Donate School Supplies!

Can you believe it’s already mid-summer?! School supply-buying season is rapidly approaching. Consider donating school supplies to families in need. Now until September 17, 2011, you can stop by Staples stores to donate school supplies for kids whose families can’t afford them. They’ll be given to local non profit organizations that work with children and education.

http://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/bts_pr/do_something.html

For other give-back ideas, check out www.dosomething.org!

WWW for kids!

At Artist Babysitting we’ve been surfing the World Wide Web looking for super cool websites to share with you. Every week we’ll post about a new website. Try it and let us know what you think!

This week we found starfall.com. Starfall is a free public service to teach children to read with phonics. Their systematic phonics approach, in conjunction with phonemic awareness practice, is perfect for preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, special education, homeschool, and English language development.

We look forward to your feedback!

Back to School! …eating, sleeping and learning…

Even if your child can’t wait to start school, transitioning from lazy summer days to strict school schedules can be tough. You can help your family prepare for the school year by easing into new routines and promoting healthy habits at home.

Eating

Breakfast: Don’t let your kids skip breakfast in the morning rush. A nutritious morning meal helps kids concentrate better in class and maintain a healthy weight. Stock your kitchen with plenty of healthy breakfast foods, such as whole-grain breads and cereals, yogurt, and fresh fruit, or make sure your children eat a balanced breakfast at school.

Lunch: Look over the school menu with your child, especially if he’s a picky eater. (Many schools post menus on their websites.) If he turns up his nose at the special of the day, plan to pack a healthy lunch he’ll enjoy.

After school: Keep nutritious foods on hand so your child can prepare her own snacks. She may be more likely to eat celery with peanut butter or carrot sticks with low-fat dip. Microwave popcorn, nuts, and low-fat cheese with whole-grain crackers are also good options.

Sleeping

Earlier wake-up times can be tough on kids and parents alike. Ease your family’s transition to a “school night” sleep schedule by rolling back bedtimes the week before classes start. Kids ages 5 to 12 need 10 to 11 hours of sleep per night, while older children need at least 9 hours of sleep.

Your kids may not be getting enough sleep if they:

• are irritable or restless or have a short attention span.
• have much less energy than they normally do.
• are more impatient, anxious, or defensive than usual.

You can help your children get sufficient sleep by establishing and maintaining a nighttime routine. The National Sleep Foundation recommends:

• Limiting caffeine consumption in the afternoon and evening.
• Avoiding serving big dinners close to bedtime.
• Setting a regular bedtime and enforcing it.
• Creating a calming nighttime routine. Video games and TV shows are too stimulating before bed. Instead, share a favorite story with your child or encourage her to read on her own.

Learning

Much of a child’s success in school is tied to the support he gets at home. You can help your kids get the most out of school by:

• Maintaining open lines of communication with teachers and understanding their expectations.
• Creating a homework station and keeping adequate school supplies on hand.
• Designating times for doing homework, playing outside, and watching TV or playing video games.
• Being available to help with homework.
• Observing your children for signs of frustration or confusion.

You’ll most likely get the teacher’s email address or phone number at the school open house. Don’t be afraid to use it, and don’t wait until the parent-teacher conference to address issues of concern. Taking steps early can make a big difference.

To learn more about Artist Babysitting, please visit our website at

www.artistbabysitting.com