Teaching Children Empathy
Sunday, November 30, 2008
There is no written rule that says children must be self-centered simply because they are children. In fact, now is the time to teach them how to care for others so they will grow into respectable, empathetic citizens of this country and of the world.The December issue of Reader's Digest features an article, Raising Kids Who Care, which highlights five ways to teach kids to think about others. Here are two:
Start them young: A mother from Darien, Connecticut got her 3 children involved in various volunteer organizations through Kids Care Clubs when her oldest was just 10 years old (now 20). They all took different paths, but they carried those lessons throughout their adolescence and are each still involved with volunteer work.
Involve their friends: A mother from Lake Oswego, Oregon attended a mother-daughter meeting of the National Charity League in an attempt to have more quality time with her two young children. The kids didn’t go willingly, but once they knew their friends were involved, they felt more comfortable. The eldest child, now 23, is in her second year with Teach for America. She remembers that her peer involvement from when she was younger made the experience fun and cool.
You can find the complete article online: http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/raising-kids-who-care/article104653.html
Labels: boys, girls, health, kids, teens, tips
posted by The Mom Salon Editors @ 11:35 PM,
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Trick or Treating Safety Tips
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
We know every year you read or hear the same old Halloween safety tips, but they definitely bear repeating. Make sure to remind your older children of these rules suggested by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons to keep them safe. - When trick-or-treating, children should stay in familiar neighborhoods and be accompanied by an adult at all times.
- Children must walk on sidewalks and never cut across yards or driveways.
- They should also obey all traffic signals and remain in designated crosswalks when crossing the street.
- Trick-or-treaters should only approach houses that are well lit.
- Both children and parents should carry flashlights to see and be seen.
- Consider skipping the door-to-door trick-or-treating and attend a neighborhood Halloween party instead.
- Examine all treats for tampering or other unsafe conditions before allowing the children to eat them.
Labels: boys, girls, holidays, kids, play, teens, tips
posted by The Mom Salon Editors @ 1:12 AM,
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Are Your Kids Ready for the ACT/SAT? Here's How to Find Out
Thursday, October 2, 2008
You remember what it was like preparing for the SAT, don't you? That was a stressful time, for sure. We recall the pressure to score high like it was yesterday. If you are wondering if your child is ready to take the ACT or SAT Sylvan has devised a quiz to determine your child's test readiness.SAT/ACT Readiness Quiz:
Please answer the following questions with a "yes" or "no." For each "yes," give yourself and your teen 2 points. At the end of the quiz, add up your points and see how prepared your teen is for SAT and ACT.
1. Do you and your teen feel confident that his classes, such as
Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry, and school have prepared him for the
SAT/ACT?
2. Have you and your teen identified her weakest subject areas and developed a strategy for those portions of the tests?
3. Is your teen familiar with the rules of the SAT vs. the ACT? (For example, is there a penalty for answering incorrectly?)
4. Have you bought, and opened, a test prep review book for your teen?
5. Have you made a SAT/ACT study schedule with your teen to set aside a minimum amount of time each day or week?
6. Has your teen made his own flashcards outside of those provided in a review packet?
7. Has your teen taken more than one practice exam for the SAT or the ACT?
8. Has your teen practiced writing an essay in 25 minutes?
9. Has your teen developed a timing strategy for the test?
10. Has your teen enrolled in or taken a test prep course?
SCORING
0-5 Points
It's never too late for your teen to begin preparing for either test! Here are tips that your teen can use to begin preparing now. And remember, there are always multiple test dates!
- Buy a test preparation book.
- Make flash cards.
- Enroll in a test preparation class.
- Take a practice SAT/ACT test.
5-10 Points
Congratulate your teen on beginning to practice for the SAT/ACT. Now is a perfect time for your teen to concentrate on creating a "SAT/ACT study guide." Here are some tips you can give your teen to get started.
- Divide the study guide into three sections: math, critical reading
and writing.
- For each section, write down your weak areas.
- Under the weak areas, write down any formulas, vocabulary words or
grammar rules that you need to learn.
- Flip through the quick guide once a day.
10-15 Points
Practice makes perfect. Give your teen these testing tips to consider while he continues to map out his strategy for the big day.
- Skip an answer. If you are unsure of an answer, skip the question and
go back if time permits.
- Share your time. Don't spend too much time on any single question.
- Read, read, read. Read the questions and answers critically.
- End each section by reviewing. Revisit the questions that you either
circled or marked with a question mark.
- Stop and check. After every few questions, stop and check to make
sure the question number on the answer sheet corresponds with the question
being answered in the test booklet.
15-20 Points
Your teen is on her way to achieving a great score on the SAT or the ACT! Give her these last minute tips to top off her test preparation.
- Enter the exam with confidence. Know the instructions for each
section before you enter the exam room -- don't waste time reading the
instruction the day of the exam.
- The night before, read a book or a magazine. This is a good way to
work your mind with a non-stressful subject.
- Get a good night sleep before the exam.
- Always eat breakfast.
- Relax! You're prepared. Go in confident.
To find out more about SAT/ACT test preparation opportunities at Sylvan
Learning, visit
http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com/test-preparation/index.cfm.
Labels: boys, education, girls, school, teens, tips
posted by The Mom Salon Editors @ 8:06 AM,
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Traffic.com Helps Prevent Headache on Way to School
Friday, August 29, 2008
We saw this yesterday and just have to share!If you often run into congested traffic areas when driving your kids to school you can call 1-866-698-7232 to find out which streets in your city to avoid and save valuable drive-time.
Utilize these Traffic.com solutions to obtain the latest traffic information:
1. Call 1-866-MY-TRAFC (1-866-698-7232), a free automated voice hotline for speed dial access to roadway updates.
2. Connect to http://mobi.traffic.com/, a free wireless Web site for mobile
traffic hotspot reports.
3. Text your CITY CODE (NY, CHIC, PHL, LA, etc.) to TRAFC (87232) to get
instant traffic updates for the worst city area delays. Traffic.com
city codes can be found at http://help.traffic.com/city-codes-used-for-sms.
4. Download Traffic.com2GO to bring accurate, real-time traffic reporting
to your cell phone.
posted by The Mom Salon Editors @ 1:51 PM,
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