The eight components of purposeful parenting (located directly to the left) can be coupled with positive role-modeling, as this will help to create a safe and secure home environment where children can grow, develop, thrive and flourish well into adulthood.

To celebrate Purposeful Parenting Month, parents can do a variety of simple and easy things to create a more positive and loving home life. Remember, the best times are when you make time, making every opportunity possible to spend time with your children, savoring each moment as a treasure! Before you know it, they'll be all grown up and moving on with their own lives.

Don't make the all-too-common parenting mistake of thinking that earning a living and providing a home for your children is more important than spending time with your children. You can't bring back those lost years, so don't skimp.

With the right approach and positive attitude, parenting can be fun for everyone involved. The definition of Discipline is "to teach", which is a positive approach to teaching children appropriate behavior, as opposed to the definition of Punishment being to "chastise or correct" misbehavior after the wrongful deed has already been done. Remember, the better you are with discipline, the less you will have to punish.

 

School's out for summer! For many children, the summer months bring with it fun in the sun, outdoor recreation, summer camp, and most importantly, a vacation from school.

Unfortunately, research suggests that too much fun during the summer, along with too long of a break from school, can be detrimental to your child's academic achievement. In fact, the latest studies have shown that effective summer learning programs can help young people improve their reading comprehension and develop math skills. Researchers have also noted youth who recieve some sort of education throughout the summer months boast a higher high school graduation rate. These chidren are also more likely to go to (and stay in) college and, statistically, have a higher chance of securing post-graduation employment.

 

The Summertime Reading Gap
Did you know that the average student reads only 10 minutes a day outside of school? This number is even lower when one considers only those children from low-income families. Every summer, the annual reading achievement gap between students from low-income families and middle-income families widens by three months. During the summer, the reading development of low-income students tends to drop while that of middle- and high-income kids tends to go up slightly. Between kindergarten and sixth grade, the annual three-month summer reading loss means that the reading gap between low-income and middle-income students grows to 18 months. By the end of middle school, the cumulative loss has expanded to two or more years. Thus, eighty percent of the achievement differences between low-income and middle- to high-income students may occur because of summer reading loss.

 

Ideas for Summer Learning
Regardless of your economic status, encouraging your kids to participate in summer learning activities is an effective way to ensure academic success. Remember: kids do not need to study textbooks or have a chalkboard in front of them to learn! Here are some ideas to help facilitate your child's summer reading and learning:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your children are not your chidren.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's
longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
 
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, nor even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make
them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
 
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Do you have a picky-eater in your house? Are you struggling to get your children to eat a healthy, balanced meal because they simply refuse to eat healthy food? Ensuring children are eating a healthy diet is another way one can be a purposeful parent. 

 

Children learn by what they experience, so if parents are not setting the right example, by eating a healthy diet themselves, parents are setting the stage for failure with their own children's health. Getting children to eat healthy food needs to begin when children are very young, while their tastes for different foods are still developing. Toddlers and older children can learn to love healthy foods, even if they are now very picky about what they will or will not eat.

 

Be a purposeful parent by dictating the rules about meals and snacks. If you want your children to eat healthy, then serve them healthy and nutritious meals that the entire family can enjoy together. Getting your children to learn to love fruits and vegetables can often be accomplished by offering small amounts of dipping sauces, dressings, or flavored low-fat yogurt to dip into. Another great tip is to keep a variety of well-stocked fresh fruits or vegetables in easy reach of hungry children. Click here to learn more!

 

 By: Alyssa Azotea, MS

 

The morning rush of getting the kids out the door for school, a full day of work meeting the demands of the employer if they are lucky enough to be employed, and coming home to a second job filled with cooking, cleaning, shopping and running around. This is the very simplest day for most single parents. Purposeful parenting consists of elements such as unconditional love, setting boundaries, and spending quality time with your children. So how is it possible for single parents to meet all of the demands of parenting while being a purposeful parent?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2007), in NH there are approximately 66,248 families headed by single parents, and 16,728 are families with children under the age of 6, with a parent who is employed. Common concerns for these single parents are in regards to a lack of funds and time, discipline, and feeling as though they are not as productive as they would like. 

Several strategies are recommended for single parents with an understanding that parenting alone can be a very rewarding experience. The strategies consist of striving for "good enough"- not trying to be a perfect parent, being one parent instead of trying to be two, making peace with your situation, and caring for yourself. In addition, learning how to reach out for help is important (Bromfield, 2008). Knowing where to reach out for help is key to this success. Some of the resources in NH include:
 
Parents Without Partners, New Hampshire Chapter, Manchester (603) 669-4275 http://www.pwp1239.org/ 

Parenting New Hampshire newsletter http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=PARENTING> 

Families First in Portsmouth offers a single parent night http://www.familiesfirstseacoast.org/calendar.cfm#29 

University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension also frequently has programs for parents who are parenting without partners. Click on the following link to check out their Web site http://ceftp.unh.edu/shell/webevent.pl?cmd=opencal&cal=cal6& 

Single Parent Get-Away in NH http://www.east-hill-farm.com/winter%20snowman%20specials.htm 

Purposeful parenting when you are a single parent is possible, and the rewards are plentiful. Knowing the resources that are available and remembering that doing your best is all you can do, are integral parts to parenting success.

One way to be a purposeful parent is to be aware of the online activites your children are particpiating in. Here are some tips for parents regarding internet safety!

 

 

1. Monitor your child's Internet use consistently. This is not a violation of your child's privacy; this is a safeguarding measure and part of your responsibility as a parent.

 

2. If your child belongs to a social networking site (MySpace, Facebook, Tagged, Xanga, etc), look closely at what information they have posted in their member profiles and blogs,
including photos and videos. Predators, bullies, profanity, and threats often occur in these types of sites.

 

3. Find out what other websites your child's social networking site is linked to. Sometimes your child's web pages may be safe but they may be linked to a site which could endanger them (a
pornographic site, a site in which a friend mentions your child's phone number, a site slandering school administrators).

4. Talk to your child about your Internet safety concerns in a positive way and give them the opportunity to make safety resolutions that you can both live with (example, how much time
can be spent online? Are chat rooms permitted?).

5. Explain that your kids should: NEVER give out personal information (name, address, phone, school name), NEVER meet anyone from online without your permission, NEVER open
emails from unknown senders, and NEVER share their photo with strangers over the Internet. Shared photos are an easy way for a predator to find a child or modify your child's image for
pornographic use.

6. Encourage your children to bring anything strange or upsetting to your attention and don't overreact when they do (fear of losing Internet privileges is why kids don't tell parents about
problems - and why they may start surfing the web somewhere else).

7. Stay in touch with your kid's online activities. Know who their online friends are (and who is on their buddy list), just as you would their other friends.

8. Learn how filtering and monitoring software can assist you in protecting your children (check with your Internet service provider to find out if filtering or monitoring is available for free
with your provider).