Newsletter Contents

• Publisher's Pen
• Empowering Parents and Teachers
• Empowering K.I.D.S. (Kids In Daily Situations)

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Publisher's Pen: Who is Your Child Really?

"They think I'm stupid just because I can't read."
                                              Struggling 4^th Grader.

Do you have a child who doesn't seem to fit the mold; possibly even labeled something like ADD? Or is your child struggling academically, but good at fixing things, and has common sense? More and more, kids are having difficulty coping with the highly structured system in our traditional schools. And it's not because THEY are getting worse!

As parents, we tend to see our kids as representatives of ourselves, and can be given that same unspoken message from school personnel. Hence, school tends to give labels, we tend to give labels at home, and kids tend to give each other labels. After all, they are only following our model.

Who is your child, really? As a single parent when my sons were in the upper elementary grades, I was always at a race with time. I used to say that my real full time job started when I got home. I was wrapped up in making dinner, checking on homework, cleaning, laundry, food shopping, and transporting my kids to various activities in the short hours from 6pm to 9pm.

My children would tell me things that happened during the day, but I was locked into a whirlwind/time warp, and at times, rarely heard or responded to them in a meaningful way. I could tell if I had become too preoccupied when my younger son would say to me, "Mom, LISTEN!" I didn't always stop to listen, and that would result in anger and frustration for my kids. But then, we parents have a way of trying to squelch their frustration with our authority. It sounds so silly to me now, but I hear the same thing happening quite often out in public.

Our lives are so hurried that if we don't take the time to stop and find meaning during our days, then we tend to rely on labels and predetermined responses as to how we should deal with those labels. This issue is dedicated to children everywhere who don't fit the mold - and there are a lot of them - just take a peek inside your own house!

May we look deep within our children and see it - see the gold nugget within each and every one of them - and determine to let it shine on us.

Smiles,

 

Elaine

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Empowering Parents and Teachers:

Personal profiles: have fun with this easy profile to discover your similarities and differences, and talk about what would you do if you were Principal for a day.In previous issues, I have listed Personality Types, Learning Styles, and Multiple Intelligences. If you have not used these before, use them now to create a more extensive profile, where everyone can understand each other better. Then go on to the rest of the profile listed below it.Personality

Types, go here: http://www.empoweringkids.com/Previous/May2003/EmpPar&TeachMay03.htm

Learning Styles, go here: http://www.empoweringkids.com/Previous/April2003/EmpPar&TeachApr03.htm

Multiple Intelligences, go here: http://www.empoweringkids.com/Previous/Jan2004/EmpPar&TeachJan04.htm

Once you have completed the above, or if you want to save that for another time, and do a quick initial profile, do the following:Interests:List your interests. As many as you can think of:

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List your hobbies. These are things that you actually do:

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List your favorite books:

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List your favorite movies:

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List your favorite games:

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What If? What would you do if……You came to school and found out that you are Principal For A Day?

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You came to school and found out that you can be Principal for as long as you choose?

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You got home and found out that you are in charge?

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Now go to the Empowering K.I.D.S. section and look at the profile listed there. Complete it at school or at home, but remind kids to look at it often!

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Empowering K.I.D.S. (Kids In Daily Situations):

Write down these things about yourself. Some of them you can look at each week, and other things you can seal in an envelope to be read on New Year’s Day 2005. Will your answers be the same? 10 Things: 10 Things I’m good at:

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10 Things I’d like to be good at:

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10 Things I Admire in other people:

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10 Things I Admire in myself:

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Keep this section of your profile taped on the wall or your bedroom, or on your dresser, or in your desk at school.Do the next section of the profile and seal it in an envelope, to be opened on New Year’s Day in 2005. What will you tell yourself next year? What would you have said to yourself a year ago? Review it, write down your responses again, and seal it again until the next New Year’s Day.To be sealed in an envelope, and opened on 1/1/2005:

Things I want to do in my life:

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Things I want my Friends to know about me:

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Things I want my Parents to know about me:

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Things I want my Teachers to know about me:

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Sealed this day of _______________________.Signed _________________________________

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