RESOLUTION SOLUTIONS
ACHIEVE ACADEMIC SUCCESS
STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN INDEPENDENT AND FAMILY TIME
MAKE NUTRITIOUS FOOD CHOICES
EAT TOGETHER MORE OFTEN AS A FAMILY
WALKING TO SCHOOL ALONE
BETTER PARENT/CHILD COMMUNICATION
RESOLUTION SOLUTIONS
-- Parenting coach provides tips to make and keep New School Year resolutions --
The start of the school year is a time filled with change for many Canadian families. To help them prepare, Canada's first certified parenting coach and mother of four, Terry Carson, provides five resolutions, and some solutions, for the new school year that parents and kids can feel good about:
1. Achieve academic success
2. Strike a balance between independent and family time
3. Make nutritious food choices
4. Eat together more often as a family
5. Walking to school alone
The following package, provided by NESQUIK®, contains Terry's tips to assist families with making and keeping these New School Year resolutions. By setting aside time to find 'resolution solutions' when school starts, families will have a greater chance of success - especially if they write them down and review them regularly. Communication plays a leading role in finding 'resolution solutions' and parents and children must be willing to listen and work together to find common ground.
Back to top
ACHIEVE ACADEMIC SUCCESS
The thought of doing homework, writing tests and receiving report cards can cause anxiety at home. Parents worry about ways to help their children while children worry about meeting their parent's expectations. The beginning of the new school year is an ideal time for families to create resolutions to reduce stress and ensure success.
The following are suggestions to help families work together to achieve academic success:
1. Define success
The first step is for families to define success. If parents and kids are not on the same page, work together to create a definition that everyone is comfortable with. Keep in mind that grades are not the only measure of success. Set small goals, like finishing a book or solving a math problem, that when added up spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S.
2. Talk to teachers
Parents are encouraged to talk to their children's teachers at the start of the new school year so that they can understand what is expected and how much time is needed for homework. Parents should consider bringing their children with them so that everyone is on the same page.
3. Set goals
Parents should set aside time to talk to their children about their goals for the coming year and ensure that they're measurable and attainable. By working together to set goals at the beginning of the year, parents will be less inclined to remind in the months ahead.
4. Create a plan
Parents can help their children achieve success by creating a ‘go forward’ plan. To develop a plan, parents must take time to ask their children open-ended questions like, “Are there certain habits that you need to address? If there are, what are they? What can they be replaced with?" Parents can help their children find answers that not only ensure success, but also develop good habits.
5. Take control of the remote control
Cut back on your children's television, video game and computer time. Replace these activities with ones that encourage outside interests in sports, music, theatre or science, for example. Add one-on-one time and family outings into the mix to reinforce that learning is not limited to the classroom.
Back to top
STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN INDEPENDENT AND FAMILY TIME
Tuesday - Boy Scouts
Wednesday - Piano lessons
Thursday - Ballet class
Saturday - Soccer game
With extra-curricular activities taking place almost every night, families often struggle to find time to spend together throughout the school year.
The following are tips to help families strike a balance between independent and family time:
1. Keep things simple
Parents are encouraged to work with their children to select one or two activities that they would like to participate in per week. By simplifying their extra-curricular schedules, families can free up an enormous amount of time to spend together.
2. Set schedules
As kids get older, parents should abandon rigid routines. Instead, flexibility can be worked into schedules by having regular family meetings and setting an agenda one week at a time. Include activities such as homework, extra- curricular activities, social outings and family fun.
3. Get help with chores
Whether parents work inside or outside of the home, housework is often low on the priority list. Consider hiring a cleaning service, even if it's only once a month. Or, set up times for all family members to lend a hand. Assign tasks that are age appropriate so that everyone can share the responsibility.
4. Practice the oxygen mask technique
Any family who has travelled by plane knows that the safety card instructs parents to put on their own oxygen mask before attending to their children. Parents should take a tip from the airlines and take time out for themselves. It’s important to parents to stay energized for the sake of the family.
5. Plan celebration time
Take time to celebrate big and small accomplishments. Whether it's playing a board game, sharing an ice-cold glass of milk made with NESQUIK, or taking a trip to Walt Disney World, make time to celebrate being a family.
Back to top
MAKE NUTRITIOUS FOOD CHOICES
It’s not easy for parents to get their children to eat a balanced meal, especially when families are juggling busy schedules. When the new school year begins, many parents rely on convenience foods, but these may not be the best options for their children.
The following are tips to help families improve and encourage good eating habits:
1. Begin with the end in mind
Parents are encouraged to fast-forward 50 years from now to imagine their child as a grown adult. Once they have a picture in mind, parents should work backward and create a framework to build a legacy of good eating habits.
2. Get smart
Take time to review the Canada Food Guide as a family. Learn about what vitamins, minerals and nutrients are necessary to build and sustain a healthy body.
3. Jazz up the taste
To help keep children interested in nutritious food, parents should consider trying new recipes. Adding spices, seasoning and flavouring like NESQUIK 1/3 Less Sugar Syrup can help make plain foods like milk more appealing and ensure that children get their daily dietary requirement of calcium and other nutrients.
4. Involve the kids
When it comes to helping kids make good food choices, parents should invite them to be a part of the solution. Have them help pick out recipes, go grocery shopping and prepare meals. If kids are involved in preparing meals, they are more likely to eat them.
5. Don’t battle over food
To get their kids to eat well, parents can find themselves using threats, punishment or bribery. Parents and children can find win-win food solutions like planning meals together, taking turns cooking and enjoying some down time in the kitchen.
Back to top
EAT TOGETHER MORE OFTEN AS A FAMILY
The idea of eating meals together as a family sometimes feels like it's from a bygone era. Faced with work, school and extra-curricular schedules, finding time for family meals can be challenging; however, parents and children should consider putting it back on their list of priorities for the new school year.
The following are tips to help families to eat together more often throughout the school year:
1. Eat at the same time each day
Families are encouraged to set a specific time to eat dinner each day and work together to ensure that practices, lessons and meetings do not interfere. When seated at the table, let the answering service pick up calls.
2. Include conversation about ‘the day’
To encourage table conversation, families may wish to use a talking spoon to provide everyone with the chance to comment on their day. The person holding the talking spoon is free to share their thoughts and can pass it along once they're finished. Whether families choose to use a talking spoon or not, it's important that each individual get their turn to speak.
3. Encourage different conversations
Parents can use their children's daily reflections as a springboard into other conversations. For example, parents can bridge between subjects by saying something like, “speaking about science projects…I read something interesting…” Parents can also encourage further conversation by asking for their children's opinions. It’s a great way for parents to stay connected and find out about their children's worldviews.
4. Turn off the television
One of the many benefits of family meals is for parents and children to spend time together and get reacquainted. To make the most of this time, families are encourage to turn off the television and any other distractions that may interrupt conversation.
5. Prepare tasty meals as a family
When children are part of meal preparation, they are more committed to sitting down to dine as a family. Parents can make tasty meals with their children or desserts like ice cream with bananas, topped with NESQUIK 1/3 Less Sugar Syrup.
Back to top
WALKING TO SCHOOL ALONE
The beginning of a new school year is an important time for families. It provides parents with the opportunity to reward their children with more responsibility like walking to school alone - yet parents aren't always comfortable with giving their child more freedom.
The following are tips to help make parents and children more comfortable with the responsibility of walking to and from school alone:
1. Examine the risk
Parents are encouraged to take a long hard look at the risk factors involved in letting their child walk to and from school and grade it on a scale of 1 to 10. For example, if a child passes through a dangerous area that could put them in harm's way, than a parent should grade it as a 10. Keeping their child safe must be top priority.
2. Talk to your child
If parents decide that the risk is acceptable, they should take time to discuss their safety concerns with their children and work together to create rules such as always walking with a buddy, not talking to strangers and/or not stopping at the corner store.
3. Develop action plans for different scenarios
Parents should discuss ‘what if’ scenarios with their children. These might include, "What if someone offers you a ride home, what would you do?” It's important for parents to try to anticipate as many of these situations as possible and create separate plans for each.
4. Walk the route several times
Before letting them go alone, parents should walk the route to school with their children. They should use the opportunity to help their children understand that once they let them go on their own, they are not to deviate from their set route. Parents should also draw attention to places that children can go for help and have them point out the places on their next trip. The next time, parents should follow approximately 25 feet behind their children to simulate what it will be like when they walk alone.
5. Breathe
Now that both parties are comfortable walking the route, parents must take a deep breath and give their children assurance that they can do this! It's a big step, so take the opportunity to celebrate with an ice-cold glass of milk made with NESQUIK 1/3 Less Sugar Syrup.
Back to top
BETTER PARENT/CHILD COMMUNICATION
Sometimes parents find it hard to communicate effectively with their children. Parents often claim that their children don't listen, while children are quick to complain that their parents tell them what to do. So, how can parents better communicate with their children so that each side is able to voice their opinion and work together to reach a win-win resolution?
The following are tips to help families improve their communication:
1. Avoid being dismissiveParents must be careful not to jump on their children if they think they are being unreasonable. While their method may not be ideal, parents should keep in mind that there is a reason behind their children's behaviour and that a dismissed child is an uncooperative child.
2. Remember to empathizeWhile not always easy, parents can benefit by looking at things from their children’s perspective. Parents should think about what it would feel like if they were their children's age: What would they be thinking? Feeling? Wanting? Parents are also encouraged to remember what it used to be like when they were young to better empathize with their children.
3. Express understanding Once a parent gains an understanding of their child's perspective, it's important that they communicate it. When children feel that they've been heard and understood by their parents, they are more likely to cooperate.
4. Echo back to manage 'button pushing'
Children can be very good at pushing their parents' buttons. To help manage 'button pushing,' parents are encouraged to echo back what they have heard, even if it's disrespectful, as a way to calm down, focus and make sure that their child understands what they've communicated. Once parents have echoed back their child's statement, they can suggest working together to find a resolution that both sides are happy with.
5. PracticeParents must remember that they can't wave a magic wand to establish better communication principles with their children. Remember to be patient and know that with more practice and communication, the easier it will get. Look for opportunities to practice communication like during family meals or car rides.