Todd’s Note – If you haven’t been in a Kindergarten classroom in a while, you might have the wrong impression about what they actually do! If you are going on memory, you are probably thinking about extended play time, naps and learning how to share. That is all done, well not the naps, but that doesn’t even touch the tip of the iceberg! Students in Kindergarten are reading books by mid-semester! Yes…you read that correctly!
I know at my school, the Kindergarten teachers work miracles. They start off the year looking like they are herding cats to turning out students who are sounding out words, spelling words and reading books. Now like I said, these teachers work miracles, but things go a lot smoother if parents do a little bit of work with their children before they start their first day. This article provides a little insight for parents who will be sending their child to Kindergarten in the Fall. Start now!
When it’s time to get your child ready for kindergarten, there are some basic things you’ll need to work on in order to ensure that she’s ready for the transition. Most preschools will get your child well prepared in advance, but you may still want to ensure that she’s mastered these skills before enrolling her in kindergarten just so that all of the requisite bases are covered and that your child is well equipped for a great start.
I had some bad heartburn this week.The kind of heartburn that makes you think “this just can’t be gas.”It was so bad that the smell of strong garlicy spaghetti sauce in the teacher’s lounge made me feel like I might have to double over in pain.Maybe that was psychological…maybe I’m just psycho, but I’m telling you it happened.Nothing worked! And I tried everything!
I found relief one evening in a strawberry milkshake.Yeah, yeah…all the bad stuff.I don’t care, I was dying.
But then, the milkshake was so tasty that I decided to stop and pick another one up this Saturday afternoon.I drove thru at 10:50.Guess what, they were still serving breakfast!10 minutes to go!WOW!
It reminded me of this movie.
I think a lot of people nowadays can identify with the Falling Down character.It seems like the guy just wants to be treated fair, with respect and able to operate within his “rights” as a US citizen.
Now, I’m not condoning violence and I don’t agree with “snapping,” but I bet there are more people like that out there than most realize.The economy, politics, stress, finances, the assault on our rights, freedom, etc… is enough to cause people to pause and wonder “what the heck is going on in this jacked up world!”
Are you falling down?Is someone you know about to “Fall Down?”
I wonder if it is a lack of hope or the inability to see hope where we are headed?
So my mind drifts, like always…and I ended up thinking about Blind Bartimaeus.It’s a story in the Bible that I have known for a long time.If you are not familiar with it, you can read it here – Blind Bartimaeus.
So I picture this blind guy on the road.Maybe he is placed there by his family, maybe he just struggles to get there sometime in the morning by touch and feel.Every day it is the same, same, same.He begs for some money, then he struggles to make it home.Although he desires to see, although he desires to work for a living, there is no hope.He’s blind and no surgery, no glasses, no nothing is going to help this guy out! (yes, negative on negative is intended here)
Then comes Jesus.This isn’t an ordinary guy or teacher or rabbi.Blind Bartimaues has picked up little bits and pieces about this guy as he sat on the road.He’s heard about miracles!He’s heard about people being healed and all kinds of crazy things that don’t usually happen.
[Commotion coming out of Jericho]
Bartimaues: Hey, what’s all the noise?What is going on?
Bystander: It is Jesus of Nazareth.He’s leaving the city.
Bartimaues: [Thinking to himself] – This is my chance, I’ve heard about this guy.He does miracles.He could heal me.I’ll never get a chance like this again in my life.
Bartimaues: [Yelling out loud] – Jesus heal me!Jesus!Jesus! Have mercy on me!I’m blind!
Bystander: Shut up Bartimaues, you are causing a scene.
Bartimaues: No, I need Jesus!I need to see![yelling again] Jesus!Jesus heal me!
Bystander: Shut up Bartimaues, you are being too loud.Stay quiet!
Bartimaues: No!You shut up!This is my only chance![yelling] Jesus! Jesus! Over here!Have mercy on me!
Jesus: Who’s that guy over there? Ask him to come here.
Bystander: Hey Bartimaues, Jesus is calling for you….
Bartimaues gets healed….he sees….he has new hope now…
You might be reading this and you are on the verge of “Falling Down.”That is ok, because there is hope.If you want it.
But more than likely, you are reading this an you are hopeful, prepared, you have things in your life in some sort of “order” and you are ready for what’s coming around the corner…
The thing I would like you to think about is, there are many others around you on the verge of “Falling Down” and you are the bystander.
Todd’s Note – I don’t want to come across like a girlie man here… As an educator, I think we baby kids too much sometimes. I often get parents calling me and telling me that their child is reporting to them that their teacher is yelling at them. Well, I know that is not true because I walk the areas ALL THE TIME and if a teacher was yelling at kids, I would hear it and then the teacher would hear it from me! What is really happening is that teachers are being firm and using a firm voice and kids aren’t used to that. When did we become so wimpy?
Now, just like teachers use different strategies to teach skills, parents need to have strategies to say “no” to their child. Although I don’t think there is anything wrong with telling a child “no,” in fact I don’t think we say it enough, here are some alternatives that might help switch it up.
This article has been contributed by AuPair Jobs.
Results of a study published by Redbook magazine found that the average toddler hears the word “no” up to 400 times each day. Sources cited in their research also showed that kids who are repeatedly subjected to the word “no” without further explanation tend to have less advanced language skills than peers who experience positive feedback. Rather than subjecting your child to a barrage of negative words, experts like author Howard Gardner suggest that you adopt more positive redirection techniques. These 10 phrases can help you say no to your child without actually responding negatively.
Todd’s Note – It is always good to have info. and advice from “the experts.” When it comes to parenting, there are a bunch of them! I personally believe that the most influential expert when it comes to parenting should be the child’s own parent. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t learn a little something something from the “other” experts.
This article is contributed by Nanny Jobs.
While it may seem that the Internet and reality show stars like Supernanny Jo Frost have pioneered the movement of parenting experts and clearly delineated parenting styles, the truth of the matter is that so-called parenting experts have existed for generations. The opinions and advice of some of these experts haven’t always stood the test of time, but they did make major waves during their heydays with their ideas about parenting and have shaped much of the parenting landscape long after they fell out of favor.
u read that correctly!
Todd’s Note – It is always good to have info. and advice from “the experts.” When it comes to parenting, there are a bunch of them! I personally believe that the most influential expert when it comes to parenting should be the child’s own parent. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t learn a little something something from the “other” experts.
