However, this year has been more difficult than most. Our 8-year-old son is struggling with math. His “I suck at math” attitude has made homework an unpleasant experience for everyone in our family.

10 Tips to Help Your Kids Establish a Successful Homework Routine

Here are 10 things that have made all the difference in helping us establish a homework routine:

1. Schedule a regular time each day to do homework.
2. Before homework starts, give your kids time to get a snack, decompress, and get exercise. This will help increase their focus.
3. Create a comfortable study space free of clutter.
4. Eliminate distractions like TV, noise, clutter, phone calls, video games, etc.
5. Create family homework time, where everyone does their version of homework at the same time. Our family has family reading time, for example, where everyone sits in the same room and reads for 30 minutes. We then share a brief summary of what we read.
6. Teach your kids to check their work and do their best. Only when they’ve done that, step in and give them feedback and assist them. Don’t do the work for them!
7. Give them time limits to finish their homework. If a child is having a particularly difficult time finishing an assignment, extend the time frame or step in and help. But, don’t let your child, either out of perfectionism or frustration, continue on and on with one single assignment.
8. Plan assignments in advance with a planner, calendar, or school bulletin board in your home. Go over the homework plan for the month at the beginning of each month. For bigger assignments like reports, break the requirements (if they already haven’t been broken down by the teacher) into bite-sized chunks of work so your children don’t get overwhelmed.
9. Reward your children for good grades, good behavior, and for their effort. Getting an A for effort is a thing of the past, but it shouldn’t be in our homes. Not every child is going to get an A, but their effort in sticking to a homework routine and doing their very best is worthy of a reward.
10. If your child struggles and homework time is simply unbearable for the both of you, first talk to the teacher to see how he or she is performing in class. If the subject is very difficult for him or her, create a plan to increase knowledge or to get caught up. If homework time becomes so negative that it starts to impact school attendance (if a child stops wanting to attend school, for example), consider Online tutoring options, getting an offline tutor, or working out an arrangement with the school to have some in-school help.

What is your homework routine? What rewards and incentives do you use to encourage your children? How do you help a child who is struggling with a particular subject?

I am drawn to anything is possible thinkers. Dreamers excite me. And that’s why recently at an Open Air Ministries Board meeting In Dallas, something inside me leapt with excitement when a girl mentioned building a homeless school. Nakina sat across the table and gave her vision.”Well, I didn’t really want to mention it right now,” she said quietly.

It was a big dream. But each one of us jumped all over it. “Yes!” one person said excitedly, and we discussed the possibility of serving the thousands of homeless children living in shelters or under bridges, who don’t fit in at a regular school. Talk about special needs!

The only school for homeless kids in the country is in California and they serve a hundred and fifty or so students. And the need is great. Dallas has thousands of homeless kids. They can’t buy new clothes, shoes, or the jerseys, balls, instruments, or supplies for extra-curricular activities. They cant afford to bring their lunches. I’ve worked with homeless families.

If there is a parent, they have no car to get the child to school. They have no home so the child has to go without showering or food a lot of the time. Many nights they roam the streets, sleep on the floor of a shelter, or under a bridge.

We will have night school for the adults. We will hire special teachers, with a heart for giving, over academics. We will provide great programs, clothing, shoes, resources, training, and health and wellness.

Building a homeless school for children who live on the street seems like a worthy dream. And as we sat around the table, the dream became bigger, all because one person dared to dream it.

What is your biggest dream? How will you pursue this dream and make it come true?

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Tammy Kling is a life coach, advocate for the homeless, and international author of 29 books including The Compass. Tammy is also the founderr of Write it Out, an organization that helps gang members, the homeless, and those living on the street write out their hopes & dreams via writers workshops, free journals and various other resources.

In addition to writing and coaching, Tammy is a mom of two boys, an avid trail and mountain runner, blogger, and adventure travel writer.

You heard me right. My 14 yearold daughter is gracing the halls of her new charter high school with a Spiderman backpack. Her cousin, who is going with her, chose Phineous & Ferb.

I am amazed at how brave these two kids are. They decided to walk into a new situation confident, self assured, and unafraid of the unknowns.

At registration, instead of hanging back and being afraid, my daughter immediately ran up to people she knew an gave them all hugs. For people she didn’t know, she stuck out her hand and said, “Hi, my name is Jessica!” I was so proud of my daughter in this moment. People gravitate towards happy, positive people. All the times I told her that she was smart, kind, and beautiful had prepared her for this moment.

Since school began, more and more high school kids are sporting new action figure back packs. This is because two kids stood up for what they wanted to do, and didn’t care what other people thought of them.

 What are you doing to build your child’s self esteem? How are you trying to raise future leaders?

Aside from the occasional schoolyard scrap, it wasn’t until the fifth grade that I had a bullying experience that I considered worth mentioning. We sat four to a table in Miss Kinney’s class, with two of us on one side and two on the other. James was assigned to sit across from me. He was a new student, and he didn’t play well with others. I can look back now and see that he probably had ADHD, and he certainly had a difficult situation at home.

As I was leaving the school to walk home one day, I ran into James. We were at a far corner of the schoolyard and there wasn’t anyone else around. Except his mom. She was leaning against their car and was yelling something to him as he walked toward me. I remember being puzzled because it sounded like she was telling him to hit me. I just kept on walking but James quickly closed the gap and gave me a shove. With his mom eagerly egging him on, telling him to beat me up.

I was wearing a heavy winter coat and I kept my hands in my coat pockets the entire time. He hit me. He pushed me. He knocked me down. It wasn’t so much that I was scared, as I was confused because my mind simply couldn’t process that an adult was doing this. I remember hearing James’ mom yell for him to hit me in the face, which he must have done because I ended up with a bloody nose. Shortly thereafter she said he could stop.

And then she told us to get in the car, and she drove me home.

It wasn’t my finest moment, as I never really did fight back. But through the experience I formed a firm resolve that I would never be dominated like that again. Through the years, I occasionally came across a few other tormentors, but I met their fire with bigger fire and the situations were quickly defused.

Times have changed since I was a kid and bullying is far less tolerated. My boys’ school makes very clear that such behavior will not be tolerated, and they mean it. Any time I’ve become aware of a problem the school has been quick to resolve the situation.

I have no doubt that bullying will always occur to some extent. But as a parent, I am thrilled that the issue is not considered simply a part of growing up.

Has your child ever been bullied? What steps did you take to stop the bullying? What rules does your school have in place to deal with bullying?

My youngest entered all-day kindergarten only a year after I had quit my corporate job. I remember feeling almost violated. “Why would I quit my job only to have one year at home with my kids? And furthermore, what on earth was I going to do with a seven-hour stretch during the day now that they were gone?”

Tips to Making the Most of Your Time While Kids Are in School

Whether your oldest just entered school or your youngest left you feeling like an empty nester prematurely, here are five ways to overcome the back-to-school blues:

1. Dream big! Write down a list of things you’d like to do, things just for you. When I first started blogging, my youngest was just entering all-day kindergarten. I wrote this post, outlining the various possibilities of what I could do during school hours. After reading that post yesterday and thinking back on how hard that moment had been, I couldn’t believe how much has changed in my life in three years. I even accomplished one of the things I wrote down, which was to visit Africa and get involved in global initiatives. So, dream big! Write down your possibilities and you’ll be amazed at what you accomplish.
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2. Get together with other moms in your area. Don’t go through the tough times alone. Lots of other moms are experiencing what you’re going through. Plan a monthly lunch club, join a book club, ask a friend to go to exercise classes at the gym with you while the kids are in school. Have a fun time building relationships and getting to know other moms.
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3. Develop your skills. Admit it! You have been wanting to learn photography or how to decorate cakes or to improve your gardening skills. Maybe you want to go back to school or start freelancing. Whether you want to start or continue a hobby, get educated, or get a job, look into your options! See what choices are out there for you and go for it!
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4. Have the right attitude! I think a lot of times, especially if we’re stay-at-home moms, we think we still need to be watching after the kids while they are in school all day. Remember that by making me time and strengthening yourself, you will be better able to raise strong kids. Don’t let your house go to pot, but just make sure to carve out time for yourself and no guilt allowed when you do!
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5. Be part of their school experience. The first couple of years my kids were in school seemed busier than my past job. I was PTO president one year, designed the yearbook the next year, chaired the cultural awareness committee as well as the school carnival in addition to volunteering weekly in the classroom. To say I went overboard is an understatement. But, at the same time, I really knew what was going on in their school lives and I was happy to help make a difference. Volunteering at the school comes in so many forms. And statistics show that kids do better when their parents are involved. So don’t be afraid to use some of your new found time to go into the classroom and make a difference in your child’s education.

What is the biggest joy and challenge of sending your kids off to school each year? Tips for making the most of the school years?

Transitions from one age group to another, especially the transition from middle to high school, increase risk factors for drug and alcohol use. Before your kids make the change, discuss their areas of concern and create an action plan that identifies potential areas of stress and healthy coping mechanisms. This may include planning your child’s involvement in supervised, school-sponsored activities like band, sports, debate or theater.

Discussing sensitive subjects can sometimes feel overwhelming or awkward, for both you and your child, but it’s important to remember that if your child doesn’t get accurate information from you, he or she is more likely to get inaccurate information from another source.

Tips for a Back-to-School Prep Talk

Below are some tips to keep in mind as you plan a prep conversation with your kids:

• Talk early and often. Don’t wait until the day before school begins to have a conversation about expectations. Addressing potential issues well before they occur is an effective way to deter negative behavior. Make sure you have conversations on an ongoing basis, especially as your child deals with new, potentially stressful experiences both in and out of school.
• Create an annual contract. A contract that puts goals and expectations in writing, created with your child’s input, can provide an objective record of agreed-upon rules. Some topics you may want to include are drug and alcohol abstinence, curfew, technology usage, and family rules and consequences. Keeping the process age-specific is also key.
• Review school policies and discuss consequences. Remember that little packet that comes home at the beginning of the year with school rules? Read it with your kids. This is another opportunity to talk about what the school, and you, expect for the upcoming year. Make sure consequences for breaking the drug, alcohol and honor code polices are clear to your child.
• Address current observable areas of concern. If you’ve noticed any potential drug and alcohol abuse warning signs, such as rapid mood swings, anger management issues, withdrawal from family activity or physical changes like significant weight loss and changes in sleeping patterns, discuss them with your child, rather than waiting for things to escalate. Remember to take advantage of school resources that may be available at no cost, including assessment and counseling services.

Overall, remember that your kids have their own unique stressors and, while they are not the same as yours, they are very real. The more frequently you remind them you’re there to help, the more likely they are to be open, honest and safe.

For more parenting tips and tools, please visit http://www.caron.org/parenting-tips-and-tools.html.

How do you prepare your children for school? What conversations do you have with them to address potential issues, set expectations, and set action plans?

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Tammy Granger is Caron’s Regional Director of Student Assistance Programs for Caron Treatment Centers. As such, she manages Student Assistance Services in the Northeast region in private and public schools as well as colleges and universities.

Caron’s Student Assistance Program currently reaches more than 90,000 students, teachers and parents annually.

This year, I sat with the list. I stared at it. I considered my options.  Then, I did what any 2010 mom would do: I Googled it. With a little help from the National Education Association’s (NEA) website and an honest soul search, here are my five best reasons to volunteer this year at my daughter’s school:

1.     Teachers Teach More Effectively

According to the NEA, when parents volunteer their time to help out with classroom chores, such as making/taking down bulletin boards, sorting permission slips, and other time-consuming detail-work, they free teachers to spend more time on their field of expertise—educating young minds!

2.    Children Learn Better

NEA statistics indicate that school-aged children whose parents have high levels of involvement in their schools, are more likely to earn high grades and less likely to have ever repeated a grade.

3.     Children Enjoy School More

Likewise, children whose parents volunteer at their school report greater enjoyment of school and show a high level of involvement in extracurriculars, such as sports and clubs.

4.    Children See That You Care About Them and Their Education

It’s not that PTA members are going to “close the door” on volunteers or shut any willing parent out of an opportunity to volunteer, but rather that there is only a short window of time overall that children are young!  As kids move on to middle and high school, the call for parent volunteers wanes. Use it or lose it. Now or never. Make the most of your time in these years to observe your child in his natural landscape, get a feel for the friendships he is involved in, see him through his teachers’ eyes, and send him the message that you care enough to give your time.

5.    Parent Has Opportunities to Bond With Both Child and Teacher

Last year, I was called upon to be my daughter’s “Room Mom.” It wasn’t necessarily a job I wanted, but also not one I had a reason to say “no” to.  The assignment was less than painless—it was fun!  I got to go on a field trip early on in the year which gave me the chance to get to know all of the kids in her class. This proved to be a boon to carrying on meaningful conversations with my daughter about her peer interactions.  Over the course of the year, I sent a few e-mails and organized a few low-key parties, but most of all, I bonded with my daughter and her teacher in a non-intrusive way.

This year, my daughter has asked me several times to be her Room Mom again this year.  I don’t want to be a Room-Mom-hog and would certainly defer the opportunity to another willing parent, but I feel blessed by the fact that my child still welcomes me into her classroom and wants me to be there.  Most kids, in the elementary school years, are still thrilled at having their parents visible and available from time to time in school.  I know I’ll be an embarrassment to her soon enough, so I might as well enjoy the time while I am still a source of pride for her!

It was such an unusual reaction for her, not just because of her love of conversation, but also because she has such a zest for life and approaches most things with unfettered zeal and excitement.  Even to me, she would clam up when I asked about school, until the night before Kindergarten, she finally said to me simply, “Mama, I just don’t know what to expect tomorrow.”

Despite the fact that we had been to the school for Registration Day in the Spring and had attended an in-class orientation with her teacher and future classmates the week before, the unknown is scary for children.  Every school is different, but here are some of the basics that may help your Kindergartener-to-be know what to expect this school year.

Structure

As with most good day care and pre-school programs, Kindergarten will run according to a predictable and regular schedule.   Whether your child is attending a half-day or full-day school, you can count on a structured program that includes time for early math, writing, and reading skills and instruction in subjects like art, music, physical education, library, and computers.  Since socialization is such an important part of the Kindergarten experience, your child can also expect that much of his learning will be done alongside of his peers, on the carpet at the front of the room, in centers around a chosen topic, or in pairs at a grouping of desks.  And the best part of the daily schedule: snack time is built into many Kindergarten routines.

Newness

The structure of Kindergarten provides the consistency and predictability that kids need to feel safe and to learn effectively.  Within this framework of “knowing what to expect” from the schedule each day, the newness of school and school life becomes manageable and even thrilling.  Will your kids ride the big, yellow bus for the first time this year?  Will they eat in a cafeteria?  Will they play on the playground at recess?  From attending assemblies, to seeing the school nurse, to going on field trips, your Kindergartner can expect to become more comfortable with newness this year.

Fun

The expectations of Kindergarten are different than in pre-school.  Kids are expected to be able to sit quietly for longer periods of time, to stay on task, and to achieve significant learning.  On the other hand, Kindergarten is designed with five and six year olds in mind, and any curriculum developer knows that play is the work of children.  Your child can expect that his Kindergarten days will be fun, designed around 100-day countdowns, themed-projects, holiday celebrations, catchy songs, and funny poems.

The day my daughter bravely boarded the bus for her first-day of school, I took a deep breath and didn’t fully exhale until three hours later when she ran off the bus and jumped into my arms.  “I love it, Mama!”  she began.   “Did you know that when I got there, Mrs. P had my name at my desk waiting for me and we have our own bathroom right across the hallway and you get two choices for snack each day and we’re even going to learn to count to 100 this year and…”  My chatter-er was back!  She knew Kindergarten was going to be just fine.   Luckily, we had all afternoon to talk about it!

Stay tuned for Part II next Wednesday!

These are just a few of the topics we’ll cover in an A+ #gno party on Tuesday night where you’ll get to meet the great folks at OfficeMax and learn directly from them about ways to support your kids in school!

Don’t forget to nominate a teacher to win OfficeMax’s amazing giveaway this week on behalf of their “A Day Made Better” cause, founded to erase teacher-funded classrooms. Click here to check out the details.

What: OfficeMax is sponsoring this week’s #gno Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)

When: Tuesday, September 29, 9-11 p.m. EST

Where: Click here to party with us on our custom Tweetgrid. (Use hashtag #gno.)

Topic: Supporting Schools & Teachers for Student Success

Who: @adaymadebetter, @adopt_classroom, @BobThack417, @cindyhopper, @extraordmommy, @jamieharrington, @jennyonthespot, @jjero, @officemax, @TheAppleofMyEye, @tweenteacher

Party Favors: Click here to check out this week’s giveaway sponsored by OfficeMax. And check out a list of other participating sites and more fabulous giveaways by clicking here.

RSVP: Please leave your Twitter ID in the comments to follow and be followed (on Twitter, of course!) by other #gno gals. The best format is as follows: http://twitter.com/jylmomIF.

“A Day Made Better” is a national cause founded by OfficeMax and nonprofit organization, Adopt-A-Classroom, to lead the fight to end teacher-funded classrooms. Annually in October, more than 3,500 OfficeMax associates surprise and honor more than 1,000 teachers at 1,000 schools across the country with $1,000 worth of classroom supplies. Nominated by their school, teacher recipients receive this honor for their exceptional contributions as an educator.

The name, “A Day Made Better,” is derived from the concept that OfficeMax and Adopt-A-Classroom can make at least one day better for teachers by providing them with essential classroom supplies. Through 1,000 simultaneous events, OfficeMax seeks to call attention to the issue of teacher out-of-pocket spending and motivate the public to take action by supporting local educators through Adopt-A-Classroom. “A Day Made Better” was first conducted in October 2007 and has since contributed to the funding of more than 10,000 classrooms.

Why Is OfficeMax Doing This?

“A Day Made Better” was founded in response to the fact that teachers are now spending on average $1200 out-of-pocket for necessary classroom supplies—collectively nearly $4 billion annually—to offset budget shortfalls, according to a 2005 survey by the National Education Association. Striving to erase teacher-funded classrooms, OfficeMax and Adopt-A-Classroom are working together to create awareness and generate widespread support for teachers nationwide.

Education Facts

Fifty percent of teachers leave the profession within the first five years:

• Each time a teacher leaves the education system, the cost is approximately $11,500 to recruit, hire, and provide orientation and professional development for the replacement.
• Teachers cite a lack of support as the top reason for leaving the education profession.
• Education is one of the “top ten most important problems” facing the United States (Gallup Poll, 2007).

How You Can Help

To show support for “A Day Made Better,” the public is invited to do the following:

• Host your own “A Day Made Better” surprise for a local teacher.
• Join the Facebook Cause page at http://apps.facebook.com/causes/116541.
• Follow the cause on Twitter at http://twitter.com/adaymadebetter.
• Learn more about the cause at www.ADayMadeBetter.com.
• Adopt a local teacher through www.AdoptAClassroom.org.
• Purchase an oversized paperclip magnet at OfficeMax stores, which benefits the OfficeMax Charitable Foundation’s program supporting K-12 public school teachers.