How to prepare your household for Learning

It starts at home. It is well known that the tone, attitude and daily routines at home are what set up a child for a successful school career. We all know we need to expose our kids to books with letters, pictures and of course stories from early on. Well, it can't end just because they start school. In other words it is not time for the teachers to takeover and the parent to move on to the next task at hand

This can be difficult if us parents aren't feeling good about ourselves. If you are not taking care of yourself; limiting your vices (we all have them!) to a level where they don't interfere with your obligations to your kids. Maybe it is getting some exercise in the morning to get your day started with some endorphins running through your body. Do you know that just a quarter mile walk in the morning coupled with some stretches, and throw in a few ab exercises, and maybe some push-ups, can leave you feeling better the whole day long. Each day see if you can extend your walk a few yards, your crunches or sit-ups by 2 and your push-ups by 2, each week, not each day, but each week. By the end of the day you need to go through your children's back packs, discuss don't interogate and leave the the questions that elicit "yes" "no" or "I don't know" answers, in the commuter traffic on the ride home.

Feeling better about yourself should include nutrition, health and well, beauty. Maybe a vitamin pack that makes you feel good, and a shaving cream or pure, safe and natural face cream - makes the difference. After only a month of using creams, lotions and hygiene products without petroleum based origins, that is to say no mineral oil, you will feel better about your self and have more energy to devote to your kids after school.

Of course grueling work schedules and rush- hour traffic are draining. However, when you take care of yourself, you look, feel and behave better. With this renewed energy you need to make conversational inquiries into your child's day at school and READ to them at bedtime. Stop everything and give them that last thirty minutes reading to them. This is effective right up through fifth grade. You absolutely cannot replace it!