Monday, January 17, 2011
Forgetting who's in charge
I don't know where we stumbled along the way giving power over to my kids. Whenever I tell them they must do something, like not turn on the computer, but pick up a book instead, I'm shocked how little resistance I get. I tried this on my soon-to-be nine year old, and after a couple of "I'm so bored", she picked up a book in a huff, and then continued to read it for the next several hours. I finally told her it was lights out and she had to put it down. Wow, we have so little power over them, and it's so easy to forget.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Homework Helper
1) We spend a lot of time driving around in our car.
2) My kids think some kids are smarter than they are because they know their multiplication tables.
I believe there's one secret to memorization, and that's much like the rule behind real estate: repetition, repetition, repetition. So why not use all those dead moments with your kids to do something constructive, and help them learn. When we drive around town, or are doing the dishes, we use the time to review the alphabet, multiplication tables, vocabulary words or whatever they are currently working on. When you do this two to three times a day, the facts start to stick, and I find myself refreshing my skills at the same time.
2) My kids think some kids are smarter than they are because they know their multiplication tables.
I believe there's one secret to memorization, and that's much like the rule behind real estate: repetition, repetition, repetition. So why not use all those dead moments with your kids to do something constructive, and help them learn. When we drive around town, or are doing the dishes, we use the time to review the alphabet, multiplication tables, vocabulary words or whatever they are currently working on. When you do this two to three times a day, the facts start to stick, and I find myself refreshing my skills at the same time.
There's Always a Plan B
Since life never seems to turn out as you plan it, I live in the world of Plan B. Here I'll share what works for me at home to make my life easier and more efficient. I'll try to share a couple of quick tips a week, because God knows, it's hard to find time to read when you're a mom.
Tip #1: Toothbrushes. You can never have too many of them. I go to the dollar store and stack up on cheap toothbrushes for guests and my friends' impromptu sleepovers. We get 10 for $1.25, so we don't mind tossing them out after someone has used them once.
On the topic of toothbrushes, if you're a rush to get out the door and to school on time, try keeping an extra supply at the kitchen sink or the bathroom closest to the front door so your kids can eat breakfast, brush and head out the door without adding any extra steps along the way.
Tip #1: Toothbrushes. You can never have too many of them. I go to the dollar store and stack up on cheap toothbrushes for guests and my friends' impromptu sleepovers. We get 10 for $1.25, so we don't mind tossing them out after someone has used them once.
On the topic of toothbrushes, if you're a rush to get out the door and to school on time, try keeping an extra supply at the kitchen sink or the bathroom closest to the front door so your kids can eat breakfast, brush and head out the door without adding any extra steps along the way.
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