Portal Magazine : Parents' Rule-By: Dr. Joseph Larabee

Portal Magazine

                                                  Volume 3 Issue 7
                                                     August 29th 2010

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Parents' Rule-Six By: Dr. Joseph Larabee

School is on the horizon, and parents couldn’t be much happier than they are in preparation for structure to be brought back into their homes. Eating dinner later, bedtimes being strayed from, and more television than usual is coming to a complete halt with summer’s end. A new school year is somewhat like a present. It allows us parents to get back into the swing of things, although towards the end of the school year we all are anxious for the structure to end, when it begins again tends to be a real treat. We all should prepare for the structure that lies just ahead, weeks ahead. Below are a few knowledgeable tidbits on how to get back to structure and routine:

Establish “bedtimes” about a week in advance, this can be hard with Labor Day weekend, but best practiced at least a week before the first day of school. Some of your children have grown and with growth an extension of their old bedtime is much needed, so adjust bedtimes accordingly.
Get ready for consistency with homework, setting time after school for each child to complete their assignments before playing. Doing homework right after school works the best because what they’ve learned during the day is still fresh.
Limit television, phone calls, and video games to weekends: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. This will help your children appreciate and earn privileges when they achieve a great week in school. Teens are an exception, if they’ve followed rules in your home, completed homework, chores, etc., if they have a favorite program to watch after reading time and all other duties are accomplished, let them, it’s well deserved.
Set aside time to talk. It’s important to talk to our children, find out about their day, and let them talk to us about their friends and how their peers’ summers were. Keep the lines of communication open.
Dinner time is most important to fuel our children, be sure that dinner’s are back to being balanced, cutting out the junk foods that often load us down during the summer.
Re-establish downtime. By this I mean an hour before bedtime, be sure that your child is reading. Reading can never be enforced enough. If your child started this “downtime” while young, they will grow into it and appreciate it. Reading is a key to your child’s enhanced vocabulary and helps with their articulation, allowing them to find words to communicate with us, their teachers, and their own peer group.
Last, but not least, re-establish that connection as parents. You are the cornerstones of the family, be sure to treat yourselves to a job well done, and for enduring the long “dog” days of summer. Make a daytime date with each other, go out to eat, get your hair cut, get some couple time in, you deserve it.

There are probably half a dozen more “tidbits” that I could give, but have excluded for use in future Parents’ Rule issues. Using these guidelines will put you back on the path to success, allow your children to grow into their education, help them to maintain organization, and nurture the healthy lifestyles that they need. Good luck.