10 Tips For Single Parents To Make School Days the Best by:Laura C. Ries

1 Homework Ideas

Create a place and routine to do homework - When Lillie wanted to watch TV while doing homework because she studied better that way. I began to argue with her until she pointed out she is a straight A student. So I told her that she could do her homework in this way until her grades slipped. It never did. John wanted to paint his room black. I resisted and set a high goal for him to get this. It took him years before he was able to paint his room. He did so much better with his school work, I wish I had let him paint his room sooner. And with his Oak furniture, even I liked the effect.

2 Meet The Teacher

Make a point to attend open house, and conferences

3 Volunteer

Pick something during the year to volunteer for like field trips, homeroom activities, or something you can do from home

4 Opportunities

Get to know what the school has to offer. There may be a bulletin board where you can put your needs. Does your school offer counseling, speech therapy or other services?

5 PTA Meetings

Go to these meetings, you'll meet other parents and sometimes there are great speakers.

6 Plan For The Cost Of The Extras

It seemed to me the kids were always needing $1-2 for special projects and field trips for the NEXT day. I didn't always have extra money . So I started and envelope for each of them so I'd have it set aside to be ready.

7 Set Expectations

what you expect from your child and what your child can expect from you

8 Comparisons

Don't compare your child with other children. This frustrates them and will be a discouragement. Help them to find their strengths and talents. Even if they have a talent, do they have the passion? Lillie has talent with music both in playing an instrument as well as singing. However, she wasn't interested in either enough to do them more than one year in school. When she took an art course in High School, she had the passion that matched her talent. She has continued to paint years after her initial class.

9 Learning Style

Find out your child's learning style. Many schools cater to audio and visual learners. What does that mean for the child who is kinesthetic? How do you help your child fit into an environment that isn't suited to their strength?

10 Start The Day Out Right

Make you all have a great breakfast. Even quick and easy breakfasts can be nutritional. Have a staging area where you child can put everything needed for school the night before.

About the author

As a single parent, Laura C. Ries' goal is to raise her children to know how to make decisions, create goals and achieve them. And now she's teaching other parents.

Article excerpted from "I'm a New Single Mom, NOW What?"

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