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March, 2021
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Posted March 14, 2021 in Blog by Dee

How To Create Healthy Homework and Study Habits With Your Kids

By: Family First Indiana

Helping your children develop healthy habits is one of the greatest gifts you can give as a parent. It can also be one of the most challenging things you ever do. You have a chance to give that a gift to your children and that will help make their lives easier. By creating a routine, sticking with it, and helping your child succeed, you can show them what is possible through hard work and determination.

Here are some tried and true ways to establish healthy homework and study habits with your kids.

CREATE A ROUTINE

This can be the hardest part of all—getting started with a new routine, or any routine for that matter! With work schedules, after school clubs, sports, classes or events, it can be difficult to get into a regular after-school routine.

If children are staying after school and doing homework in latchkey, one way to set up an evening homework routine is simply to review the homework with them.

For elementary children, they may have a spelling list to study or a worksheet to complete. Get into a routine of asking them if they completed their homework, and check the worksheet with them. This gives you an opportunity to help answer their questions, check that they got all of the answers right, or to review for the upcoming quiz or test one more time.

GIVE THEM A CHOICE

Do your kids need a half hour after school just to decompress, play outside, walk the dog, or change clothes? Maybe they need a healthy snack right after school? Some kids may choose to dive into homework immediately to get it out of the way. Let your kids have a say in what works for them and ask for their input in the routine. They’ll be more likely to stick with the routine this way, and you won’t be fighting an uphill battle.

SET UP INCENTIVES

Think of rewards and incentives that work for your child. Does she love to spend time playing with her toys, or is she obsessed with a new game on the tablet? These can be good incentives for completing homework and chores. Some kids will be less motivated to finish homework if they’ve already had an hour of TV, and then they have to stop watching to get their homework done. Every child is different and responds to different types of rewards. Set up your routine so that your child knows he or she gets to do something they like after they complete their homework. Such as:

  • Play outside with friends
  • Watch TV or play video games

CREATE A HOMEWORK STATION

The kitchen table, a quiet desk in the corner, the dining room, the den or office—wherever you choose, make a designated space for homework. Here are some ideas for creating a study area where your kids will feel comfortable and be able to focus on homework:

  • Plenty of clear desk space for writing and spreading out papers
  • Set out healthy snacks (bowl of fruit, pretzels, fruit snacks)
  • Stock with school supplies (pens, pencils, paper, calculator)
  • Basket or organizer for papers, assignments
  • Expect kids to tidy/clean the space after homework is done

REMOVE DISTRACTIONS

Every child learns differently and may require a different kind of environment for concentration. You may have one child who needs quiet music in the background, while another child needs complete silence. In that case, you might make sure they have headphones or separate study spaces. In all cases, remove whatever is distracting to your child. Phones, games, TV, toys, tablets and laptops (unless needed for school work), music, pets—whatever keeps your child from focusing, get them in the habit of removing it during study time.

USE A CHECKLIST AND TIMER

Teaching your child to use a checklist is a wonderful habit that can last a lifetime! The humble checklist is a powerful tool for getting things done. It can be easy to forget steps or get distracted; the checklist is just a visual reminder of tasks they need to accomplish. And when they finally check off that very last one—sweet rewards! Free time, food, rest, TV, or whatever incentives lie in store for those who complete their checklist.

Along with a checklist of homework tasks and chores, set a timer. If you have older children who are studying for a difficult test, make sure they study in shorter blocks of time. A timer will help with avoiding burnout and trying to “cram” for the test.

BE PREPARED. AVOID CRAMMING

Speaking of cramming, it isn’t healthy and usually doesn’t lead to good outcomes anyway.  Studies show that students perform worse when they stay up late and cram for a big test. So, how do you instill good study habits to help your child avoid cramming?

Plan ahead. Does your child’s teacher post homework assignments and tests for the week on their website? Find out how these assignments are communicated to parents. You should also ask your child questions about tests and assignments that are coming up. Then, help them develop a study plan. Make a plan for studying in chunks throughout the week and month to get prepared for the test. Finally, give them a pop quiz or review their assignments to ensure they’re ready. All of these things will help reinforce how to prepare, study and do homework the right way. As your children grow and develop these habits, you can slowly start expecting them to prepare and study with more independence.

REVISE AND IMPROVE THE HOMEWORK/STUDY ROUTINE

As your children grow, their routines will change. Take a look at what’s working and what is causing a lot of strife in the family. Are children running around in the morning, telling you about last minute assignments they forgot or can’t find? Are children leaving papers or assignments in their lockers after school? What reminders or incentives need to change in order to smooth out these rough spots in your routine?

Keeping to your routine, enforcing discipline, and encouraging your children in good study habits is an ongoing labor of love. It’s not easy! But if you do your best and put in the hard work, you and your child will reap the rewards many times over.

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Posted March 14, 2021 in Blog by Dee

ANTIRACISM RESOURCES FOR THE FAMILY

By: Amethyst J., Families First Hospital Response Volunteer

Families First believes in helping our community through life’s challenges and changes. We believe in helping people deal with issues that are too tough to tackle alone. For us, standing with the Black community in the fight against racial injustice means sharing resources that can help your family start or further conversations about race, racism, and anti-racism.

REFLECT & LEARN

To earnestly begin anti-racist work, explore your own biases and personal contributions to racism, then further your understanding of American History and systemic racism.

TALKING WITH & MODELING FOR CHILDREN

Children learn about race from what they see and hear, including silence around injustices. Being anti-racist means actively fighting against racist systems and ideas.

TAKE ACTION

Vote for, support, and connect with politicians and organizations fighting for systemic change.

  • Vote – Register to vote if you have not already, and vote for candidates supporting antiracist policies.
  • Equal Justice Initiative – Work to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial inequity.
  • Campaign Zero (and the 8 Can’t Wait project) – Research-based policy solutions to end police brutality in America
  • Color of Change – Online racial justice organization

Remember, first understand how you can contribute, then take action. From there, build habits and behaviors that keep your anti-racist work going, but remember to take breaks and care for your mental health. This keeps your work sustainable.

TOGETHER WE CAN WORK TOWARD SOCIAL JUSTICE.

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Posted March 14, 2021 in Blog by Dee

Tips For Working At Home And Managing Stress

By: Family First Indiana

During this coronavirus outbreak, many of us are stuck at home with our partner and children. You might see this as a great opportunity for some quality family time that your normal routine typically doesn’t allow. But once you’ve played all the board games in your house and watched The Little Mermaid for the fourth time since Friday, stir-craziness might start setting in, causing tension and an ever-thinning patience. Family bonding can strengthen your relationships, but 24/7 interaction in a confined space isn’t always ideal. In this situation, boundaries are key! 

 

Take a look at the following tips on how to set and maintain healthy boundaries to keep your spirits high during this time of uncertainty.

 

REGULATING STRESSFUL EMOTIONS

The rapid spread of Covid-19 and the vulnerability of older people has stressed the current healthcare system, causing governments to mandate drastic measures to contain the spread of the disease. Fitting our whole lives into our homes is inherently going to cause some friction, but the sooner we can figure out a temporary new normal, the better. On a macro level, sitting with uncertainty can cause a general feeling of stress. Adding more localized stressors like teaching or entertaining kids all day, adjusting to working from home, looking for work after being let go, or worrying about money and food can ramp up anxiety even further. It’s important to know your stressors and recognize when they begin to pile on top of each other.

– Take time to be present with your own situation. Understand what’s expected of you from the government, your boss, your family. Don’t get caught up in all the “what-ifs” and what next week or next month will look like. Day by day and hour by hour, focus on the present moment.

– Focus on what you can control. Most of us aren’t doctors or healthcare workers on the front lines of virus defense. Right now, our work is in our household. The best thing you can do right now is make sure you and your family are okay. This means setting boundaries when things get overwhelming. Take everyone’s feelings seriously (this means your own too) by talking things out or writing in a journal. Find a balance that works for you when consuming daily news. Do what you can to stay informed, but take breaks to limit feeling overwhelmed.

– Maintain both mental and physical health. If you feel creeping anxiety, try to channel those feelings into physical activity. Preferably something you enjoy, whether it’s yoga, running, weightlifting, whatever. Exercise can have a calming effect and fill our brains with “feel-good” chemicals. Additionally, now that our focus is narrowed to home life, try to use this time to make healthy food choices. Try three meals a day full of fruits and vegetables to help you feel as balanced as possible.

WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS?

The family’s all in this together, and it can be hard to navigate exactly what our kids need from us in this weird upside-down time. Channeling the endless energy of children with a finite amount of space and activities is a challenge. Here are a few suggestions that can help.

– Establish rhythms. Children need structure; a properly established routine helps kids feel secure and attached to something. Without rhythms, unhelpful behaviors can pop up such as irritation and defiance. To avoid these, know that giving kids what they need, not what they want, is best in the long run. Start by establishing a bedtime and wake up time. This makes sure that kids get the right amount of sleep and gives you as a parent some down time to recharge your batteries. Add into your schedule some daily activities such as schoolwork and reading time. These should fall at the same time each day. Once you’ve established a solid routine with your family, know that it’s okay to incorporate some spontaneity once in a while. Surprising the kids with a pizza and movie night is a great treat to reward good behavior.

– It might be tough to hear and tougher to incorporate, but you should limit screen time. Usually, screens do nothing but entertain kids. And while that’s helpful in certain quantities, it can be detrimental in the long run. Certain websites, apps, or games can give a hit of dopamine, a “feel good drug”, to keep us coming back. But, long term, this can numb our children’s emotions. An over dependence on screens can cause your child to struggle with self-disclosure, regulation, and relationships. Find points in the day to limit the screen time and be active with each other.

KNOW YOURSELF

To keep a level head, stay in tune with your own personality and limits. Are you okay with your kids blasting music and dancing around the house? Or do you need quiet time for you and your partner to get things done? Either is okay. Maintaining a home where everyone feels comfortable is important. Find your daily rhythm as a parent, take breaks, and take time to yourself. If you enjoy reading or playing solitaire on your phone, give yourself the time to indulge and enjoy it.

Assign each family member a safe zone in the house. It could be a bedroom or their favorite spot. If someone gets overwhelmed with negative emotions, grant them permission to decompress in their safe space. Don’t look at it as a punishment, but an opportunity to reset and keep the peace. Model this for your children to help them understand. You can say, “I feel stressed and will take a break now. If you need me, I will be in my room reading or writing.”

 NOTE ON PARTNERSHIP

Any of these strategies can be implemented by one person. Though if you have a partner or another adult in the house, make sure you create and implement your strategy as a team. This way, everyone’s on the same page and nothing gets undermined accidentally. Having everyone in the house agree to routines and rules does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to maintaining peace. Lean into your partnership when times are tough, sharing the load of responsibility can do wonders to ease any burdens waiting for you along the way.

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