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Thanks to the makers of Pine-Sol® for sponsoring my writing. A study shows a clean smelling home can help children succeed, so Pine-Sol® is supporting Reading is Fundamental (RIF) this year. Click “Like” on Pine-Sol®’s Facebook page here and they will donate books to RIF!
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Helping your child achieve success can be very simple and starts with YOU! Whether it’s success with friendships, or in school- a positive home environment can make all the difference. Although our children are still young- this is the perfect time to establish a good routine in encouraging them to be healthy and love learning!
One very important point which I believe whole-heartedly is that the best way to show your kids what’s important early on, is to make it important to you too. If you make education matter to you, and are always encouraging ways to learn and find new things it will matter to your kids. Kids love to explore, and nurturing that inquisitiveness sets them up for a life-long journey of seeking answers and desiring to learn more about what’s around them.
Encouraging your child to learn shouldn’t happen just whenever it is convenient or when you might happen to remember it- it is a daily occurence. It should be a part of your life. And it doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as asking them about the sky, clouds, ducks, or what they learned in school that day. But sometimes learning to succeed in life isn’t easy. Sometimes the best way we learn important lessons is by making mistakes. Make sure to teach your kids how to handle disappointments too.
Here are a few ways that we encourage our children to succeed:
1. We go to the library.You would be surprised how many kids- even teenagers- have never been to a library! It has instilled in my oldest son especially a tenacity for books like you wouldn’t believe!
2. We go to the park just to feed the ducks. We notice their funny feet, their colors, sometimes we even pick up feathers off of the ground! It has taught my son a respect and love for animals.
3. Every morning we always start with a good breakfast. It’s very important for children (and adults!) to have the right nutritious fuel to get them through the day!
4. We reward hard work! There are SO many ways to reward your child for their hard work. It may be earning extra money, it may be going somewhere special, or extra time on their video games. My son has a reward chart and when he finishes his worksheets he gets to add a sticker onto it! We have proudly placed all of his posters in our dining room as you can see below!
5. EVERY day we make sure each child has quality time with us. It doesn’t have to be spectacular, but your child should have your undivided attention every single day- no matter how busy you are. Once in a while my husband and I will split for the night and take each child separately on a date night with mommy or daddy! It’s SO much fun and shows our kids how much we love them as an individual person for who they are.
One way that we incorporate quality time with our children everyday is by reading books to them before bedtime. Here you can see my husband reading a book to our kiddos before bed. Taking a few moments out of your day even just to read a book can mean the world to your child!
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Don’t forget to click over to Pine-Sol®’s Facebook page to support our children’s success. I was selected for this Pine-Sol® sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.