Dad’s Role in Making Kindergarten Great

In the traditional family structure, the role of father is clearly unique.  Perhaps it is because dad goes off to work and comes home with that big booming voice or maybe it’s that he is a soft touch for ice cream or an extra ride on the Ferris Wheel at the State Fair but dad has a special place in the hearts of the kids.  He is both the voice of authority and sometimes the voice of wise counsel when children need someone to guide them and direct them.

On the other hand, it is mom who is there every day, guiding every event, making sure the children are safe and cared for.  Both jobs are crucial and beloved by the kids, even if they don’t know it or say so.  So when the time comes to get your little one ready for kindergarten, it may be that both parents can have a big role in this transition as well.

There is no doubt that in terms of the physical preparations for kindergarten, mom is a big decision maker.  The clothing that your new student will wear, buying the right school supplies and even buying the extra things that will be needed in the classroom are all good jobs for the primary shopper in the family which is often mom.  But if you can get dad in on the act particularly in the mental and emotional preparations for kindergarten, that can be a huge help because he can use his mentoring role to give the child permission to begin to accept this big change.

This is especially true in the case of dad’s little man.  A young boy often idolizes his father and admires him as a hero because dad is brave and able to go out and conquer the world each day.  When the family goes on the trip, it is dad who is leading the way, slaying the dragons along the way, saving the fair maiden (mom or sis) and hunting food for dinner (paying at the restaurant).  In the child’s imaginary world, dad is a combination of mighty warrior, master hunter and mighty wizard.  These are some powerful images that you can tap to help that little guy see himself as ready to the big adventure of going off to kindergarten on his own for the first time.

If you can get dad to be the one to drive that slightly frightened little one to school, he often knows just what to say to change fear into excitement and to motivate his son or daughter to want to go in there and do great to make dad proud.  That is the nature of the father’s role in the lives of his children.  So why not use it to help your child through this very important day in his or her early childhood development?

Very often dads have a special bond and a special language they speak to their sons.  To an outsider when dad says, “Get in there and be a man” to his little boy, that may sound harsh and not nurturing.  But what the little guy hears is, “I know you can do it.  When you go to kindergarten like a man, you are being a brave warrior like daddy.”  And that is just the right language to motivate that little guy to face his fears and go to that first day of kindergarten and be a big success to live up to that strong affirmation and high expectation of daddy.

Applying For An Online College Degree

Finishing a college degree could definitely help a person secure employment, retain and even get promoted in his current job.  However, for some older employees going back to school can be a bit awkward and at the same time difficult. There are many responsibilities, like family and work which could serve as a problem when trying to finish a degree. This is when getting an online college degree becomes an option.

Online college education is more flexible, allowing students to squeeze together time for family, work and studies. Online students would eventually learn valuable time management methods and develop self-learning strategies. However, the internet offers a lot of online college websites and online courses. It could be overwhelming. How do you start? 

Here are some easy steps that you could do to get started with your degree.

Step1. Identify what kind of online degree program you are interested it. There are schools that would offer associate and bachelor degrees. There are also other online colleges offering degree programs in Master’s and Doctorate. You could start by identifying what kind of post-secondary education or higher education you are after. 

Step 2. To narrow things, also identify what field you will be specializing in. There are surveys showing that main interests in online education would be in the field of business, healthcare, education and engineering. 

Step3. After identifying what degree program you want, you could start with looking for schools. There are different online schools and universities. Determine which online colleges and universities are offering your field. When looking for schools, remember to check its accreditation. Accrediting agencies like U.S. Department of Education and Council for Higher Education Accreditation are granting certificates to those institution that they have evaluated and passed their standards.

Step4. You could have a few online colleges listed on your choices, you could narrow it down by looking on their fees, if they are offering any kind of financial aid, alumni success rate and reputation. It is better to call the college hotlines or offices to inquire about their programs and cost. Also, there are some online colleges that would still require face-to-face sessions between teacher and students. 

Step5. You would have to secure forms from the online college and complete it. They would usually require your high school transcript of grades to be submitted along with the form. If applying for financial aid, communicate or talk with school’s appointed person that will handle such affairs. They would usually require additional paperwork for those applying for financial assistance.

Step6. After enrolling, check the class schedule. Some online college degrees would use asynchronous classes. With this kind of classes, students and instructors don’t have to be online at the same time to work on the course works.  Instructors would usually provide details and let their students work on it on their own time. While there are also synchronous classes which would require students to be online on a specific period of time to conduct online discussions through teleconferencing, video conferencing or chatting.

Tips to Applying for College Scholarships

Applying for college scholarships is a huge step towards being able to afford the cost. These days it is so expensive to go to college that too many people either can’t go or the accumulate a pile of debt in the process. Being awarded college scholarships can help you to gain your education without such a burden for you to contend with. Here are some great tips to take into consideration when you are applying for college scholarships.

First, you do want to take your time and find all of them that you can. Look in more than one place too. You can go online, look in books, talk to employers, and even look under certain types of education programs. Both high school and college counselors are also there to help with the process. The financial aid office at any college is also a resource you wish to work with.

Always take the time to read what the requirements are for any given college scholarship. You don’t want to waste your time or theirs by submitting an application when you don’t meet the criteria. Don’t think that they are going to let you slide in a given area either just because you meet all the other criteria. For example if you must have a GPA of 3.5 but only have a 3.3 then don’t apply for those particular college scholarships. Instead focus your attention what you do qualify for.

Always pay attention to the set deadlines for those college scholarship applications as well. You don’t want to pass them up or you will end up without any benefits from them. It can be hard to juggle it all when you are busy but you need to do so. Organization is the key to this process. Even if it is going to be a year or so before you are ready for college you need to start looking for the funding now.

Be creative when you are writing about your goals and aspirations. Make sure your passion shines through it all. Think of it from the perspective of the people reading these scholarship applications. The don’t want to read the same thing over and over again. Yet that is exactly what often happens. However, if you are able to write something more unique it will get noticed. It is going to stand out for them and that could help you to be awarded college scholarships.

You have to keep in mind that you have plenty of competition. There are many other applicants that do meet all of those same guidelines. Therefore anything you can do that will help you to stand above them is going to work to your own advantage. You have the ability to earn yourself plenty of money for college though such scholarships so don’t allow yourself to be portrayed as simply ordinary.

A common drawback though is that we are often taught to not be vain about ourselves. It can be uncomfortable then to talk about yourself and your accomplishments with your college scholarship applications. However, this isn’t the place to down play what all you are capable of. This is where you need to be very detailed about all of your experiences and your success. You need to show you have been quite active in many different things. This shows that you are a well rounded individual with plenty of ambition as well as a zest for life.

Since it is virtually impossible to apply for every single college scholarship out there you would be eligible for you need to choose carefully. By evaluating your chances of the award, the level of difficult involved with the application process, the dollar amount you could be awarded, and who your competition is you will make the best decisions. Apply for those that you have the best chance of winning first. Then if you have more time available to you apply for others that are possible as well.