June 3, 2012 in Blog by Dee

How to Relax on Vacation With Adult ADHD

By Sandy Maynard

People with attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) don’t relax in the usual way — which is why vacations don’t always relax them. Many people can relax on the beach with just a bottle of sunscreen, a beach chair and a good novel. That’s not the case for most with attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD). Laying around in the sun all day reading can be stressful. To relax, they need a surfboard, snorkeling gear, a Frisbee or two, and half a dozen beach-game balls and paddles. Here’s how to ensure that your summer vacation provides the breather you need.

First Things First

You can’t fully relax on vacation if you’ve left loose ends at home. For example, if you haven’t paid the gas bill before leaving, you may find yourself at the beach worrying about a late fee or cutoff notice. Before you go away, make a list of things that need doing and then do them, even if it means spending one less day at the resort. The extra day spent in preparation will make you more at ease while you’re away.

Don’t Try to Fit In

ADHD children often squirm, fidget and twirl their hair. As adults, these behaviors may be replaced by a vague sense of discontent and restlessness. In order to relax, you’ll need to find positive ways of responding to these feelings. That’s why you shouldn’t feel obligated to snooze by the pool after a busy day of sightseeing, just because that’s what your friends and family do to rejuvenate. You may need to sacrifice some “together time” to do what’s best for you. Going to the gym for an intense physical workout can help relax the restless ADHD adult. Endorphins – brain chemicals released during intense exercise – are soothing to body and mind. If you’re feeling particularly tense, try picking up the pace.

Un-Stress Yourself

Flight delays and hotel mix-ups are an inevitable part of vacations. Muscle tension and mental worry often result. Simple relaxation techniques and mental imagery can help.
•Body Relaxation: First, identify which muscle groups are tense. Do a head-to-toe body scan. Did you tighten your shoulders and curl them forward? Clench your fists or tighten your jaw?

Step two is to adjust your posture. If you are slouching, sit or stand tall. Lift your shoulders up and gently let them relax backwards. Then take a deep relaxing breath, inhaling and exhaling fully.

Finally, close your eyes and envision a relaxing wave or breeze. Create whatever wave image seems most soothing to you: warm or cool, strong or light, slow or fast. Recall the parts of your body that seemed the most tense. Then envision your wave washing away the tension.

•Mental Relaxation: If you’re worried about something in particular, stop and write it down. Doing so gets the thought out of your head and on to paper. Then put the paper in the zippered compartment of your travel bag, and tell it to stay there!

If your mind is spinning because you are starting to think of all the things you have to do at work when you get back, do the same thing: quickly get it out of your head and onto paper, shove it into the “worry pouch” of your travel bag, and get rid of it.

Recovery Time

Don’t erase the inner peace your vacation provided by getting home at the very last minute. Give yourself time to unpack and get organized before returning to work. There’s usually enough to catch up on at the office without the extra burden of laundry still undone from vacation. Allowing yourself to re-settle at a leisurely pace will extend the psychological and physical benefits of your time away.

June 3, 2012 in Blog by Dee

5 Fundamental Reasons to Take a Look at Summer School

By Denise Witmer

Failing a class in high school can be devastating to a teen’s self esteem (not to mention offer potential trouble getting into their preferred college), but luckily there are options he/she can take: Summer school, taking the class over the following year, staying back a year or, if it’s an elective, just letting it go. Here are five reasons why summer school is a viable choice for your teenager:

1.) Summer school will give your teen more time to learn the basics of the subject being taught. Middle and high school classes mimic the fast paced world in which we live. Unfortunately, teens learning math and science often can’t keep up and get lost. Considering each step is a building block for the next concept in the course, it isn’t a mystery why many teens do not pass a class the first time around. The time that these teens need is offered during summer school sessions.

2.) The environment of a summer school class offers your teen a different approach.It tends to be more relaxed with smaller classes – it’s the optimal learning environment in which all teens could benefit. Couple that with having a different teacher who uses their unique teaching approach and your teen may do very well with the subject that he/she previously failed. Teens, such as these, do well in summer school and often become more positive about their academics.

3.) Summer school will give your teen a second chance to obtain class credit, preventing doubling up a core class during the school year. Here is how today’s high school works: Each state requires a certain amount of core classes to be taken by every student and passed before they can graduate. So, even if your teen isn’t going to college, he/she may still have to pass four math classes including algebra and geometry to obtain his/her diploma. This can be demoralizing to a teen that has a hard time in math classes. If he/she fails the one, having to take two of these together the next year can lead to more failure with the possibility of the teenager dropping out of school. Summer school prevents this problem.

4.) During summer school, your teen will be able to focus on just that particular class. Remember, your teen is facing the same type of stress that we are facing in our adult lives with deadlines and the push to perform well. Summer school will help those teens who get overloaded by having too many classes to focus on at one time. So, if the work load during the school year was a problem for your teen, summer school is the option to take to get the class credit.

5.) Summer school will give your teen the chance to raise his/her grade point average.A failure in any class really hurts a teen’s cumulative average and can cost him/her the chance to go on to the college or technical school of his/her choice. While letting an elective class go and not retaking it is an option, summer school grades replace the failing grade already earned, thereby raising your teen’s grade point average. You can help take away the stigma of going to summer school by talking to your teen and letting him/her know that not passing a math/science/whatever class does not define who he/she is. That your teen’s grades do not make or break how much you love him/her. Create a positive conversation by bringing up something your child does well. Then discuss ways to keep a failing grade from happening again by using study groups and perhaps hiring a tutor at the first sign of trouble in a class. When it is all said and done, summer school will get your teen back on the right track with passing grades and you can use the experience to strengthen the parent-child bond. A definite win-win situation.

June 3, 2012 in Blog by Dee

15 Ways to Celebrate a Great Report Card

By Apryl Duncan

Your star student worked hard at school and has a glowing report card to prove it. Celebrate his success with good grades rewards that give him a pat on the back for a job well done.

Forms of Praise as Good Grades Rewards
The best good grades rewards show how proud you are of your kids. Your praise may be an excited, “Congratulations,” a high five or a hug and kissfest. Praise can also come in the form of putting the report card on the refrigerator where everyone can see it. Or maybe you prefer to show your praise with a free printable certificate. Take a picture of him with his report card and frame it. These simple acts of praise will encourage him to keep doing his best in school.

1. Freebies
Many companies offer rewards to students who do well in school. Kids with good grades can take their report cards in to earn everything from free food to a free movie rental.

2. Bake a Cake
Bake something special, like one of the top 10 family cakes, as a reward. Get creative with a square cake and write with frosting to make a replica of your child’s report card. Cut a square cake into an A. Have fun coming up with ideas to honor good grades with a good cake.

3. Day Trip
He or she probably has a favorite place he or she likes to go. Or you may be thinking about taking him out of town for an adventure in a neighboring city. When the report card comes in, plan a visit to a children’s museum, the zoo, an amusement park or an aquarium.

4. Movie
Spend an afternoon or evening at the movies together. If the budget is too tight for movie tickets and popcorn, try a family night movie at home that turns your living room into a movie theater. It’s his/her moment, so he/she gets to choose the snacks and an age-appropriate movie.

5. Pizza
Go out for pizza. Take along some quarters so you can play some arcade games with him/her while you’re there.

6. Sleepover
Let him/her invite a couple of friends over for a sleepover. You can even use his/her report card as a gauge to how many friends he/she can have over. For example, 3 A’s means he/she can invite 3 friends.

7. Extra Time
When the report cards come home with good grades on them, give your kids some extra time rewards. The time could be a night with a later bedtime or being able to play video games on a day you wouldn’t normally allow.

8. Books
If you’re on the fence about rewarding your child for grades, you may be swayed if you give him/her something educational. Head to the bookstore and let him/her pick out a book he/she wants to read. Or select a book you can read together.

9. Ice Cream
A sweet treat can be a fun reward for you and your children. Make a special trip to the ice cream store or try making your own ice cream at home with a baggie.

10. Favorite Meal
He loves your famous burger recipe as long as one of the toppings is potato chips. Serve up his favorite meal as a reward, weird requests and all.

11. Toy
Younger children may enjoy a trip to the toy store to find the perfect toy. Older kids who’ve been bugging you for the hottest video game can now earn it by getting good grades.

12. Party
At the end of the year, throw a party if he/she gets good grades. This gives him/her a goal to work toward as he/she hits the books. It’s also a great way to say goodbye to another school year and hello to summer.

13. Board Game
Let him/her choose a new board game when he/she brings home good grades. Make sure it’s something all of you can play together during a family game night. It will be a win-win for everyone.

14. Money … With a Twist
Some parents love giving their kids money for A’s and B’s. Others are adamantly opposed to handing over cash for grades. But you may find some moolah in hand for earning those grades, whether you coughed up the cash yourself or a grandparent sent it to your child for a job well done. Try this twist on money for grades. Let your child open a savings account. Many kids are so fascinated with having their own savings account book to write their deposit amounts in that this is reward enough for them. Or turn a monetary reward into a way to teach kids how to be charitable. Show them how to donate some of the money to a charity of their choice. They can help everyone from less fortunate kids in other countries to cats and dogs right in their own city.

15. Mommy/Daddy Date Night
This one’s especially fun for the kids. They get to be in control of a date night. Let your child choose a parent to take out on the town for an evening. This one-on-one time is a huge reward. If he/she doesn’t pick you this go-around, just wait. You may get a turn when the next report card comes out.

June 3, 2012 in Blog by Dee

Educational Activities for Summer

By Ellen C. Braun

Fun and Easy Summer Activities to Keep Your Child Reading and Writing

Research shows that many children drop as much as half a grade in reading ability over the summer because they stop reading for three months. Writing skills can fall behind too. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Reading and writing over the summer doesn’t have to be boring.

From paper chains, to writing poems, from book clubs to crossword puzzles, you and your children are in for a summer of reading and writing fun. It’s a known fact that children, as well as adults, learn more when they are relaxed and happy! So, here’s to a summer of fun that builds school skills.

Let’s Read

Buy Music, Art, Cook or Joke Books: Do your children love to sing? Do they love to draw? Cook? Or tell jokes? From reading the words to their favorite songs to cooking up the family’s dinner to sharing knock knock jokes, reluctant readers will be reading.

Make Origami: Without realizing it, kids are reading as they follow directions to make an origami bird. You’ll find books on origami in local book stores, online, at your library. Be sure to help your child pick a book that has origami they can make. Some origami is complicated even if the directions are easy to read.

Make a Vocabulary Paper Chain: You don’t have to have a party to make a paper chain. All you need are scissors and piles of construction paper. Write a new vocabulary word and its definition on each strip of paper, keeping the writing on the outside of each link. Keep adding a new link for each new vocabulary word. Watch the chain grow as your child’s vocabulary grows.

Do Crossword Puzzles, Word Finds and Word Jumbles: Word games and puzzles are perfect for developing minds. They not only build vocabulary but help with following directions and focusing skills. Kids can make their own puzzles. If they want help designing the grid, you can find several puzzle-makers on line.

Play Board Games: Scrabble, Go to the Head of the Class, Charades, and Monopoly are just a few of the great board games that are fun and educational. Many board games come in different editions from easy or junior to adult.

Buy Mad Libs: Did you have Mad Libs as a child? It’s the perfect way to learn parts of speech. Without ever having to do pages of drill looking for nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, kids laugh their way through pages of silly outrageous stories while learning parts of speech.

Go Back in History with old Comic Books: Search your attic for those old Superman, Batman or Spiderman comics. Before you know it, your reluctant reader will be attached his favorite superhero. Or how about Little LuLu, Donald Duck, Archie and Veronica and Peanuts.

Start a Book Club: If your local library doesn’t offer a book club, start one yourself. Let your child decide with you on several titles. Invite her friends over and hold the first book club meeting. Several online sites have great suggestions for starting book clubs.

Let’s Write

Make a Word Collage: Cut words, phrases and sentences out of old magazines. Paste them together to write a story. Cut out or draw pictures to illustrate the story.

Write to a Pen Pal: A pen pal can be a relative or friend that lives in the next town, state or in another country. Children enjoy writing, addressing, and mailing letters to a friend, especially if it means getting a letter back in the mail.

Keep a Diary: Many kids love to write down what they’ve done every day. A fun routine is to write what you did everyday of your summer vacation. Since it may become too much every day, a special diary can be written just about camp or the family vacation.

Not all of these activities will appeal to every child. Let your kids pick what they want to do. Summer is certainly a time to relax and have fun. At the same time, you want your child to keep moving forward with reading and writing.