As parents we all recognize the importance of reading, but what do you do when your child just does not like or enjoy reading? Here are several ideas and tips I found over the years.

Magazines are a wonderful way to help your child enjoy reading. My daughter loved fashion and beauty magazines. She would spend hours reading the articles and tips. Over the years, several teachers allowed her to count her magazine reading and write her reports on articles she found in magazines. If you have a child that is not enjoying reading, talk to the teacher and see if magazine reading is an acceptable alternative.

Read to your child as they follow along. I remember as an adult I met a 14 year old boy through a teen community I worked for online. He once told me that his mother still read to him. I asked him about this routine.

He said he loved hearing his mom read to him and it gave him and his mom great quality time together. He had a younger sister and his mom read to her each night, so after putting her to bed she would come spend time with her son and they would read together. He chose the books and she would read.

This got her involved in his favorite books and this allowed him to comprehend the book without him actually reading it. He told me that often after hearing his mom read the book, he would go back and reread the section they had read last night.

Buy a craft kit or model airplane kit and have your child read the instructions to put it together. This again is a wonderful way to spend quality time with your child while helping them enjoy reading. The end results are wonderful as they have not only read the instructions and followed them, but in the end you have a wonderful product you can use, hold or display.

Cook together, with your child reading the instructions. There is no incentive like brownies, cookies, or even lasagna. The catch is the child has to help read and prepare the food. My daughter has spent hour pouring through and reading cookbooks. We’ve also spent hours online looking at, reading and printing recipes. Young children can help measure, pour and mix. Older children can help shop for the foods, reading the labels and making sure you have the right ingredients.

Crossword puzzle books, word find books and logic puzzle books are wonderful for older kids. I have also seen very simple word find books for younger children. Not only does your child have to read the words in word find books but then they have to find the words hidden amongst other letters.

As my kids got a little older they used to create their own word find puzzles. We would make the grid on the computer. They would then create a word find based on a theme. They’d write the words, insert the words into the grid and then use the remaining letters of the alphabet as fillers. It was always fun for them to make sure they used every letter of the alphabet at least once or at least twice.

Does your child like comic books? Again, this might be an area where you can negotiate with a teacher. Can your child write a report on the theme of the comics? Can your child share any lessons learned from the comics? Can your child write a report about the characters in the comic book? How does the character dress? What are some of the personality traits of the character? What criteria is the child using to determine the personality traits?

When you have a child that does not like to read, it’s time to get creative and try some of the above ideas or others you may have to interest your child in written words.

Audrey Okaneko is mom to two girls. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at http://www.scrapping-made-simple.com

It’s no secret that school settings are ripe for bullying to occur. And so much attention is focused on the victim of bullying, it’s become common to address the symptom rather than the source.

So what do you do if you suspect, or know, that your child is the one causing the angst? Is your tendency to overlook the situation, thinking it will ‘work itself out’? Have you tried to curb the behavior with little or no result?

If you take Adlerian psychology seriously, then you’re familiar with the idea that there is always a reason for behavior, or as Adler outlined it, goals of misbehavior. Alfred Adler’s ideas about children’s goal-directed behavior were subsequently popularized by Erwin Wexberg, Rudolf Dreikurs, and Vicki Soltz, and are now used widely when trying to make heads or tails of someone’s actions.

One of the most basic and helpful tools for parents, the goals of misbehavior can guide you to determine if your child exhibits signs of bullying, and how to address it. Any misbehavior quite easily can fit all four areas that Adler details, but most obviously, bullying fits the goal of revenge.

When people express themselves through the use of revenge, the recipients of this misbehavior will feel hurt or attacked and often times frightened. This goes for family, peers, anyone that is within the target radar.

And although this type of behavior can be the most challenging to approach (it’s one of the reasons the focus is often on empowering the victim!), it’s no more difficult than any other once you learn to remove any feelings of it being personal. As a parent, a tendency is to ignore it, lest your parenting be under attack. Whether or not parenting is the issue, it’s crucial that, as the parent, you work at understanding what the child is reacting to in their environment: it’s not about you at this point. It’s about guiding the child to a more productive way of operating.

You are your child’s advocate. In order for you to fully engage in that role, it’s important to have your eyes wide open and have a high level of self-awareness. In this era of personal development and heightened awareness, turning a blind eye or claiming ignorance are no longer valid approaches to bullying or extortion.

Simplifications of these theories abound, but it takes a thorough understanding of how to implement the strategies for sustainable results. A trained coach or counselor can help immensely.

Coaching leaders around issues of balancing career and family, teaching early education and personal development since 1989, Natalie Tucker Miller has been serving as president for International Association of Coaches since January 2006.
http://www.NatalieTuckerMiller.com
http://certifiedcoach.org/mission/governors.html

Technorati Tags: family relationships kids parenting teens

When we think of Holiday shopping, we think of all the glowing lights at our area malls and the various eye-catching decorations in shopping centers. Along with distractions with our ‘to do’ list in our heads, we get preoccupied with carrying bags and scoping out gifts. But with all the whirlwinds of diversions, we cannot put our guard down with who is scoping out our own children.

To help with this here are the top 7 things parents can do to prevent their young from falling prey to strangers and child kidnappers in the busy hustle and bustle of the season.

1. Stay connected. Make sure you have your children with you whether in a stroller or holding your hand. Even if your child stays next to you other times of the year, all the distractions of toys, decorations, and Santa can make any kid get sidetracked. For older children invest in a family walkie-talkie set. Make sure they know how to use it and check in with them on regular time intervals to know where they are – even if they are right next to you.

2. If your child is lost go right to security. Most malls and shopping centers have security protocol when a child is missing. Don’t try to look for your child alone. Let them help you the second you realize you cannot find your child – every moment counts.

3. Know what your child is wearing that day, and carry a recent picture with you in your wallet. Most moms and dads have lots of pictures of the kids, but baby pics are not helpful if your child is lost and security needs to search for them.

4. Teach your child what to do if a stranger approaches them. First – Run away! Second – Tell somebody!

5. Role play with your child ahead of time. Use tactics that some kidnappers have used in the past and teach your children not to ‘fall for a stranger’s sneaky tricks!’ i.e. stranger favorite lures: candy, video games, comic books, toys, telling them “your mommy told me to bring you home” etc.

6. Do not have your child wear anything with their name on it – i.e. back packs, purses, and jackets. Child offenders with pick up these clues and use the child’s name when speaking with them to gain trust.

7. Practice, Practice, Practice! Reviewing these strategies not only will help your child remember, but keep it on your mind as well. We all want our children safe, happy and well for more holidays to come.

About The Author

Michelle Annese is the author of ‘The Realtor Survival Guide’ and owner of http://www.michelleannese.com, a web site devoted to information for women about self-defense, crime prevention and other personal safety topics.

 

If you are looking for affordable prom dresses you may want to conduct your search in the comfort of your own home. You may think that you have plenty of time before the big day but time has a way of slipping by. If you wait until last minute and run to the nearest formal shop you definitely will wind up paying too much.

There are other options to consider and these ideas can save you quite a bit of money for the even. Affordable prom dresses don’t have to look cheap and the good quality gowns are not always in the high-end fashion boutique. You wind up paying more at a bridal shop or formalwear boutique than you do online because you are investing in the store’s overhead.

Online shopping is quite different. You can find affordable prom dresses that are top notch. These gowns are not leftovers from last season, either. Some girls consider buying their gown second hand. While this can be a really intelligent way to find affordable prom dresses it is not likely that you will be able to find the latest styles of this season.

One way to work around this when shopping second hand is to choose a classic gown that doesn’t go out of style. Halter dresses that have clean lines and a sleek, clean hemline are perfect examples of classic gowns that never go out of style. Make sure that you stay away from prints with bold colors and confusing patterns when shopping for these affordable prom dresses.

Most young women don’t like the idea of shopping at consignment shops or secondhand stores. New gowns are the only option for these girls and for good reason. This is a very special day that comes only once in a lifetime. However, you don’t have to spend a fortune on your formal gown. You can find affordable prom dresses if you take a little time to search.
 
The search begins right in your home. Peruse the Internet and look for designs that appeal to you. There are plenty of sites that showcase gowns online. Once you have an idea of what you want for this special occasion, start shopping. You will be amazed by how many affordable prom dresses are available online.

This process may take quite a bit of time or you may find your dream gown within minutes. It is a good idea to bookmark pages that have affordable prom dresses that interest you so you can revisit the site. However, you will probably know which gown is right for you in a glance.

Technorati Tags: fashion beauty  clothing  grooming  hair  jewelry  makeup skin care