Insparenting

As parents, we often wonder if we are going to be able to afford higher education for our children. We often think about how we can get the fund for college costs, since costs for education, especially college and university costs, are quite high. Actually, although of course we still need to save as much money as possible for education fund, there are several types of student loans that can help us.

The lowest rate student loan is of course the Federal Student Loan. However, if the federal loan doesn’t cover the total cost and our money cannot cover the rest of the cost, then we can still get the private student loans. Private student loans are unsecured, credit-based loans available to students for tuition and fees, room and board, school supplies, and other education-related expenses. These loans can be applied at the beginning of the school year, in the middle of the term or near the end.

If, along the way, we get to have several student loans, federal or private, we actually can lower the monthly payments by getting the student loan consolidation. And when we consolidate the student loans, we could get more time—up to 20 more years—to repay.

Thus, we don’t need to worry too much about financing our children education. When there is a will, there is a way.

Social skill is an area of deep concern when it comes to homeschooling. Many critics point out that since man needs to hone his social skill, a homeschooling environment where social interaction is limited is detrimental to his growth and development. But studies have proved this wrong.

Children put into the fiercely competitive school environments lack the confidence to hold a conversation. Such children show little genuine interest in the topic of conversation and don’t know how to interact with people of various age groups, especially their elders.

Children who learn at home are more aware of the implications and the purpose of their learning. They will ask intelligent questions and make accurate observations. Children begin their life by imitating their parents. Homeschooled children therefore pick up the sterling qualities they see in their parents. On the other hand, they are protected from the detrimental influences of their peers.

These children are thus better equipped with the tools necessary to face the world. The positive reinforcement that takes place in the homeschooling environment as opposed to being abandoned, embarrassed or ignored in a normal school environment strengthens their self-esteem. Children turn out to be better balanced and well-rounded as they progress into adulthood.

Last Saturday there was a family gathering, held by my older girl’s school. The theme was “Zoo Fun Walk”, started early in the morning with morning exercise together, then proceed with the fun walk around the zoo, and ended with picnic in the zoo. It was quite fun, especially since we’ve never had a picnic in the zoo before.

What is your planning for the next summer holiday?  Some of us have plans for having family vacation trips. For you who haven’t got any plans for summer, then summer camp programs might be interesting alternatives. Summer camp program will make an educative as well as enjoyable summer holiday for our children.

There are several interesting summer camps with positive and fun programs out there. The traditional view of a summer camp is as a woodsy place with hiking, canoeing, and campfires. It is evolving with greater acceptance of newer summer camps that offer a wide variety of specialized activities. For example, there are camps for the circus art camp New York, performing arts, rock music, magic, computers, children with special needs, and weight loss.

One unusual but really interesting program is this Circus Summer Camp New York. My girls, especially the older one, enjoy trying some magic and acrobat tricks and play circus show pretend (which I don’t know why, since they just know circus from TV). So I think they will be really excited with this Circus Camp New York. Children learn acrobatics, clowning, balancing skills, juggling, equilibristics, rolla bolla, trapeze, Spanish web, fabric, trampoline, stilt-walking, tightwire, unicycling, and more, under supervision of professional educators and instructors. Each summer the camp offers four consecutive two-week sessions, and every session culminates in an unforgettable live circus show.

Summer camp is really a great way to do positive and interesting activities.

I wondered, too. I love reading, so does his father. And, my Mom said that I could read since I was three and a half.

My son is almost three. I wonder will he be able to read when he reaches 3,5 years old?

Not that I want to push my son to read or I teach him everyday and get obsessed with it. I simply wonder.

I teach him alphabets and read him books.

I tried Glenn Doman’s and some other techniques but I just never push him.

According to some researchers, kids can read when they get five or six. Before that, most children have not yet formed certain neural connections that allow them to decode printed letters and then mentally combine them to make words.

There are some kids who can read at early age–like me and some other kids–but they never actually learn it.

My Mom also said that she never taught me. She knew that I could read when she caught me checking out her magazine and said some new words that she never heard of. Then, she asked how did I know them. And, I pointed at the magazine.

So, let’s just try our best, as parents, to introduce books and alphabets to the kids and don’t get obsessed over their reading skill.

They just will read, sooner or later.

To answer the above question, you’d better check out these symptoms:

• Letter or word reversals when reading. (Such as was/saw, b/d, p/q).
• Letter or word reversals when writing.
• Difficulty repeating what is said to them.
• Poor handwriting or printing ability.
• Poor drawing ability.
• Reversing letters or words when spelling words that are presented orally.
• Difficulty comprehending written or spoken directions.
• Difficulty with right - left directionality.
• Difficulty understanding or remembering what is said to them.
• Difficulty understanding or remembering what they have just read.
• Difficulty putting their thoughts on paper.