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5 Ways to Be a Happier Stay-At-Home-Parent

Posted on April 23, 2018 By in DIY, Fitness & Wellness, Lifestyle, Parenting, Uncategorized

5 Ways to Be a Happier Stay-At-Home-Parent

The title might sound unbelievable to those parents who wish they were stay-at-home parents, but the reality is, being a stay-home-mom or dad is hard work. We have a few of those dedicated parents at Hollywood Learning Centers and we’ve seen it first hand.

 

Just imagine…

Waking up early in the morning to make sure everyone is ready for school and work. Making a healthy breakfast so everyone eats before leaving the house, packing a nutritious lunch and taking the children to school. Then imagine coming back home to pick up the mess made during the hectic morning, wash dishes, run errands, juggle between business and laundry or making beds and paying bills.  Before you know it, is time to go to the store to buy groceries and start dinner. Let’s not forget at 3PM we have to pick up the children from school or Hollywood Learning Aftercare, help them with homework, take them  to soccer practice or violin recitals, feed them dinner, attend to the husband…

As a stay-home parent, it is SO easy to get wrapped up in the lives of our children and house chores that we completely lose ourselves in the process. For that reason, we put together a list of 5 simple things you can do to be a HAPPIER stay-at-home parent:

 

  • Get Ready

 

Staying at home doesn’t mean we can’t get ready. Make sure to shower and change just as if you were going to work. Do not give up on yourself just because you are a stay-home parent. Dressing up can automatically change your mood.  Show yourself respect and make time to tend to your basic needs daily.

 

  • Get Organized

 

When we have everything in its place and somehow of a routine going things are simpler to follow. Minimizing helps stay organized, labeling helps things have its place, color-coding helps differentiate, and encouraging everyone to put things back in its place and stay organized makes it a team effort. As far as a routine goes, we encourage everyone having a family calendar in a place everyone can see it (the kitchen or family room). That way we don’t over book ourselves.

 

  • Get Your Headphones

 

I don’t know about you guys, but music can make everything go so much smoother. Imagine waking up the kids with soothing music, cooking to jazz, working out to techno and making your own playlist based on your mood, holidays or occasions. With Spotify, it’s easy to find the right music for every moment and the best part you can listen to it on your phone, computer, or tablet.

 

  • Get a Hobby

 

Writing workshops, volunteering opportunities, Zumba or support groups are fun. Why not join in on the extracurricular fun? Any kind of outside activity will not only provide your with socialization, but it’ll also give you a chance to distress. There are plenty of events on https://www.eventbrite.com/

 

  • Get Some Rest…

 

Taking a break or a nap is not a sign of weakness. When a relative or friend offers taking care of the kids or helping around the house, say “yes!” Hollywood Learning Centers also has a few events for parents to be able to have a date night. Let’s not forget we are totally allowed to hire a babysitter every so often, when in need to for a desperate break. Do not think that by giving yourself a break or accepting support, you are in any way, not doing your job. You job is 24/7; you can take (and need) an occasional break.

We hope this list helps. Remember we will always have chaos and that’s okay, our house, lives, and children don’t have to be perfect. Embrace reality and acknowledge your efforts.

For more blogs like this one, subscribe to Hollywood Learning Centers’ blog.

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Parents! Back to School, Back to Reality!

Posted on August 25, 2016 By in Lifestyle, Parenting

Invitation for GraduationSchool is back and although it can be a bittersweet feeling for parents and children, it is something that has to be conquered nonetheless. Whether your child is going to their first day of preschool or their first day of kindergarten, they are going and as a parent you need to be prepared. So we have created a little guide on what parents can do to help transition from summer to school.

  1. Get involved! Starting school is like starting a brand new year. Why not get involved? See what opportunities your children’s school offer for you to volunteer or become a PTA mom. Evaluate your options rather than signing up right away. Try talking to other parents and figure out the best way to help out. Remember, the amount of time you volunteer isn’t a reflection of how much you love your kids. Do as much as your time allows you. Similarly, find ways to get your children involved. It’s the early childhood stage, that determines their passions in life. Hollywood Learning Centers offers extracurricular activities such as soccer, dance, tutoring and others. Call the office at (954)922-8558 for more information.
  1. Develop a Game Plan: This is a new (but long) journey in your child’s life, they will meet new friends and embrace new challenges, often time parents note transformational growth in their children during the school year. Discuss their goals for their academic year, what they want to accomplish in school and outside of school. If they want to learn a new language, how to play an instrument or simply make new friends. Help them make  a game plan. It is said that those who write their goals have a better chance of making them happen. Help them write their goals in a place that is visible or work on a vision board.
  1. Embrace “failure: It is important to set goals for your child, but do not be disappointed when some of these goals are not obtained. In this new journey there will be good days and bad days, and we have to learn to deal with both. Praise their efforts and teach them about perseverance. Starting the first day of preschool, second grade, or eight grade is equally scary. New materials, homework, teachers, routines, etc.

Back to school can be nerve racking and stressful. But keep in mind our small tips, and embrace every moment of the new school year. Fortunately kids are pretty resilient, so they get back into the swing of things better than parents do.

For more parenting survival tips, keep checking out our blog.

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How To Teach Your Child a Second Language in a Bilingual Casa

Posted on May 11, 2016 By in Parenting

How to teach children a second languageHello! Hola! Salut! Ciao! Oi! Здравствуй! Raise your hand if you’re bilingual, trilingual, or multilingual.

Living in South Florida makes this topic very close to casa. Most of us come from other countries and hope and pray our children learn our ancestors’ roots and native language, but this is easier said than done.

Research has proven the many benefits associated with speaking more than one language and the younger the child learns, the better! For that reason, Hollywood Learning Centers , a Ministry of First Presbyterian Church put together a quick list on how to teach your child a second language in a bilingual home.

1. SPEAK, THEY WILL REPEAT

Toddlers and preschoolers are in that age where they’re just getting acquainted with their social vocabulary. As you know, we have to be careful with what we say because they repeat everything they hear. “Kids this age are developing language skills rapidly, and they quickly absorb whatever they hear,” says Erika Levy, Ph.D., assistant professor of speech and language pathology at Columbia University. Why not start with one word here and there? They will either catch the meaning with context clues or they will ask, like they often do, “what does that mean?” Remember, the earlier you introduce a second language, the easier it will be for your child to pick up its unique sounds.

2. APPEALING TO THEIR SENSES

Come on! Vamonos! Everybody, let’s go! Yes, Dora the Explorer is one of the many programmings kids can watch to learn a second language. Find a show or radio station, play a song, or read a book in your native language so they can familiarize with the sounds, words, and phrases. Nowadays, there are even toys and apps you can download. Sooner or later, they will catch o

3. SUBMERSION

In my house, for example, we weren’t allowed to speak English, because Mom (Ms. Fatima, Director of Hollywood Learning Center) thought we got enough English at school. So every time my sister and I will speak English to each other, she will interrupt us and say: Spanish! Or when we used to speak to Mom in English, she will literally pretend she didn’t understand. However, submersion is most effective when you take your children to the native language region for longer than just a few days. Want your children learning a second language ? Choose their next summer vacations wisely.

4. FORMAL CLASSES IN SCHOOL / ACADEMY

Learning at home can be frustrating. If you rather do formal classes in their preschool or an academy, make sure your child doesn’t see it as a must, but as a fun experience. Get involved in the process and reinforce the instructor’s material with them so they learn it fast. Our Hollywood Learning Center offers Spanish Classes Monday through Thursday. For more information, please don’t hesitate to call Ms. Rebecca at 954- 922-8558.

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Let’s Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week!

Posted on April 27, 2016 By in Lifestyle

Teacher Appreciation Pic 1

I don’t remember ever celebrating Teacher Appreciation week growing up in the 90s. I’m not sure if it was because I was in a public school, or simply because it wasn’t popular around my times. Yet, with a teacher as a mother (Ms. Fatima), showing my appreciation was a must.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I learned that the US celebrates the nearly 3.5 million teachers with a week called, Teacher Appreciation Week, but I wanted to find out more about the history so I went on a hunt.

Apparently, people in the US didn’t begin celebrating teachers until 1953 when Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded Congress to set a day to recognize educators, but it didn’t become a national day until March 7, 1980. Since one day is not enough to thank these wonderful human beings, four years later, the National Parent Teacher Association designated the first full week of May as Teacher Appreciation Week. The following year, the NEA voted to make the Tuesday of that week National Teacher Day.

This year it falls on May 2nd till May 6th.

At First Presbyterian Learning Centers, we honor our dedicated teachers and outstanding support staff with goodies and presents. However, this year, our teachers want to have fun with gift cards!  

We put a list of gift card ideas based on a survey conducted in house:

  • Starbucks
  • Target
  • Restaurants
  • Movie Tickets
  • Sephora  / Ulta (Makeup stores)
  • Mani/Pedi Spa
  • Victoria Secret

P.S. Mark your calendars – Teachers Appreciation Week May 2th – 6th.

Teachers Rock!

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