Neighborhood-Kids All Local. All for Kids. All the Time.

Jim Schmotzer

•   Practical Tips to Help Kids Reach Goals
  

  In "Goal Setting: Good for the Whole Family," I presented a background to encourage parents to join with their kid(s) in using goal setting and the variety of benefits it can provide for family and individual growth. This piece will build upon that work by offering tips to remember in developing a goal setting strategy with and for your children. Some foundational questions should be addressed by each family member before creating a plan.

•   Goal Setting: Good for the Whole Family
  

  Goal setting can be an important aspect of defining a family and setting a course for growing children. Kids’ ability to develop and meet goals is important on a variety of levels. The following information will help parents clarify hopes and expectations related to goal setting with kids. Before jumping into the activity of goal setting with your kid(s), reflect on the following foundational supports.

•   Helping Kids in Changing Economic Times
  

  The daily news of high gas prices, lay-offs, unstable housing markets and other factors continue to remind us that we are in new economic territory. Beyond these big scale shifts, many families deal with illness, death and divorce in personal ways that can drastically alter family life style. These changes impact everybody, including children. How does a family deal with financial shifts and in some cases crises?

•   Getting a Great Start at School
  

  With the beginning of school parents are hopeful that their children will have a successful year, but children are individuals and each school year brings new challenges and concerns. While parents cannot control all that happens during a school year, they can take active steps to encourage a positive experience for all. Following are some practical suggestions to help parents get their children off to a good start.

•   Family Tent Camping Season
  

  We began tent camping when our sons were preschoolers. Through trial and error, a variety of family rituals were established. Now that our sons are grown, those traditions are the basis of cherished memories. For others, camping may be a new and welcome option as gas prices continue to rise and vacation budgets are impacted. Following are some of the ways camping became a central part of our family experience.

•   Building Lifelong Relationships
  

  Our two sons are now in their mid-twenties and settling into their adult lives. We find ourselves enjoying the new adventures of grandparenting. We are finding great joy in walking alongside our sons during this new life phase. Even when they were children, one of our long-term parenting goals was to establish and enjoy healthy and lifelong relationships with our sons that would continue in their adulthood.

•   Creating a Kid-Friendly Office
  

  The days of “kids should be seen and not heard” have long-since transitioned to a new, healthier world where children are more frequently included in most areas of daily life. In an effort to be accessible to those you serve, and in consideration of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, ask yourself, “Is my office a place where kids feel welcome and comfortable?” If not, here are some ideas for items that will make your daily work space more "kid-friendly."

•   What Every Child Needs
  

  “What is it my child really needs?” Parents might ask themselves this question on a daily basis. Above all else, children need provisions that money can’t buy. The time, attention, and efforts you devote to your child are priceless and can have a tremendous impact on their emotional well-being. Jim Schmotzer offers a list of the most important gifts parents can give a child to help them develop into a mature and loving adult.

•   Game Time Strengthens Family Bonds
  

  As rainy days and windy weather keeps us indoors, families are provided with wonderful opportunities to strength relationships. One way to make the most of this winter season is through family game times. Whether you call them table games, board games or something else – spending time together playing games can enhance family relationships and provide fun opportunities for learning. To help family game time be a success, each family should create their own “house rules.”

•   Reducing the Stress of Sibling Rivalry
  

  All it takes to establish sibling rivalry is to have more than one child. Almost every child wants to feel special, be first, get the most and generally have their own way. The tension this creates can lead to harsh words, attempts at one-up-man-ship, arguments and, in some situations, physical fighting, leaving most parents desperately seeking a "cease-fire" on the home front. To ease some of this sibling drama, I suggest a tool that can help parents in the quest for family peace.