Ten Tips for Parents

1. Make time for "play" time.

Show your kids it’s a priority for them to play. Invite friends over and have a space in your house where they can create games, make a mess and not get in trouble. Let them have old cardboard boxes, blankets, pots and other things around the house to use in their play. Then get ready to create some great game ideas.

2. Don’t stress out!

Sometimes with all of the opportunities for extracurricular activities, clubs, and out-of-school events, it’s easy for a child to get overscheduled. This can lead to stress that can make children anxious, tired or even depressed. It’s important to make sure that children become well rounded, but not at the expense of them having too much on their plate. We suggest that a child not have more than three scheduled extracurricular activities at a time and that you make a conscious choice regarding the amount of activities that they are involved in.

3. Get the kids together.

The best play is with a group of friends. Today, most families don’t have six or more children. To inspire play, we suggest working with other parents to get kids together. Get a pickup game of baseball together by meeting the neighborhood kids at the park and letting them organize their own game. Let the kids know it’s okay to modify the rules for fewer players and let them have fun.

4. Regulate the TV.

Every kid likes a little downtime to just kick back and enjoy a television program. However, it is a problem if that is all they want to do. In order to get your child in the habit of using their imagination while being active, it’s important to foster more creative activities. So regulate the amount of time your child can watch TV by setting limits like time after school or to relax before bedtime.

5. Cool things down.

Playtime is fun, but sometimes children can be overloaded with too many activities. Just like adults, it’s important to make sure that your child has some quiet time to him or herself. Reading and coloring are great quiet activities that help foster imagination, while giving your loved ones a healthy breather.

6. Make time for family dinners.

One way to make sure that your children are not too busy is to have a regularly scheduled family dinner each night. This is one of your best chances to learn about their day, find out what’s going on in their lives and generate a healthy discussion with the family.

7. Wake up on the right side!

Make each morning consistent with a routine that your family can stick to. Encourage children at an early age to make their bed, brush their teeth and even lay out their clothes the night before. Schedules like this can help teach a child early organizational skills, while making the beginning of the day less stressful.

8. Homework overload.

The National Education Association recommends that children should have 10 minutes per grade level of homework each night. Anything more than that is excessive. Basically, children will understand a concept better if they are working through five problems slowly than racing through to finish 50 problems. If you feel that your child has too much homework, you may want to mention your concerns to your son or daughter's teacher. And don't feel bad about making the decision to not accomplish every extra credit assignment.

9. Play family games.

It’s never too late to show your creativity. Make time for family game night and include games such as charades or treasure hunt that rely on the creativity of the group for clues and playing the game. Game Ideas

10. Read.

It’s not only a great way to learn new things but a wonderful way to end each day together. For kids who have a hard time getting to sleep, reading is a good wind down habit.

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