There was a study done about kids having a hard time sleeping after watching tv shows, especially those containing violence. Including cartoons.

Check out this news article talking about it…

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=16136998&nid=1010

From http://www.math.yorku.ca/Who/Faculty/Ng/FromEllen.pdf
Copyright attributed to SARK

Budget Travel has a nice article on 15 places to take your kids in the USA. We’re heading to Mount Rushmore this summer and this article has some great ideas that we’ll plan for the future.

” It took us hours of heated debate, weeks of research, and years of experience to whittle down America’s monuments to a definitive list of 15 musts for anyone under 15. Not only are these attractions fun and (shhhh) educational, they’re especially magical through the eyes of a child.
By Nicole Frehsee, Friday, Mar 11, 2011, 9:00 AM


A stunning look over Yellowstone National Park. (Courtesy Mila Zinkova/Wikimedia Commons)
Two years ago, we picked 15 American landmarks every kid should see, from Ellis Island to Redwood National Park. Our new and improved 2011 lineup takes that challenge even further, by highlighting how our country’s top sights cater to kids’ abbreviated attention spans. From roasting marshmallows around a campfire to playing dress-up at Monticello, these cool, interactive activities ensure that the younger set will enjoy these must-see spots as much as their parents do.

Continue reading here

I just read a great article on the Huffington Post website that was written by Charlotte Reznick, Ph.D. who is a child educational psychologist and an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology at UCLA.

Here is the beginning of the article. I recommend you read the whole thing for some great quick ideas on assisting your child to recognize and deal with his/her emotions and finding peace within.

“What better way to help a child find happiness than to start within — being her own best friend. When your child has a best friend inside, she can be happy no matter what storms of life are outside. With a strong foundation of self-love and self-acceptance, kids learn to value their own company and integrity over just fitting in. They realize they can nurture and depend on themselves.

Like six-year-old Chloe who ran from the playground because she felt excluded and…”
Continue reading here
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlotte-reznick-phd/children-happiness_b_825340.html

While the following quote is somewhat aimed at business or financial success, it actually applies to any area of our lives and the lives of our children.

“Not everyone can be valedictorian of his or her class. All the others still have many years and countless opportunities for achievement. Mothers and fathers who consistently tell their children they can succeed are likely to produce offspring who are productive adults.” -The Millionaire Mind

Make sure your kids are told that they can do it in a loving way and assist them in finding their own answers and solutions. Great things will happen throughout their lives from these lessons.

I just watched this video a few minutes ago and it really touched me. There are many things I gave up on in life. And it’s good to realize what those were and especially WHY it was.

Watch the video and then scroll down to read the rest.

Next I started thinking about how I word things and what my children are exposed to. Are we raising them to be successful, positive, loving and free thinking? Or are we programming them to settle for less, constantly. Are we programming them to give up on their dreams?

What can we do different for our children starting today? Do we really know their dreams and teach them the skills to achieve them?

 

“The arts provide a more comprehensive and insightful education because they invite students to explore the emotional, intuituve, and irrational aspects of life that science is hard pressed to explain. ”   - Charles Fowler

There is a good article from the A R Valley Arts Center about the importance of arts in education with references to research that backs it up.  It starts out with…

One of the most important aspects of art shows in the results of extensive studies that have proven that students who participate in the arts score higher on SAT tests regardless of socio-economic status. (1)  

Art programs targeted toward very young children help prevent negative choices later on. Young children who participate in after-school arts programs have shown a decrease in negative behaviors and increases in attention span, commitment and tolerance. (4)

Check out the rest of the article here. http://www.arvartscenter.org/education.htm

More and more evidence is being found that for children (and consequently adults) to increase their academic success as well as a whole range of other good skills, it is vital for them to learn and participate in arts and music.  

Does your child learn and practice art and music?  What can you and your local schools and politicians do about that?

Here are some videos talking about the importance of art and music in education.  Make sure your government reps are taking steps to truly educate your children in public school.

 

Have some fun on the web with art.  This blog post lists several fun sites for exploring art.
http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/kbosch/2009/04/06/eight-great-interactive-sites-that-let-you-paint-like-a-famous-artist/

 

“Art doesn’t transform. It just plain forms.”
Roy Lichtenstein

While visiting Tucson this week we went to a fantastic used bookstore called Bookman’s.  (If you’re from the area you’ll definitely know the place)
Anyway… we found some books we liked and on the way to the checkout I spotted a small book entitled “500 of the COOLEST SITES for CYBERKIDS“.
Our son is fairly young but definitely interested in computers and the internet.  (I don’t know where he gets that from ;-)   So I am always wanting “good” sites for him to be able to learn and play on.

So far this book is very good.
Here are a few of the sites listed inside.

http://www.Crayola.com/kids

http://www.LearningPlanet.com/stu/kids0.asp Excellent fun learning games for kids

http://www.cbyc.com Cooking by Computer – Great tasting easy to prepare recipes for kids

They have sites about:

Entertainment

Gadgets and Gizmos

Sport

Games to Play

Things to do on rainy day &

Homework helper

Tons of stuff that I’m excited to check out with our kids.  If you want it yourself check it out at your local bookstore or library.  Or you can get it new or used at Amazon.com

How to Plan a Successful Family Home Evening

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Planning a successful evening at home doesn’t require a lot of time or money. Taking a little time to plan some activities ahead of time as well as a menu is all that is required.

Steps

  1. Think of fun games that are also educational, or teach kids about morals. This is a great way to weave these lessons into a fun time without making kids feel like they’re being lectured by a parent. Below is a free site with many suggestions on activities and games.
  2. Think of both kids’ and parents’ favorite foods. Make sure you incorporate these snacks into the family night.
  3. Does your family enjoy movies? If so, movies are great! However, remember if you want interaction, you will have to encourage it. One way is to discuss favorite and least favorite parts after the movie is over. Was a part particularly funny or scary? Encourage both kids and parents to explain their thoughts about the movie.
  4. Create some new family traditions. Baking cookies or a favorite dessert is always fun for kids. You could even make the treats for someone else, and let the kids choose who on a weekly basis! Crafts are another fun option.
  5. Gauge kids reactions to games. If they seem to be bored after a while (being easily distracted is one clue), change to something else. Remember you want to keep things fun!


Tips

  • Prepare ahead of time by shopping for snacks or ingredients that are enjoyed by all.
  • Find games/activities ahead of time and get them out of storage or purchase them.
  • Locate any other materials or resources such as notebooks or paper to record family memories or allow kids to spontaneously create pictures.


Related wikiHows


Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Plan a Successful Family Home Evening. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.