Dear Teachers

QA DEARTEACHERS &

BY PEGGY GISLER AND MARGE EBERTS

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG TEENS TO VOLUNTEER

QUESTION: I’m already thinking about summer and what

my young teens could do beyond just fun activities. There are some jobs like babysitting and yard work, but beyond this there aren’t too many jobs for children this age. Where are some places they could do some volunteer activities? – For Volunteering

ANSWER: Volunteering is a worthwhile experience for young teens. It can be an opportunity to explore career paths by stepping into a new environment. Most communities offer some summer volunteer opportunities even for young teens. You can find opportunities for young teens with parks and recreation departments, food banks, soup kitchens, animal shelters, nonprofit organizations and local libraries.

You and your young teens can easily get an idea of what opportunities exist by searching for “volunteer opportunities for children” online, or you can be more specific and search for a specific age. You will find loads of websites with suggestions about things that they can do. Some cities, usually larger ones, have websites that list volunteer opportunities for teens.

Besides volunteering in person, there are many opportunities to be an online virtual volunteer. Both of you can explore these opportunities online. Consider online tutoring, calling and checking on senior citizens as well as playing online games with them, being a pen pal to younger children, advocating for a cause, starting a fundraiser and much more.

Young teens can also get together with their friends to create items for the homeless or others in need. They can sew blankets, knit socks and put together bags of needed items from clothes to food. They can also grocery shop for the house-bound and raise funds for a particular cause.

One thing that is great about young teens’ volunteering is that it starts them on the road to a lifetime of volunteering. Furthermore, studies show that volunteering tends to make them happier and increase their self-confidence—and they may even learn some new skills. And in volunteering, they get a feeling of satisfaction that they have made a difference by meeting real needs in their community.

KINDERGARTEN EXPECTIONS

QUESTION: My son did not attend preschool. This fall he

will start kindergarten. I have tried to teach him some of the skills I thought he would need to be ready for kindergarten. He has been an eager learner and knows how to write his name, knows most of the letters of the alphabet and can count to 20. What I am wondering is whether he has the readiness skills the teacher will expect him to have. Is there a checklist I can use to evaluate his readiness? I want to make sure he is ready and gets off to a good start in kindergarten. – Ready or Not

ANSWER: You are right to be questioning whether your child is ready for kindergarten. You want him to be ready to learn from day one. Unfortunately, kindergarten is no longer the milk and cookies and playtime it once was. In many school districts, kindergarten is now essentially a watered-down first grade. The kindergarten readiness checklists all now have an academic element, as well as the more traditional social, emotional and motor skills sections of the past.

If you search online for checklists, you will find a great number of lists. However, what you want to find out first of all is whether your local school district has a checklist. This will be the best checklist for you to use. Another possible source is your state’s readiness checklist.

If you want to see whether your child is ready to learn to read, visit the ReadingRockets.org website and search for the “Get Ready to Read Screening Tool.” It is a fast, free, researchbased and easy-to-use screening tool designed specifically for children in the year before they begin kindergarten. It only takes parents 10 to 15 minutes to give this test. Be sure to read what to do after using this test. This excellent website also has skill-building activities to help children get ready to read, as well as animated online games. All are designed to enhance their pre-reading skills.

One important reminder for you and all parents who are anxious to know that their children are ready for kindergarten: Children this age change rapidly. Skills they may not yet have acquired this month may be solid in another few months. Just use a checklist as a guidepost for engaging in fun activities with your son to strengthen skills that are not as strong as they should be.

5

Reasons to Love Spring in KC

It's spring, Kansas City! Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping and grass is greening! Here are five fun ways to enjoy the season in KC!

1Kansas City offers so many terrific parks with fun themes. Some of the best we love to visit: Penguin Park with giant animals, Meadowbrook Park with urban treehouses, Meadowmere Park with Brumble’s Forest and more. Search “Parks” on the Going Places tab on KCParent.com to find the coolest park near you.

2Flowers are blooming! Powell

Gardens, Loose Park's Rose Garden,

Kauffman Gardens and the Overland Park Arboretum are just a few of our favorite places to enjoy the blooms. Search “Garden” on the Going Places tab on KCParent.com.

3Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead opens for the season! Every time we ask KC Parent readers for their favorite outdoor attractions, Deanna Rose always gets a mention! The petting zoo and farm offers fantastic educational attractions for the family. Pony rides, wagon rides, miniature tractors, an old-fashioned school, mining camp, gardens and farm animals are just part of the fun.

4It's the season of homegrown goodness! Savor the freshness with a tour of a local farm where kids can learn where food comes from, a visit to one of the 30+ local farmers markets in Kansas City (on KCParent.com in our Farmers Market Guide) or lunch at a local restaurant that specializes in serving farm-fresh local food. (Tip: Read “Eating Homegrown at KC's Restaurants” on KCParent.com). Spring is the beginning of fresh fruits and veggies for the whole family to enjoy.

5It's not quite beach season at the local lakes, but it is time for some great fishing! Search “Fishing” on KCParent.com to discover our favorite spots.

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GO AHEAD AND GO:

KICKING SEPARATION ANXIETY OUT THE DOOR

It’s so hard to say goodbye—especially for kids. Whether you’re leaving your child at school for the first time or just dropping him off after spring break, a youngster’s separation anxiety is a very real challenge every parent must face.

Though it seems wrong, separation anxiety is actually a very good thing. In simplest terms, it means your child loves you, feels attachment to you and knows you are her person. She wants to spend all her time with you, soaking up that love you so expertly give. But time apart, wanted or not, is a part of life.

Separation anxiety isn’t forever, and following these tips will help ease the process along for children of all ages.

Get ready for the transition

By the time children enter kindergarten or elementary school, they should be familiar with time away from you. Perhaps your little has even experienced daycare and preschool for several hours at a time. But don’t get it twisted—regular school is different. Gone are the days of checking in with the teacher every two hours and seeing photos as the day progresses. This is the big leagues. Talk to your child early about how things will be different and prepare him mentally for being dropped off or riding the bus.

Don’t dawdle

This is no time for a long goodbye. Make it short and simple and keep the energy positive. Give your child a big hug (or even a high five!), tell him you love him and can’t wait to see him later, then get on down the road. The longer you stay, the greater the chance your child will realize you are actually leaving him there alone—and it goes downhill from there.

Schools generally allow for a pre-meeting with the teacher and the students, so take full advantage of those opportunities. Remind your child of all the new and exciting things he’s going to learn and that you can’t wait to hear about everything!

Don’t disappear

It’s never a good idea to try to sneak away, as it can instigate mistrust between you and your child. Always let her know when you’re going and when you plan to return. Make a plan to tell her the plans, always. The more information your child has, the more secure she will feel in your being gone.

Be ready for hesitation

You can practice and prepare, but your child still might melt down. The idea of being away from you in a new setting (or even an old one) can be extremely stressful. She is leaving a world she knows so well and heading into the unknown. Allow for extra time on the first few days to talk things through. Practice keeping your cool so you don’t let your own emotions elevate the moment further.

If your child is especially nervous about being without you, consider offering a talisman like a cute eraser or a bracelet that is special for the two of you. Let your child keep it in her pocket and squeeze it throughout the day if she starts to miss you.

Be aware of little listeners

Children are always listening, even from several rooms away when they’re supposed be asleep. Be mindful of how you talk with your partner and others about school or transitions into new activities. Rather than saying, “I just worry that nine hours away at a new school is going to be a lot for him,” reframe your language to say, “He’s so excited for school, and we are too! I’ve heard so many positive things about the teacher and he is so lucky to be going there.”

Talking positively about new experiences will seep into your child’s thoughts. If you’re excited for him, he will echo that sentiment and feel more ready for new opportunities.

Keep it consistent

Do what you can to keep pickups and drop-offs from events, school and other times apart as reliable as possible. When your child knows that each day, she goes to a particular place at a particular time with a particular person, anxiety around the event eases. When you introduce varied schedules and people, the disruption can create additional anxiety and fear.

All feelings are allowed

No matter whether separation from you is minutes or days, children’s anxiety and fears are allowed and valid. Use this time to listen and hear your child’s concerns. It might help ease anxiety to relate to him. Try sharing a story about a time when you were nervous about being left alone and how it all turned out okay. Show him that it’s okay to have a lot of feelings in his body and that you are proud of him for being brave. Most importantly, emphasize that this time away from you is brief and temporary. You’ll be there at the end of the day waiting—today, tomorrow and always.

Kim Antisdel is a freelance writer and interior design sales rep for KC. She lives in Liberty with her husband, stepdaughters and son.

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