Does your dinner table need a good serving of conversation to go with those sloppy joes? If you are looking for ways to begin a mealtime discussion with kids, check out a Web site called www.verybestkids.com. This extensive family Web site, sponsored by Nestle, has a plethora of activities for children ages 3 to 10.
For help with dinnertime conversations, at the Home page click on “Learning Fun” and then scroll down to “Let’s Learn Together.” Click on “Serve up a topic for dinner.” Here’s where you’ll find suggestions for moving beyond minimalist musings. (Mom: “Tell me what you did in kindergarten today.” Son: “We just colored.”)
For example, ask your child, “What famous person or storybook character would you most like to have dinner with and why?”
Between suggesting they might want to just try those lima beans, ask the question, “What place would you like to visit and what would you do when you got there?”
And to vary the discussion, perhaps ask your diners what their favorite sound is and why. But be sure to tell them not to make that sound with a full mouth.
Home schooling and ADD
It’s Monday morning and you’ve sent the kids to school, but they are still in your living room. Did they miss the bus? Not if your kids are among the 1.7 million who are home-schooled.
“Living Room Learning,” by Beth Gilbert in the February issue of ADDitude, “The Happy, Healthy Lifestyle Magazine for People with ADD,” helps you determine if home schooling is right for you and your ADHD child. (ADHD is the official medical term for attention deficit, both with and without hyperactivity.)
“Once you make the decision to home-school, you and your child get to choose which roads you want to take to get your educations,” says Sam Goldstein, a psychologist at the University of Utah.
On the pro side, consider the following: You can customize your child’s education. You decide what is appropriate material and you get to set the tone for the classroom.
On the con side: Home schooling is a demanding job. It might be more difficult for your child to form friendships, and eventually your child will have to venture out into the world.
Check out www.additudemag.com.
