Category Archives: parenting

homeschooling, parenting, tech gadgets, technology

Homeschooling Help from Technology

homeschooling

If you’re homeschooling your child, then one of the advantages already at your disposal is the fact that you are able to use as wide a range of teaching styles and methods that suit your needs. Given how children can take to different methods of learning with different levels of effectiveness, finding the tools that work best for your child can be very important, indeed. Whether you’re looking to switch tracks to methods that might work for your child a little better, or you just want to supplement your existing homeschooling methods, here are some of the advantages of relying a little more on tech.

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admissions, careers, college books, college guidance, college planning, college prep, college visits, community service, essays, FAFSA, financial aid, financial planning, high school, mom approved tips, parenting, podcasts, scholarships, social networks, standardized tests, student loans, study abroad, test prep, websites

100+ College Prep Resources

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college prep resources

It’s exhausting searching and scouring the internet for the right information when it comes to helping your student prepare for college. But what if you could use ONLY ONE RESOURCE and find everything you ever wanted to know about college prep? Wouldn’t that be amazing?

Here it is. I’ve done the research, examined the links and their resources, and compiled a list of 100+ college prep resources for you. (If you know of others, please leave them in the comments and I will add them to the list!)

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college guidance, college planning, college prep, parenting

Positive Parenting During College Prep

parenting

Positive parenting is about guiding, not doing. The old adage that implies “teaching is more profitable than doing” holds true with your teenagers as well. It’s important to impress upon your children the importance of an education.

It’s not beneficial to ram a specific college down their throats and tell them if they want to attend college it will be your choice. That’s not parenting, that’s dictating. And while parenting requires a certain amount of rules, it does not benefit your child to force them into a decision that does not match up with their passion.

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college planning, empty nest, parenting, Uncategorized

Pre-College Bucket List for Families

college

While you may be happy that your child has chosen to attend college, you might also be having a lot of mixed feelings about them moving out and away. You must be prepared for their departure the best you can so that it is a smooth transition for you and them.

The good news is that once you know they’ve been accepted into a college and will be attending a particular school, you’ll have some time together before they head out. Below are some things you should do before your child leaves for college that will help you two grow a stronger bond before this major life change takes place. 

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parenting, technology

5 Cybersecurity Tips for Your Student

cybersecurity

As your kids grow, you most likely have bought them one device or another for their education and leisure. If you have, it’s never too early to start teaching them the importance of being security conscious.

Cybersecurity awareness must be continuous, especially as your kids get older. If your kids are in college, they may be at an even higher risk of a security breach because, as students, they may have a large amount of personal information online, which can be valuable to hackers. According to statistics, students aged 20 years and younger fall prey too often. So, here are some practical cybersecurity tips for your college kids. 

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admissions, college guidance, financial aid, financial planning, parenting

Southern Truisms for the College Admissions Process

southern truisms

I’ll admit (willingly) that I like to offer my unsolicited advice to my children, often in the form of southern truisms (I grew up in the south and was raised by a family of southerners). Even though they are grown, I feel the need to continue to parent. As they did when they were younger, they smile, listen, and then do things their own way. It’s a type of dance parents and kids do with one another.

The hardest part of the college admissions process for a parent is finding a balance in your parenting. You want to encourage them, guide them and help them make the right choices. But when you push too hard, nag and set guidelines that interfere with their independence and individual choices you create a stressful and frustrating college preparation experience. This is a monumental step in your child’s life and you don’t want to taint it with fighting, frustration and family discourse.

Following are 5 tips for parents of college-bound teens (based around good old southern truisms) to keep peace in the home and reduce the stress related to the college admissions process:

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college planning, life skills, parenting

5 Ways to Help Your Student Transition to College

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transition to college

College is a magical time in any youngster’s life. Despite the excitement, though, the prospect of leaving everything behind for the next 1-5 years can be quite daunting too. A smooth settling-in period can make a world of difference, thus enabling your son or daughter to enjoy the full college experience. As a parent, then, supporting them through the planning stage is vital as they transition to college.

You will probably need to let your child find their feet once they arrive at college. Still, there are several ways to support them before this time arrives. Here are five of the most effective ways to help them transition to college.

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admissions, financial aid, financial planning, parenting, work study

Different Types of Financial Aid

types of financial aid

Those two little words — “financial aid” — can be music to a parent’s ears. I know they were to me!

What I didn’t know as I began the college application process with my daughter was that there are a number of different types of aid available. Not only that, but the awards colleges offer when they offer admission can vary tremendously.

I was surprised to find that many private colleges can be generous with merit aid because they have institutional funds to distribute as well as federal dollars, while public universities with tight budgets may offer less aid. This can result in a private college with a higher “sticker price” costing less to attend than a public university.

Back to the example of my daughter, who applied to a mix of public and private universities. We knew we would need help financing her education, so when she applied to college she also applied for financial aid and we completed two online forms: the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE (administered by the College Board and required by many private schools and some flagship state universities).

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academics, parenting, private school

Choosing a Private School

private school

When it comes to education, private schools are well-known for their rigorous academic standards and top-notch curriculum. However, while any private school’s theoretical aspects are essential, much more goes into creating a thriving educational environment. This blog post will cover some of the fundamental essentials needed to have a successful private school. 

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learning disabilities, parenting

Helping Your Student With Learning Disabilities

learning disabilities

A child with learning difficulties is no different in their deserving of education than a child without it. Of course, the challenges are more apparent ad there may be obstacles that are put in the way of helping a child learn when they have a learning difficulty but there are no obstacles, you and your child can’t overcome.

With that being said, here are a few tips to help your child with learning disablities navigate the education system.

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