Summer Safety For Kids and Teens

As the traditional school year draws to a close, it is wise for parents to sit down and talk with their children about safety. Very young children will often be in some type of supervised activities, but our 'tweens and young teens may find themselves staying home alone for the first times, maybe getting newer, independent privileges for the first times, maybe even babysitting younger siblings.

Parents, the American Red Cross provides a babysitters training course for 11-15 year olds. This course not only teaches basic child care, but also educates young people in leadership, decision making and handling emergencies. This is great training even if your older child is babsitting a sibling. Just because it is a sibling doesn't mean that your older child automatically knows some of these things.

Young teens, remember when dealing with older adults at summer camps or sports activities that it is always a good idea to be cautious - not paranoid, but cautious. Many young people get crushes on camp counselors, and that is normal. However, remember the boundaries that adults are to respect. There are, unfortunately, times when those lines are blurred. Sometimes an adult may ask a child to keep a secret about something that may not be appropriate. Students in Franklin, Tennessee learn through the Safe at Last program that there are some things to consider when an adult asks a child to keep a secret:

Could someone get hurt?
Could someone get in trouble?
Is it forever?
How does it make me feel?

Some secrets are perfectly safe; some are not. The above questions can help young people decide.

Young people also should be reminded of the safe use of electronics. Text messaging and internet communication can become hurtful, and even dangerous. Remind your children to never send any text or pictures on their phones or through the internet that they would not want anyone else to see. Nothing is ever really deleted, and once something is out there in the cyberworld, all control is lost as far as where it could end up. Cyberbullying is rampant among middle schoolers, and use of the internet should be monitored. If students will be home alone, there is protective software available, although not completely fool proof.

Lastly, remind your children that chat rooms can be very deceptive. There is never any real way to know who you are talking to. People can and do lie about many things, so it bears repeating often to never give out any personal information.

In today's society, there is probably no such thing as too much caution when it comes to our kids' safety. There are far too many sad stories in our newspapers daily. Help your child have a safe summer by putting awareness and safety first!

How Your Child Can Make the Transition From Home School to College

You may be wondering if home schooling is a good idea for a child that has outgrown their youth and are now in their latter teens. As thoughts about college arises and it's time to think about continued education, some parents feel that attending a public or private high school is necessary for college admission. But this is not true at all.

In fact, Harvard has accepted in the past 2 kids that were home schooled into their degree programs. Most colleges are aware that home schooled kids can have educational advantages as opposed to their counterparts in high school, so they are open to the possibility of accepting home schooled kids.

Most colleges are more interested in the knowledge of the student rather than a diploma, so you should keep this in mind. In fact, some colleges prefer home schoolers because of the diversity and personality that they bring to the college campus.

Some colleges don't care about tests at all while some require the use of the SAT. Criteria will vary but you should know that a lot of college courses don't require a high school background.

Even if you think that you should send your kids off to high school, you should know that college is available to your teen via general admission or even attending college online.

Going to college online will further the home schooling experience while allowing you to continue to help your child with their work. It all depends on your child's preference and learning style. They can attend a college via the comfort of their bedroom, and come out with a 100% valid college education.

You can save on college costs dramatically using this option and your child may even learn better since there are so many audio and visual aids that they be available to them.

Going to college has it benefits and disadvantages but the biggest thing that you need to weigh is whether or not you want to sacrifice your child's social life for the cost of the education. If you're child is fine with the fact that they may not meet a lot of friends via an online school, and has the "big picture" of life after college in mind - then maybe going to school online is best for them.

Complicated subjects can be immediately handled via the use of online help and resources, so there are a lot of advantages to going to college online. To help with your child's social life, they may want to get a part-time job to earn some income and to meet new friends and mingle. This can make up for lost time at college and will definitely help with their social life.

No matter what you choose, you should know that college is definitely an option for home schoolers. You just have to get the proper paperwork out to apply and your child will be good to go. If you have prepared your child correctly for college and has taught them virtually everything they need to know, then you should have no problems. You should have them take the SAT during their sophomore or junior year to see where they stand from a collegiate level.

Be sure to keep these things in mind when thinking about college for your child. College is definitely an option.

How to Set Up a Home School Classroom For Middle Schoolers

Oh, the middle school years! What can you do with these active, restless young people?

Middle School, or Junior High, is the pre-adolescent time of life most parents dread. Your child is not yet an adult, but they are far past young child stage. If you're homeschooling, these middle school years can be some of the most challenging. You want them to keep learning, but you're not quite sure how to cope with their changing moods. Successfully navigating these next few years will require more than sound curriculum choices. It will require flexibility and creativity on the part of you, the homeschool parent.

Here are some techniques and tactics for how to set up a homeschool classroom for your middle schooler:

1) Give your student plenty of room to spread out. Young people at this age are spreading their wings in many ways. Giving them a workspace where they can sprawl out on their back or on their stomach to work may be just what he/she needs to feel "free". Resist the urge to nag about books spread out all over the floor. Agree on a room or area of the house or garage that they can call their own--at least during school hours.

2) Allow them to listen to good music. Many of us concentrate best with background sounds of some kind. When I am writing or making lesson plans, I always have music or television on in the background. My mind just works best that way. Whether it's classical, jazz, or rock, your student may actually need to have some extra input to really concentrate. For you parents who need absolute quiet when working, this advice is going to sound goofy. But remember, you're trying to make an environment in which your student can work best, and a little music may be just what he/she needs.

3) Stock your homeschool library with lots of good books. My kids rolled their eyes as I would periodically pick up "a classic" at the bookstore. But in time, they picked those books up off the shelf and read every one of them! One of the best learning tools we found as we tackled those classics was to read along in the paper book while listening to the audio book. Many students will really enjoy following along in the text while listening, especially if they struggle with reading. They can start and stop the tape when needed, and make notes according to your assignment. You don't even have to be there!

4) Give them anything that is hands-on. Learning with DIME blocks, Legos, electronic circuits, a handheld device of any kind, stimulates today's teens and pre-teens. We live in an information and technology age, so let them use technology in their learning. Many homeschool families find online learning to be a great choice for their middle school and high school students.

Be willing to change things up a bit in your homeschool. Your student is maturing, growing, and changing, so be willing to be flexible when setting up your homeschool classroom for the middle school years.