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5May
A Lot For Which to Be Thankful

As I typed the title of this post I stopped to wonder how many of today’s adolescents would have resisted the urge to put the preposition at the end of the phrase — i.e. ‘A Lot To Be Thankful For’. I continue to worry about the texting and video-gaming culture America’s future leaders are growing up in. No, actually, the culture in which they are growing up!
Anyway, we’ve made it through mid-term conferences and at this point most parents have a pretty good feeling for where their kids are stacking up in the classroom. Even if you’ve learned that your child has a bit of an uphill climb in order to achieve classroom standards, he or she still has something for which to be thankful. That of course is you–a parent who is spending time on this site in a search to find what is best for the child’s progress. You taking the time to read this means that you care more about what’s best for your kids than the average Joe.
Two of my three children are school age, and their conferences generally went well. That said, there is always more we can do to help our kids excel. The conferences provided great opportunities to fully frame the picture in my mind of how each of my children interacts in his/her classroom environment. Even though I participate in volunteer activities at their schools, it is always great to have a formal meeting of the minds with the teacher. Hopefully that meeting of the minds confirms that you both know the areas of needed improvement to be the same. That was indeed the case in my kids’ conferences. But if not, then, well, that’s why we have the conferences, to get onto the same page!
So now I go forth, re-focused and re-energized to help my kids improve. I go forth with assurance that my kids’ teachers are focusing on the same improvement areas, and I go forth with determination to mold my kids as best as I can.
As I sign off now, I can see our Nintendo Wii sitting in the corner of the family room. It’s autumn, it’s cold, windy, rainy, and prematurely dark outside. How easy it would be to sit the kids down and let them blast away at each other in a game of Star Wars Lego, or to immerse themselves in a meaningless virtual race of Mario Kart.
I shall resist. Anybody want to go to the YMCA to shoot some hoops or have a swim?
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!…
20Nov
Approaches To Homeschooling Which Guarantee Future Happiness

People are constantly learning new and exciting things throughout their lives. School is a way to learn, but parents are often the best teachers. Homeschooling is not always easy, but the information in this article will help you to be the teacher your child needs in their learning journey.

Homeschooling an older child while also caring for a baby can be especially difficult. To perform this combination, you should set aside individual times on the calendar for each child involved. You need to be searching for age appropriate activities consistently. Any activity that doesn’t interfere with development is a great idea.

Kids are full of energy and do not have very long attention spans so keep this in mind when you are homeschooling. Studying or reading for hours on end will leave them tired and bored, and it takes the fun out of learning. Let your children take a few breaks during the day and allow them to go run outside. Not only will this do them good, it will for you, too.

Plan field trips and activities with other homeschooling families near you. This will be fun, but will also provide essential socialization for the kids. You can also take advantage of group discount rates at different places you go to by doing this.

Your children will need some social interaction from time to time. Plan some play dates with other children in your area. Get out of the house with your kids and take them to the park so that they can play there with other kids, too. Be sure to join sports teams, scouts or other clubs.

The best part about homeschooling is adapting to your child’s learning method. If your kid is better with hands-on teaching, you can have lots of hands-on lessons. It will help them learn quickly and remember the information.

Figure out where in the home you will create your classroom. It must provide comfort yet be free from distractions. If you do not have an area big enough for everything you need to teach, you can always hold lessons in other rooms of the house as well. You also have to have a watchful eye out on what your kids are doing.

Do you know how homeschooling will affect your budget? Leaving your job can become a big obstacle in successfully homeschooling your kids. Even for a stay-at-home parent, the time involved home schooling may be more than they can handle. Shopping, cleaning, and other daily chores will still have to be accomplished while homeschooling.

Use hands-on lesson planning whenever possible while homeschooling your children. If you are teaching about other cultures, immerse your family in the ways of that culture by preparing meals from their and watching movies relating to it. For example, if you are learning about the Stalin, dinner could consist of perogies and other traditional Russian dishes. Your children can cook German food, Italian food and Japanese food as part of a unit on World War II. Children will absorb information more readily when they are use all their senses.

Even parents as teachers have to keep learning as homeschool progresses. Read more articles and go to workshops and seminars to prepare yourself for homeschooling. It will also make sure that the education you provide is the best you can do.…
19Aug
Student Loans: Tips And Tricks Which Will Turn You Into A Master

While there is no doubt that student loans can help you achieve a college education, they can also be disastrous. So educating yourself about student loans is best done before you sign on that line. Read on to learn all you can before borrowing.

Find out when you must begin repayments. Typically this is the case between when you graduate and a loan payment start date. Knowing this allows you to make sure your payments are made on time so you can avoid penalties.

Make it a point to be aware of all the important facets of your student loans. Make sure you know how much you owe and how to contact your lender. You also want to know what your repayment status is. These are details that play an important role in your ultimate success. This information is essential to creating a workable budget.

Use a process that’s two steps to get your student loans paid off. Make sure you pay the minimum amount due each month. Second, pay extra on the loan that has the highest interest. You will reduce how much it costs in the long run.

If you wish to repay student loans in advance, deal with the ones with the highest interest rates first. This will reduce the total amount of money that you must pay.

Choose payment options that fit your financial circumstances. Many loans offer a ten year payment plan. You can consult other resources if this does not work for you. For instance, you can spread your payments out over more time, but this will increase your interest. You can also possibly arrange a deal where you pay a certain percentage of your overall post-graduation income. The balance of some student loans is forgiven after 25 years.

Pay off larger loans as soon as possible. If your principal is ower, you will save interest. Focus on paying off big loans first. Once a large loan has been paid off, transfer the payments to your next large one. Pay off the minimums on small loans and a large amount on the big ones.

Many obtain student loans, sign their documents, but remain clueless about what they’re signing into. If something is unclear, get clarification before you sign anything. A lender may wind up with more money that necessary if there is a term that you don’t understand.

If you don’t have good credit, and you are applying for a student loan from a private lender, you will need a co-signer. Staying on top of your payments is essential. If you don’t, the person who co-signed is equally responsible for your debt.

A PLUS loan is specifically oriented to address the needs of graduate students and/or parents. They have a maximum interest rate of 8.5 percent. This costs more than Perkins or Stafford loans, but it will be a better rate than a private loan. Therefore, this kind of loan can be useful for students who are older.

Student loans come with a lot of variables. The choices you make now can have big implications on your life, even well after you graduate from school. Make smart choices and only take out the loans you absolutely need.…