Holiday Memories With Your Kids

Christmas is right around the corner and I am so excited. My kids are just can’t wait for it to get here. We actually put up our Christmas tree on Sunday and the kids had such a fun time decorating it.

How is your Christmas preparations going so far..?? Well I hope that everything is turning out ok for you guys as well.

I came across these great holiday books for the kids on my  Usborne Books website and I just wanted to share them with you guys. These are really great books for the kids to get them into the holiday spirit and to help make some great memories for your and your little ones this year.

I have a lot of wonderful memories of singing christmas carols and making beautiful decorations with my kids, this is just a wonderful time of year. Well I hope you all will be able to make great memories with your little ones as well. 

What do you do with your little ones to make holiday memories ….?? I would love to know, please leave a comment bellow and share with us.

How to Help Your Child Succeed

 

Kids need more reading, less television

 

Literacy Tip Of The Week

Picture found on Google image search

Hi everyone, how is everyone’s week turning out so far..? Well hope you guys are staying warm here on the east coast because it has been a cold week, thanks to the Nor’easter that took place yesterday.

Now I love reading to my kids, I actually read to them every night before they go to sleep. They just love it and so do I, because it gives us time to bond and hang out. Plus they love hearing new stories about life, the bible, fairy tales and what ever else I read to them.

My Literacy tip comes from doing  just that. You see a lot of people think that you should only read to kids when they are babies or up till they learn to read themselves. The truth is that children should be read to even when they can read for themselves.

As kids become better readers, continue reading aloud to them – only choose more difficult books to help your child learn new vocabulary words, concepts, and ways of telling stories. It works the same way it did when they were little, it really helps to open up their world to build upon what they already know. It also helps bring a parent and child together with the extra time and conversation that takes place.

The best memories I have of my mother when I was a child is of her reading really great books to me and my sisters at bedtime. I grew to love books and my imagination was just filled with wonderful things, plus it made me really happy to be able to spend time with my mom.

What kind of books do your child/children like to have read to them…????

Hurricane Sandy Aftermath

 

Good morning everyone, I am so grateful that Hurricane Sandy has finally passed over  and is gone. It has been a very frightening time not only for me and my family but also for everyone living on the east coast. My home was without electricity for 24 hours, and I am very thankful that our power came back on last night. My children were really great through this whole experience and I am so thankful that they were not too scared about what was going on and that we were able to stay with my sister and her family and just make it through this experience.

So many people have been affected by the harsh and terrifying storm that swept over us over the past few days. My prayers go out to the families who lost their loved ones during the hurricane and also to those who lost their homes.

This is definitely a time for everyone to come together, pray and help out as much as possible in any way that they can because so many people have lost so much during these past few days.

 

 

All Pictures I found on The Huffington Post.

**For those living on the east coast that need assistance in any way you can follow the link below get disaster assistance for your home, business, or family http://www.disasterassistance.gov/

**The Salvation Army has dozens of mobile feeding units and shelters along the East Coast that are working to serve thousands in the most heavily hit areas. Visit www.salvationarmyusa.org to donate.

**Feeding America has thousands of pounds of emergency food, water and supplies in the disaster zone that it is working to distribute to the storm’s victims. To donate, visit www.feedingamerica.org or call 800-910-5524.

**AmeriCares is providing medicine and other supplies to people affected by Hurricane Sandy. To donate, visit www.americares.org.

**World Vision is distributing flood clean-up kits, personal hygiene items and emergency food kits to people hit by the hurricane. To donate, visit www.worldvision.org.

**Save the Children is also working to provide relief to families and their children. Visit www.savethechildren.org to donate.

Please share this Post with others so that they too can spread the word to help those people and families that have been affected by the hurricane.

 

Pull-back Busy Train Book

Busy Train

Hi everyone, how is your week turning out so far? Well I hope that it is turning out to be a great week for everyone. I have been a bit under the weather lately but I still wanted to share my book of the week  with you  all.

Pull-back Busy Train Book is just such a cute interactive book written by author Fiona Watt  from Usborne Books. I had to share this book with you  guys.

This is an awesome book for little ones who love trains. Children will love to watch the train as it whizzes around the tracks in this delightful interactive book. There are colorful scenes with embedded tracks provide lots to see and talk about as the train begins its busy morning at the station, before zooming though tunnels, out into the countryside and over a viaduct before reaching its destination. It is definitely a wonderful gift to be shared together again and again, perfect for young train lovers.

This book is for any child 3 years and up, there are 10 pages of pure enjoyment for your little one.

 

 

 

Literacy Tip : Reading aloud to your Child

“Reading aloud and talking about what we’re reading sharpens children’s brains. It helps develop their ability to concentrate at length, to solve problems logically, and to express themselves more easily and clearly.” – Mem Fox

I know personally that reading aloud does help your children build their vocabulary and also their reading skills. Reading for 20 minutes a day is all it takes to really build a strong bond with your child and help them to foster a love of reading.

 

Drawing, Doodling and Coloring Fashion

Happy Monday everyone, I hope that you all had a great weekend and are having a good start to this beautiful Monday. I just love all of the new titles that comes out each month from Usborne Books & More, this week they have an absolutely wonderful book out that will definitely thrill your little fashionista.

The book is entitled Drawing, Doodling and Coloring Fashion.  The Stylish pictures invite your little one to  decorate dresses, design fashion items, doodle hairstyles, color in fabric designs and much more.

• Features page after page of craft-quality paper just waiting to be filled with creative designs, with tips and suggestions for inspiration.
• Perfect for doodling whenever the mood strikes.

This is such a cute idea that girls would just love spending time doodling, so if you want a way to encourage their creative side I think that this is a very good choice for them. The book comes in a hard back copy so it is well protected.

I hope that you all enjoy my book of the week and I hope that some of you will check it out. You can follow the link here to check out the book http://s3753.myubam.com/p/1787/drawingdoodling-and-coloring-fashion

 

Literacy Tip Of The Week

Hi everyone, how is your Thursday going so far ?? Well its kind of gloomy here in Brooklyn, but I’m making the best of it. Today I thought that I would share another literacy tip with you all. I’m sure that your little ones are back in school and learning tons of great new things at that. I think that to help them grow in life we should always encourage them to read.

TIP:

Enourage your kids to read…remember the three B’s: Place a box of books where your child eats Breakfast, one in the Bathroom, and one by their Bed. – The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease

Encourage Your Kids to Develop Healthy Friendships

Friendship is a vital component of childhood that teaches valuable social skills, helps stave off depression and brings with it some of the greatest joys. For some children, making friends comes easy, but others may need some guidance to develop their self-confidence and social skills. If bullying is an issue, talk with your child, and coach him/her to seek help rather than fighting back, contact the school staff, and the offender’s parents as well.

Warning signs a child is being bullied:

1. Has few if any friends he/she spends time with
2. Loses interest in school work, grades start to slide
3. Has unexplained bruises, cuts, scratches
4. Seems anxious & suffers from low self-esteem
5. Seems afraid of going to school.

Tips to help your child to develop healthy friendships:

1. Encourage your child to get involved with extracurricular activities that interest them
2. Be a good role model of making and fostering personal friendships
3. Set clear rules about sharing, and how to treat others
4. Teach conflict solving skills
5. Develop empathy in your child
6. Practice cooperation and problem solving
7. Teach that it’s alright to be different
8. Share stories about others that demonstrate strong friendship skills

 

Usborne Books & More has many wonderful titles that focus on friendship, relationships – and even bullying.

 

I AM JACK Chapter book by Susanne Gervay, 144 pages, Ages 8-12 “…a significant resource for parents, students and teachers. School bullying can have a devastating effect on a child and the school community. It can happen to anyone. Through story journey, I AM JACK emotionally engages the bullied, bully, other children, teachers, parents exploring important ways to create a safer place.” Welcome to Silver Spires Katy is nervous about going to boarding school for the first time, especially as she’s got a big secret to hide. The girls in her dorm seem really nice, but when someone sets Katy up for a fall, how will her new friends react?   School Friends Series chapter books by Ann Bryant, 176 pages, Ages 10+ Drama at Silver Spires Georgie loves acting and is determined to win her favourite role in the school play. But her audition goes drastically wrong and an older girl steals the show instead. Will Georgie ever get her chance in the limelight now?   School Friends Series chapter books by Ann Bryant, 176 pages, Ages 10+ Who Cares? Chapter book by Krista Blakeney Bell, 176 pages, Ages 10-14 A novel about keeping secrets, family loyalty and the true meaning of friendship. Who Dares? Chapter book by Krista Blakeney Bell, 176 pages, Ages 10-14 A novel about keeping an open mind, making unexpected friends, and asking the right questions. Butterflies Chapter book by Susanne Gervay, 256 pages, Ages 11 years+ An extraordinary story of a journey where pain and trauma become triumph and a passion for living, Butterflies is a coming of age story that celebrates the fighter in all of us. A Friend Picture book by Anette Bley, 36 pages, Ages 3-5 There are all kinds of friends, and all are explored in this lovely, quiet volume by Anette Bley. A tribute to friends of all ages, this is a book to be shared both with those just beginning the process of gathering and making friends, and those who have a lifetime of shared laughter and experiences behind them.“I wish I had a friend to play with on grey and rainy days. Someone to get in trouble with when I feel like playing tricks. Someone to dance and laugh with when I am happy. A friend who is quiet with me when I feel sad.”

 

Is Your Child Being Bullied?

Happy Wednesday everyone, I hope that everyone is doing well today, I know that it is probably a busy week for a lot of people because school has already started in some areas.

Well I wanted to just share some advice on Bullying for those of you that have school aged children. A few years ago my son was in first grade and he really like going to school until one day a boy that was a year older than him started to pick on him. My son was terrified, he was picked on every time he went on the playground, or on the bus, even after school. The bully would call him names, laugh at him, and push him around. My son’s father and I spoke to the teachers and even the principal yet the bullying did not stop. My son would cry because he did not want to go to school, he hated the thought of school, and that was just the most heartbreaking thing to see as a parent. You feel so helpless, but we consistently had talks to our son and encouraged him to stand up for himself, to be strong, bold and not to be afraid because everyone should be treated equally and not be bullied by someone else.

Bullying is very hard on children, it breaks their self-esteem, crushes their hopes and makes them feel shunned from the rest of the world. As parents/adults/friends or just anyone in society it is our duty to be spokesmen & women against bullying. We need to be there and raise the awareness of what bullying can do to children and how we can prevent and stop it from happening. I think  that if more people spoke out against bullying and punishments were put in place for bullies it could drastically lower the number of incidents. Countless children have commited suicide because they were being bullied, and that is unacceptable.

“I am Jack” is a children’s book written by author Susanne Gervay, the book is basically about a boy named Jack who loves going to school until another kid starts calling him “butthead” and then the other kids start calling him that too. It takes you through the life of a child being bullied and how he deals with it and overcomes it. I think that this book will definitely help children understand what bullying is and how to overcome it/deal with it/ and help others who are dealing with being bullied.

I wish I had this book a few years ago to read to my child, but I have it now to read to my youngest child and my niece. Every parent, teacher and student should read this book. It should be read together and discussed. It is so simple and yet so common.

***If you or someone you know has a child that is dealing with this issue you can visit this WEBSITE  http://s3753.myubam.com/p/1593/i-am-jack  to purchase this book. It will make a big difference in a child’s life.

***If you or someone you know needs help or advice on bullying you can visit http://www.pacer.org/bullying/?gclid=CNnmjviOjbICFcXb4AodsE0ApQ . This is a website commited to raising awareness about bullying and helping children and teens stand up and stop it.