Truck driving is a challenging job, especially because truckers have to drive for hours on highways and in-city routes making sure they are not putting anyone’s life on the road at risk. While they do their best, you need to be vigilant and cautious as well when you are sharing the road with other motorists especially truckers and heavy wheelers. Follow my tips to avoid truck accidents & collisions to avoid life-threatening injuries.

Safe Driving is Key

Follow traffic rules and practice general safe driving habits when sharing a highway or thoroughfare with a truck or trailer. You had your morning eight-o-clock coffee and wanted to rush to your workplace but do you really need to speed up. Never cross speed limits and change lanes without alerting the truckers. This could lead to a collision that may result in injuries like spinal cord damage, amputation, paralysis and so on. Apart from these health concerns, a collision with an 18-wheeler in Houston will also have you spending money to handle ensuing legal proceedings and lawyer fees.

Steer Clear of BLIND SPOTS

For a trucker, the blind spots are not easy to tackle, so you must be aware of these. These include the lane on the driver’s side that goes back to almost half of the truck’s length, two-lanes wide space at the truck’s right side, 20-feet in the truck’s front and 30 feet behind. The best way to avoid such spots where the trucker cannot clearly see you is to keep enough distance between you and the trailer/truck.

Be Careful When Crossing

Pass a truck with caution; they do not stop quickly because maneuverability is difficult owing to the large size. Truckers require more time to react, control speed and make swift driving decisions in such scenarios. Pass a truck on its left side where the drover can easily see you. In addition, never cross a trailer while going uphill or down the slope. If a truck crosses you, slow down the speed of your car and give the driver ample space to pass you to avoid collision. Take care to merge back into the lane at the truck’s front when you see the driver in the rearview mirror.

Provide Clear SIGNALS

I suggest you alert the trucker through a clear signal when changing lanes or crossing the vehicle. This gives them enough time to gauge your action and take precautionary steps. Make sure you send signals earlier than you would for regular cars, so the heavy vehicle has adequate time to avoid a collision. Moreover, reduce glare of your headlights by lowering the brightness. It may affect the vision for the trucker’s side mirrors blinding them. Always consider lowering your high beams when crossing a truck or moving past a heavy wheeler.

Keep a Space

Do not stay near a truck for too long. Truck brakes are very strong, so sudden braking can result in a rear-end collision. Moreover, the debris from the truck’s tires can damage your windshield. Keep an adequate space between your car and the truck and avoid passing a right-turning truck from the right.

Choosing a secondary school is an important decision that will irrevocably change and affect your kid’s current and future skills, personality, and goals. This becomes an even more crucial choice if you’re an expat since your kids need to acquire not just academic knowledge, but social and physical capabilities as well.

Here’s a couple of ways that’ll help you choose the right secondary school for your kids.

School standing

A simple Google search will help you determine this. At the least, it will provide you with information about a particular school in your vicinity and its accolades. The best ones are those who stood the test of time and have produced noteworthy graduates. See regional standings to have a rough understanding of school levels and renown.

Word of mouth

Parental assistance is remarkably useful when finding a good secondary school. While not absolutely accurate, it’s readily available and candid. Try looking for parents in your neighbouhood whose kid is enrolled in a school you’re eyeing or just hang around in that school to have a chat with those waiting for their kids.

If you find it hard to find parents who have a bad word to say about a certain school, then perhaps it’s doing fine, whereas if asking about the same school results in parents ranting about a number of issues, then you might want to reconsider before enrolling your kids there. Parents are admittedly pretty sensitive to how their child is being treated in school.

Visit the school 

Of course, there’s no substitute for going for a school visit. The trick here is to get past the marketing presentations to really assess what the school is really like inside-out. Most schools these days offer tours and seminars where parents get to visit during the normal school day. Take this advantage and visit. When you do, don’t believe every sweet word uttered by the head since it will be full of exactly the same marketing presentation as the prospectus.

Assess the educational system and curriculum provided 

When it comes to the curriculum in your chosen school, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) system provides the student with a powerful opportunity to apply knowledge, principles, and values to more than one academic subject simultaneously. It combines global curriculum and built-in activities with exercises which promote cross-curricular learning.

This approach supports the ability to apply knowledge effectively in a variety of contexts and engage in higher-level reasoning skills. It also prepares students for their entry into the world’s leading universities. You can learn more about CBSE through Global Indian International School. Check it out.

The irony here is that sometimes, we parents worry about some things when it shouldn’t even warrant our attention. Our schools have higher academic and behavioral standards than ever and very few schools are awful, which means that your kid has an overwhelming potential to fulfill his or her promising future. Sometimes you might feel that you’re making the wrong choice only to realize later on that your kids are happy, fulfilled and doing rather well.

In any case, do your research, seek out statistics, ask questions and survey the school grounds, but remember that most of us simply went to the nearest school, and hey, we’ve survived adulthood!

A major appliance breaking down is a busy mother’s nightmare. Here’s how to keep your home appliances in tip-tip condition for longer.

Even with the best of care, you may find yourself needing to replace an important home appliance. I’ve even seen people having to look for a remortgage because all of their appliances started breaking down on them at once. So make sure you don’t short change yourself and need to seek out means of additional finance to keep your home ticking over.

Don’t overload the washing machine!

Overloading your washing machine is a bad idea. For a  mom in a hurry this can be tempting but it causes more problems than it solves. In the short term, your clothes will not be washed properly and you’ll waste energy and water. In the long term, habitually overloading your machine can put too much strain on the moving parts, making it more likely to fail. Wash smaller loads for cleaner laundry and a better lifespan for your washer.

Periodically wipe your refrigerator gaskets to keep them clean, removing all residue and coat them with a thin film of Vaseline

Wiping down your refrigerator gaskets stops dirt and debris from building up and affecting the tight seal that you need to conserve energy. The layer of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) ensures that the refrigerator door seals properly and protects the gasket from perishing. This not only saves money by keeping cold air inside the refrigerator where it belongs but also stops your refrigerator’s motor from having to run constantly to keep the inside cool. This can dramatically affect the number of repairs you’ll need and extend your refrigerator’s useful life.

Regularly cleaning your dishwasher with soap and water to keep a watertight seal

Cleaning out your dishwasher is something you should do frequently. Clean around the inside of the door with soapy water to avoid dirt and detritus affecting the door seal. You should also run your dishwasher empty from time to time, using a cleaning product recommended by the manufacturer.

Don’t overload the clothes dryer and be aware of your dry time.

Overloading the clothes dryer is counterproductive. Because of the lack of air circulation your laundry will take longer to dry, sometimes much longer than if you’d divided your wash into two or more loads. Long term, overloading the dryer means that the motor has to work much harder and the dryer may wear out more rapidly. You should also ensure that your dryer’s exhaust is clear and in good condition, free of leaks or kinks, and that you clean the lint trap frequently.

Clean your oven with a silicone or plastic scraper instead of a metal one.

Metal scrapers can damage the inside of your oven, scratching the interior and shortening its lifespan. Ironically, these scratches also trap more dirt and make it harder to keep your oven clean. A good quality plastic or silicone scraper will do the job just as effectively while being gentle on the inside of your oven.

We all have that friend all relative who is just impossible to buy for because they already have everything. Well if that’s the case then we have some ideas for you.

Do Some Recon

As much as you may love your friend, you probably don’t know what they’re into, it isn’t like every conversation would lead to  ‘hey you know what I love lately? Making my own cheese.’

Besides, you do get people, even rich ones that don’t like talking about themselves. They’d rather talk about work or their kids or basically any single thing except for themselves.

Yes really.

However, if you have the kind of friendship where you know all of each other’s interests, then that’s awesome but let’s assume you don’t. It doesn’t make you a bad friend and all it will take is a little nosing around to figure out what you could possibly get them.

You don’t need to launch any type of official investigation or anything, a simple lunch where you can talk to your friend one-on-one is perfect.

It will give you an idea of what kinds of gift your friend would appreciate.

Good Liquor

Almost everyone has a favorite drink and odds are you already know what your friend’s favorite is.

It’s a thoughtful gift that you can even get on your way over to the party.

Your friend will definitely appreciate it and rich people hate running out of their favorite liquor.

But if you need to import it or ship it across the country then you need to plan ahead and make sure that it will be delivered on time so that you don’t pitch up empty-handed.

A New Cool Gadget

A lot of people, myself included, just love some new little gadget or thing that will make our lives even just a tad bit easier, or functional or prettier.

Whatever the reason is behind this obsession humans have of making new stuff, it presents a great opportunity.

More than likely there are one or two new gadgets that almost anyone will love and whether your friend is a businessman or a fashion lover, there’s always something new to get that will blow their minds, plus it won’t necessarily be that expensive.

Custom Body Care

You can probably see the appeal it would have to someone if they were gifted something that no one else has.

Exclusivity is the intangible appeal of being rich anyway.

There are online shops like Goodfortunesoaps that make customized skin care products where you can order anything from aftershave to dog shampoo.

You can also make something yourself if your budget isn’t that big. Just invest in a pretty container because the presentation is 90% of what impresses someone anyway.

You can add your friend’s favorite such as a cologne or perfume to personalize it even further in and they will definitely appreciate the (extra) personal touch.

A Useful Accessory

It’s important to note that there is a difference between an accessory and a gadget.

an accessory is something that you can use with something that you already have. In other words, it piggybacks something that already owns or likes.

For example, if your friend has a classic car,  you could get them a vintage keychain or the classic car cover.

Or if they have a  specific jewelry collection, you could get them a display case.

This is sort of genius because it uses a clear interest that they already have that you don’t need to discover for yourself.

Their Favorite Perfume

The same rule as the favorite liquor applies here, they will hate running out of something they love.

And even if they can certainly afford it themselves, your friend will appreciate your thoughtfulness every time they use the bottle you got them.

Sometimes Brands will also make a holiday gift set, where they bring out new products of the same fragrances like a deodorant and lotion.

Keep an eye out for that and bye that as soon as you get the chance to, you can always keep it if your friend’s birthday isn’t coming around any time soon.

A Subscription Box  

A subscription box is a service where you pay a set amount of money and receive different items and/or products related to a specific topic or brand each month or every other month depending on what type of plan the service offers, of course.

You can get subscription boxes for everything from fashion to food to shaving to socks and even baked goods subscription boxes.

Yes really.

So whatever your friend is interested then I’m sure there is probably a subscription box service for it.

And if you’re wondering – no, you don’t have to pay it forever.

You can pay for, say, 6 installments and then if your friend really likes that he or she can continue to pay for him or herself.

A Souvenir

If you’ve recently been on a trip that you know your friend would have loved, then get them a souvenir from your trip to inspire them to go on a trip of their own.

Get them something specific to the culture or destination so that when they see it there is no doubt about where it comes from.

Make sure it is something that they will see often like a keychain or a pen or a fridge magnet, which of course, are all things that you would generally find to buy as souvenirs.

Then write them a card with the gift and tell them that you guys need to go on the trip together.

A New Experience

If you know your friend is a travel bug or really even if they aren’t. If they never get away but you know they mean to then there is no greater gift than a new experience.

Whether it is a trip to the gorgeous beaches of the Bahamas or a skydiving experience, don’t be afraid just think out of the box with this one.

And make sure there is room for guests with the experience,  there’s no use going on a life-changing adventure when there’s no one to share it with.

Raising kids and managing and balancing your family life is so hard to do. And, the pressure is usually on mom unless there are cases where mom has poor health and dad has to do anything. And obviously the same applies to single dads as well. However, regardless of who is dealing with the brunt of the stress, and it usually is the mom – let’s look at 5 ways on how moms can balance work and family. All it takes is knowing some hacks that will make life so much easier.

1. Automate Everything – The last thing you have time for is having to remember when to pay your bills. This is why it is really a good idea to automate your bill payments so you don’t have to worry about missing deadlines due to the fact that you are so busy. You can also automate your subscription payments, and it is quite fine to order your groceries online. Some days you will not be able to run off to the grocery store. Especially when you are having to work at the same time.
2. Take Advantage Of Meal Kits – It takes so much time and energy to plan for meals, and you just don’t really have the time and energy to do that. Especially if you put in so much time and effort making meals that your kids don’t end up liking! How stressful can that be? After a long day at work. This is why you are going to have to start looking into getting meal kits to make your life so much easier. Why not read the blue apron review (click to read Blue apron review) right here to get an idea of what a meal kit is all about.
3. Only Make Time For Important Things – You are working AND raising a family. You are busy, and what you are going to need to do is cut out doing things that can be easily be put on the back burner. For instance, if you have been volunteering at your local church on Wednesday evenings, and if you are too tired and busy to give much of your time- then you will need to stop volunteering. Especially if it is not overly important to you. You need to manage your work, your family, and taking care of your own needs.
4. Schedule ME Time – It was just said that you need to take care of your own needs. You definitely do need to schedule out some ME time so you can recharge and be the best you can be at work and for your family. That means taking a half hour bath with a glass of wine, or reading a book for a half an hour while drinking your favorite tea, or do anything else that you enjoy so you can feel refreshed to take care of your daily tasks.
5. Delegate – Who says that you have to do every single thing? Teach your kids how to help around the house, even when they are toddlers. They will be able to clean up after themselves, or if they are older and in school, they will be able to make their own lunches. Have your partner run some errands for you. Ask for help because you can’t possibly do everything. This is why a mom that delegates are in a much better frame of mind and can handle much more. That is because she has more energy to give by delegating tasks.

Therefore, utilizing these tasks will make any working mom (or dad that is in charge by necessity) balance her life caring for her family and being a good employee at work easier. These simple hacks are really a necessity, because being stressed out and, worse, burned out will create more problems with the family and at work. Take care of your own needs and then you will be able to give so much more.

Having an awesome party for your kids is based solely on two things: how good the food is but mostly how much fun everyone has at the party.

Here are some ideas for games that almost everyone will love.

Pass The Parcel

Goodies such as treats or small (preferably flat) prizes are wrapped in layers of wrapping paper.

Each layer has a prize of some sort.

The kids sit in a circle and pass the parcel as music plays, when the music plays, whoever has the parcel has to unwrap a layer to get a prize.

Musical Chairs

A classic!

There will be x amount of players and then a few fewer chairs than players are arranged in a circle (facing outward)

The players will march around the chairs as music plays and when the music stops, everyone rushes to get a seat.

Sleeping Lions

All the players must lay face down on the floor, staying completely still.

Someone, usually an adult will walk about and try to entice the players to move.

Anyone who so much as twitches is out.

I’m pretty sure this game was invented by a parent who was desperate for some peace.

Pin The Tail on The Donkey

There are tons of fun variations of this classic game.

You could play pin the horn on the unicorn, or pin the mask on the ninja turtle, or my personal favorite – pin the glasses on Harry Potter.

I’m sure there will be something you could use for your party theme.

Musical Statues

I know this game from my childhood, but we used to call it Salt Pillars, perhaps that was too Old Testament for people.

Everyone who plays dances around to music and when the music stops they have to be completely still, like a statue, or else they’re out.

Balloon  Pop

The players sit in a circle and pass around a balloon but the balloon has a piece of paper with a task written on inside it.

When the music stops whoever has the balloon needs to pop it and perform the task.

Think of funny things like; try to lick your elbow.

Gigglebug

Pick someone who is ‘ít’. He or she will have to try to make the other players laugh by making faces or acting silly (no touching or talking though)

Whoever laughs is out, but gets to join whoever is ‘it’ to make the others laugh.

Simon Says

Everyone should more or less know how this game works.

The players will stand about an arm’s length away from each other and the person who is ‘it’ will give them instructions, but they are only to follow said instructions when the ‘it’ says the words ‘Simon says’ before giving the instruction.

Charades

Charades is a game where you act out words or phrases that are written on a piece of paper and chosen at random.

Split the kids into teams and help them to act out their words or phrases.

Kids Drive-In

All you need is a projector, an empty wall, and a bunch of boxes decorated like cars.

This is a simple, cheap way to keep kids busy and out of trouble during cleanup at a party.

And the best part is, almost everything can be DIY’d

Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are so versatile, you can do almost anything with them – egg hunts, treasure hunts, the ski is the limit.

All it involves is cleverly placed objects and a set of clues to find them.

The kids have to work together in order to solve the clues.

Whack-a-donkey

Pinatas are tons of fun for birthdays.

They are actually quite awesome because they incorporate snacks with entertainment and exercise.

You can make a pinata yourself (although I would certainly never try that again) or you can buy one online, they’re much cheaper online anyways.

Obstacle Course

An obstacle course is a great way to engage kids both physically and mentally, and also to tire them out physically and mentally.

And an obstacle course can be as easy or as challenging as you want to make it (depending on the kids’ age though)

Water Balloon Fight

Great for summertime parties and favorite amongst kids of all ages.

All you need is a few buckets filled with water balloons and a bunch of kids who seriously want to throw them at each other.

And unless you’re at the beach, you may want to keep it out of the house. Yikes.

Doughnut on a String

Tie a tightrope between two trees and hang doughnuts on strings at different heights from that rope.

The kids then have to eat their doughnut off the string without using their hands at all.

Egg and Spoon Race

Kids have to race from point A to point B whilst balancing a raw egg in a spoon!

Yes, the egg can fall off but then they have to take time to get a new egg and that will put them behind.

This is a race after all.

Giant Outdoor Games

These are giant sized versions of regular games like Jenga or even Tic Tac Toe.

The best part is apart from the fact that these can, of course, be made yourself – that kids and adults alike will love these games!

Three-legged Race

Three legs, two partners, one goal – to win (and not smack down and collide with other kids of course)

Two kids will stand side by side and tie the legs that are next to each other to each other and try to race that way.

Knotty

Participants will stand in a circle, facing the inside of the circle.

Everyone will reach a hand into the circle and take someone else’s hand, then they will repeat that process with the other hand.

They then need to untangle themselves without letting go of their hands, i.e. by climbing over and under each other.

Balloon Stomp

Participants will stand in a circle with an inflated balloon tied to their either left or right ankle ( but use the same ankle for everyone)

They will then attempt to stomp on the balloon of the person next to them while also protecting their own.

When seasonal allergies are hitting you hard, you are looking for every way to reduce the annoyance and discomfort. People with severe allergies are often not able to live their day to day life as they would normally because of allergies. Learning how to control seasonal allergies symptoms in order to get your life back is often on your mind. In this article, you will learn how you can change your diet to improve seasonal allergies as well as other things you can do to make allergy season bearable.

Eating a healthy diet can be a challenge, but when your seasonal allergies are hitting you hard, it is easier to get motivated to get things under control.

Make These Diet Changes for Less Seasonal Allergy Discomfort

If you are a food lover, you might cringe at the list of foods that make seasonal allergies worse, but the goods news is you don’t have to cut them out of your life altogether. Simply knowing which foods are going to cause challenges will allow you to avoid them when you know you need to be at your best.

Some of the foods that can make your seasonal allergies worse are:

• Alcohol
• Sugar
• Peanuts
• Processed foods
• Chocolate
• Wheat
• Coffee
• Dairy products
• Gluten

If you have ragweed allergies then you want to avoid:

• Cucumbers
• Bananas
• Melons
• Sunflower seeds

While it might sound like we are really limiting your choice of foods, there are some food strategies you can use. Say yes to these foods for some strategic relief.

1) Spicy Foods

If you are all stuffed up from congestion, use some spicy dishes like salsa or curry to help thin out mucus. Any mix of garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper can help you get your breathing abilities back. Use one of all of them to add some flavor, and you may be able to get your sense of smell back as well.

2) Fresh Organic Vegetables

Eating fresh vegetables that are grown organically is always a good idea but if you want to help your allergies now is a great time to make that happen. Nutrient vegetables will help your allergies by fighting hay fever and inflammation.

3) Liquids

Apple cider vinegar and bone broth help break up mucus, reduce inflammation and boost your immune system.

4) Local Raw Honey

For the relief of watery eyes, have a spoonful of local raw honey. Local raw honey usually helps with other allergy symptoms you have since it stems from the pollen that gave you the allergy symptoms in the first place.

5) Pineapple

Both the ring and the core gives great nutrients that help with seasonal allergies because of its vitamins and enzymes.

6) Green Tea

Have a cup of green tea in the morning for a natural dose of antihistamines. Natural antihistamines are proven to prevent allergy symptoms and can help you avoid the discomfort. Start drinking green tea in the morning before allergy season hits for the best results.

7) Yogurt

Have a yogurt snack to reduce allergy symptoms. Yogurt is a natural source of probiotics so grab a spoon and your favorite fruit and have some yogurt.

Reducing Your Allergen Exposure

Now you know that you can improve seasonal allergies by changing your diet, but there are other things you can do to reduce the discomfort of the season. The less that you are exposed to allergens, the less likely you are to experience a reaction. While you can’t barricade yourself inside, there are things you can do to reduce the amount of time you are exposed.

Park Your Car Under a Cover

If you have a garage, it is ideal that you would park your car in the garage and leave from your garage. A car pot or even a car cover can be helpful if you don’t have a garage. When pollen season is upon us, everything gets covered with pollen and can cause sneezing, wheezing and coughing fits. Keeping your vehicle covered will help reduce the amount of pollen you are likely to come in contact with. If you use a car cover ask someone that does not have allergies to take it off before you get in to drive.

Remove Rugs from Your Home

Rugs may be comfy on our feet but they are also a haven for allergen likes dust mites and pet dander. It is a wise idea to either get rid of rugs or switch them out for thing rugs that are less friendly to allergens. Regularly vacuuming the rugs will also help if you decide to keep your rugs. Always make sure to empty the vacuum out of doors and use a mask when you are emptying the vacuum.

Close the Windows & Use Air Conditioning

When the weather warms up, it can be tempting to up the windows and welcome the sunrays in uninhibited, but that isn’t going to be good for your allergies. In addition to welcoming in some natural light, you are also welcoming allergens that are more than happy to come into your home.

Conclusion

Changing your diet and avoiding allergens will allow you to live a higher quality of life during allergy season. There is no reason to become a hermit when allergy season hits but acting wisely and keeping yourself protected is important so you can continue to function well throughout the year.

Were you someone who liked school when you were younger? Maybe it was one of the most interesting times of your life, and you packed as many extracurriculars as you could into your days? Maybe you didn’t find your flow with it until you were a bit older, going off to college to study for the degree that made your career? Maybe you loved the learning but hated the environment, and left as soon as you were able to? And now you’re

School is something we all have to go through. Education is very valuable in the modern day and age, and you’ll be very hard pressed to find someone who never went to school, or who doesn’t know how to read and write at the least. Because of that, we consider it a natural part of life, with all its trials and tribulations that we help our kids through to the best of our abilities. And there’s all kinds of schools out there, with their benefits and drawbacks alike, and some models will work better for your kids than others!

But sometimes, our kids become very disinterested in the idea of school, and sometimes even refuse to go. And that’s when the whole love/hate relationship most of us have with school can become a bit dangerous – attendance drops, learning ability drops, and it can feel like you’re on a timescale to get your kid back into school before the repercussions hit.

So it’s clear we could do with a bit of advice in a time like this, and thankfully, you’ve come to the right place if you’re in need of it. Without further ado, here’s a couple of things you can do when your child starts resisting the idea of school, and you’re not sure what else to do.

Work Out the Problem

The main focus of this idea is to make sure it’s not something serious, and that your child has nothing they’re actually worrying about when it comes to having to go to school. After all, there’s a lot of issues with the school system we can’t ignore, and various ones are going to affect your kid’s development from time to time – whether there’s some bullying going on, or the work is too hard and they’re unable to focus, discovering the root is going to make things so much better.

So if you notice your child’s willingness to go out the door in the morning slipping, or you notice how long it takes them to get on with their homework, or you get a phone call from a teacher who’s worried about the way your child acts in class, be sure to sit down and talk to your son or daughter. Make sure they know they’re safe to talk to you, and that whatever’s going on is something you can either help with or fix for them. Sure, a lot of the time we want our kids to be able to fight the battles that come their way, but when they’ve got years of schooling ahead and they’re already at a disadvantage with the process, you’re going to want to help.  

If they open up to you, that’s great! You can go on to tackle the problem, hopefully together, and it should be the end of it. But a lot of the time, it’s going to take a bit of time and effort on your part to encourage your child to tell you the problems they’re having. Remain calm, never raise your voice or hurry them along, and make sure it’s only you and them; sometimes kids don’t want to share their problems with the whole family, so be sure to be mindful of the setting you’re talking to them in as well.

Talk to the School

Once you’ve found out the problem, or you’re unable to discover a route of what’s going on, be sure to contact the school and make them aware of the problem. You want your kid’s teachers to be on their side, making sure they’re looking out for your child in class, and have an extra eye on them in the playground or the cafeteria during lunch. Sure, they’ve got 30 or so other kids to look out for as well, but it’s always better to bring this kind of attention to their doorstep to make sure they understand the extent of what’s happening in their classroom.

At the same time, you’re going to want to talk to the principal as well, especially if bullying is occurring and they don’t seem to be aware of it. Be sure to sit down and talk through the entire problem at length, and ask the headteacher what they plan to do about issues like these. Even talk to your neighbors and friends who have children, and see if the same experience is happening to their kids – 2 or more heads is always better than one when it comes to combating a problem!

And if you get called into the office, to either review your child’s progress after some recent trouble, or for a parent’s evening chat that you know is going to have some bad things to say, make sure you’re aware of how to answer any questions or queries put to you. It’ll go a long way to supporting your child, and showing off the unified front you have with your child that you’ve worked for since the day they were born!

Realize Your Options

Quick sidebar: Have you ever heard of school refusal? It describes a type of phobia in which a child often feels physically sick at the thought of going to school, but the symptoms disappear when they’re let off having to actually go. Whilst this sounds characteristic of a child who’s simply faking being sick to make sure they get a free day at home, it’s actually quite a serious condition. You see, even when a child doesn’t want to go to school, and actually begins shaking and crying, and maybe even throwing up at the thought of it, they still want to learn like they would normally, and go on to do great things with their life.

And this is where your child’s disinterest in school gets extremely complicated. You can’t force them to go, it’s only going to make them sicker and more scared of the idea, but you can’t keep them solely at home either. So you’re going to need to work out your options, and get to enforcing those to keep your child healthy and happy. Maybe you could work out a plan with the school that allows your child repeated but minimal exposure with a classroom, to get them back into the swing of things? Maybe you could begin homeschooling them part time, or even full time, depending on the schedule you and your partners have already.

Or maybe you could try moving their learning platform online, and discover all the different e-learning options there are out there. Some schools even like to employ it full time, to make sure your child learns everything they need to know to take on their exams, no matter where they are in the world! And when prestigious educational institutions put out online degrees, like that of an online operations management program, you know more and more schools are warming to the idea. Accessibility really can help to overcome the effects of an anxiety condition like this.

Work with Your Kids

So now that you’ve done all your research, and you know what you’re going to do next, and you’ve got the school on your side to help you see it through, you’re going to need to bring your child’s full attention to it. Hopefully they were there for the entire ride, seeing what was going on, listening in, and being told in full what their part in the process would be. Don’t worry too much, kids can be quite resilient, and when you’re holding their hand or standing behind them, they’re going to be all the stronger in taking on the world.

Once again, you may want your child to be able to face the world with a smile on their face, but this confidence doesn’t come naturally, especially when they’re had quite a few knockbacks! So when they have moments of doubt, or they cry over the fear, or they get frustrated with the work again, be sure to sit down and talk it through with them. This kind of support is indispensable to their future success, and when an adult they know, trust, and love is there to help them, they’re going to feel a lot more prepared.

How are Your Kids Doing at School?

Hopefully they’ve got a full ride ahead of them, and plenty of knowhow and patience on their side to see it through! But if they don’t, you’ve got a few strategies to use.

School is back in session and the back to school shopping has come to a close. You’ve purchased every supply on the teacher’s list from pens, colored pencils, glue sticks, paper, and even boxes of tissues. But when you did all that shopping you may have forgotten one important element. The fun. Did you make sure to shop for fun?

We’re talking about those back to school art supplies that just make you smile like a fun patterned pencil or a silly scented eraser. And did you forget that item or two that takes school work creativity from ordinary to extraordinary? If you did, let us suggest some must have back to school art supplies you forgot to pick up.

Finding Creative Magic With Markers

You may have picked up that 8 pack of markers your teacher asked for, and maybe you also purchased a pack of dry-erase ones too. But there’s no reason you can’t also bring some markers to school that will expand the horizon of your creativity. OOLY has a large variety of markers that will give you exactly what you’re looking for whether its pretty pastels, eye-popping neons, or rich deep hues.

An inspiring combination of form and function can be found in the Pastel Liners Dual-Tip Markers. These pretty art utensils can be used to highlight with the 5mm chisel tip end, and to create beautiful soft colored art with the 3 mm fine tip end. Highlight notes, create maps or other visual displays and underline the important points of your work with these dual-tip markers.

If you’re all about inspiring your student to have a little fun with color then check out the Mini Monster Scented Markers. These little markers will fill the page with rich, neon hues whether it’s an assignment that involves color or some homework that needs a little punch. And your little one will have more than one sense stimulated during learning thanks to these Mini Monsters being scented too.

Not Your Ordinary Mechanical Pencil

You probably threw some packs of pencils in your cart at back to school time. Mechanical pencils are an excellent no-fuss option especially when school sharpeners are in short supply. What you may have not had the opportunity to pick up, however, is the best of both pencil worlds: #2 pencils in mechanical form.

OOLY offers Very Best Mechanical Pencils in a variety of barrel colors from Pretty Pinks to Cool Blues. The leads are strong with 2mm tips so you (or a student you’re shopping for) can write boldly without fear of breaking lead. Each package comes with four mechanical pencils, extra leads, and a special sharpener.

Flowing With Fountains

A not so common choice for back to school art supplies is the fountain pen. But if you don’t give these pens a try, you may be truly missing out. The smoothest of writers and finest of sketchers, the fountain pen will provide you with endless opportunities for inspiring creativity when you’re hard at work. Splendid Fountain Pens come in a variety of ink colors to amp up the volume on your imagination. They each come with extra cartridges, and refills are available too, so you don’t run out of ink anytime soon.

Nowadays, parents have a greater degree of choice when choosing education for their children. One of these options is an international school. This form of education is no newcomer to the marketplace, however, you will notice that there is a growing number of international schools around the world today. In this post, we will take a look at the benefits associated with studying at an international school. So, read on to discover everything you need to know…

International Curriculum – First and foremost, one of the main advantages associated with going down this route is the fact that students will follow an internationally recognised curriculum. A prime example of this is the International Baccalaureate program. This gives the individual more opportunities for the future, as they will have a greater chance of getting into universities and further education institutes all over the world. They will also find that they can be accepted for virtually any online course in their domain, be it a bachelor’s degree in law or an masters of nursing. This high quality ‘portable’ education will stand them in good stead, no matter what they want to do in the future or where they want to go.

Emphasis On Extra-Curricular Activities – One thing you will notice is that international schools tend to place greater emphasis on extra-curricular activities. They believe that it is important for a student to not only excel academically but also in sports and other outside activities. Because of this, they provide various different avenues for children to nurture any talents they may have.

Introduction To Global Culture – A vital benefit associated with children studying at an international school is the fact that you will be exposed to global culture in a way that is not offered in regular schools. This is because students and often faculty are from areas all over the world. Moreover, the school recognises global events and important occasions; whereas other types of schools tend to merely focus on what is happening in the country of location. Acquiring knowledge from other countries and learning different customs are becoming increasingly significant in the current day and age.

Communication Skills – It may not seem like an obvious point, but many people who have studied at international schools say it helped them to develop pivotal communication skills that assisted them in their future careers. This is because they had the ability to work with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and different cultures. They wouldn’t have had this if they had not studied at an international school.

It is not hard to see why an increasing number of parents are electing to send their children to international schools. Many people will agree that this type of education gives students the best platform for the future, as they benefit from learning a curriculum that is recognised all over the world and they will develop essential communication skills by gaining a better understanding and appreciation of other cultures. If that wasn’t enough, they will also develop other talents, as international schools are heavily focused on ensuring their students are well-rounded.