Many children are frightened of mathematics and this is very sad because mathematics can be extremely exciting and interesting. Do you like Mathematics or are you frightened by simple calculations? Can you work out simple arithmetic problems in your head? Do you foster in your child a love of mathematics and mathematical problem-solving?

Math learning is great fun at home. You don’t need specialized resources. Everything you need is in your home at this moment. You need enthusiasm and a creative mind to find math opportunities.

Math doesn’t just happen at school; in fact math is every where. Math is part of our world. Quick reasoning, problem solving skills and accuracy and speed in computation are vital skills in our technologically oriented world.

We rely on math almost every minute of every day. From awakening when our alarm goes off to resetting our clocks for next day. We constantly perform math calculations during the day. Time: 2 minutes to get to the train, 30 minutes to get this job done, an hour before the school bus arrives, birthdays, Valentines Day, Spring Break, Thanksgiving. Money: cash, credit card transactions, bank balances, meals, pocket money for the kids, bills, bills and more bills. Measurement: traveling, exercising, building, cooking, shopping.

Today’s children need to be able to problem solve, reason mathematically, use math language and apply math in almost every aspect of their lives. Our children have grown up with calculators and computers. Despite this they need to be able to know when an answer makes sense or is reasonable.

Calculators and computers are tools. They do not have thinking power- they are able to perform complicated calculations at lightning speed but they rely on the accuracy of the data input. They are only as useful as the person who puts in the numbers. The user needs to be able to determine whether the answer given is reasonable- does it make sense? To be able to determine this you must be able to estimate the approximate answer and in doing so key in the correct operation ( ,-, X, /).

You can help your child understand and love mathematics by doing fun things at home. You can turn numbers into an exciting challenge. You can play guessing games. You can estimate height, weight, temperature, and even thickness of an object. When you start to think about math being fun, you and your children will have a wonderful time together.

It’s not hard to come up with fun ideas for numbers at home. Depending on the age of the child, there are many opportunities. For example, you might like to do paper cut-out graphs of everyone in the family. Get some big paper and have everyone lie down on a piece of paper. Trace around each person. Then cut out the figure and paste it in the family room on the wall. Check every month to see how much people have grown (or shrunk!).

Interesting math travel activities keep the kids occupied when traveling long distances. Try adding the numbers in 10 car and truck license plates and compare which is greater/smaller. Tally the number of red cars that pass your car, continue to subtract distance traveled from total length of journey, and record the cost of gas and food and total at end of trip, estimate the time it will take to complete a trip, even record temperatures every 20 miles. Real life activities such as these help kids to see how math skills are used constantly and this helps them understand the reasons for learning math.

Encourage your children to talk about how they solve math problems. Help them to think about their math thinking. This is called metacognition – thinking about thinking. Think what processes and strategies they used to reason out a solution. Even very young children can do this. Build a positive attitude to math by incorporating math tasks and thinking into everyday activities. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly your child will develop a love for math.

The suggestions that follow may seem trivial but they work. It addresses the core reason why some schools do better than others even with all other factors being equal. It is easy when planning a new fundraiser to focus on the wrong things. Here are five of the right things to focus on.

Below you will find four things that a school or group can do that will greatly affect how much money is raised with their new fundraiser:

Step #1 – Profit Percentage Does Not Equal Profits.

A company offering 80% profit on it’s goods vs a company offering a 20% profit margin is not necessarily better for a school. One thing people often overlook is that banks do not accept deposits of percentage. Every bank I know of accepts only money. Profit percentage is the thing that many decision makers look at first when it comes time to pick what they are going to do for their new fundraiser. What I am saying here does not mean profit percentage is not important, but it should not be the school’s first and only priority when choosing their next new and unique fundraiser. It should be the school’s number one goal to raise the maximum profit possible with the least amount of hassles!

Step #2 – The Product You Sell Does Make a Difference, however, Not As Much As You Might Think! Picking the right product for your new fundraiser does make a difference, but, it does not have the importance that most think it does in having a successful fundraiser. You have probably seen this in your own town, how two schools decide to sell cookie dough and they both sell them at the same time and the same price. But the difference in their results were miles apart! Because of this, you could come to the conclusion that it is not the product which made the difference. So what is it that makes the biggest difference in fundraising results? Hint, see Step #4!

Step #3 – Time Your Fundraiser as Early In the School Year as Possible

When you start your fundraiser is a very important reason for it’s success. It is a fact that is indisputable, the first school to start it’s fundraiser wins. The first sales brochure that goes into the office or neighborhood has higher sales than the ones that come later. However, timing is not the #1 reason why schools have successful fundraisers. Hint, see the next step!

Step #4- How the fundraiser is Run is the Number One Factor in it’s Success.

Program Management is the element that makes all the difference in having a successful fundraiser. You as a fundraising chairperson may know that “How” the school fundraiser is run is critical to it’s success, but the main problem is not many fundraising companies train the sponsors in how to run their sale the right way. On top of that, it is very simple to do.

Follow These Simple Guidelines of Program Management to Get The Most Out of Your Sale.

A) Setting Goals for the School

B) Have A Memorable Kick Off

C) Maintain The Enthusiasm through the Entire Sale

D) Finding Helpful Volunteers

E) Motivate the Students/Sellers Like There Is No Tomorrow

F) Motivate the Teachers and Staff members to Promote and Participate in the Sale.

To get the best results on a new fundraiser the students/sellers must be properly motivated. You can provide motivation not only to the students but also to the teachers and the staff.

The main reason why one school will make $8,000 while another similar school will make $15,000, is in what they did with their prizes for students and for the teachers!

We at AIM have a saying “Students could sell $5 bills for $10.00 and do real well if you motivate them good enough.” The most important part of your fundraiser will be to provide incentives that truly motivate your students and teachers to participate in your sale like they have never done before! A school that typically has a 25% participation rate will more than double with only a 15% increase in participation. Increasing participation by 15% is not a hard thing to do.

Homeschooling is becoming an increasingly popular option with many American families. Not only are you in full charge of the homeschool curriculum, you can even adjust it according to the needs of your child and completely forget about the trauma of attending a public school. Teaching your children at home can be accomplished several ways. There are three options: 1) Purchase a program from one of the homeschool curriculum providers, or buy used homeschool curriculum 2) Read to your child from great books, and explore the world together paying attention to what interests your child or 3) Design your own homeschool curriculum for free using the internet and the library. Teach your kids to get more organized. Award the kids for doing a good job.

However, are you aware of the major mental and social damage you can cause if you don’t make the right choices? Children need friends, usually, they meet their friends in school so take a child out of school and where will they meet potential play partners? Many children who are homeschooled are often the brunt of jokes about their parents being strange or are taunted because they may have a disorder that prevents them from attending school. Your child might be made fun of or picked on because he isn’t considered normal. You ought to take these problems seriously and solve them if your child attends college just like any other child.

When you decide to homeschool the child, also take care of his companionship needs and this as important as his academic needs. For the child to have a positive social sphere later, here are some tips that would help you to put him on the right path. The best place to start is your own environment and neighborhood? How many children of the same age as your child live around your home? Do you know their parents? If not, try to get going now. Seek out parents nearby and let them know you have a child that you’d like to set up a play date. Because you have started the process, it is also up to you to take the initiative of organizing a kid party and calling a clown perhaps. Invite all the local kids over, their parents and organize a ballgame, fishing, bowling, or any other activity that children enjoy – even offer to baby-sit.

It is critical to organize sporting activities as, other than school, these are best chances which children get to make true friends. They spend a lot of time at practice and root for each other in games and you’ll be meeting other parents while watching all the games. If your child has physical problems or would embarrass himself on a playing field, get them involved in activities like Boy/Girl Scouts or any other local organization for children.

Some parents make the mistake of believing that homeschooling their children means they can keep them safe from the outside world but this too is an unhealthy attitude. While it is good to protect your kid from the so-called evils of modern society, remember the child also needs exposure to things which other kids are exposed to. Already your kid is getting branded as a ‘funny’ kid and having problems to cope with it, can you imagine where it would land him in the social circle if he was clueless about TV shows, the latest bands or even the current kid fashion trends? If they don’t learn about life outside their home and make other friends they will have a difficult time integrating into the world you so much want them to succeed in.

As couples spend their wedded lives, one of both of them might ponder over this question at some point in time. Being wedded calls for a constant improvement that will always benefit both of you no matter how strong the relationship is. For marriage to be kept animated and active, both the partners should do their part in giving out the best efforts that they can for the relationship. Some easy things to consider that will help you and your spouse work through your issues are:

Try To Identify the Problem In The Relationship

You and your spouse first and for most need to have a heart to heart and recognize what the problems are. This can tougher than you think, as this requires some amount of self-analysis. It is possible that we hate to see what we see, but if we can identify it, we can discuss candidly with our spouse, and that is the first step towards reconciling the issue.

Be Open And Interact With Each Other

Any relationship thrives on significant and sincere communication. Maybe the lack for intimate time can be attributed to this since you are too busy with your responsibilities at work, to your children and other concerns concerning the family. It needs to become a daily habit of quality time and you need to make time for each other and communicate. The essence of truthfulness is one chief aspect that you and your spouse should take into consideration. While communicating, we must recall that we ought to listen too and lend a shoulder to our partners whenever needed. The only way to reach out and find this nook is when you interact with each other.

Having High Values For Each Other Equals Respect Do You Have Any?

Respect is another fundamental factor to consider. Is fighting with each other already a part of your daily routine? Do you often swear, call each other names and point fingers at each other as if its just the most natural thing to do in your relationship? It is easy to get to that space at times when things are not going well. When you regard your partner in high esteem, you can actually bypass and amend several errors of the past. Was there any difference with your manner of treatment as well as the degree of your tenderness to each other from the first time that you met until these days? Can you think of the things that may have made the changes?

Work On Attachment And Tenderness

When marriage tends to face the tough times it is often resulted to the lost of such big aspects of relationship which are the connection and intimacy with each other. In most cases, what can actually help couples to deal with any issues is their mere loyalty to each other to find ways and time to be close and have that particular connection made even stronger each day. Sexual intimacy is also another way to gain back the intimacy you have lost. It may be awkward to think about sexual intimacy if you’re having trouble with your relationship, however, if you see to it that you have time to be close with each other, then you can somehow bring back the moments that have spiced up your life. If both the couples would do their part in giving efforts and time to fix the issues involving their relationship, then saving it from a disaster won’t be that hard to achieve.

Am I the only one in the world that has issues getting my kids ready for school in the mornings? Sometimes it seems to be an endless battle. I know that the dynamics in each family are different according to how many kids verses how many parents. But I thought I would share my ideas in the chance that they might help some parents.

I have an ongoing difficulty with my 10 year old daughter, Rebekah. It doesn’t matter what time she wakes up in the morning, she seems to end up pottering around and then being late to school on a regular basis.

The first thing you should do with a child reluctant to get out the door to school is to talk to them about what happens at school. Are they being bullied? Is there a reason that they don’t want to go to school ? Once you have eliminated anything there, then you will need to come up with a plan of attack for how to turn this problem around.

It is important to find a positive way to deal with the problem if at all possible. Perhaps a sticker chart or something that they can get every day to start off with, depending on the age of the child. But early on the rewards should be pretty immediate. Then as the child catches on the rewards can be a bit further apart.

You need to exhaust all the possibilities of positive consequences before thinking of turning to a negative consequence as positive consequences really do work better. Unfortunately for my daughter I had to use a negative consequence this morning, on account of her throwing a tantrum. That was something I would not have expected to see from a ten year old.

Becky is finally gone to school now and it’s time to dream up her consequence. Because she chose to throw a tantrum like a little child I have decided to deprive her of some things that are reserved for older girls. I shall be taking away her favorite earrings and also a few random items of “grown up” clothing. They will go up into my top cupboard. Beck will be devastated but I will explain to her that those kinds of things are reserved for girls who act their age and don’t throw tantrums.

Always try to match the crime to the punishment. In my case I am letting Becky know that because she threw a tantrum she should not be wearing grown up clothes. Make sure that you talk through it with the child so they understand why you are doing what you do.

Even though this may seem harsh, I will give Becky a chance to lessen her consequence very quickly. Our job as parents is to help prepare our kids for the outside world when they grow up. Even convicts in jail have the chance to lessen their time behind bars for good behavior. So our kids should also be provided with this opportunity to lessen a consequence wherever possible. If Becky does the right thing for perhaps two days, she will get her earrings back and so on until she has earned everything back again. This way she fully understands that she is responsible for making things happen in her life. And that’s the way I want it to be.

It is a big day! Your teen daughter or son came home from school and told you that tonight they are going on teen dating! Not so excited, are we? Yes, there is a lot of worry involved from a parent, but stay cool about it!

Maybe you remember coming home crying because your date turned out to be too aggressive, or made a mean remark about your outfit. But not all your dates turned out that way. Some dates were thrilling, with compliments and fun from beginning to end. So it’s not all bad news.

There will be ups and downs, and your job as a parent is to be there for your teen and guide them in this new interaction with their peers.

The best preparation for teen dating starts at home. Young people base their expectations on the model you provide. Long before teen dating comes into their consciousness, kids see how their parents interact. Issues like respect for each other, compromise, privacy and assertive behavior are demonstrated at home between parents. When you and your partner have arguments, they are usually resolved in a compromise, with a little give and take on both sides. These are social skills that will help them in the teen dating scene.

Confidence is key in your relationship with them. Talk to them like you talk about everything else, without making them feel cornered. Wait for them to open up to you and you will be rewarded for your patience.

Encourage double dates or group activities for starters. This makes it easier for your child to get into the swing of teen dating. A double date at the county fair allows both girls and boys to be more relaxed with one another and just have fun. Both boys and girls have someone of their own gender to chat with if self-conscious or nervous feelings surface. A group of boys and girls going bowling or to the skating rink is another good choice. It will help them build confidence in teen dating.

It is not working if you cannot help being intrusive. Let them have their privacy and don’t pester them with all kinds of advices and hard words. It is easier for them to gain confidence on their own than without you being on their shoulder all the time. Accept that they will not be talkative anytime you want to, but they will turn to you when needed.

Being non intrusive does not mean that you should let everything blowing in the wind. Try to approach your child with care, don’t scare them away and start up a conversation about teen dating and the aspects involved with it. Let them know that alcohol and drugs will get them into trouble and teach them how to stay away from them. Assure them that they can call you and ask for your help whenever something like this happens, without them feeling scared that they will get a severe punishment when they get home with you.

Put your best foot forward in guiding your teen, and chances are their teen dating experiences will be happy ones.

This morning two of my kids wanted to go on the computer before they left for school. Now we do have a rule that the computer doesn’t go on before school. But Sam and Kieren came to me with tidy rooms, their chores had been done, they were all ready for school with lunches packed. Everything had been done. Then they came to me and gave me a big cuddle and said:

“Mum, can we pleeease go on the computer before school?” I thought about my rule and then I thought about the outstanding things that the kids had done already this morning. I wanted to let my kids know that good behavior gets rewarded so I said to them, “OK, guys, it’s 10 to 7am. If you can come up with a game plan that will allow you both to have your turns on the computer and be off before 8am , and you are both happy with it I will agree and allow you on the computer”.

Now I was doing two things here. First I was letting my kids to practice their negotiating skills and seeing if they could figure it out for themselves. Second, I was getting them to police one another so I didn’t have to. The last thing I wanted to do was to say to the kids, “you have to get off the computer and leave for school now”.

The end result was that the kids came up with their solution. Kieren said that Sam could go on for the first half hour and Kieren would take the second half hour. Both kids got to enjoy their computer time and were out the door to school in plenty of time. They proved to me that they knew how to negotiate and work together so I think I might even give them the same privilege another day should they continue in their outstanding behavior.

Parents, this is what you need to know here: your kids, no matter what their age, need to learn that the quality of their life will be in direct relation to the effort they put into it. If you work hard your boss might give you a raise. If you don’t work well he will give you the sack. That is the way the world operates. And when we teach our kids how the real world operates they will be well equipped to function in the world as adults. They will also thank you later on life.

My parents were great and I had a great childhood. We were poor but happy. We did lots of things together. Our family activities included camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, cooking and gardening weekends together, card games and shared reading. My parents showed each other a great deal of respect and love.

I want to be a better dad and be as good as my father was. We have two children already and another one on the way. I want to be a truly great father. I know that good communication and shared time is a good start. Unfortunately my work time seems to leave the little spare time for my wife and family.

When our new baby arrives home I want to make sure that I’m able to support my wife properly. I’ve had two children to practice on being a good father but I think you need more help. With more strategies I’m sure I can be a better dad.

Every day I see happy kids and happy dads. In the stores we are bombarded with magazines that display photos of celebrity dads and their kids. How do they do the best job they can? They listen, watch others, read and do things that show their family they love and cherish them.

It’s the little things that often count. Bringing flowers home for your wife, arranging a babysitter for an unexpected outing, cooking dinner, bathing the kids, supervising homework, suggesting take outs. It’s the surprise element that makes your gestures thoughtful. Think of ways you can help and support the running of your home and the nurturing of your family.

The kids will love it when you come home early and take them to the park. An ice-cream treat is always a winner! Kids love to spend time with their dads and moms love dads to share the parenting role. An early morning walk with the kids really hits the spot with their mom as it allows a leisurely start to the day. Organize the kids to get breakfast in bed for Mom.

Even if they aren’t very effective, most fathers try very hard to be good dads. If you are going to change, make sure it is a long-term change rather than just a week when you turn into this new fantastic father. You have to maintain being a super dad. Your kids will be very unhappy if you turn on good fatherhood for a few days and then become the old grouch that you used to be.

Like anything else, if you want to improve you have to plan and set goals. Why not try some lateral thinking like Edward de Bono? Corrupt three Collins and had them there’s Positive, Negative, and Interesting. As you start to investigate being a better father, note down the things that seem to be effective, ineffective, or need to be considered later. Make up a working list of good activities and put into place.

Work through your planned list carefully and don’t try to do everything at once. When you do try a new strategy, find out if the family appreciates what you have done. You’ll be pleasantly surprised when you notice how much more positive they are about you. More importantly, you’ll know that you’re doing your job well and that you’re working hard to be a better dad.

Do you ever wonder what you have done wrong when your child does something wrong? Well, this morning I couldn’t get my daughter motivated to get ready for school. She just stayed in her bedroom and pottered around and I was getting quite concerned about the time.

It was 7.55am when I finally turned up the pressure by saying to her, “OK, Becky, if you want a lift to school I am leaving at 8.15am. You have 20 minutes to get dressed, have breakfast and pack your bag”. Then I went away again.

She finally emerged right on 8.15am and started running around furiously as she hadn’t eaten breakfast and was hungry. I simply said to her, “what a shame you will have to miss out on breakfast this morning as we have to leave now”. I started to walk towards the car and poor Becky realized that mum meant business and she would be going hungry.

I drove Becky to school and she was pretty quiet in the car. Becky knew that she had done the wrong thing by trying to test the boundaries. And if she tries that again she will get the same result. I will not waver in my boundaries for her sake.

Sometimes kids will try to control adults by dawdling like this. We have no control over that. All we can control is our reaction to their actions. Becky knows now that there will be a sad consequence of no breakfast should she try to dawdle like that again. A valuable lesson for any child to learn.

I know it is sad to have to do that but if I keep on saving Becky she will never learn that the world requires people to be on time. I had to leave for work. I had to earn money to feed my children and pay the mortgage. And that’s the way life is. Becky had a responsibility to be at school on time.

We need to allow our children to learn through their mistakes. I could have easily whipped up some breakfast or waited another 3 minutes for Becky. But the issue here was that Becky knew the boundaries and still defied me by being on a “go slow” to purposely try to annoy me.

The end result was that Beck was very hungry until morning tea break today. But I think perhaps she will think twice about doing the same thing again. Why? Because she didn’t like the end result. She experienced the consequences of her poor choices this morning.

It was heart breaking to see a hungry child going to school. But I had no control over Beck’s actions. She made some bad choices today. But when we allow our kids to make mistakes and learn from them they will thank you later on in life. I guarantee it.

With all the news about hazardous ingredients in your favorite cleaning products, do you wonder at the constant barrage of advertisements that convinced you that these products were ?New and Improved?? The drive to create and market more powerful cleaners has displaced the greater concern for the health of the public using those products. People are now asking the question whether they can trust these companies who mislead us before.

After years of hard-sell advertising, breaking away from your favorite cleaning product may be difficult. First of all, what can replace this old friend? Ignorance is part of the reason that change is difficult. Naturally Green Clean provides an easy and powerful way to completely change your shopping habits while keeping your home both clean and safe. It is possible to dig through hundreds of magazine articles and thousands of Internet website, but Candace Richmond has already done this and provide readers with the twelve crucial ingredients to clean nearly anything.

Candace Richmond’s book is Naturally Green Clean, and it is filled with exciting and practical information. This 90 page downloadable book will quickly become your best resource for safe and effective cleaning solution for your home. Cleaning is a fundamental need. This study is not about buying CFL bulbs, starting a compost pile, or adjusting the settings on your thermostat. You will learn in a first hand fashion how to easily clean any part of your home. Most people will be surprised to learn how well these Naturally Green Clean processes work, but that is only the start.

Candace Richmond has teamed with Green Clean Institute to provide a professional certification for anyone taking this course. A 25 question exam is included that is faxed in for grading. Once you pass the exam, you are issued a Green HomeMaker certificate that shows the world that you know how to really care for your home and your family.

While it is enough motivation to protect the health of the family, it is also noteworthy to understand that most natural products are far less expensive than products bought in the store. Just calculate the cost of advertising, shipping, and management to understand that shoppers are paying 300-400% more for products that they shouldn’t buy. Each of the twelve ingredients in this book are easy to find and inexpensive.

There is another compelling reason to go to natural cleaning products. Each year tens of thousands of accidental poisonings happen to the children of Americans. The cause can be traced back to the numerous harmful and dangerous products we keep within easy reach. While some advise parents to keep these things out of the reach of small children, it is better to simply get rid of them. This book provides the answer to a horrible family tragedy.

This book is just too good to overlook. Naturally Green Clean is written to the average homemaker who wants a healthier family, a Green Home, and less harm to the family budget. Other readers report surprising results using these simple to use products. Get it, read it, and live it. There are no losers in a truly Green Home.