How to Get Your Kids to do their Chores

Are chores a constant battle in your home? Do you have to ask a hundred times before things get done while “I’ll do it later” is what greets most of these requests? Chores are important because they help your children to understand responsibility, prepare them for the routine, mundane tasks they need to fulfill on a daily basis in order to make their lives possible and give them the skills they need to one day run a home of their own. For some parents, getting the chores done is often more trouble than it’s worth. Here’s how to get your kids to do their chores every day.

Kids resist doing their chores because routine maintenance tasks are boring and take them away from activities they should be doing. While a general reminder to do chores is fine, if you find yourself nagging, it’s time to change the behavior.

Stop the cycle

If you find your kids only do their chores if you nag them and stop once your attention is elsewhere, stop whatever activities they are doing. Whether it’s TV, games or time with friends, stop the distraction and talk to them about the situation. Explaining abstract ideas of responsibility is rarely a hit, so concentrate on what they have to gain by doing their chores now. That means that they can resume their fun activities once their chores are done.

Up the ante

If focusing on the positive consequences of completing chores doesn’t work, set time limits. For example, if chores aren’t done by dinner time, or if the dishes aren’t done in 30 minutes, then limit internet time or set an earlier bed time. I have a friend who nagged her children every day until they were old enough to get internet access. Now she changes the WiFi password every night and they only get the new one when their chores are all done. Now she never has to nag her kids to do their chores.

Rewards

Rewarding your child for chores completed is always preferable to punishment. You can offer extra internet or TV time or a later bedtime for chores that are done on time without nagging.

Another way to incentivise the chore routine is by linking it to their allowance. Each chore that is completed earns an extra portion of their allowance. If they don’t want to do their chores, siblings can opt to do their chores for them and earn more allowance.

This is a good way to teach children the link between working and receiving a salary. Take care that this doesn’t lead to a situation where your children won’t do anything without getting paid. If you find this is the case, rethink your strategy.

Don’t turn chores into punishment

The idea here is to get your child to do their chores without hating every minute of it. You can start by giving them a choice of what chores they want to do. Making a choice gives children a sense of control and they are less likely to complain. Don’t make chores a punishment or you will only add to their reticence to complete their daily tasks.

If you are in a bad cycle of nagging and fighting about chores, it’s time to change the routine. Speak to your children about ways in which they can work at being better about chores, ask them which chores they would like to do and when they would like to do them to give them a sense of participation in the process.

Great Summer Reading List for Colorado Elementary School Students

The summer is a great time for your students to relax, but all that downtime can result in a phenomenon called the summer slide. Studies show that students lose up to 20% of the academic gains they made in the previous year.

Encouraging reading is a great gift to give your students. They will sail through all those high school and college texts and with every book, they are learning new facts and improving their reading, writing, comprehension and communication skills while expanding their vocabulary. Help your student to get ahead this summer with these enthralling reads.

Poop by Nicola Davies, 2007. A wonderful fecal adventure through the many ways in which animals poop. This is a fun, engaging, scientific exploration of the animal kingdom through the same fart-joke humor your students no doubt already enjoy.

The invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (2007). Hugo is an exceptional boy who can fix just about anything. Orphaned at a young age, Hugo finds an ‘automaton’ built by his father who shared his inventive spirit. Hugo is sure that if he is able to repair the robot, it will write a message from his father. This is a wonderful book about the incredible bravery and indomitable spirit of youth. Don’t be surprised if they can’t put this book down!

Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary (1992). Ramona has an entire series of books that deal with the inevitable conflicts of young life. In this novel, Susan’s bouncy curls prove irresistible to Ramona who can’t help but pull on them.

Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez (2003). This is a gripping recount of how the son of migrant farmers leads a 300-mile march for worker’s rights. It’s a truly touching tale that explores the real bravery and incredible resolve of one of the greatest champions of non-violent protests. A great way to learn about a pivotal historic figure.

Molly Moon’s Incredible Book of Hypnotism by Georgia Byng (2004). Molly’s rather dull existence is transformed by the discovery in her local library of a book that teaches her how to hypnotise. She leverages her new-found talents to get the life she’s always wanted until her efforts are thwarted by a criminal mastermind. If your children love Roald Dahl or J.K. Rowling, then they will love this book.

Dogku by Andrew Clements (2007) is a great way to introduce your students to the haiku. This is a sweet story about a stray dog who finds a loving home. Each page is written in a haiku format and beautifully illustrated.

Atomic Ace (He’s Just My Dad) by Albert Whitman (2004). A truly funny tale of how superhero Atomic Ace deals with family life. Great comic book-style illustrations give the book a hybrid feel and make this a great choice for the visual student who may be a reluctant reader.

Don’t let learning take a vacation this summer! Get all your favorite stories at your library and encourage your students to participate in the library activities.

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Hey Colorado . . . Winner Winner Family Dinner

How important is family dinner to Colorado families?

If you wish to instill family cohesion, encourage siblings to get along or get your kids to talk to you more, one excellent way to do this is through family dinners. Of course it’s not always easy to coordinate busy schedules, work and after-school activities, but just two or three nights a week is all you need to change the dynamics of your family.

Why it’s a good idea

Studies support the theory that families who eat together enjoy a happier life and better relationships. Students who ate family meals had higher academic scores and fewer behavioral problems. 19% of teens whose families did not share meals reported feeling alienated from their families compared to the 7% of teens who did enjoy family meals.

Students who ate more meals at home suffered less from obesity and the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at the University of Columbia discovered that students who eat with their families are less likely to drink, smoke or use drugs.

Best practices for family meals

Meals at home with the family can be beneficial, but you must follow some best practices in order to achieve success. Start with a ban on electronics at the table. This means the dinner hour is a tech-free one (that goes for parents too!)

Schedule your dinners and give them as much status and importance as studies, afterschool activities and work engagements. Aim for three meals a week and these can include weekend breakfasts and lunches. Every family can set aside three hours a week to share together no matter how busy you are.

Make it fun! Be inclusive so that your kids look forward to these experiences by allowing them to choose what they want to eat for family dinners and allowing them to help with cooking, music selection and table settings.

Family meals should be a fun, positive experience, so don’t use this time to criticise, fight, argue or talk about issues. If you have an issue to discuss, wait until after your meal. Mealtimes should be positive family experiences or you will create a very negative atmosphere that makes meals unbearable.

Add to the positive experience by having themed dinners, including desserts, telling jokes and sharing all your funny stories from the day at work or school.

It can be really tough to find the time to enjoy a meal together when family members have such busy schedules. However, taking just a couple of hours out of your week can really help to foster positive relationships between family members and keep communication channels open. Make meals a fun and positive event that your family looks forward to sharing. Family meals can be really great places to make memories and share stories of your life.

Best Holiday Reads for Middle School Students

The holiday season is the perfect time for middle school students to get some rest in before the new semester. The weather is cool and they have time to catch up on some fun reading. Here are some books you can buy to encourage holiday reading or add to their festive gift list:

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Students reply to a newspaper advert and have to pass a series of tests in order to qualify for the team which embarks on a mysterious investigation. The students go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened where they discover all manner of secrets.

The Harry Potter Box Set

If your student hasn’t experienced the joys of the Hogwart’s School of Wizardry, then this will make a gift of epic proportions. It doesn’t matter if they have already watched the movies; the books are far more action-packed and intricate and will still be a thrilling read.

The Giver

This coming-of-age novel investigates the world where Jonas lives free of choices, pain or war, until (at the age of 12) he is exposed to these elements by the Giver. This is a great novel and your student will not be able to put it down!

The Hobbit

Try to get your student to read this before going to see the movie. The Hobbit is a classic for good reason as readers are taken on scintillatinly exciting adventures with Bilbo Baggins as he sets off from the Shire with Gandalf the wizard to battle dragons for stolen treasure.

Holes

When Stanley Yelnats goes to Camp Green Lakes for the summer, he is transported to a desert devoid of any greenery at all. As Stanley’s summer takes a turn for the worse, he is accused of stealing a pair of shoes and made to dig holes in the desert sand. He soon figures out that the dastardly camp leader is searching for a hidden treasure…

Twilight Saga

This is a favorite that will have your student sitting on the edge of their seats as they enter the intriguing world of vampires and werewolves and follow the tales of Isabella Swan and her romance with 100 year-old vampire Edward Cullen.

Esperanza Rising

Esperanza lived on her affluent family ranch in Mexico until the Great Depression forces her and her mother to flee to California. Esperanza must learn to face life as a farm worker, as well as overcome the hardships of their new financial difficulties to carve out a life in her new home.

Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl is a twelve year old with a difference; millionaire, genius and criminal mastermind. Artemis bites off more than he can chew when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit.

Best Christmas Books for Elementary School Students

As Christmas approaches, elementary school tutor Lauren Wood has a wealth of Christmas-themed books which she leaves lying around the house. All the younger students who visit eagerly read them in anticipation of the big day. “It’s a great way to get them the read,” she says, “and there are so many great Christmas classics for them to choose from.” Here is a list of all the classic novels that every young student should have in their library.

A Night before Christmas
Clement C. Moore’s classic poem is perhaps one of the best-known classics. You can read it to your students or, better still, get them to read it to you on Christmas Eve. It’s a cute little poem that has some complex language which you can help them with. Keep a dictionary on hand so that they can look up any words that they don’t understand.

The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving
While Christmas time is supposed to be about giving and sharing, it’s easy for students to get focused on receiving. This is a wonderful book by Jan Berenstain to remind students of the joys of giving. Written in 1962, this true classic is a must for every student. You can augment the tale by asking your students to pick one toy to donate to those who are less fortunate.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
The Grinch has become a staple for every discerning Christmas reader. This delightful poem about a mean, green Grinch is fun and funny. You can read the book first and then watch the animated short or the full length movie by the same name.

The Nightmare before Christmas by Tim Burton
This beautifully illustrated novel is about a well-meaning Halloween skeleton who decides to play Santa with disastrous results. It’s the perfect holiday read for those who are fans of Halloween. You can read the book and then watch Tim Burton’s masterfully crafted movie filled with ghoulish characters.

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
It’s the ultimate Christmas fantasy; as a young boy lies awake on Christmas eve, Santa swoops by with his reindeer and takes him on an adventure to the North Pole. It really is a magical journey filled with excitement and adventure. Read the book and then watch the movie too!

The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett
The story of little Teeka’s attempts to train Santa’s reindeer is not only a great guide for students on how to work well with others, but it also introduces them to northern cultures and life on the tundra. It’s a magical tale of how Teeka manages to get all the reindeer together for Santa’s big night by working with them and treating them kindly. This is a great book for older siblings.

This festive season, give your students the gift of books to help expand their seasonal libraries. Reading books is a great way for them to spend their holidays and get into the Christmas spirit.

Teens who are changing the world

You’re never too young to make a difference and these inspirational stories show that young people can have a profound impact on the world. Teens the world over are mobilizing to make the world a better place, to protect the environment and save endangered wildlife species.

Julien Leitner

Julian started his charity with only $2. He started the Archimedes Alliance and asked 1 million people to donate just $2. “It hit me that I might not be able to do something on my own, but there has to be a billion other people like me who want to make a difference but feel they can’t,” said Leitner. “I thought, ‘What if everyone just pooled their resources?’”

He was right and he has managed to raise over $19,000 through online donations already. He has also given donors the opportunity to select the charity they would most like to support. When his total reaches the 2 million mark, he will donate the money to the charity with the most votes.

Leitner’s charitable concept originated from the Greek mathematician, Archimedes, who said, ‘Give me a lever long enough, and a place to stand, and I can move the Earth.’Leitner believes that asking a lot of people for a little donation is the way to go. Leitner is hoping that his campaign goes viral and that this helps to spread the word. Watch the video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XITpmGqLDkU&feature=player_embedded

Lexi Allen

This spunky 16-year old from Sarasota started a charity called Art 4 Niños. As an artist herself, Lexi felt that all students should have access to art. She supplies impoverished children in South America with art supplies. You can make donations of money, art supplies or frequent flyer miles here.

Cheryl Perera 

This Toronto teen is the creator of the OneChild organization which supports victims of the international child sex trade. She started the organization when she way just 16 and has raised enough money to build two rehabilitation centers in the Philippines for children who have escaped the sex trade.

Hannah Tailor

Hannah started her first charity when she was just 8. The Ladybug Foundation has raised an incredible $2-million and has helped 54 shelters across Canada. Hannah said: “I honestly believe my generation is a hopeful one. And I believe very strongly in something my friend Steven said to me: ‘Don’t be afraid of homelessness. Be afraid of a society that doesn’t care.’ He was homeless at the time. Now he has a job, and a physical home as well. He’s now 25.”

These days, the younger students are leading the way when it comes to driving charitable causes. Instilling empathy and caring for community is a great way to make the world a better place. Encourage your students to get involved with volunteer opportunities and to help others wherever possible.

5 Things Teachers Wish Parents Knew

When I was teaching, it always amazed me to see the way in which my student’s behavior changed when their parents were around. The presence of parents has a profound influence on the way students behave and teachers have a unique insight into the way students act around their peers and how they perform academically. When parents and teachers work together, they can really lean a lot about their students. Parents can learn about things that influence their student’s behavior and academic performance while teachers can get invaluable insights into their student’s personalities from the people who know them best. Here are some things that will help parents and teachers to work as a team.

Let’s talk

Teachers love the opportunity to connect with parents. When you are able to talk about your students in a constructive and supportive manner, everyone benefits. Keeping each other up to date on new developments will help you both to adjust behavior and will help you to deal with situations better. Teachers appreciate your support more than anything. If you don’t have time for teacher/parent meetings, use email to keep in touch.

Get involved

Always show interest in what your student is doing at school. Even if you don’t understand trigonometry, showing interest and offering support is a great start. If your students need help you can’t give them, consider getting an in-home tutor. Discuss projects that your student is involved in and chat about social situations and sports. Showing an interest and staying involved helps your student to feel important.

Be organized

This is a great lesson for your students to learn and keeping your child organized will really help your teachers. Returning tests and notes sent home for signatures, making sure that your student has school supplies, ensuring that deadlines for assignments are met and checking that your students have sports uniforms will save your teachers a bunch of time and effort.

Get reading

Instilling a love of literature is an invaluable gift. Your student will have to read their way through school and college. When you instill a love of reading, you make that process easier for you and your teachers. When your students read, they learn all sorts of general knowledge facts, they learn good grammar and they learn to express themselves in writing; a fact that any teacher who has to grade papers will appreciate.

We’re on your side

Shifting the blame for poor academic performances to the teacher is every student’s natural reaction. While not all teachers are created equal, give yours the benefit of the doubt. Speak with her about your child’s academic performance and work together to find a solution. It’s best to speak with the teacher in question first. Only if you can’t find a solution to academic issues should you then meet with an administrator or with the principal.

A little appreciation goes a long way

Teachers work really hard and rarely get the appreciation they deserve. If your teacher is doing a good job, let her know. You will help to motivate her to keep giving 110%.

Community Service: Ways in which Students can Give Back

Those of us who stay in bigger towns will feel the loss of a sense of community most keenly. We have become isolated and wary of our neighbors. The more this becomes part of our culture, the more we suffer from depression and other anxieties. Being part of a family, and a community is good for our mental health, our physical health and is crucial to having happy, well-adjusted students. One of the ways in which your students can experience a sense of belonging is through community service.

Community service not only helps your students to meet and mix with the people in their community, it also helps to foster a culture of giving, care for their fellow humans, social skills and organizational skills. There are many ways in which students can help only some of which are listed below.

Environmental Impact

Your student can organize or join cleanups in your area. Keeping garbage out of sensitive natural areas will help to preserve local eco-systems. Students can rally their friends to help in a cleanup, but ensure that gloves and masks are worn for additional safety.

Students can also help the environment by saving energy. This is augmented by energy monitoring systems that are installed by many local municipalities to help residents to monitor consumption. You can also just work off your utilities bills. Consumption can further be reduced by growing vegetables in the backyard, conducting clothing swaps rather than buying new clothing and upcycling old items to keep them from the landfill.

Seniors

Loneliness is a huge issue many seniors living in homes face. Most senior’s residences welcome student volunteers who can spend time with seniors and keep them company or help them with everyday tasks. If you have seniors in your neighborhood, your students could help them with more strenuous tasks like cleaning gutters or mowing the lawn.

Animals

If your student is an animal lover, then local shelters are a great place for them to volunteer. They can also help by raising money for shelters or organizing donations of food and other pet supplies. Students can offer to help friends and neighbors who are at work all day by taking their dogs for a walk.

Community Gardens

These are a great way to introduce good nutrition and teach your students about growing plants. Community gardens are a healthy and fun way to grow your own food. They provide communities with a source of fresh fruit and vegetables that can be organic and are definitely locally grown.

Random acts of kindness

These should be done every day. Community means the people around us and your student is sure to find a student at school that needs a little help. Tutoring younger students is a great way for your kids to give back. They can bring lunch for someone who regularly has no lunch at school, they can stand up to bullying, they can help students who are struggling academically and show appreciation to a teacher for all the hard work they do.

Back To School Traditions for a Great Academic Year

After the excitement and nervousness of starting a new school or a new grade has worn off, the new clothes have become old friends and your student is feeling more settled and at home, it’s time to start some new back-to-school traditions. New habits only take a couple of weeks to instill, but they will mean a happier home life and a better academic performance. Here are some back to school traditions that will help you and your students to have a wonderful semester.

Smooth Morning Routines

Get your family together and ask them to write down the things that they don’t enjoy about your morning routine. Perhaps they would like more bathroom time, or maybe they don’t like to rush in the mornings; whatever their gripes, write them down in a list.

As a family, find ways in which you can reduce the stress of morning routines. This means being more organized. If bathroom time is an issue, set out a schedule so that everyone has a fair amount of time. You can move hair and makeup to a different room so that the bathroom is free for showering.

If you don’t like rushing in the morning, get your students to start packing their bags and laying out their clothing the night before.

Make a lunch menu that everyone can enjoy and share out morning chores so that everyone has the same amount of stuff to do. If one of your students is a better morning person, they may want to take on more responsibility and chores in the morning and have a free evening.

Academic Goals

Knowing where you are going makes it so much easier to navigate. Get each of your students to set out clear academic goals for the year. You should provide incentives for the achievement of those goals in the form of rewards. Work with your student’s teacher and tutor to ensure that the goals are realistic. Short term and long-term goals will give a sense of accomplishment.

After School Activities

Discuss what activities your students wish to do after school and ensure that they have a healthy balance of work and activity. Try to encourage activities outside of their comfort zone so that they can meet new friends and get active. Sports help to foster friendships, teach discipline and teamwork and keep your students healthy and active while creative activities help relieve stress and develop higher cognitive functions.

Starting fun back-to-school traditions will mean that your students have set goals, rewards to look forward to and fun activities to anticipate. A little planning at the start of the semester will mean everyone develops habits that help to make this the best academic year ever.

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Student Inventors: Girl Power

Students can be creative innovators and inventors to whom we owe some of our most impressive technological breakthroughs. Today we honor three teen inventors who have achieved great success by thinking outside of the box.

Ann Makosinski

Ann has invented a hollow flashlight that is powered by the heat of your hand. Ann is a grade 10 student from St. Michael’s University School in Victoria, Canada who beat out hundreds of other entrants to get her flashlight into the finals of the Google Science Fair. “I’m really interested in harvesting surplus energy, energy that surrounds but we never really use,” said Ann.

Ann is interested in utilizing alternate energy sources for everyday tasks. While researching alternative energy sources, Ann stumbled upon Peltier tiles which create energy when they are heated on one side and cooled on the other.

She ordered some tiles off the internet and found that body heat produced more than enough energy to light an LED, but not enough voltage. Ann tried several transformers to up the voltage; she even built her own. Finally after months of research and experimentation (along with her regular schooling and extra mural activities) she finally found a circuit that worked.

You can see more on Ann’s invention here

Elif Bilgin

Elif comes from Istanbul, Turkey and is the country’s first winner of the 2013 Science in Action award at the Google Science Fair for her bioplastic which she developed from banana peels. It was a long process for Elif who tried 10 different iterations of plastics before she found one that didn’t biodegrade too quickly and was strong enough for commercial use. “Even Thomas Edison said, ‘I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work,’” Elif said about the long road of trial and error that eventually led to a successful prototype.

Elif hopes that her plant-based plastics will replace some of the petroleum-based plastics on the market and improve the environmental impact that plastics have.

Eesha Khare

Eesha is an American student who has invented a supercapacitor. This incredible device will replace conventional batteries in everyday electronics. Eesha’s electrochemical supercapacitor can be charged in 20 seconds, hold a charge for longer and lasts for more recharges than conventional batteries. Eesha’s invention can be recharged 10,000 times as opposed to the 1,000 charges a conventional battery is able to endure. Eesha hopes that her invention will help to reduce waste and improve the environment.

Student inventors remind us that a good idea and a lot of hard work mean that anyone can be successful at any age. Inspire your students to greatness for their next science fair projects.

See Eesha’s interview with Conan O’Brian here:

http://teamcoco.com/video/young-scientist-award-winner-eesha-khare-pt-1-06-13-13

Why Students Fail Survey Yields Shocking Results

A recent survey conducted by Tutor Doctor showed that underachieving students did not achieve their academic goals because of a lack of motivation and not getting enough help at home. With bigger classes and working parents, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for struggling students to find the time and assistance they need to succeed.

 Tutor Doctor’s ‘Why Students Fail” Survey Results

Respondents of the “Why Students Fail” survey, estimated that only a shockingly low 2.6% of students reach their full academic potential. There are a number of reasons for this poor academic performance; nearly all of the respondents agreed that students freeze during test taking (96.8%) and cited an ability to handle pressure/stress (56.8%), being unprepared (54.1%) and lack of confidence (45.9%) as the most common stumbling blocks to academic success.

Deep financial cuts to education budgets have meant that many schools have had to cut tutoring programs. Working parents have no alternative but to seek help for their students elsewhere. Tutoring programs like those offered by companies like Tutor Doctor not only help build basic educational foundations, but also help to improve test taking skills and build confidence and self-esteem. In-home programs that offer one-on-one tutoring get the best results and produce marked improvements in very little time.

 Peer Pressure and Academic Anxiety

61.5% of the educators surveyed cite peer pressure as causing anxiety and stress which stirs up an unhealthy competition and ultimately causes poor academic performance. Pressure to get into a good college begins to impact students in their sophomore year, according to 37.1% of respondents, followed closely by freshman (34.3%).  Educators were divided on whether this pressure helps or hinders students’ performance, with 51.7% saying it helps and 48.3% believing it hinders.

As competition for the limited college openings increase, the pressure to excel academically in high school also exponentially increases. Boosting a student’s test taking ability, building confidence and self esteem can help to reduce stress, combat peer pressure and provide an environment where academic excellence is possible.

Another hurdle to academic performance is often the fact that students don’t ask for help. Catching issues before they get too far behind or before bad grades ruin their college dreams is the best route. Regularly meet with your student’s teachers to get a sense of where they are academically and how they are performing.

Tutors are also able to teach valuable organizational and learning skills which help your student to plan their academic years. If your student is active socially and plays a high school sport, they need to have great organizational skills to get everything done.

 Call us and invest in your student’s future today. (720-378-2989)