• Fitness: This is 30
  • Ask a Teacher: Is summer school a good idea for my child?
  • Fitness: let’s talk about sleep…zzzzzz!
  • Moms on 88.3 The Wind: Sunday Devotions

SWMO Events: Volunteer Opportunities for Kids

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If you are like most moms, this is about the time you start worrying about what your child will do all summer! You know you don’t want them to waste away the summer in front of a screen, but three months is a looooong time to come up with activities for your kiddos!

Have you considered encouraging them to volunteer in their community? Kid’s can truly make a difference, right here in our local community!

Youth Volunteer Corps believes that youth are not future members of society – they are current members.  Their program is designed specifically to get youth ages 11-18 involved in their communities early and inspire them for a lifetime commitment to service.

Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) creates volunteer opportunities for youth ages 11-18 to address community needs and to inspire them for a lifetime commitment to service.  This year, this summer program will be in Springfield for 7 weeks – and projects are ready for sign ups !

Mom Talk: Preserving those childhood memories

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With technology ever present in our lives, it’s doesn’t take much effort to snap pictures on a smartphone and store photographs and milestones. But what about the funny things they have said or done? How are you preserving those memories?

Some of you might keep a journal, write letters to your children to open when they are older, or you may even email them. I recently created email accounts for my daughters to preserve their childhood memories. I started out with journals and when something amazing or silly happened, I wrote it down. Then I would forget to do it and it was a cycle of continuing to forget.  I didn’t want to forget how awesome, silly and amazing they were so I thought an email account might be easier. I am on a computer all day anyway.

Creating an email account for your kids is a great idea for several reasons. By creating an email early you get to reserve their name hopefully before it’s taken and you have to add those silly underscores, symbols and numbers.  It’s also, for me, the easiest way to keep an online journal for them to read when they are older and can appreciate the memories.

Now, you might want to create two email addresses for them. I know you are questioning this, but hear me out. Go ahead and reserve their first and last name at gmail.com. This account can then turn into their daily account for school and friends. Then create a second account titled dear, with their name, for example, dearfirstlastname@gmail.com. Make sense? You can also give this email address to the grandparents or other family members. When your child is old enough, tell them about their email address and let them read the emails they’ve accumulated through the years.

Can you imagine the impact this will have in your childs life when they are adults and their grandparents, parents, or friends have passed? They can relive their words as often as they wish.

Here are some other great ideas on preserving childhood memories:

  1. Question them. Write out a list of “interview” questions for your child such as their favorite food or their favorite holiday memory. Collect their answers yearly and keep them in a binder or album.
  2. Organize it. It takes a considerable amount of time, but albums that chronicle each year of your child’s life are beautiful keepsakes that can be placed on a shelf or coffee table. There are countless websites to make your own albums. MyPublisher creates exceptional, high-quality albums.
  3. Online Scrapbooks. Scrapbooking is fun, but it can also be expensive and time-consuming (not to mention that not all of us have been blessed with the creative gene!). Sites like ScrapBlog (www.scrapblog.com) and SmileBox (www.smilebox.com) let you create unique scrapbooks featuring your best baby and family photos.
  4. T-Shirt Quilts. Your child is going to go through a lot of clothes during his or her lifetime, and instead of throwing these items away or donating them, you can use them to preserve your child’s memories. Keep shirts or other articles of clothing that can help jog a memory for your child, and then use these items to create a t-shirt quilt.
  5. Keep a video diary. You don’t have to be a show producer to keep a video diary. Record the moments you never want to forget and always be ready to capture the moments that might end up being a little funnier than you expected!

Sunday Devotion: Happy Reunion

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Many of you have probably been following the news coverage about the passing of First Lady Barbara Bush. Regardless of your political beliefs, I think we can all agree Mrs. Bush left her mark on this country in a truly unique way.

While we have laughed at video clips and took to heart many of her quotes that have been shared on social media, I ran across this photo today and it nearly stopped me in my tracks. A kind stranger had created this photo for the Bush family and I believe it speaks loud. During this sad time, we are also reminded it is a time to rejoice!

Some of you may know that President and Mrs. Bush had a daughter, Robin, that passed away at the age of 3 after a short battle with leukemia. I can not begin to imagine the heartache she felt after losing a child. But oh what JOY she felt this week when they were reunited!

I am so thankful that, although I have not felt the pain of losing a child, I will experience the joy of being reunited with my family after this life. Thank you, Jesus, for this truth! This photo was the perfect reminder that, for those of us that believe, there is joy when this life is over!

 

Ask a Teacher: Is summer school a good idea for my child?

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Summer is almost here and I have mixed emotions about summer school. Can you help? My child is not struggling in school, however, it might be a good opportunity for her to learn some new things in a smaller setting that she has not been exposed to before. On the other hand, I don’t have to work in the summer time so I hate for her to miss out on family time. Do you recommend summer school to your students?

Teacher 1:

Sometimes there is a negative view on summer school, but that should not be the case.  Summer school is a great opportunity for students to be involved in a more creative learning environment.

Summer school is very different from the traditional classroom experience- class sizes are smaller allowing for a more concentrated focus on learning, there are field trips and more hands-on learning experiences incorporated.  Summer school is a small portion of the summer so it still allows for family time.

I would ask, if my child is not attending summer school during June, what will they be doing?  In many families, both parents work and do not get the entire summer off.  If you do have summer time off, it can be expensive to keep them entertained for 2 1/2 months.  If your child is going to spend most of their time in the month of June hanging out at home or the pool, it would be a better choice to have them attend summer school.  They will still have time for relaxing during July and August.

Teacher 2:

The good thing about summer school is that is ends mid-early June, and if I am not mistaken, the water is still cold at the lake at that time! I always “strongly encourage” my children to attend summer school. Here is why:

  1. My child can develop additional relationships with peers that they would not normally spend time with at school.
  2. The curriculum is focused on a central theme…at my school it is science this year!
  3. Field trips are usually included and I can go with them and help!
  4. Class size is usually smaller and my child may gain additional attention with classwork.
  5. My child gets to see teachers in a more relaxed atmosphere.
  6. Statistics show that children will lose some of what they learned by the time school starts again in August because of not attending in the summer, so I am only giving my child less of a chance to forget what she/he learned.
  7. I used the time I am not with them to focus on things at the house that can make our lives easier when school starts AND It gives me some time to pay attention to my husband who many times gets put on the back burner because my kids need me.

Teacher 3:

Is summer school necessary for my child?  A question that many parents ask themselves every May.  My advice is examine your child and his/her needs and consider the following as you make the best decision for your child.

Summer School is a wonderful opportunity for students to continue to grow and learn.  Summer School offers learning opportunities that aren’t offered during the normal school year.  A laid back, no pressure environment enhances the learning environment. Summer School, for students who need continued support, is highly recommended to continue learning without the gaps in instruction that summer provides.  The “summer slump” is real and does result in learning gaps over the summer. Research shows that a child can lose the equivalency of 1-3 months worth of learning over the summer. Parents who provide opportunities for students to learn through family activities, library programs, and learning opportunities help to limit a loss in learning that summer school provides.  Summer school can also help to keep students from getting bored over the summer. Summer school provides opportunities to learn, grow and form new relationships. A new teacher, new curriculum and new friends can be invigorating for a learner.

On the other hand, if a student does not struggle in school, give them a break!  As a teacher, I do not teach summer school, because I need that time to energize myself, enjoy hobbies, and spend time with family.  As academics are extremely important, so is reconnecting and spending time with family and enjoying activities and hobbies that normally are limited during the school year.   A family hike, trip to the zoo, weeks spending time at grandma’s house or a family vacation can be much more valuable than attending summer school.

When making the decision if summer school is necessary, consider your child’s needs and make a decision on what is best for your child and make that decision fun and exciting.  It is all in the approach and how it is presented to the child. Happy Summer!

If you’re like us, you are probably constantly on the hunt looking for ways to improve your child’s education and help them reach their full potential. Our anonymous panel of teachers have some great advice. If you have a question for the teachers, email us and we’ll send it to them. Then look for your answer here. Email to: info(at)SouthwestMissouriMoms.com.

Farmhouse Favorites: Lunchbox ideas

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Are you in a “lunchbox rut”? This time of year, the kids are tired of soggy turkey sandwiches (can you blame them?) and frankly, us moms are out of ideas! Give these ham and cheese roll-ups a try from our friend, Jessi, at Farmhouse Favorites. She never disappoints!

Ham and Cheese Roll-upslunch box

  • Deli sliced ham (or any sandwich meat you have on hand)
  • Cheese
  • Large tortilla
  • softened cream cheese

Directions:

Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on the tortilla. Down the center of the tortilla, place a few slices of ham (enough to cover the width of the tortilla). Place cheese on top of the ham. Roll up tightly and cut into 6-8 slices, about one inch thick.

Other lunch box ideas from Farmhouse Favorites: egg salad, veggies and dip, crackers with ham and sliced cheese or a quesadilla.

What is your kiddos favorite lunch box item? Let us know in the comment section above. We would love to hear from you!

Farmhouse Favorites, tying tradition back to the good old days one apron string at a time.Jessi bio

Jessi, momma to three kiddos, enjoys country cooking because it is inexpensive and the ingredients are easy to find. Her goal is to get families out of the drive thru window and back to the supper table.

Check her out on facebook.com/FarmhouseFavorites.