Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Homeschooling

Home schooling your child is one of the best decisions that you can make, because when you teach your child she can learn so much more than if you were to send her to a school with 20 other children.
Homeschooling can also be a bit hard if you are not organized and if you don't like tiring new things.What I would like to do is make blog where moms can share ideas on homeschooling.I have been teaching my daughter for two years now and I love it!I also teach a friends daughter who is the same age as my daughter.We have a lot of fun!
Today I want to share with you a craft that we made in class.We made a pizza out of felt.The children Loved it!


To make the felt pizza, you will need:

* Felt: Sheets of beige, white and red
* A writing pen (Air-soluble fabric pen if available)
* Scissors
* A ruler (optional)

With the proper supplies, it's time to get started.

Step # 1
Use a pen to trace an 8-inch-wide circle on the beige felt sheet. Using the scissors, cut along the traced line to make the pizza crust.

Step # 2
Trace a 7-inch-wide circle on the red felt sheet. Cut along the traced line to make the pizza sauce.

Step # 3
Cut small rectangular strips out of the white felt sheet to make shredded mozzarella cheese.

Step # 4
Trace several 1-inch-wide circles on the red felt sheet. Cut along the traced lines to make the pieces of pepperoni.

Step # 5

It's time to put the pizza together!

* Lay down the 8 inch beige circle for the crust.
* Place the 7 inch red circle on top of the beige circle for the pizza sauce.
* Place the small white felt strips on top of the pizza sauce for the mozzarella cheese.
* Place the small red circles on top of the cheese for the pepperoni.
* Enjoy the pie!

Helpful Tips

* Making toppings for your felt pizza is a great way to use your imagination and to make your creation even more delectable. Green peppers, black olives, mushrooms etc... The possibilities are endless!
* To make the circles, simply trace around the outside of any appropriate household item (the bottom of a bowl) or use a circular cardboard or paper cut out.
* Glue or double-sided tape may be used to hold the felt pieces together. Self-adhesive felt is also available in many stores.

* Different types of felt material may be used to make felt food, but acrylic felt is one of the more affordable and widely manufactured types of the fabric.
Let me know how this craft went for you.Thanks and have fun!

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I found this project on another home school site.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Children are very wonderful,but can really test You

Children are very wonderful,but can really test your patience.The thing to remember is to stay calm and don't discipline them out of frustration, because they will not learn anything.I have realize that I have to think about what will my child learn from every saturation.

If I spank my child or put her in the corner for 30 minutes, what will she learn? Am I making her sit that long to teach her something or am I just making her sit to get her out of my way? Will she even remember what she has done after all that time.



I have learned that asking my child questions that makes her think works for me.Here are some questions to ask your child:

What happened? What were you thinking of at the time?Who has been affected by what you have done? In what way? What do you think you need to do to make thing right?




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Saturday, March 26, 2011

Children, Gods Gifts

Children are one of the many gifts that God has given us,they are so sweet and innocent and we as adults can learn a lot from them .They see things in such a simple way.And it don't take much to to make them happy. As a Parent of two beautiful daughters,I have learned that the most important thing to our children is that we show that we care about them, by listening,spending time with them,and believing in them. One way to show that you care about your child is to show interest in what they like to do.



Finding Hapiness in small things

Children have a wonderful quality of, finding happiness in small things. We lose this quality as we become adults. For example, if you give a child a box he or she will be entertained for hours.Have you ever brought your child a gift in a big box and she played with the box more than the toy? It only takes such sample thing to make a child happy. Some times we as parents think that we need to buy our children lots of material things when actually children would be happily if we just spent time with them. So parents for this holiday, instead of buying name brand clothes or toys that cost 50 to 100 each invest that same money in a experience that will make your child grow. Take a trip to another city and learn about other people. Teach them about new things and other cultures. There is a great big world out there to explore and we all have to live in it together.



How to teach respect

This is a nice article I found on babycenter.com.

Trying to get respectful behavior out of a preschooler is like trying to get blood from the proverbial stone. That's due, in part, to the fact that her language skills are still developing. So, when told it's bedtime, she's unlikely to say, "Gee, I'm really having fun in the bath. I wonder if I could have five more minutes of playtime?" She's more likely to splash and yell, "No!" with gleeful rebellion glittering in her eyes.
What you can do

Demonstrate respectful behavior. "We don't generally give our children the kind of respect that we demand from them," says Jerry Wyckoff, a psychologist and the coauthor of Twenty Teachable Virtues. "We get confused because often, our upbringing makes us equate respect with fear. 'I really respected my father because I knew he'd hit me if ... ' That's not respect — that's fear." Instead, begin by listening. It can be hard to wait patiently for a preschooler to have her say, but it's worth it. Get down on her level, look her in the eye, and let her know you're interested in what she's telling you. It's the best way to teach her to listen to you just as carefully.

Teach polite responses. Your preschooler can show caring and respect for others through good manners.

Avoid overreacting. If your preschooler calls you a "stupid-head," try not to get upset (after all, you know you're not a stupid-head). A child who wants to provoke a reaction will endure almost any unpleasantness just to get a rise out of you. Instead, get face to face and say quietly but firmly, "We don't call each other names in our family." Then show her how to get what she wants by being respectful: "When you want me to play with you, just ask me nicely. Say, 'Daddy, I want you to come and have a tea party with me right now.'"

Expect disagreements. Life would be much easier if our kids always happily complied with our requests, but that's not human nature. Try to remember that when your preschooler won't do your bidding, she isn't trying to be disrespectful — she just has a different opinion.

Set limits. "One of the best ways to demonstrate respect is to be both kind and firm in your discipline," says Nelsen. "Being kind shows respect for your child, and being firm shows respect for what needs to be done." So if your preschooler throws a fit in the supermarket, and none of your coping tactics work, what do you do? "Kindly but firmly take her out to the car, and sit and read a magazine until she's done," advises Nelsen. Then you can say calmly, "Now you're ready to try again," and return to the store. Gradually she'll learn that a temper tantrum doesn't alter the fact that the food shopping has to get done.

Talk it over later. Sometimes the best way to handle disrespectful behavior is to discuss it with your preschooler later, when you've both had a chance to cool off. You can validate her feelings and make your point by saying, "Honey, I could tell you were very upset. What do you think caused that? What ideas do you have to solve the problem? What would be a more respectful way to tell me how you're feeling?"

"If a child knows you're really curious about her thinking, it's amazing — she'll often come to the same conclusion you would," says Nelsen. "And children can do this from the time they're 4."

Praise respectful behavior. Reinforce your preschooler's impromptu displays of politeness as much as possible. But be specific. "The praise should describe the behavior in detail," Wyckoff emphasizes. "We tend to say, 'good girl,' 'good boy,' 'good job.'" Instead, say, "Thank you for saying please when you asked for a treat," or "Thank you for knocking before you came in." Be explicit, and your child will quickly learn that her efforts are worthwhile and

appreciated.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

How to talk to your child about strangers

I found this on babycenter.com
What your preschooler knows — and needs to know

Two- and 3-year-olds don't know what a stranger is or who's safe and who's not. While you can begin to teach these little ones basic safety, they're not ready for conversations about how to deal with strangers.

By age 4, though, many preschoolers have heard about strangers and can start learning safety rules. But they're still too young to be left unsupervised in public because they don't have good judgment or impulse control.

As you begin talking about strangers, keep in mind that despite sensational media coverage, stranger abductions are extremely rare. According to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, only 115 children in the United States per year are victims of kidnappings by a stranger. And preschoolers are the least likely age group to be targeted.

How to begin talking with your preschooler about strangers

Start with basic body safety. As a prelude to talks about strangers, discuss general safety with 2- and 3-year-olds. When you go out, ask them to stay close. Also, kids this age are not too young to learn the names of their genitals and that it's not okay for most people to touch them there.

Introduce the concept of strangers. Usually, kids are ready for this by 4. "The easiest way is to say, 'Do you know what a stranger is?'" says Sherryll Kraizer, executive director of Coalition for Children and author of The Safe Child Book. If your child has no idea, tell her a stranger is anybody she doesn't know. You can point out examples on a typical day — a man at the grocery store or a woman in the park. To avoid freaking your child out unnecessarily, emphasize that a stranger is not necessarily a good person or a bad person — just someone she doesn't know.

After talking to her preschooler about the risk of approaching an unfamiliar dog, one BabyCenter.com mom says, "I drew the parallel that a stranger might be nice or not, just like a dog you don't know."

Sandy, the mother of a 4- and a 9-year-old, used the DVD Stranger Safety (part of John Walsh's The Safe Side series), which explains the difference between people a child doesn't know at all, those she knows a little, and those who are safe. "We've talked to the kids about who their 'safe-side' adults are — mom, dad, grandparents, aunts — and we've quizzed them," she explains.

Go over do's and don'ts. Define some rules about how to deal with strangers. For example, Kraizer suggests giving an older preschooler a specific game plan to follow if you become separated: "If you lose Mommy in the grocery store, go to where we pay for things and tell them you're lost, tell them your name, and don't move from that spot until I come to get you." Tell an older preschooler that if she's approached by a stranger, she should go straight to the person who's taking care of her.

Point out adults that kids can trust. Besides Grandpa and Auntie, give a few examples of adults a child can go to for help. "I point out authority figures like mall security guards and teachers and tell my daughter that they can help her if she gets lost," says Kathy. Sandy adds, "We explained to my son how to identify store employees — by their vest or by their post at a cash register — if he gets lost."

Avoid scary statements. To drive the message home, you may be tempted to issue warnings like "A stranger might take you away from me!" or "I might never see you again!" But that will unnecessarily frighten your child. "The conversation needs to be not what you're afraid of but what empowers your child," says Kraizer.

Repeat. There's no need to overdo it. But because preschoolers learn through repetition, you should underscore the message when an opportunity arises, such as at Halloween, during a vacation to Disneyland, or before a trip to the zoo, a kids' museum, an outdoor festival, or anywhere else where you'll be around crowds.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Treat Your Children as You Want to be Treated

If you want your children to be respectful to you and others,you have to be respectful to them by being kind, loving,and gentle with them.Treat your children as you would like to be treated.If you Want you child to listen to you you must listen to them, and let them know that what they feel and want is important to you.

Don't cruse at you children because they will one day cruse back at you or others.Say please and thank you to them and they will be say these words back to you.Don't call your children names because it will teach them that name calling is okay.In short we as parents have to treat our children as we want to be treated,because children have feeling too!

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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Partnership with Children

As parents it is very important to take time a listen to your child,which is also a great way to get your child to listen to you. If you show that you care about what your child has to say then he/she will believe that what you say is important also.

One way to let a child know that they are important to you is to ask your child their opinion on thing that are not important, such as, asking them what they want for breakfast,or what toys they want take to the park.

Or ask them what clothes or shoes they want to wear. In short parents and children should have a partnership together, not a dictatorship.