Radio Show: Study Habits and Setting Goals

Listen to our recent radio show when we talked with Dr. John Mayer and Tara Kennedy-Kline about cultivating good study habits and teaching our kids to set goals.  You can listen to the replay by using the player below, downloading the mp3, or via iTunes.

Setting up a Homework Zone

Mandi Ehman of Organizing Your Way

Do you have a homework zone set up in your home?

It doesn’t have to be a dedicated room, but having a dedicated space for homework time with easily accessible supplies helps children focus on their homework and complete it without being distracted by clutter or chaos.

For older kids and teens, this might be a corner of their bedroom with a desk and computer. For younger kids, it may just be the kitchen table or a corner of the counter.

The keys are having a space that is clear of surface clutter and keeping the basic supplies they need in a convenient location. If you’re not using a desk for the homework zone, you could fill a basket with extra lined paper and pencils as well as a ruler and any other supplies they need on a regular basis, or you could use a drawer in your kitchen or coffee table.

Help kids set up a system for completed school work. A lot of it will need to go in their binder  or a folder to take back to school. However, some of it can be filed away, and some may need to be kept in file trays or organizers on the desk for easy reference.

It’s important to consider the atmosphere of the area as well. While having kids do homework in the main area of your home may be convenient and seem like a good idea, it could also lead to a lot of distractions if your home is a busy one.  You might consider playing soft music or using aromatherapy to help them focus.

As with everything, it’s important to be flexible. You may find that your first setup isn’t working well for everyone and that you need to move things around to find a homework zone that will work. Don’t be afraid to try a few different things!

Do you have a dedicated homework zone for your kids? What’s the biggest challenge in setting one up? What’s the best thing you’ve included as part as your homework zone?

Mandi Ehman is a work-at-home mom to four spunky little girls. She believes that organizing only lasts if you do it your way - to fit your needs, your preferences and your lifestyle - and she shares organizing and time management tips at Organizing Your Way.

School Success: Planning Matters

Laura Rolands of My Attention Coach

With school around the corner or already started in some areas, families need to make their plans this week.  Especially if your kids have a lot of activities planned or have challenges such as Learning Disabilities or ADHD.  Help prepare your child with my tips below.  When you decide what you will do, decide when to do it and honor your commitment to yourself.

The following ideas and suggestions are at the top of my list:

• Talk to your child and ask how they would like to get ready for the school year. Involving them in the decision making process will build better success throughout the school year. Sometimes it may seem easier to make all of the decisions, but in the long run it is much easier on you to include them.
• Talk with your child’s doctor, therapist, coach, tutor and/or any other support person in their lives. Ask what they recommend to help your child start the school year successfully. Because they see your child from a different and specialized view, they will all have valuable recommendations.
• Ensure that your child has a planner that will work for them. View my Choosing The Right Planner article for some great tips and a handy checklist. Schools often provide planners, but I recommend that you make sure it will work for your child and with their learning style. If the planner provided by the school doesn’t work, use something that does.
• Look into a family calendar to help keep everyone’s schedules straight once the school year gets in swing. I love all of the options at Families With Purpose. I have recently started using Googles’ calendar application. If you are on your computer regularly, this could be a great option. To work best, I think you need to get everyone in the house using it. I’m still working on that at my house though. They do offer a print option if you need it.
• Develop a communication plan with your child’s school. Especially if your child has challenges at school with ADHD or learning, it is critical to have an open line of communication with teachers. You may want to write a letter to your child’s teacher, send an email or schedule a meeting.

I hope these ideas provide you with a great starting point for a successful school year.  Which of these ideas sounds good to you?  What will you implement?  Share your ideas in our comments and let me know if you have any questions.

Laura Rolands is the founder of LSR Coaching and Consulting, LLC. She is a coach whose passion is to support, lead and inspire independence and success for people who have either been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD or who are facing other attention-related challenges. Her clients include individuals with attention-related challenges and/or their parents. If you have any questions or more suggestions to add, please visit her website at www.MyAttentionCoach.com.

Radio Show: Organizing The Kids’ Stuff and Meal Planning Made Easy

Listen to our recent radio show when we talked with Jennifer Ascher or Organizing Without Limits and Lisa Raygoza & Rachael Beede of Hot By 6.  We talked about organizing all of our kids’ stuff and making healthy easy meals.  You can listen to the show by using the player below, downloading the mp3, or via iTunes.

Using the Excitement of a New School Year

Use the excitement and energy of the new school year to check-in, reevaluate, and celebrate your family life.  Here are three ideas to help you.

Check-in on Your Family Goals

Early in our Fresh Start series we talked about writing family goals.   Use the excitement of a new school year to check-in on your progress.  Families can use this opportunity to add new goals, celebrate your successes, and tackle obstacles that are getting in your way.  Remember to keep your family goals simple, age appropriate, and SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound).

Pick Something to Improve

Pick something about your family life, schedule, or routines that didn’t work so well last year and make a plan to improve it this year.  For me, I plan on getting better at making my kids healthier breakfasts and making the mornings less rushed.  Don’t beat yourself up over this, just acknowledge the problem and work together as a family to fix it.  No mom needs anymore mom guilt.

Celebrate Your Successes

Too many times we obsess about the things we do wrong or the mistakes we make and take too little time to celebrate our successes or the things we do well.  Now is a great time to pick one or two things your family does well and celebrate them.  Talk about your successes at your next family meeting or at your next family meal, and think about having a special toast with plastic champagne glasses filled with grape juice.

Radio Show: Mom Guilt

Listen to our recent radio show when we talked with Lori Radun of  Momnificent! about mom guilt, balance, and living a Momnificent! life.  You can listen to the show by using the player below, downloading the mp3, or via iTunes.

Radio Show: Giving Experiences & the Simple Life

Listen to our recent radio show when I talked with Lisa Novick of YesKidzCan! and Shara Lawrence-Weiss of Mommy Perks about creating “giving experiences” for our kids and making the transition to a simpler life.  You can listen to the show on our radio show page, by downloading the mp3, or via iTunes.

Radio Show: Disney Travel Tips & Saving Your Sanity this Summer

Listen to our recent radio show when we talked with Kelly Russo of Travel with the Magic and Sandra Huber of The Soulful Parent about traveling to Disney and how parents can save their sanity this summer.  You can listen to the show by using the player below, downloading the MP3, or via iTunes.

Sidewalk Chalk Recipe

By: Beth Engelman of Mommy on a Shoestring

Thanks Beth for this great idea! If you want to hear more of Beth’s great ideas you can listen to the replay of our recent radio show.

Ingredients

• Small Paper Cups
• 2 Tbs Powdered Tempura Paint - any color (available at most craft stores)
• 3 Tbs Plaster of Paris (available at most craft stores)
• ½ Cup Water

Directions

In a paper cup, mix powdered paint and water.

Stir in Plaster of Paris until the mixture is as thick as cream.

Allow the mixture to harden-approximately 2 hours.

Peel off the paper cup and take out the chalk.

Repeat for additional chalk pieces.

Mud Pies for Butterflies

By: Beth Engelman of Mommy on a Shoestring

Thanks Beth for this great idea! If you want to hear more of Beth’s great ideas you can listen to the replay of our recent radio show.

Mud Pies for Butterflies Recipe

• Combine soil, sand, and a pinch of salt.
• Add a flat rock in the middle for the landing pad for butterflies.
• Add a few drops of maple syrup to rock.
• Stand back and watch for butterflies

Next Page »