No matter what the school environment looks like for your kiddo this year, chances are they’ve become a whiz at learning with technology. From home to the classroom, many teachers are turning to Google tools to help their students learn and stay engaged. To help parents understand these constantly evolving tools, families.google has info on all of the Google tools used in classrooms, as well as some other resources that may help your kids learn at home!
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More than any time in recent history, parents are having to play the role of both family leaders and school teachers. Kids today are spending more time at home because of homeschooling. This can be problematic for any family that has become accustomed to dropping their kids off at school. It often serves as a much-needed respite for both the mother and father and is also a convenient way to find care for your kids if you are working. However, if you are a parent that is now homeschooling your children, you need to develop certain routines. The following information provides successful homeschool routines that any parent can follow to improve their ability to teach their children.
Schedules Are So Important
When a child goes to school, they are going to do so at predetermined times. There is often a mad rush for the parents, trying to get their child onto a bus or into the car so they can be dropped off before the bell rings. However, when you are homeschooling your kids, it is often difficult to maintain a rigid schedule. We are conditioned to rely upon the scheduling of our local school, yet we can still provide them with structured learning. By determining when school will start, and how long each class will be, we can create something very similar at home.
Routine Breaks throughout the Day
Just as a traditional school will provide breaks for the students, parents need to consider doing the same. Although it would be nice to save time and help them learn as fast as possible, not every child is going to understand the information. If you have a child that does require special care at school, such as extra tutoring, you will now need to provide that service as well. To make this easier for both you and your child, you need to have routinely scheduled breaks throughout the day. This will give both of you a much-needed respite from the demands that homeschooling will require. It will also allow your children, as well as the homeschool parent, to be more refreshed as they move from topic to topic.
Proper Preparation before the Next Day’s Lessons
Teachers are well aware of how much prep time goes into preparing for lessons. They will have a curriculum that they must follow, and to deliver the information in a sustained manner, they must first go over the subject matter. This can take hours, depending upon your familiarity with certain topics, as well as the amount of information that needs to be conveyed. You will have to prepare the quizzes, tutorials, and other forms of educational training, in the most helpful way. That is why it is important to spend at least one hour prior to school starting at home to ensure that this information is delivered properly.
Always Have Scheduled Testing Times
Perhaps the most important aspect of going to school is having deadlines. This is well known to those that take AP courses in high school or college courses at the local university. The amount of material that needs to be consumed and learned each week demands that deadlines be set in place. When your child has a deadline for completing their assignments, they will be more inclined to be highly focused. As with anything to do in life, you need to have reliable homeschool routines and deadlines to help provide this aspect of the educational process.
How to Address Issues That Your Child May Have
It is possible that your child may not understand the information that you will be presenting to them each day. This is a common occurrence for any teacher that has taught in a classroom. They are well aware that most students learn and consume information at different rates. Since you will know your child better than anyone, you will likely have a general idea of what their strengths and weaknesses are. By planning in advance to provide extra tutoring for these subjects, you can ensure that they will move forward and reach deadlines right on time. This will also require the parent to spend extra time learning each topic. The more proficient they are with the material that must be taught, the easier it will be to provide helpful information.
Homeschooling is something that not everyone can do. It requires determination, planning, and the gift of being an educator. If a parent hasn’t taught in the classroom before, they can quickly learn how to become one. Every day, parents across the world are educating their children, and these skills can be used when teaching their kids at home. As long as there are homeschool routines, deadlines, and enough preparation for the lessons, they will be successful as a teacher for their children.
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How much screen time is too much screen time for my kids? When should I get my child their own phone? How do I make distance learning fun? When you have a question about parenting, oftentimes your first reaction is to Google it.
Fortunately, these are just a few of the trending topics for families on Google Search that informed the creation of robust new resources to help families navigate through the ins and outs of technology with their kids. Introducing Google’s new site for families that has everything parents need to navigate the digital playground: popular apps and games, parental controls, online safety and digital wellbeing, fun online activities to do as a family and so much more. Read on to learn more about Google’s new resources for families.
Ready to get your family’s tech journey started? Learn more at families.google!
Ready to get your family’s tech journey started? Learn more at families.google!
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Looking for a fun way to keep your kids excited about reading this summer? How about free books!
When you sign your young readers up at Barnes & Noble you can spend the whole summer reading––and earn some free books to tuck them in at bedtime when school starts again. So how does it work?
When students in grades one through six read eight books over the summer and complete a reading journal, they can earn a free book at Barnes & Noble. All you need to do is download the journal here and print it.
Then, complete the information requested and have your kids log the books they’ve read over the summer. Turn in the journal at any Barnes & Noble location between July. 1 and Aug. 31, 2021.
Once completed, kids are able to choose from a pre-set list of free books grouped by grade level. The list includes titles like Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls’ Rights, Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer and Because of Winn-Dixie.
The Barnes & Noble reading program website also offers suggested reading lists if your kids need some ideas on what to read.
—Shahrzad Warkentin
Feature photo: JHVEPhoto via iStock
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If you grew up oogling over Cher Horowitz’ Clueless closet, this new collab from HipDot is for you. The makeup company has partnered with the Paramount Pictures hit to bring the ultimate collection that will take you straight back to the 90’s.
The Hipdot x Clueless Collection drops on May 11 and is packed with everything from eyeshadows and blush, to lip oil sets. The entire line is an homage to Cher and the gang, with plaid packaging and pre-2000 era cell phones.
The collab includes
- The 411 Eyeshadow Palette ($32): 12 shades that include Highly Selective, Botticelli, Classic, Full-On Monet, The Valley, Homies, Phat, Totally Paused, Fashion Victim, Pretty Groovy, Doll Face, Whatever!
- Total Bettys Lip Oil Set ($24): Includes three moisturizing tinted lip oils in red, nude and mauve
- Totally Clueless Blush Palette ($26): Includes 4 shades
- Clueless Collection Bundle ($82): Includes The 411 Eyeshadow Palette, the Total Bettys Lip Oil Set and the Totally Clueless Blush Palette.
- Cher’s Locker Set Box ($108): Includes Total Bettys Lip Oil Set, the 411 Eyeshadow Palette, the Totally Clueless Blush Palette, and a collectible HipDot x Clueless pink fluffy pen packed in the Limited Edition Clueless Collector’s Box.
Like all HipDot products, the products in the HipDot x Clueless collection are vegan and cruelty-free, as well as free of parabens, talc, mineral oil, phthalates, and other harmful ingredients. For more information and to shop the Clueless collection, please visit Hipdot.com or Ulta.com and follow @hipdot on Instagram.
––Karly Wood
All photos: Courtesy of HipDot
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Got old toys? Mattel is here to give them a new lease on life.
The Mattel Playback program is all about recovering and reusing materials in Mattel toys and is a part of the company’s larger effort to reach 100 percent bio-based, recycled and recyclable plastic materials in all of its products and packaging by 2030. Starting out, the program will take Barbie, Matchbox and MEGA toys, with other brands becoming available for recycling in the future.
Participation is easy. First, pack up your Mattel toys that your kiddos have outgrown, then visit Mattel.com/PlayBack to print a free shipping label. Mail off to Mattel, where your box will be sorted ed by material type, processed and recycled.
If there are materials that cannot be recycled, Mattel PlayBack will convert them to energy or downcycle into other plastic products. The program is currently available in the United States and Canada, with France, Germany and the United Kingdom using a third-party partner to launch similar options.
“At Mattel, we are committed to managing the environmental impact of our products,” added Pamela Gill-Alabaster, Global Head of Sustainability, Mattel. “The Mattel PlayBack program helps parents and caregivers ensure that valuable materials stay in play, and out of landfills, with the aim to repurpose these materials as recycled content in new toys. It is one important step we’re taking to address the growing global waste challenge.
For more information on the Mattel PlayBack program, visit Mattel.com/PlayBack.
––Karly Wood
All photos: Courtesy of Mattel
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How much do babysitters make? To answer this question, UrbanSitter recently published its 10th Annual National Child Care Rates Survey!
After reviewing booking data from more than 10,000 families, UrbanSitter calculated the hourly rates of caregivers such as tutors, virtual sitters, and pod sitters. The results include national averages for different types of sitters along with regional averages.
photo courtesy of UrbanSitter
According to UrbanSitter’s stats, fifty-seven percent of parents surveyed will pay over $10,000 in child care costs this year. The national average for in-person sitting services is $18.36 per hour for one child in 2021. This is a 3.5 percent increase from 2020. The average jumps to $21.23 per hour for two kiddos—a 4.5 percent increase from 2020.
Virtual sitting services averaged $16.51 per hour and pod sitters made an average of $15.90. Tutors made more than these types of sitters, with a national average of $20.72 per hour.
If you’re wondering which region has the highest sitter rates, look to the west. San Francisco rates averaged $20.72 per hour for one child and $23.56 per hour for two kiddos. Las Vegas sitters charged the least, with an average price tag of $12.52 per hour for one kiddo and $17.18 for two.
For more information on how much American parents pay their sitters and other child care trends, visit UrbanSitter here.
—Erica Loop
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The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission is recalling two infant teethers due to choking hazards. Both products contain items that can become dislodged and pose a risk to small children.
Keep reading to see all the details.
––Karly Wood
All photos: Courtesy of U.S. CPSC
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced a voluntary recall for Hostess SnoBalls due to an undeclared coconut allergen risk.
According to the FDA, the affected Hostess SnoBalls were inadvertently placed in the packaging for Hostess Chocolate CupCakes. This packaging does not list coconut as an ingredient.
photo courtesy of the U.S. FDA
Anyone who’s a fan of the sweet treats knows these delish desserts are frosted cream-filled cake with a thick layer of shredded coconut. This makes the undeclared allergen a potential danger to anyone who can’t eat coconut or coconut-containing products.
The affected products include single-serve Hostess SnoBalls with the item UPC 888109010096, batch number I031221000, and best by date of May 27, 2021. These SnoBalls were sold to dollar stores, convenience stores, and other distributors nationwide.
There are currently no injuries or illnesses reported due to the recalled product. If you have the recalled Hostess SnoBalls do not eat the product. Contact the place or purchase for more information on returning the recalled SnoBalls and how to get a full refund. Visit hostesscakes.com or call the company at 1-800-483-7253 for answers to your recall-related questions.
—Erica Loop
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With so many large crowd events cancelled, we’ve all been missing out on some fine fair food. But Pringles is here to help.
The brand just introduced a limited edition flavor––Wavy Deep Fried Pickle! Only found at Dollar General, this crunchy, acidic and sour snack is available this month.
photo: Courtesy of Pringles
Gareth Maguire, senior director of marketing for Pringles shares “The Pringles brand prides itself in delivering insanely accurate flavor combinations that are both familiar and delicious. With the debut of Pringles Wavy Deep Fried Pickle, fans can experience their favorite, iconic fried appetizer flavor in an entirely new, easy to snack form.”
The limited-edition Pringles Wavy Deep Fried Pickle are only available at Dollar General stores starting in April 2021, while supplies last. For more information, follow @PringlesUS on Instagram, @Pringles on Twitter and check out Facebook.com/PringlesUS.
––Karly Wood
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