I think all of us need to put some random acts of kindness into our own lives, right at home with family, and not just on Valentine's Day or birthdays. If we model this, it could be contagious. How about surprising your child with an unexpected note on the bathroom mirror saying I Love You, or a snack sandwich cut into a heart shape. What about putting a funny poem in a coat pocket or a note inside the homework. What about a paper smiley face on the bed pillow with a piece of chocolate on it. What about going bowling together just for fun, even if you are a terrible bowler.
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Evelyn Petersen: Ask Evelyn
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Evelyn Petersen
Ask Evelyn: Kindness not just for holidays
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Ask Evelyn: Active play boosts brain power
Q: I read an article in Good Housekeeping last year about how kids are developing problems with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure nowadays because they are inside so much playing video games and watching TV.
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Ask Evelyn: Teens' limits, parents' instincts
Q: I'm a widowed, fairly liberal, single parent of a daughter who has one year left of high school. She's always been a good and cooperative, communicative kid, but she has some questionable friends.http://askevelyn.com
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Ask Evelyn: Even toddlers can learn good manners
My son is 2 and he prefers the comfort of being held by an adult or being the center of attention. That's been his life so far, but I am a single mom and sometimes mom just has to get things done.
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Ask Evelyn: Sleep is of vital importance
Note to readers: I have been researching recent studies about sleep deprivation in school children and teens and the terrible toll this takes on children's brain development. I want to share this information; please take it seriously and pass it on to other parents.
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Ask Evelyn: Sleep is of vital importance
Note to readers: I have been researching recent studies about sleep deprivation in school children and teens and the terrible toll this takes on children's brain development. I want to share this information; please take it seriously and pass it on to other parents.
Continued ... - Saturday, March 31, 2012
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Ask Evelyn: We're losing a connection
Q: What do you think about that new smartphone that has the screen that does EVERYTHING "¦ that they are touting for young children. I saw on television that some schools were getting praise for their use of these small-screen gadgets. Somehow, as a retired teacher, they bother me. — P.N.
Continued ... - Saturday, March 3, 2012
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Ask Evelyn: Kids (and grown-ups) need praise
We need to understand that true self-esteem is not based on the way we look, but based on our inner feelings about ourselves.
Continued ... - Saturday, February 4, 2012
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Ask Evelyn: Everybody's doing it?
Q: My "tween" is always saying "Everybody does it" or "Everybody says it." I know this is an excuse to try to get her own way or get things she wants, but I'm really getting tired of hearing it. Where does this end? — Frustrated Mom
Continued ... - Saturday, January 21, 2012
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Ask Evelyn: Learn to treat 'affluenza'
- Saturday, December 24, 2011
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Ask Evelyn: A few parenting tips for new year
- Saturday, December 3, 2011
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Ask Evelyn: Holidays should be fun
- Saturday, November 19, 2011
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Ask Evelyn: Family games great teachers
- Saturday, October 29, 2011
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Ask Evelyn: Family meals about more than food
- Saturday, October 15, 2011
- Ask Evelyn: Modify children's behavior without bribes
- Saturday, September 24, 2011
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Ask Evelyn: From a teacher's standpoint
I thought it would be interesting to say something about these conferences from the teachers' point of view, not just the parents' perspective. So I asked a retired first-grade TCAPS teacher what the teachers expect parents to ask or hope parents will discuss at the conferences. Here is her insight. "Of course parents will ask, 'How is my child doing?' Often they want to know how they're doing in comparison with classmates. As teachers we steer away from peer comparisons; instead we share where their child is in relation to grade-level expectations/exit skills. Each child is an individual so that's what really matters." Conferences are a two-way effort. You know your child best and you need to share this information.
Continued ... - Saturday, September 3, 2011
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Ask Evelyn: Good manners create ripples of kindness
We need to make the effort to stand up for good citizenship and our community.
Continued ... - Saturday, August 20, 2011
- Ask Evelyn: Kids need parents more than activities
- Saturday, August 6, 2011
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Ask Evelyn: Manners are an endangered skill
Good manners are essential in a community. Children need to be taught more than words. They need to be taught how good manners make people feel, and why good manners are important.
Continued ... - Saturday, July 16, 2011
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Ask Evelyn: Reading should be fun
Reading builds visualization, language and thinking skills. It's also important to know that when children read very slowly, a word at a time, they lose their train of thought before they get to the end of a sentence and usually lose comprehension skills. But when children read for fun and pure enjoyment, they read faster; they read an entire phrase at a time, and this improves their comprehension skills. This summer be sure to give children many opportunities to read for fun and relaxation.
Continued ... - Saturday, June 25, 2011
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Ask Evelyn: DVDs build couch potatoes, not readers
Q: Recently I saw an ad about buying classic children's stories on DVD so they could watch them on the TV. I wondered what you think of this in terms of getting preshoolers interested in reading and developing prereading skills. — A.G. A: Kids who watch DVDs, no matter how interesting, are more likely to become couch potatoes than good readers. Reading is what grows active readers; television grows spectators. We need to help children get their brains working by using their own imaginations. DVDs don't encourage the use of imagination during a story.
Continued ... - Saturday, June 4, 2011
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Ask Evelyn: Prepare kids for moving
Q: We've just found that my husband is being transferred to another state and we have to move next month. We have a toddler and 4-year-old twins and the confusion of moving is bound to distress them. How can we make it easier? — J. W. A: Keep it simple. Tell them you are moving and explain why; stay positive and calm.
Continued ... - Saturday, May 21, 2011
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Ask Evelyn: Teaching about choices
Note to my readers: I often talk about the importance of teaching children to make choices that are in their best long-term interest. Sounds simple, but for most parents, this is a very tough thing to do. On a recent trip I met a young mother raising three children, ages 3, 10 and 13. Lera's husband left when the 3-year-old came along.
Continued ... - Saturday, April 30, 2011
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Ask Evelyn: Ear tubes and toddlers
Q: Are there alternatives to tubes? My child will be 2 in a few weeks and she's never been sick. Now she's been diagnosed with an ear infection. A: The alternatives to tubes are medications, and that is currently what your doctor is prescribing. In any case, please don't be afraid of letting them put in the tubes. This ear surgery is very common among preschoolers, even those your child's age and younger.
Continued ... - Saturday, April 16, 2011
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Ask Evelyn: What mistakes should we prevent?
Q: Could you just tell me what are the most common mistakes parents make? And then maybe I could prevent some of them as my little one grows. A: First, remember that we all make mistakes, no matter how much we study or learn or strive to be great parents. And it's OK to make mistakes; we are only human and we usually learn from these mistakes.
Continued ... - Saturday, March 26, 2011
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Ask Evelyn: Learn about assessment
Formal assessment testing is done at all grade levels because public schools have expectations to meet. Whenever there are goals to achieve, we need to develop methods of finding out if we are meeting these goals. Checking children's progress is one purpose of testing or assessment, whether testing is informal or formal. If developmentally appropriate guidance becomes available, it's up to parents and school board members to encourage school districts to use it.
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