We Could All Learn from Take Our Daughters & Sons to Work Day

Thursday, April 27, 2017 marks the 24th anniversary of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.  Over 39 million people in the United States participated in the program in 2016.   This national program encourages workers to not only take their own children to work, but also reach out to take relatives and displaced children to work for the day.   The suggested age range for participating in the day is between 8 and 18.

Oftentimes, we ask children “what do you want to be when you grow up?”  The youngest children will typically answer teacher, doctor, fire fighter or lawyer.

But, do they really know what choosing a career really means?  Would the answer change if we asked the right questions?  How would we shape their thoughts around education and career if we exposed them to a different workplace each year starting as young as third grade?

Instead of asking broad questions that elicit general answers, parents should try asking specific questions that will enable them to ascertain their children’s interests.  This will help parents plan activities for their children on Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day and beyond.

Common App Tips From a College Student

Just like job applications, college applications take a lot of time and calculated effort. Once August hits, it is time for college seniors to begin their application process to five or sometimes ten or more schools. Many times selective schools will use their own application, but more schools are beginning to see the benefits of using the Common App. Its website boasts nearly 700 colleges and universities worldwide use the application. It can make applying to many schools a quick process that allows the student ample time to focus on the quality of the application. But it can be confusing and many times lengthier than other applications.

“On-The-Go” Lunches: Kid Approved

Getting three or more people ready in the morning is probably the most stressful part of your day as a parent. Sometimes you may even forget to pack lunch for your kids or you might not even have anytime time to. Here are some kid approved quick lunches you can pack the morning of or get ready the night before. You can also cut some time by pre-cutting and storing some lunch staples like melon or carrots. Meal prep containers can be found online for quite a steal and they make bringing lunch easier and more fun!

Simplifying The College Application Process: For Parents

Being a busy mom is hard enough and with the speed in which education is evolving it can be stressful to keep up. As your child or children approach their junior year of high school the pressures can be overwhelming. With school work, SAT’s, ACT’s, prom, sports and other activities, the last thing that your child is going to want is to think about college. That’s where you are able to step in with these tips to help prep for everything college.

Multiplication Tricks For Your Child

The last thing children ever want to do is math, let alone multiplication! Here are some tricks when it comes to overcoming the dreaded thought of mental math: multiplication edition.

Public, Private, Charter – What’s the Difference?

Every parent wants to do their best in helping their child succeed in school. It starts with picking the perfect school to fit your child and your family. There is constant debate over private, public, and charter schools, and which type of school is the absolute best.

The truth is, neither of three are the best.

Summer Brain Drain

Summer slide, which is also referred to as summer brain drain, is a phenomenon that commonly occurs amongst non-stimulated school aged children over the summer vacation. The brain is muscle that needs to be constantly exercised to maintain optimal performance. During the summer months, many parents used to opt to give the children a break in order to recharge their batteries for the upcoming school year. This break in learning can have a detrimental affect on the upcoming school year; whereby, students may loose up to three months of previously acquired knowledge. A balance of both has proven to be ideal for students during summer break. Parents can “leave it to the experts” and enroll their child(ren) in an educational summer camp or they can capture teachable moments to implement their own summer curriculum.

Homework Horror Story

Homework is the assignment of a purposeful task that reinforces concepts that are covered during the school day.  Accordingly, homework should not introduce new information to the learner.  On the contrary, homework should be utilized as a tool to communicate the student’s current level of mastery to the learner, caregiver and teacher.

Let’s be real.  We want our children to be assigned and learn how to successfully complete homework.  HOWEVER,  I’m sure I am not alone in feeling bogged down by my children’s homework.  It never fails.  The one night I intend to prepare a quick dinner and turn in early, I’m hit with the “Oh, Mom I forget to tell you about the project that’s due tomorrow.” (Insert completely overwhelmed and bewildered look here.)  I recall being more excited than my children for the end of the school year one year.  It seemed like our lives literally revolved around homework horrors filled with tears, frustration and sometimes even tantrums.

My Routine Vs. My Given Routine

#HappyBirthdayToMyEldestDaughter – Today is my eldest daughter’s 12^th birthday! This morning while playing on pinterest at 4 am, (Don’t judge me, it’s the only time my house and life are completely still) it hit me that I have been a mommy for twelve whole years. It really does feel like it was yesterday when I was anxiously anticipating her arrival. My world has completely revolved in the last decade+2.

One of the major changes in the past twelve years has been my so-called routine. I used to have one. I promise you, I DID. I remember rising at 6am in order to be at work at 8am and carelessly choosing to work out before or after work (which was totally dependent upon what’s showing on tv or when and where happy hour was happening that night).

Twelve years and two daughters later:

The only routine I have before work is the routine I plan in my head. I always check off the major boxes. You know, bathing, brushing teeth and getting dressed. Everything else is up for negotiation depending on how far in advance they remember to tell me they have a game after school or if they volunteered me to pick up donuts for the entire grade. Although I don’t compromise on the getting dressed aspect of my morning to do’s, how long I have to complete tasks is a different story. Last week, I literally ran out of the house barefoot with 2 different pairs of boots, a coat, work bag and pocketbook filled with everything needed to curl my hair and put on my face at the office (since I ran out of time at home). It was a choice between getting my girls to school on time or putting on shoes. They win every time.

This is what my routine looks like in my head when I wake up every morning at 4 a.m.