Working Class Parenting: Motivation, Education and Inspiration For Parents

Every so often, especially during the holidays, it would benefit us to stop... reflect and be mindful of the season.Despite our best efforts and attempts, we seem to unwilling and almost hypnotically get pulled into the holiday rush. We only realize we have circum to the rush when we are in the mist of the hassle and bustle. Distractions, one of Working Class Parenting's greatest nemesis. However, despite all of this I find it no coincidence that people are more drawn to giving and more open to investing in ours during the Christmas season. It is as if the air is rich with the spirit of giving and love. Despite the distractions, there are clear moments, when we see the need of others and are complied to act. Almost as if we are instinctively drawn to surrender personal needs to see needs of others met. Could it be, that perhaps, the atmosphere is rich with spirit of Gods love? Maybe the air is still charged with the birth of Love in that lonely stable, maybe its coincidence, or cou...

Guest post written by Jomary Schulz, 3 rd  grade public school teacher As your child's Christmas Break slowly approaches it may be a good idea to begin thinking about how you will keep their minds engaged while out of school. Any length of time a child spends away from their normal, consistent, school schedule could be a "holiday recipe" for a learning gap to begin. Now granted, all kids will not suffer from a week to two weeks away from school, but their tendency to become lazy about problem solving or keeping their brains active is pretty normal for any child. Even before they fall into their habit of t.v. watching or video game playing vacation routine, get your children involved with the everyday family tasks that may involve a little problem solving. Here are some excellent way to get this kind of thinking going:

I read a great article by Bridget Doyle  of the Chicago Tribune on parents dealing with their children's Christmas gift expectations. In the piece many different parents give their tips and ideas on how to deal with this problem. On idea jumped out at me. It was from Tina Peterson, mother of 3, she gets a short wish lists from her kids with four items: one want, one need, one wear, one read. In the article she says, "I heard about the strategy a long time ago and thought it was excellent, "If you give too much, expectations are too high. The best thing you can do as a parent is not spoil your kids." And thats what she gets them 4 things and done. For so many families budgets are tight right now, don't be afraid to keep it simple. I would also put a limit on what you can spend on each item and tell the kids what that number is so they know the budget and keep their expectations in check. So if you want to try this remember