May
2010
Teach Your Child to Recover From Mistakes with Humor, Perspective
Use Fun Games to
Teach Thinking Skills
Banish
Bullying: Teach Your Child to Respect Others
Build Your Child's Respect for School by Remaining Involved
A Word From the Director
It's easy to build a child's
self-esteem when she's winning the game or bringing home a great
report card. It's tougher, but perhaps even more important, to boost
self-esteem when things aren't going so well. Here are some ways you
can help your child keep her head up and recover from mistakes:
Choose your
words carefully. Saying, "You spilled the milk" doesn't hurt
your child's self- esteem. Saying, ”You’re such a clumsy kid" will.
Remember, the labels you put on your child today are the things she
will carry with her through life.
Help your
child take the long view. Yes, she failed a quiz. But that
doesn't mean she'll fail fourth grade.
Help
everyone in the family learn to laugh at their own mistakes.
Life doesn't always need to be serious. Sometimes, the milk spills.
Show your child that it's possible to recover by laughing at mistakes.
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In today's world, kids need to
know how to be problem solvers. They must learn how to analyze and see
things from another point of view. Here are some games to play at home
to help:
J
Find something for your
child to sort--buttons, pencils, coins or anything else in your
house. Help him sort the items by size. Then mix everything up and
have him sort them by color. This teaches your child to understand
that just because something is part of one group, it doesn't always
have to be part of that group.
J
Think about
opposites. Suppose you have been talking about fairness. Have a
conversation with your child: What does fairness look like? What
things show fairness in action? Then think about the opposite--what
would unfairness look like?
J
Talk about
point of view. What does your child think your house would look
like from the cat's point of view? What does the school bus driver
think about the students who ride on her bus every day? This activity
will also help your child develop empathy by seeing things from their
point of view.
Bullying is a serious problem
that deserves your attention, even if your child is not bullied or a
bully. Research shows up to 30% of kids are bullied repeatedly, which
means plenty of kids are at least observing bullying. Encourage your
child to:
Respect others. Teach
respect through words and actions. Provide a warm home environment
with good role models and effective discipline (not too strict or too
lenient). Remember the importance of supervision, since bullying often
occurs when adults aren't around.
Recognize bullying. Bullying
comes in many forms. It can be physical, verbal or written, such as in
emails or text messages. It can also be silent, when a child is left
out on purpose.
React to bullying.
If your child knows someone who is being bullied, he should inform you
or a teacher about the situation.
Family involvement not only
teaches your child that school is important, but also helps him
persevere and do his best. Research shows that when parents are
involved in education, kids are more successful students. To build
your child's respect for school:
ü
Attend school events. Make parent-teacher conferences a priority. Put
learning-related activities on the calendar, such as book fairs,
parent workshops and class performances. Treat them like appointments.
This shows your child that school is important to your family.
ü
Be an advocate. Experts say when parents support kids' learning and
speak up for them, kids do better in school and stay in school longer.
They also have more confidence! It helps to set high expectations for
your child, supervise homework time, promote healthy habits and get
involved at school.
ü Connect learning
to life. Help your child see how what he's learning affects daily
life.
The rush of spring is here!
Families find themselves in frenzy – school programs, concerts, field
days, class trips, final exams, graduations and celebrations abound.
Whether we are proudly watching a kindergartner or a senior face the
next phase of life, we know our children will tackle their futures
with gusto.
This year, we have looked at a number of parenting issues, from
building character to preventing substance abuse, from dealing with
bullies to handling stress. Looking back, the newsletters really
revolve around a central point: Respect. Respect for self. Respect
for family, friends, schools and community. Respect is a small word
with large impact. Webster’s defines it as, “To have deferential
regard for; esteem. To treat with propriety or consideration.” It is
how we want our children to treat us, and how they need to treat
themselves.
During the summer months, we encourage you to continue helping your
family build respect. It is a major tool in building strong,
self-assured and capable young people. For ideas, information and
parenting tips, please continue to visit our website. And of
course, feel free to contact our office if you have questions.
Have a wonderful summer!
Darcy Jensen and the PCN Board
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