Make Sure Your Child Attends School Daily!

Help your child get into the habit of going to school every day. Research shows that missing school regularly can hurt both the students who miss class - and their classmates. When students miss school, they miss out on learning. When they return, they have to work harder to catch up. After a while, it gets more difficult to catch up, and then kids are even more likely to miss school. As a result, kids who miss school have lower levels of achievement throughout their school careers. By sixth grade, research shows that students who miss an average of just one day a week are more likely to drop out of high school. The students who do come to class also miss out. When teachers have to repeat material or pay extra attention to kids who have been absent, everyone suffers.

Parent Quiz: Are You Making the Best Use of Family Time?

There are only 24 hours in a day. Many families feel that there isn't enough time to fit in all the things that matter most. The start of a new school year is the perfect time to think about how your family uses time. Answer yes or no to each question below:

___1. Do you make time to do things as a family? Try to eat some meals together each week and plan time for family fun.

___2. Do you limit the number of after-school activities? Kids need some quiet and unscheduled time each week.

___3. Do you have a regular time for studying?

___4. Do you set limits on screen time? Kids shouldn't be on the computer or watching TV all the time.

___5. Do you make time to go to important school events like teacher conferences?

How well are you doing?

Each yes answer means you are making the most of the time you have. For each no, try that idea in the quiz.

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Teach Your Child to be Responsible for Mistakes

When school begins, many responsibilities are added to your child's life. Eventually, things fall through the cracks. Some kids are tempted to blame others. To help your child admit fault and learn from mistakes:

Tell - don't ask. When you know your child has dropped the ball, don't give her the opportunity to shift blame. Instead of asking, "Did you study for this social studies test?" say, "I know you didn't prepare for your social studies test. The consequence is that you earned a D. From now on, please tell me when you have a test."

Be understanding. Boost your child's confidence by complimenting good behavior and limiting criticism. Do not, however, make excuses. ("It's okay. You said that because you're tired.") It's better to say, "I know you're tired, but you still have to speak to me respectfully." This empowers your child to control her own behavior.

Provide freedom. Kids who are overprotected at home may have trouble at school, where they need to be more independent. Build your child's confidence - and ability to handle failure - by giving her age-appropriate responsibilities. She might select her outfits for school or organize her room. Remember that mistakes are opportunities to learn.

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Teach Your Child to Think About Consequences of Behavior

Children often don't think about the results of their actions. So they don't see how leaving trash for someone else to pick up is disrespectful.

Here's an easy game to play with your child to help her understand that all behavior has consequences:

You think of a sentence about a simple event. For example, "The baby cried." Now have your child think of the reason this might have happened. "Because her sister yelled."

Then you (or another player) tell what could happen next. "They had to quiet the baby down, so everyone was late for school."

This is a good game to play when you're in the car or waiting in a line. It should help your child think about two important questions: What came before? What will happen after?

Then when you see your child doing something without considering the consequences, you can ask the questions: "What do you think will happen if you just leave your trash sitting there? What will be the consequence?"

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Greetings from PCN

The memories of summer are beginning to fade and we are all adjusting to our “back to school” schedule. As I reviewed the articles for this month, I chose to highlight responsibility. How do we teach our children responsibility? The teachable moments are there for us to use if we just prepare for them and take advantage of each opportunity. Our children watch us as we go about our daily lives; we are role modeling how to react to others and how to accept responsibility for our words and deeds. This quote by Denis Waitley truly helps parents understand the importance of teaching our children to be responsible. “The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.”

Teaching our children to take responsibility for their actions will build a strong foundation for their journey in life. Take time to discuss the meaning of responsibility and how someone becomes responsible. I hope you have time to read the articles and enjoy a good family discussion on responsibility. As always, call the PCN office if you have questions or are in need of a resource.

Enjoy fall -

Darcy Jensen and the PCN Board