10 Reasons Why Your Family Needs Technology

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There is a lot of talk about limiting children’s screen time and the dangers of too much technology. However, did you ever stop to think about how much your family needs technology? Sure, some of it is out of pure convenience, but there are many reasons why incorporating those gadgets and learning some new technology skills can greatly benefit you and your kids. Here are just 10 reasons to get you started thinking about the technology in your life. Continue reading →

Speech Buddies Parents’ Corner – Kids in Crisis: Cyberbullying

by Chris O Parents' Corner School Technology

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When we were younger there were kids who bullied on the playground, in the school hallways, and maybe on the bus ride home. But our kids today are facing a new kind of crisis – cyberbullying. This unfortunate new trend is like having that schoolyard bully granted access to your child 24/7, and those bullying tactics have a much longer reach than ever before. Almost 70% of teens view cyberbullying as a “serious problem” – so it’s time we as parents learn a bit more about it and how to help keep our kids safe. Continue reading →

Speech Buddies Parents’ Corner – Help! My Child is the Bully!

by Chris O Parents' Corner School

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It is common for parents to worry that their children might struggle in school with friendships and peer relationships – maybe inwardly flinching at the thought of their child being bullied. On the flip side, no parents want to think that my child is the bully. But what if you found out that your child was acting this way? It can be a devastating and even confusing truth to be confronted with about the situation, but there are things you can do to understand why your child is acting this way and what you can do to change things for the better. Continue reading →

Speech Buddies Parents’ Corner – 5 Twists on Traditional Family Meals

by Chris O Parents' Corner

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Creating traditions with your kids is one of the most rewarding parts of parenting, and family meals are the perfect place to start. Even though modern family lives seem to be crowded and kids overscheduled, there are 5 fun twists you can try with your family meals that will create new traditions and build stronger families. Family meals can even help your kids thrive during the school day – studies show that when kids eat with their families more than 3 nights each week, only 9% of them get Cs or lower on their report cards, while 20% of those kids who get family meals less than that get Cs or lower for grades. So whether you’re trying to help your academically challenged child or just ease the family’s chaotic schedule, try these 5 ideas. Continue reading →

Speech Buddies Parents’ Corner – Are Your Kids Overscheduled?

by Chris O Parents' Corner

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Are you dizzy from all of the driving, chaperoning, and snack providing you’ve been doing for your child’s activities? Do you ask yourself as you drag yourself into bed each night: Are my kids overscheduled? You’re not alone in your concerns. Diane Ehrensaft, Ph.D., from The Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA, reports that:

Middle-class children in America are so overscheduled that they have almost no ‘nothing time’…Creativity is making something out of nothing and it takes time for that to happen. In our efforts to produce Renaissance children who are competitive in all areas, we squelch creativity.

It’s time to take back a bit of parental sanity and give kids nothing – nothing time, that is. Try these methods for getting the balance back into your family and building strong, capable, creative, and less-stressed kids. Continue reading →

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