Parents Play A Big Role in Kids’ Science Fair Success
Madeline Binder, MS.Ed, MS Human Services Couseling
www.super-science-fair-projects.com
www.super-science-fair-projects.net

6 Ways Mom, Dad Can Coach, Cheerlead

Science Fair Projects and Parents go hand in hand. According to a recent Canadian study by the Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair, children who are coached by their parents perform better at science fairs, receive higher marks for their projects, enjoy the judging and awards ceremony more, and go on to compete at subsequent science fairs.

Science fairs do not have to be a dreaded, compulsory school activity but can actually be an enjoyable experience. It is in the practice of science that children learn to approach challenges in a systematic way. This is what the event is really all about.

Here are some tips from www.super-science-fair-projects.com to guide children through the process:

1. Begin with a supportive attitude—Love in your heart, a spirit of fun, a smile from within, belief in your child’s greatness. There isn’t another creature on the planet that is like your child. Tell your child… You are fun. I love you. I’m happy you’re in my life!

2. Help them discover their own interests. Choosing a project can be a stumbling block. Ask questions, especially any question that starts with the word “what.” That word triggers the brain to tap into its unconscious and come up with a great answer.

What subject interests you the most?
What do you enjoy learning about?

What thought first popped into your mind when I asked you that question?

3. Encourage them to focus. Children need to make an appointment to discuss projects with their new science teacher during the first few weeks of school. An excellent science fair project takes two to three months to complete. Guiding your children through the step-by-step process helps them stay on track and not get overwhelmed, especially middle grade students.

4. Be an enthusiastic, interested listener—even when your child practices his / her presentation for the 100th time! Judges are looking for the student to be familiar with the project and present the information in a conversational style, not to memorize a speech or read from note cards,

5. Remind your child that the human brain is like a computer and digital camera. Therefore, it is not necessary for them to memorize their presentation. They have lived it with every step that they took.

6. Provide logistical support—Transportation to and from the science fair is your job (sound familiar?). Help your child set up the display board and arrange other materials that will be on the table.

Consider the words of Sergeant Shriver, father of NBC anchorwoman Maria Shriver. When asked what he believed was the most important attribute of being a parent, he responded: “To be my children’s cheerleader. They will get beaten up by others, told that they are not good enough or cannot achieve their dreams. I’m here to tell them that all things are possible with focus, hard work and faith.”

Whether or not children win recognition or go on to compete at the state or national levels is not the focus. “What’s important is that they believe in their greatness by experiencing small successes along their journey.”

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Madeline Binder has master’s degrees in both Education and Human Service Counseling. Visit her web site www.super-science-fair-projects.com.
eBook: www.super-science-fair-projects.net

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The Secret of Relationship Success
Copyright 2004, Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC

With a divorce rate in this country that approaches 50%, and a
fairly sizable percentage of marriages that aren’t particularly
blissful, it’s difficult to avoid searching for the answer to
the battle of the sexes.

Would you like to stop searching?

We’ve moved through the old paradigm of getting your needs met
in relationships and it has proven itself to be a miserable
failure.

Why?

Attempting to get your needs met in your relationship causes
some troublesome things to happen. First, it causes you to
focus mainly on your needs and not on the desires of your
partner. Secondly, it sets you up for disaster because it has
you believing that you deserve something that may well not be
delivered.

All across this great country of ours, battles are raging
between men and women: she needs to talk and connect,
and he needs his space and independence.

Who wins here?

The answer, of course, is that both lose because of a flawed
view of what a successful relationship is all about. What
also happens is that both people start to blame the other for
not meeting their needs.

For those who are really serious about success in
their relationships, it’s important to understand how
blaming your partner is an enormous problem itself. It
creates a bigger problem and has you convinced that you’re
not part of the problem.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Blaming has never
worked and never will. It may have you feeling justified in your
position, but it will always hurt your relationship.

It’s particularly important to develop the realization that your
feelings can deceive you in your relationship with your partner.
This can be difficult for people raised during the ‘honor your
feelings’ era of relationships. Your feelings tell you things
like, ‘I can’t believe she could do something like that to me,’
or, ‘How could she treat me so badly?’ These feelings are the
result of your own low self-esteem and your own personal history
of victimization.

While it’s true that your partner may treat you in a way you
don’t like sometimes, it’s not true that you need to react to
it with strong negative feelings. These strong negative feelings
are a reflection of your own esteem issues.

These feelings also have a way of keeping your partner engaged
in the struggle with you so that you can continue to blame each
other. When you’re both engaged in the struggle, you’ll believe
that she needs to be fixed. She’ll think the same of you. Nobody
wins and everybody loses.

This isn’t very smart or effective.

What would happen for people in their important relationships
if they gave up defending themselves and believing their needs
needed to be met? What would happen if they worked at being
kind and caring with their partners?

I’ll tell you what would happen. They’d have great relationships!

After all, the only thing that you can do to improve a
relationship is to improve you.

So stop looking over at your partner and seeing all of her flaws.
Stop blaming her. She has issues just like we all do. But if you
see her as a collection of flaws you’ll have no chance at a
successful relationship.

And it’s successful relationships in life that make us truly
happy.

Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC, is a certified personal coach who helps men to create balance in their lives and to improve their family relationships. He wrote ‘Fix Your Wife in 30 Days or Less,’ http://www.markbrandenburg.com/saveyourmarriage.htm. Sign up for his free newsletter, ‘Dads Don’t Fix Your Kids,’ at http://www.markbrandenburg.com.

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Picture Perfect Graduation Gifts
(ARA)

Graduation day is nearly here for thousands of high school and college seniors. Soon friends and family will be coming to town for the big day, and young men and women who have grown up together will be wiping away tears as they get ready to go their separate ways.

When they take to the stage, camera flashes will go off left and right, and images that will last a lifetime will be captured by both film and digital cameras. It’s the stuff that memories are made of, and the people in the audience with digital cameras will have the advantage.

“Digital cameras have transformed the way we capture and share images. You don’t have to shoot a whole roll of film anymore and then wait until after it’s developed to find out if you got any good photos. Digital cameras allow you to see the images instantly and take another one if you don’t like what you have,” says Philippe Sanchez, President and CEO of PhotoWorks, a digital and film photofinishing services provider based in Seattle. The way you get your prints has also changed. Now, instead of spending the money to print every single picture on the roll, good or bad, you can pick and choose which images you like, and have them printed in the size and format that you want.

“The digital revolution allows photographers more flexibility than they’ve ever had before, but you don’t have to own a digital camera to enjoy the advantages the technology offers. Our company offers both print film and digital customers the same services. All that differs is how they get their images to us,” says Sanchez.

Customers with digital cameras can either upload their images directly to the PhotoWorks Web site, or send in their memory card or CD. Film customers send in their 35 mm, APS film, or single-use camera, and PhotoWorks develops the film. Once developed, the images are uploaded to a secure online account where customers can view them, share them via email, and order prints of only the best shots.

“Pictures make great graduation presents because they keep memories alive,” says Sanchez. This time of year, PhotoWorks sells a lot of photo greeting cards, BorderPrints, BragBooks, and PhotoDVDs set to music.

PhotoCards and BorderPrints are especially popular among people who want to save a little money on graduation announcements. They cost a fraction of the amount studio photographers charge for pretty much the same thing.

BragBooks make great gifts not just for the graduate, but for family and friends or a favorite teacher as well. “They‘re a wonderful way to bring back memories not just of the day, but of the entire high school or college experience,” says Sanchez. You can put a picture of the graduate wearing his or her cap and gown in front then work your way back in time, adding photos that mark significant milestones, like a big win on the football field or a first place ribbon in the science fair. PhotoDVDs set to music make an even more memorable gift. Unforgettable images flash before the viewer’s eyes as popular tunes play in the background. There won’t be a dry eye in the house!

Print film customers who want to share pictures with a lot of people, can take advantage of PhotoWorks’ Pick Your Print service. They get credits for each roll of film they send in and can spend them all on multiple prints of the same image if they want.

For more information about the Pick Your Prints program or any of the other services offered by PhotoWorks, log on to www.photoworks.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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Should Both Parents Work – Or Should One Stay Home?
Copyright 2004, Gordon Bellows
In today’s economy, there are more and more families with both
parents working. This article offers a few things to think about
and how to determine what may be best. There is no right or wrong
decision; each family has to evaluate their situation and then
decide what is best for them as individuals and as a family.

There are many things to consider:
* Do both parents really want to work?
* If one stays home, which one should it be?
* What is future earning potential in current position?
* Which job offers the best benefits and medical insurance?
* Is there opportunity for advancement?
* What are the job-related expenses? (clothing, transportation)
* How much of the income goes for child daycare?
* What are the ages of the children in the family?
* How long is the daily commute to work?
* If only one works, what happens if they’re suddenly laid-off?
* Should one or both parents have some type of home business?

Start with a list of all things that need to be considered for
your specific situation, coming up with different scenarios, and
then list the pros and cons of each scenario.

By the way, the number of stay-at-home dads is on the increase,
so don’t hesitate to consider that as one of your options.

For many families, having both parents working is almost an
economic necessity. But, you may want to review the income vs.
the expenses to really see how much you come out ahead.

For example, I know of two families that did just that; they took
a close look at the expenses tied directly to the second income.

Both families had similar situations; each family had two
children under the age of ten, and the mother returned to the
workforce after their youngest child was out of diapers.

Both women earned the same annual income and had very similar
expenses. Mindy was a customer service supervisor for a marketing
firm, and Cedara was a caseworker for a social services agency.

They looked at all expenses directly related to their job:
* Transportation – gasoline and car upkeep or bus/subway
* Child care – daycare or after-school care
* Clothing – several outfits worn only for work
* Dry cleaning – some work clothes required special care
* Food – morning coffee, lunch, tips, afternoon snack, etc.
* Beauty salon – hair/nails were done more often because of job
* Miscellaneous – gift for boss, flowers for sick co-worker, etc.

Both women knew about the major expenses, but they were shocked
at how the little things added up week after week; the morning
coffee, the afternoon snack, a dollar here, a dollar there.

They could see their take-home pay… the amount of their check
after taxes and any other deductions. However, they really needed
to find out what was left from the take-home pay after all of the
job-related expenses were added up.

After careful review, Mindy and Cedara both discovered that after
taxes and all job-related expenses, what they had left as a net
result was less than one-third of their salary!

That means somebody with a salary of $15 per hour would realize a
net result of less than $5 per hour. That shocker really got
their attention. Mindy and Cedara had some decisions to make.

Mindy knew there was little opportunity for advancement in her
position as customer service supervisor. She was often required
to work evenings, which she wasn’t comfortable with. She felt the
net result pay was not enough for the long hours she put in.
Mindy decided to stay at home. She would now have the time to
shop the sales and make home-cooked meals instead of buying the
more expensive heat-and-eat meals. With some careful planning she
could make the household budget stretch enough to do just fine.

Cedara liked working in social services and felt she was making a
difference in the lives of many clients. She wanted to continue
working. She took a close look at her expenses and saw ways to
cut back and get a better net result. It was just a matter of
being aware of where the dollars go and spending more wisely.

Each woman made their decision based on what seemed to be best
for them and their family in the long term.

The portrayal of the family as seen on some old TV shows like
‘Leave It To Beaver’ and ‘Father Knows Best’ where the
husband/father puts on a suit and goes off to work while the
wife/mother stays at home is only one of many scenarios.

Side note: I would like to see double standards eliminated, but
unfortunately, I don’t think it will happen anytime soon. One
example that comes to mind is that it was okay for women to do
heavy labor during World War II (think of ‘Rosie the riveter’),
but when men returned from the war, women were expected to go
back to being housewives and file clerks.

Who says women can’t do labor or drive a truck or that a man
shouldn’t be at home raising children? Sorry, but prejudice and
narrow-mindedness are a couple of my hot buttons.

Again, it should be emphasized that there is no right or wrong
decision. It comes down to doing what is best for you as an
individual and for the family as a whole. Taking the right action
is not always easy, but usually well worth it in the long term.

Gordon Bellows is a home business advisor. Success Tips, a handy how-to guide, is FREE! Loaded with tips that get great results! See what works, what to avoid. Discover the keys to success for your home business or MLM. Go to http://www.TipsForHomeBiz.com

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14 Year Old Author Encourages Volunteer Work
Copyright 2004, Silvana Clark

With summer approaching, parents look for activities to fill
their children’s free time. This summer, take the advice of
14 year old Sondra Clark and encourage children to spend their
time helping a worthy cause. With a little adult supervision,
children quickly learn the inner satisfaction that comes with
helping improve the lives of people, the environment or animals.
Sondra, the author of five books, raised over $75,000 after
visiting Africa and meeting Aids orphans. “When I saw kids in
Africa my age living alone because their parents had died, I
knew I had to help them”, said Sondra.

The following are some simple volunteer activities suggested by
Sondra in her book, “You Can Change Your World!” which describes
150 volunteer projects. (Available at major bookstores and
Amazon.com)

· Bedtime Snack Sacks

Children living in homeless shelters seldom get bedtime snacks.
Decorate a number of lunch bags with markers, sequins and
glitter. Fill each bag with a juice pack and non-perishable
treat such as granola bars, packaged crackers or dried fruit.
Add a small “Happy Meals” type toy as a surprise. Deliver the
snack sacks to a women’s shelter.

· Dog and Cat Fun

Local humane societies look for volunteers to walk their dogs.
See if your family can register as dog walkers. You’ll get
exercise as well as the dogs! Kids can also collect old towels
and newspapers to donate to shelters to use for animal care.

· Fancy Flowers

Does your school have flowers growing around the entrance? Offer
to water and weed the flowers this summer.

· Outdoor Clean-up

Contact the local Parks and Recreation department to see if they
need help on trail clean-up. Children can help staff pick up
litter and maintain park facilities.

· Entertainment

Do your children have dramatic or musical talents? Encourage
them to practice a skit, song or musical piece with their
friends. Offer to present a “talent show” to a local nursing
home.

· Reading Fun

Check with your local library if children can help with the
summer reading program. They could read to younger children or
make posters about upcoming events. Perhaps your children could
dress up as a character from a book being read.

When not writing books, Sondra stays active with various
volunteer programs. She recently contacted community business
people to donate soap, shampoo, toothpaste and toys so she could
put together 200 “Goody Bags” for orphans in Africa. “Summer is
a time for fun and relaxation,” she said. “But it’s also a great
time for kids to think about others and get involved with
volunteer projects.” A portion of the proceeds from the sale
of Sondra’s five books goes to Childcare International, a
non-denominational relief agency. More information on Sondra
is available on her website, http://www.sondraclark.com

As parents look for ways to have children involved in summer
activities, check out local opportunities for volunteer work.
Children learn the internal satisfaction that comes from helping
make the world a better place.

Although she’s only 14, Sondra has published five books and is a spokesperson for two companies. She presents motivational speeches to conferences and schools around the country. With all these accomplishments, her parents wonder why she can’t figure out how to hang up her clothes and make her bed. Contact: Silvana Clark 360-734-9506 http://www.silvanaclark.com

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