Successful after school programs

What marks a successful after school program? What are the things that you
should look for when enrolling your child into one such program? Other
than the obvious advantage of learning something new, successful programs
incorporate many things that help the development of the child.

Development of social skills is one of the more important objectives of a
good after school program. In a recent survey, parents indicated that
while they do want their children to respect others, they also wanted them
to imbibe skills like getting along with other children and getting used
to children outside the immediate circle of friends. Many children find it
difficult to make new friends and get along with people outside their
group.

Good after school programs place special emphasis on security and safety.
They keep children out of trouble and keep them safe. A good after school
program should be fun, especially when the children are young. If the
activity is fun, you will not have to worry about keeping him interested
or motivated. To be effective, programs should be organized and
structured. They must also suit the age of the child. The child must be
aware of the purpose of the program, and must be convinced that they are
attending the programs to accomplish something.

Re-energize Yourself Mom!

Being a mom is hard work.

To re-energize and refresh yourself, you need to stop and take some time out.

I found a great article on how you can do this.

The better you feel, the better 'mom' you are for your family!

Positive Things To Do For Yourself
By Rebecca White

Being a mom can take a toll on your body, your mind, and your soul. I know I am a mom to 3 wonderful but hyper boys ages 11, 9 and 3 and there are days where I really need to take a break from everything that goes on around me.

Sometimes though when you are blue its really hard to know what to do to bring yourself out of that "mom blues funk".

So I created a short list of things that I like to do when I just need those few minutes to rejuvenate myself and help me refocus on what is important to me and my life.

* Have a journal that you can write down things that are bothering you, get it off your chest so that it doesn’t interfere with anything else. Read it once a month to see if you were able to deal with the problems or feelings you had at that time.

* VIEW yourself as attractive, beautiful-and you'll project that impression to others.

* Work at developing a positive attitude. You'll feel happier, more in control, and you'll radiate high self-esteem.

* Start viewing problems as challenges that you can overcome and learn from.

* Associate with positive successful people. Optimism and success are contagious.

* Alleviate stress with a relaxation technique such as meditation or yoga. Or simply do a 60 second deep breathing exercise 5-6 times a day.

* Do aerobic exercise daily to relieve tension and boost energy.

* Limit alcohol and caffeine intake. Alcohol can leave you feeling sluggish: too much caffeine can trigger restlessness and irritability.

* Learn to set priorities, saying "no" to nonessential activities. Can you do this one? I have a hard time saying no.....

* Eat healthy, choosing foods from the four food groups: dairy, protein, fruit/vegetable, and grains. Eating healthy gives us the energy! Don’t skip breakfast even if you don’t have time you can grab a piece of toast and an apple.

* Avoid drastic weight loss programs. Instead, combine aerobic exercise with an eating plan that limits fat intake. Do not go under 30 grams of fat a day though even if trying to lose weight, we need some fat in our bodies or our bodies will think it is starving and save all those calories instead of letting you burn them off.

I don’t expect you to do this list all at once. That would be adding just one more stress to your life. Read over the list again and choose the ones that are most important to you now. Once you have accomplished what you chose to work on then move on to another one that is important to you.

Rebecca White is the host for Heal Yourself Talk Radio. HYTR was started to help teach others to learn how to heal their mind, body and soul. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter for weekly inspirations, podcast releases and more. Visit HYTR today at http://www.healyourselftalk.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rebecca_White
http://EzineArticles.com/?Positive-Things-To-Do-For-Yourself&id=26398

Mommy Tips

Mommy Tips:

"Activity Time:

Make time each day for at LEAST one pre-planned activity for the day. It works the best if your child picks out the activitity - that way it gives them something to look foward to.

(Make up a calendar and let your child help fill in that special something each day that you will DO WITH THEM)

Submitted By: Tasha"