Hi!
This site is in its infancy. I'll work on it and it'll gradually improve: let me know at the parent-teacher meetings how you'd like to see it develop; thanks!
Anyhow, to begin, here's the beginning of a list of sites you may well find relevant to your parenting:
(A) Bullying/'Being Safe on the Internet' Sites
- Firstly, it's important for you to know that I've posted about this in child-friendly language on my blog for the class (1) Cyberbullying (2) Being Safe Online. The websites here below are for you, not them.
- webwise.ie (see the Parents section). This is especially important to help us stamp out cyberbullying when it begins. We won't stop all of it beginning, but we can stop a lot of it through educating the kids just how much pain cyberbullying causes. And we also can do our best to stamp out cyberbullying quickly when it does begin: How? Find out on webwise.ie
- https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/parentsguide/ has a couple of good videos. The 'Parents and Carers Guide' one is best from the 8th minute on. Give it a go; I think you'll find some good stuff: good information for you (bullying, strangers, sexualisation of children) AND good tips in how to talk to your kids about all this.
- Google has its own website with videos dedicated to you, parents who want your family to be safe online. You might find some of its real-world advice useful.
- For starters, perhaps look through my various postings on the website I have for the kids: talbotmrstuart.blogspot.com
- Secondly, there's scoilnet.ie, which has sections for parents, for children, and for teachers. They've divided the thousands of great resources by age and by subject, so you're likely to find lots you'll find useful.
- To see the curriculum for your child this year, see http://www.ncca.ie/en/Curriculum_and_Assessment/Parents/Primary/5th_and_6th_Classes/
- Maybe you want to see the School Plans for each subject and other things
- And don't forget the School Website's Page for Parents--courses, booklists, and the vibrant, wonderful, unsung-heroes of the Parents Association
- Up to 5% of the population are 'gifted' learners: they learn faster, earlier, and differently than others. If you know of such a child, here's an Irish website with Irish resources for them: http://giftedkids.ie/
- Stay in touch with what's going on at the school, not just my class, through the school website
- Here's an Irish Independent story on what you can do to help your child improve his/her reading
- Services supporting families in Clondalkin — a compilation of services it's good to know about
- National Parents Council Primary (www.npc.ie)
- Pointers for Parents from Parentline.ie (these are the people you can call when you're in need of a chat on the phone with someone who truly 'gets it' when your child is causing you stress)(low-call 1890 927 277; more info and services at parentline.ie
- You might like this story from National Public Radio in the USA about the art and science of parenting tweens and teens — and how it sure ain't easy!
(Listen to the story and read the accompanying article.)
(The top tips and insights I see are: "(1) it's not just a case of raging hormones. Teens may actually not be able to help their reactions due to dramatic changes in their rapidly developing brains; (2) the first line of defense for parents is to stay calm. Tell the teen to just go to bed and that you will deal with consequences tomorrow. Ask them to write a note of self-reflection — about their regrets, why they went off track, what they would do differently if given another chance, and what skills they might need to avoid the situation in the first place; Based on the quality of this self-critique, Kastner says, parents can then determine discipline or consequences. (3) Steering clear of emotions is difficult, even for adults. But Kastner says it's something parents just have to learn how to do. There are some obvious tools: Step outside for a moment. Take a breath. Think mindfulness. (4) And forget having the last word, she says. "Let them have the last word," Kastner says about the kids. "A lot of extended arguments that happen with children are happening because we take the bait," Kastner says. Parents respond to attacks, get angry when called names and end up co-miserable with their kids. We need to let that riffraff go," she says, "and cease-and-desist because it's going nowhere.""
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