Preparation for Back to School during the Summer Holidays

During the summer it is always better to keep our selves actively engaged not only in outdoor play, but also reading and revising concepts to avoid the summer slide. The books at DK's Back to School Boutique is helping us.

Back to School Shopping at Sport Chek

Although, going back to school is far from our minds – looking at the rate, at which the days are passing by, I do not want us to be unprepared when the time comes for us to go back to school. Getting our children back-to-school ready is simple with the variety of products available at Sport Chek. 

Encouraging Children To Enjoy School

As a parent it is important that we encourage are children to enjoy school, as they spend most of their time learning in school. Since school is a must, hating it isn’t going to make for a happy life. Here are few suggestions on how to go about encouraging children that don't enjoy going to school.

Microsoft Back to School Gift Guide

When going back to school, students in higher grades, colleges, and universities have to make smart tech choices on what types of devices they will need and which ones will best suit their needs.

Back to School Tips and #CrayolaBTS Giveaway

I like using quality craft products because it allows us to have a good experience with our crafts, without getting frustrated during projects. I like Crayola products because we can rely on the quality of their products. We use a lot of Crayola craft supplies to do arts and crafts. We found these new products and supplies useful during our summer craft projects. I have also kept some supplies ready for back to school.  

Getting Ready for a New School Year

I can't believe how quickly summer holidays are passing by, soon it will be time for us to start our back to school routines. Here are a few items that will come in handy for families during the school year.

Purchasing Value Packs and Being First-Aid Ready

When shopping for back to school we also like to consider shopping at Grand and Toy, as they have a wide selection of products and wonderful promotions. 

Learn How to be Green When School Starts

My children enjoyed watching EPIC when they were flying to Asia this week and excited that the Blu-ray and DVD will be out on August 20th.

Soon our children will be heading back to school and will be excited to see their friends and experience new things. The new school year is a new beginning filled with new teachers, experiences, and lessons. We can start off in the right direction by being environmentally friendly in our preparations for this school year. 

Healthy School and After-School Snacks and Giveaway

I always plan on what healthy school snacks I can prepare at home, and keep it ready for my children to enjoy after school. I also try to make sure the snacks they have are nutritious. Although, I love to make a different snack everyday, our on-the-go schedules don't give me time for this. On these days, I love the convenience of having delicious Hans Dairy snacks in the fridge. The Indian style rice pudding, lassi, and yogurt from Hans Dairy is one of our favourites; we can enjoy as is or by adding fresh fruits and berries.  

Back to School Shopping at Staples

Disclosure: I have partnered with YMC and Staples and have received compensation for this post. Please note that all opinions and thoughts expressed are my own. All rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2010 - 2018. Please Ask First 

Shopping for trendy new school supplies is half the excitement when we get ready for a new school year. We have been shopping at Staples for school and office related supplies for years, and it has never disappointed. We have always found what we need there. We start our back to school shopping by early August and look to take advantage of new deals. It is never too early to be prepared to get the kids in the mood for an exciting new school year. This also lets us travel without worrying about getting the school gear ready, so we can keep travelling until the last weekend of summer.

Getting creative and ready for school with Hilroy and Derwent products

We love putting pen to paper in our home! We draw, doodle, colour, paint, and practice creative writing every chance we get. It is well known that writing and drawing has lots of cognitive, physical, and emotional benefits for children and adults, apart from being fun.

Gear up for the new school year and be part of #AveryGivesBack

One of the fun things before school starts is preparing to go back to school. Having the new and trendy school accessories is always exciting for little ones as well as adults :) We enjoy being ready and organized with all types of writing tools and supplies by taking our time to decorate and personalize the accessories. We found the back to school products at Avery Canada allows us to do this easily.

Versatile Children's Clothing Collection at Giant Tiger

In time for back-to-school, Giant Tiger has introduced three fun and fashionable children's clothing lines: Monkey Bars for girls and boys sizes 2-6X; Bella and Birdie for girls sizes 7–14; and Survival Gear for boys sizes 8-16 available exclusively at all Giant Tiger stores.

School struggles book review and giveaway

I had a wonderful opportunity to read and learn from the book School struggles.  This book is easy to understand as there are no jargons.  I liked the "take a way points" and tips at the end of each section in this book.  I agree with lots of things in the book and realized that we have to make changes as parents to avoid problems in the future.  Labelling children with problems, doesn't help anyone because many variables and factors contribute to the problems children may face in school.  The author Dr. Selznick has worked with families over 25 years and recognizes the complex mixture of cultural, socio-economic backgrounds and uniques of each family.  He offers guidelines based on his experience, professional practice and research.  He recognizes that these struggles that children have are because of their differences and does not label it as a disability.   

The author explains that children become shutdown learners when there are cracks in the foundation because of time + lack of understanding + strained family communications = school struggling shut down learners.

Children that will struggle in the future can be identified early as 4-5 years of age.   Even when parents feel there is something wrong and approach the educator, they are usually told not to worry.  The signs that a child is struggling in school work emerge in upper elementary grades and become more pronounced by high school, at this time it becomes overwhelming for the family.  

Timing is important, so dealing with the problem patiently before it matures is something we can do.  Some signs to look for and consider so we can intervene early will prevent children from becoming shut down learners.  

• If the child is tuning out during circle time, 
• Highly spatial and visual learners, 
• Active or over active, 
• Having trouble with language based activities i.e. reading and writing.

Here are somethings we can do to help the children

• Trust your feelings when you think something is wrong
• Know what to target and help with skills that needs more practice.
• Look for small things to boost the child's self esteem i.e. "Wow, I like the way your working without being asked to."  
• Get the child involved in creative extra curricular activities such as sports, art, cooking, music etc.
• Maintain equilibrium between fun and learning.  Don't let school problems dominate every interaction i.e. play board games or do crafts
• Support and connect with the child to let the child know you are in the same team.  
• Keep homework time calm.  Yelling and telling the child to try hard doesn't help.  Set a point system to reward the children and encourage. i.e. however try to avoid monetary compensation and reward with fun trips, going out for ice cream.
• Encourage children to read out loud.  After grade 2 children usually read independently and we might not recognize if they are have reading or comprehension problems.
• Lack of understanding that there is a skill deficiency adds up and causes frustration to the child and adults.
• Teach the basics i.e. phonic sounds.  Reading and comprehension problems can be helped by prompting and talking to the child so they can start thinking.  i.e. the author suggests programs like glassanalysis.com
• Stay organized from the start.
• Technology has changed lots of things in our daily activities and has created less interaction between families, which is why it is important to set a family time to talk and play with each other.
• Let children contribute to the guidelines and rules on what will help them do the homework and study.

Children who struggle with their school work face lots of social problems as well and get picked by peers, family, which effects their self esteem.  We can help these children by preventing the problems and taking a step back to see which basic skills need practice i.e. follow directions, play with others, identify letters, sound out the words etc.  

Throwing children into special education is not the solution.  Medications that are available out there to control behaviour is not a solution either, these types of medication come with lots of harm.

This book will help parents and professionals help chldren take a less rocky road in school.  The book is available online and at bookstores.  I am glad to host a giveaway of the books The Shut Down Learner and School struggles to one person in US or Canada.  The giveaway ends on September 30th, please enter through the rafflecopter below. 

Update: The winner is Elaine

a Rafflecopter giveaway
All rights reserved on photographs and opinion of the written content Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First

Fun Activities for Children

Although most parents and guardians of young children may be exhausted by the time their children get home from school, the children usually have plenty of energy left. Filling the hours between school and bedtime can be tricky — especially now that it’s getting dark outside before we can even get dinner on the table. It is easy for young children to zone out in front of their tablet or a television screen, but everyone knows that giving children too much screen time is detrimental to their health and development. If you are looking for ways to keep your kids busy after school, there are many options.

Stylish Back to School Selection at Hallmark Canada

Pretty stationary and journals make us happy! We find these cute items to be an inspiration for our DIY, home decor, and craft projects. Hallmark has a beautiful collection that will suit everyone's taste in time for back to school. 

Going Back to School with Staples

There is less than a month before school, and getting ready a little early helps in our family so we don't have to worry about school the week before it starts :) Since Staples has a wide choice of designs with vibrant colours, wild patterns, and interesting textures to suite everyone's taste, shopping to get everything we need there is easy.

Lance Sandwich Crackers Back to School Sweepstakes

As part of Lance® Sandwich Crackers ongoing 100th anniversary celebration, they are launching Back to School Sweepstakes that feature nearly 4,000 prizes to make back to school transition easier.

These Help Answer The Big Question "What to Send for School Today?"

I like packing a variety of snacks such as fruits and cut vegetables, cheese and crackers for my children to take to school and after school programs. I find it easy to make snacks like short eats, buns, muffins and scones when time permits and leave it in the fridge so my children can have healthy homemade food whenever they want. 

Win a Sears Gift Card and See How Sears is Surprising Families #RockTheHalls

The new trends, new fashions, new colours, can be both exciting and overwhelming when shopping back to school. For all children, especially my daughter how she dresses plays an important role in expressing her personality, style, and individuality. I like that Sears carries a variety of top quality brands at reasonable prices. They have a wide selection of styles that children will enjoy wearing.