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Teaching Respect for Adults in the School
Right & Wrong: Does Your Child Know the
Difference?
An Allowance as a Lesson in Responsibility
A Word From the
Director
“My mom says you can’t do anything to me—we’ll sue.” Sadly,
that kind of talk is something that teachers hear every day. In fact, bad
behavior from children as young as first grade is often the reason that
good teachers quit teaching. Respect begins at home. Here are some tips
on ways you can teach your child to show respect for teachers and other
adults at school:
Watch what you say. If your child hears you saying bad things about
a teacher, she’ll pick up your attitude. Tell your child that teachers
deserve respect because they are in charge.
Discuss any concerns about what’s going on in school with the
teacher as one adult to another. Your child may be telling you things
about the classroom that are exaggerated - or simply not true. To get the
truth, make an appointment and visit with the teacher.
Don’t undermine the teacher’s efforts at discipline. All children
deserve a chance to learn in a peaceful classroom. If your child breaks
the rules, support the school’s efforts to enforce them.
Teach your child that everyone who works in a school should be treated
with respect.
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Your child probably believes cheating is wrong. But at this
age, she doesn’t have firm convictions about it. If you find out your
child has cheated during a test or copied material from the Internet for a
paper, grab the chance to mold her values. Here are some tips:
Don’t come down too harshly. Don’t accuse your child of doing
something wrong right away. First ask, “Did you realize that writing
spelling words on your hand for the test was wrong?”
Ask why she cheated. Does she feel too much pressure by you to get
all A’s? Is she afraid you will be disappointed with a less than perfect
score? Tell her cheating is wrong and that you’re disappointed in her
actions.
Discuss possible consequences. Perhaps she can volunteer to tutor a
younger student after school. Or spend more time on her studies and less
time watching TV. Have your child apologize to the teacher. Help her
write a note explaining that she knows what she did is wrong and why - and
promising never to cheat again.
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Don’t think your child is old enough for an allowance? Even
first graders understand that they can exchange money for things. An
allowance can help your child learn to manage a regular amount of money.
It will teach financial responsibility and decision-making skills. When
she buys something she later regrets because the week’s money is all gone,
she’ll learn the value of a dollar - and a better way to manage it.
Counting bills and coins will improve your child’s math skills, too. Have
her subtract money she spends from her allowance each time she buys
something. Follow these allowance guidelines:
$ Choose the right amount for your child’s weekly allowance. One
rule of thumb is to give a dollar for each year in your child’s age. So
your eight-year-old would get $8.00. Give less, if needed, to stay within
your budget.
$ Don’t link your child’s allowance to chores. She must do chores
around the house to contribute to the family. You may reward her for doing
extra work, though.
$ Discuss what you expect your child’s allowance to cover - snacks
at school, extras you don’t normally buy her on shopping trips, etc.
$ Teach your child the “four jar” approach to allowance. The first
jar is for daily expenses. The second jar is to save for something she
wants in the near future. The third is for charity. The last jar is for
long-term savings.
$ Give your child some leeway and limits on spending. You need to
monitor what your child purchases. Buying a music CD is fine. Buying a CD
with inappropriate lyrics is not.
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Greetings from PCN
Unbelievable! We’re already counting down to
the end of the school year. It seems I just put away my snow shovel and
boots - now we are talking about end of school events and summer fun. For
parents, this time of year can be difficult, with more questions than
answers. Who can provide day care? Do we need daycare? Who will they be
hanging out with all day? What about the Prom/Graduation Parties? These
are just a few of the questions I have heard from parents. Take time to
plan for these events and your summer. Our website has many helpful tips
whether you are planning the party or talking about summer care. Be sure
to talk about expectations and safety - for ideas and info, check out
www.safesouthdakota.com. Decide what
your family plan will be and follow through on the decisions as a family.
Remember, when we get everyone involved in the process then we all have a
share in the planning and responsibility. Please call the PCN office if
you have any questions or are in need of a resource.
Enjoy summer and Happy planning.
Darcy Jensen and the PCN Board
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