Character Building from KidsDiscuss.com

3 Parenting Tips on Using TV as a Powerful Tool

Dear Parents,

Would parenting tips on how to use television effectively help you? If you worry your child is going brain dead watching TV, consider the 3 parenting tips below.

Television can be a very powerful learning tool. It is being used more and more in the classroom to inform students and stimulate discussion.

Teachers often assign students to watch an educational television show as homework. Television can be used to add to what is being studied at school. As a parent, you can also use television to teach ideas and values that are important to you.

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Here are some things you can do at home:

• Limit television viewing time. Remember that when children watch television it takes them away from other things such as homework, sports, and fun with friends and family.
• Monitor what your children watch. Encourage your children to choose programs that make them think, teach lessons, are free of violence and sex, and show characters who have values similar to yours.
• Watch television with your children. Ask questions: Why do you think that person did what he did? Would you have done the same thing?

Much of what television offers distorts life. You don't want your child's mind distorted too. Yet you can use TV as a powerful learning tool at home. How do you use television in your home? Leave me a comment. I'd like to know.

Become an exceptional parent. Subscribe to my Free Parenting Newsletter and receive 80 fun activities to share with your kids at:

http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

 With warm wishes for your parenting success,

Jean

Jean Tracy, MSS

 

5 Parenting Tips for Building Character with a Homework Checklist

Would Parenting Tips about homework be helpful? Use the Homework Checklist below to set the scene for doing homework.

Homework takes self-discipline. Self-discipline builds character in kids. Use this Homework Checklist to get your child started.

Homework Checklist:

Make Sure Your Child Has:

• A quiet place to work with good light.
• A regular time for homework.
• Basic supplies, such as paper, pencils, pens, markers, and ruler.
• Aids to good organization, such as an assignment calendar, book bag, and folders.
• No television, loud music, and lots of interruptions.

When your child studies in a quiet place, it will help him focus. Focusing on his homework increases his self-discipline. Self-discipline builds character.

Do you use a homework checklist for your child? How is it working? Leave a comment and let me know.

If you'd like to chart your child's homework progress, consider picking up my Character Building Kit It will help decrease whining about homework too.

Become an exceptional parent. Subscribe to my Free Parenting Newsletter and receive 80 fun activities to share with your kids at:

http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

 With warm wishes for your parenting success,

Jean

Jean Tracy, MSS

 

3 Parenting Tips that Build Character with Tests

Dear Parent,

Would parenting tips on how to explain the importance of testing to your child be helpful? Building character includes taking tests. Successes are easy to enjoy. Failing is painful. Testing helps your child act responsibly, study, and keeping trying no matter the outcome.

If your child complains about tests, use the 3 parenting tips below. Be positive about testing too.

Talk to your child about testing:

1. Explain that tests are yardsticks that teachers, schools, school districts and even states use to measure what and how they teach and how well students are learning what is taught.
2. Most tests are designed and given by teachers to measure students' progress in a course. These tests are associated with the grades on report cards. The results tell the teacher and students whether they are keeping up with the class, need extra help or are ahead of other students.
3. The results of some tests tell schools that they need to strengthen courses or change teaching methods. Still other tests compare students by schools, school districts or cities. All tests determine how well a child is doing in the areas measured by the tests.

Having been an elementary school teacher, tests helped me see how I was doing, what the children needed help with, and figure out better ways for them to understand. I believe that tests are important yardsticks.

What do you think about tests? Leave a comment or email me at:

Jean Tracy's Email

Become an exceptional parent. Subscribe to my Free Parenting Newsletter and receive 80 fun activities to share with your kids at:

http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

 With warm wishes for your parenting success,

Jean

Jean Tracy, MSS

5 Parenting Tips that Build Character with Art

Dear Parents,

If you'd like parenting tips for building character with art, look inside. You'll have fun with your child, teach love for art, and help your child become creative too.

For beginning artists (K-5th grade)

Discuss the project with your child. Let your child take the lead in finding the materials and arranging them.

Some artists create art from old junk, things they have found on the beach, in the woods, or along the roadside.

• Go on a treasure hunt outside to find things that could be used in a collage, a picture where shapes and colors are pasted on a piece of paper or cardboard: sticks and leaves, flowers to be pressed, feathers, berries to be crushed to use as paint, pebbles, shells, pieces of blunt-edged metal.
• Go on a treasure hunt inside to find other things such as scraps of paper, buttons, pieces of cloth, ribbon.
• Look for some heavy cardboard or wood to use as a backing.
• Have your child lay out the materials in a design on the backing. Have your child move things around until the design is what s/he wants.
• Use heavy duty glue. Have your child glue the items on the backing.

How is this for building the creative side of character?

Let me know how your art project turned out. Was it fun?

Jean Tracy's Email

Become an exceptional parent. Subscribe to my Free Parenting Newsletter and receive 80 fun activities to share with your kids at:

http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

 With warm wishes for your parenting success,

Jean

Jean Tracy, MSS