's teacher.

Teachers really are human, too, and will not either send you to detention or hate your child because you want to talk to her (or him).  So ask the teacher how she wants to communicate, either email, notes from home, or phone calls, and then treat her as a participant in your child's life.  I make a point of asking what is the teacher's preferred method of communication, even if the teacher says that all methods are acceptable.  Why?  Because the teacher either have 20-30 parents to communicate with (in elementary school) or hundreds of parents (in middle and high school), while I only have 1-8 teachers on my end.

Remember, opening the lines of communication now will help the rest of the year flow more smoothly.

I Want You to Want Me...

"Remember to take care of yourself.  As a mother, you need to be first in order to be there for your children.  It's like they say on airplanes; always put your oxygen mask on first, then help your children get theirs on." 

This piece of parenting advice is found everywhere these days - and I don't disagree with it.  In reality, mothers typically put their own needs dead last on their priority list.  And one of the biggest needs the women leave unfulfilled is the need for physical contact.

By physical contact, I am not referring only to sex.  I mean the daily touches that help cement the emotional bond between you and your partner.  Holding hands, a quick back rub,  even a gentle touch as your partner walks past - all of these let you know that you are wanted, needed, and loved.  And, for all the people out there who do enjoy sex, the daily touches turn into a kind of foreplay.

So don't be afraid of PDAs* - they help everyone feel more physically connected and emotionally satisfied.

* public displays of affection

Online Resources for Students

Whether you have a kindergartner or a senior, at some point you or your child will need to go online, either to research a school project or to get extra help in a specific subject.  The question then becomes, where do you head?

The very first place I (and my kids) go is to the associated teacher’s blog.   I currently have children in Murdock Elementary School and Dodgen Middle School, and I completely love the teachers at both school!!!  On top of being knowledgeable and friendly, these teachers maintain wonderful lists on their blogs of website pertinent to either the grade or the class.  From math facts to typing to social studies and science, I find interesting links to everything.

If I need to look further, I admit that I use my Google fu to search the Internet.  I spent and continue to spend time with my children online, teaching them how to search Google for information.  By the way, the basic secret for searching on Google is to type in your question exactly like you would ask a librarian.  Google automatically throws out simple words, such as “the”, and generally performs the search you want.

For those who want to set up bookmarks on your home computer to quality educational sites, I have a few suggestions for you:

• My Homework Hotline:  Sponsored by Public Broadcasting Atlanta’s E-learning Cyber Center and the Atlanta Public Schools, My Homework Hotline offers students real people answering phone calls and online help requests.  Georgia Tech even provides the math tutors.  
• Phone Number:  678-553-3029
• Online Request Form
• Available Monday through Thursday on normal school days
• Grades K-5 can get help from 3:00pm - 5:00pm
• Grades 6-12  can get help  from 5:00pm - 9:00pm
• Khan Academy:  From developmental math (e.g. what is a whole number) to calculus, the Khan Academy covers every math subject from kindergarten to twelfth grade.   If your child doesn’t quite understand a math lesson, pull up this website and watch the video.   Khan Academy also offers video lessons on science, history, and computer science.   No registration is required to watch the videos, but you will need to register if you want to use their online math practice.
• e-Learning for Kids:   This particular website contains information and lessons for kindergarten through sixth grade inclusively, in the following subject areas:
• Math
• Language Arts
• Science
• Computer
• Environmental Skills
• Life Skills
• Health
• English as a second language