From Susan Merrill
Is there a mother alive who wouldn’t like those grades to climb a little? I have been accused by my children of never being satisfied with their grades. I confess it. However, doing your best is best, and if a child can make his grades climb, he should. So how can you teach your child to improve his grades? I have 10 ideas to get you started from lesson four in Every School Year Counts. Download this lesson below.
Read Post →My sister, Kathie, taught ninth grade last year. She is an amazing math teacher—the kind you pray your kids will get. I was surprised at how difficult the year was for her. You see, I know Kathie—she can be tough, she can teach creatively, and she really cares about her students. If anyone can teach and teach well, she can. But the kids she had last year were tough, they were creative, and they did not care. Neither did most of their parents. The result was that she didn’t feel her students got the education that they could have, if more of them had behaved. You cannot ensure that your child’s classmates know how to behave, but you can take responsibility for your own child. It is a start; and if more moms would start, more teachers could teach, and more students could learn. Behavior in class and beyond is a simple math equation: Behaving in Class = Self-Control + Respect For five simple ways to teach self-control and some great tools for teaching respect, download Lesson 3, Teach Your Child How to Behave in Class from the free e-book, Every School Year Counts.
Read Post →“But, Mom, I don’t know what to say!” If only I had a dollar for every time my kids said those words. It seems that most kids don’t like to ask questions, give tough answers, or explain struggles. Actually, most adults don’t like to either! But the child that learns how to communicate with teachers, coaches, and other kids will be miles ahead. Communication is a skill for life-long success. It is not always easy, especially for child. There are many reasons children struggle to communicate. You can help your child overcome and master communication by recognizing communication struggles and coaching your child through them. Check out these 5 Ways to Help Your Child Communicate from Lesson 5 in Every School Year Counts, 6 Ways A Mom Can Make This Year Count. Common Communication Weaknesses in Children Shyness Speech delays Fear Confusion Difficulty processing thoughts Verbal impulsiveness Discouragement How to Help your Child Learn How to Communicate 1. Practice Once you have identified your child’s communication weakness, practice with them to overcome it. {Tweet This} The best way to practice communication is to engage in conversation with your child often. Bedtime, carpool time, and mealtime are ideal for strategically proposing conversations. …
Read Post →So cute and he has a point. At this point in time, I would vote for Kid President. Who is this kid?
Read Post →3 things. There are only 3 things that matter in life. When I was seventeen I learned that my days were numbered. I had a cardiac arrest. I was a senior in high school and our football team was in the district championship. The game was intense, and I was on the sidelines as a cheerleader catching every play in living color. This game, this senior experience, is why I had stayed in Florida. Three months earlier my family had moved to Texas. I begged my parents to let me stay with my grandmother, just for the fall, just for one more semester. They agreed. So there I was at the big game, so thankful and so excited. Cheerleaders are supposed to get excited but I must have overdone it. There was a huge upset in the game and I went crazy jumping and screaming wildly. The next play was called and my team pressed on. Everyone stood frozen in focused anticipation. I was right there with them, standing still, my breathing slowed. My heart did not. Two hours later, the game was long over and our team had won but my heart was still racing like there was a …
Read Post →In just 48 hours this iMOM will be boarding a non-stop to dotMOM. I am excited, relieved and expectant. I’m excited because this year for the first time ever I will be leading two break out sessions – one on protecting your child in the world and another on preparing your child for the world. Both will be excerpts from a book I have coming out in April called The Passionate Mom. Yes, a book, it was a big stretch for me, but that is another blog! So, I am excited and nervous and excited and really wanting to do my best in the sessions – pray for me please! I am relieved because I know mom-infused renewal is on the way. Last year this conference really refreshed me and after a year and a half of the flood, moving twice, rapid growth at iMOM and writing a book on top of parenting, I am in desperate need and greatly relieved to get away to a place that will renew and refresh! I am expectant because I know I will learn, discover and be inspired to be a better mom in the days ahead. I have seen and know the …
Read Post →When a Cheeto marries a Dorito it can work, but it is not easy because they are different chips. I am a Cheeto – mild, munchy crunchy, not very sharp and predictably cheesy. My husband is a Dorito – bold, powerfully crunchy, sharp if you are not careful how you chew and often accompanied by dips. We look alike – both chips, but we operate very differently. Sometimes the Cheeto doesn’t want to be in the same bowl with the Dorito. Sometimes the Cheeto doesn’t like the dips that come with the Dorito. When that happens the Cheeto needs to remember that all those dips – the smooth guacamole, the spicy salsa, and the rich queso are what attracted her to the Dorito. That’s all, just remember. A Cheeto must remember how exciting the bold Dorito is. And be thankful. When a Cheeto marries a Dorito she must be thankful that the Dorito adds spice to her life and that her bowl is never boring.
Read Post →Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. “Pooh?” he whispered. “Yes, Piglet?” “Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s hand. “I just wanted to be sure of you.” A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh To be sure. To be sure that when you get to the bus stop you will have someone to stand with. To be sure that when you get to the lunch room you will have someone to eat with. To be sure that when you go out on the playground you will have someone to play with. To be sure is to have a friend. When your child has friends at school, it can impact their education for good because they will enjoy school more with less social anxiety. In Lesson 6 of Every School Year Counts (a free e-book), you can learn how to teach your child to make friends so that they can–be sure. Download Lesson 6: Teach Your Child How to MAKE FRIENDS below.
Read Post →So let me just confess straight up — I struggle to stay organized. Therefore, consider this an addendum to the Teach Your Child To Be Organized lesson in my Ebook Every School Year Counts (download Lesson 1 below and the full version of the Ebook here). For every time that one of my kids yelled down the stairs, “Mom, I can’t find my shoes” there have been twice as many times when I yelled, as I raced around the house, “Has anybody seen my keys?” Organization–is there such a thing as a natural? Then again, it can be learned. I believe it, so I am learning. The house flood/14 month renovation taught me that I have three tendencies that inhibit my organization: Nonessentials Hoarding – nonessentials are things that I think I will need but in reality I could live with out. Examples might include shopping bags from every store in the mall; clothes that I loved and hope to wear again but won’t because they are too small, youthful, not comfy or out of style; left over craft supplies that one day might be applied to some school project; or outdated electronics or toys that aren’t broken but the kids have move …
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