Shopping tips for Mom’s this Christmas Season

Christmas is an exciting time for everyone, but it can also be stressful when it comes to how much to spend.  As a Mom, it is difficult to manage how we can buy what they want, what they need, and doing it within a budget.  Here are some tips for you to think about as you prepare for the fun of Christmas shopping.

1. Set a budget

Before you even think of leaving for the mall, assess how much you are going to spend in total for Christmas.  Know exactly how much you can afford and how you will allocate it amongst all the people you need to buy for. 

2. Make a list and check it twice

Develop your list of people you are shopping for, but also what are you planning to buy.  Look at each person and determine what gift you want to buy them.  Making the decision prior to going shopping will help you make the shopping experience less stressful.  Rather than trying to figure out what you want to buy, you will be picking it up.  It will make the trip more time efficient and will ensure you remain within budget.  You can also review your child’s list and ensure that there is a balance between fun gifts, practical gifts, and gifts that may be educational (as well as fun).

3. Shop On-line

This is an effective way to shop.  While saving time, you can also find great savings on your regular purchases.  Avoid the crazy malls, line ups, and being pushed by other people in a frenzy to get their shopping done.  Many people use our site to select fun Spanish books, dvds, and videos for children because they do not have to worry about searching through stores.  There is something to be said about shopping from the comfort of your own home.  

4. Don’t wait until the last minute

Getting the jump on your Christmas shopping early is a great way to reduce your stress.  When you shop on Christmas Eve you're going to have to fight the crowds, choose from limited merchandise, and wait in long lines. Buy your gifts little by little, beginning in November, and you can avoid last-minute shopping fiascos.

Tips to get your child ready for school

The summer is a great time to be a child again.  Running, playing, relaxing, and no learning or structure makes it so much fun to be a child again.  While it is an exciting time, as September approaches it is time to start getting ready for school.  How can you get your child ready so the transition is easy for both your children and you?  Here are some helpful tips to help your student have a head start and make it an easy transition back into their routine.

1. Get back to a routine

Begin a gradual transition from the carefree days of summer to the rigors of the academic schedule. Send the kids to bed 15 minutes earlier each night, and wake them up a little closer to the usual school start time. Get back into the habit of regular scheduled meals. 

2. Make the first day exciting – get some clothes

Everyone likes to start the first day of school with a brand new outfit.  Walking in confidently is a key to your child’s success.  Let them have a say in the process to engage them.  Having them pick out the outfit prior to the morning of school will build anticipation and make it something they are looking forward to.

3. Get them organized, but make it fun

I often see parents at the store buying all the school supplies by themselves.  This is a great way to get your child involved.  Have them clear out the old suppliers from their workspace and have them come with you to get the new supplies.  Coming home and organizing the new binders, pencils, and other school supplies will help build some excitement behind the upcoming start.

4. Kick-off the year party!

No, really! So many people have pool parties; dances; and other celebrations at the end of the year.  What about celebrating getting back to see friends you haven’t seen all summer.  A great way to get your child and their friends excited about the new school year is to plan a party for the kick-off.  Have them over for pizza at the end of the first week, a great way to make them excited to be back.  

At the end of the day, to our children going back to school seems like such a major disruption after such fun and excitement for two months.  Help make it easier for your child with a few simple tips and make the first day a lot more fun.  Read more parent tips at Tap Peques website.

Looking for Ideas to keep your child busy this summer?

Everyone knows that kids love to be out of school - the freedom, the beautiful weather, no homework, the ability to play all day, and nobody making them sit quietly for hours.  They are never bored right?  We all know that they will not admit it, but they do get bored and this is where as parents we can keep them busy and still enjoying the summer.

Try keeping the kids active this summer with the Olympics.  The Olympics provide a great opportunity for the kids to learn about the world and get motivated to exercise, too.  Ask them to watch some different events - maybe they may find a new sport that interests them.  Swimming, diving, jousting, there are many events that are children may have never seen or really paid attention to.

Some of our kids do go into the summer coming off a challenging year.  If your kids are in Grade 7 or 8 and need help with homework, you can practice over the summer on your math.  Make it a challenge - offer some incentives to improve.  Maybe a special movie night, walk to get some ice cream, or maybe a new song for the Ipod.   Register at ontario.ca/HomeworkHelp
Teachers are available every Sunday to Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. ET

For those kids who are in French Immersion, the challenge can be to keep your child's French learning alive over the summer.  Here are some simple ideas:
-watch French children television programming on TFO.
-go to the local library and choose a French book and/or a French Children's DVD; so many awesome titles to choose from.
-explore as parents the Canadian Parents for French website with great resources for you to use with your child. http://cpf.ca/en/resources/for-parents/

Lastly, for those who want a little downtime but somewhere to take your children, find a local 'Storytime'.  This offers kids the opportunity to go out, see other children, and enjoy a story or two.  It also gives Mom or Dad a much needed break, allowing you to sit and relax or interact with other adults.  It is a great opportunity to get out, learn, and enjoy a great book.

Why should your Child Learn a Second Language?

Children are the future of our global society.  The next generation needs to be even further developed, tolerant, and have the ability to communicate with different cultures.  The great news is that as young children they absorb everything around them. In Canada, French has commonly been the choice for a second language.  That is logical when it is one of the two national languages, but exposing your child to Spanish may be important for other reasons.  Spanish is the third most commonly used language on the Internet after English and Mandarin. It is also the second most studied language and second language in international communication, after English, in the world. 

As parents, we certainly want the best for our children, allowing them to reach their potential. Teaching your child another language, even while he is still developing his first language, has some real benefits.

Help with Development

Exposing your child to another language is a great way to help with their development.  General thought is that if they are too young, they will be confused and it will inhibit their ability to learn their primary language.   In reality, learning another language will improve their linguistic abilities.. Children that are learning or have learned a foreign language when they are real young tend to do better in school and on standardized tests. In fact, the earlier you start, the more likely it is that your child will become proficient in that language, being able to speak and understand it like a it is his or her natural language.

Expose your child to new cultures

Another benefit is the exposure to different cultures.  By being exposed to the language they are also being exposed to the culture.  Along with learning a language, your child will certainly benefit from learning about where that language is spoken and the culture of the people. As your child gets older, he or she will have an appreciation of another culture other than their own.   This will provide him or her a broader understanding of other cultures, more tolerance, and potentially increase their curiosity to learn about more cultures.

Teaching your child a new language at a young age will benefit them both mentally and socially.  Helping them learn about different languages and cultures will make your child more well-rounded, improve learning skills, and will help them with their future.

Tips to Get Your Child Reading

In this day of game consoles, personal computers, and smartphones it is hard to get your child to sit down and read a traditional book.  As parents we all know that reading is still a fundamental skill that must be exercised, practiced, and is an important part of our child’s development.  It is a common challenge for parents to get them to read, so here are some tips to change your child’s mind about reading.

1)      Read with your child – Taking the time to relax with your child and read a chapter or two is a great way to show your interest in their books.  If your child is at the age where reading with you is not “cool”, then sit with them and ask about what they just read.  It is a great exercise for them to transfer what they just read and articulate it into a short version.  The other benefit, you are spending quality time with your child.

2)      Let them read what interests them – Not every child wants to read “Tom Sawyer” or “To Kill A Mockingbird”.  Trying to force your child to read something that does not interest them will only make the experience an exercise, not enjoyable.  You may not think the book is educational, but if your child wants to read a book about sports or the Justin Bieber story let them.  It is the behaviour of reading that you want to create, not every book has to be educational.  Practicing reading is the key; any book can provide that for them.  Sometimes even a good comic can provide the same goal.

3)      Get your child to ask for suggestions – Teachers, librarians, and even their friends can recommend books that will be of interest and will engage them.   

4)      Use any opportunity to make them read – Having breakfast with your child, ask them to read you something from the box.  Don’t make it an exercise, ask them to help you by reading it while you are busy doing something else.  See a great article on Twitter, get them to read it to you while you are cleaning up after supper or while doing something around the house.  Again, if you approach it as “can you help me while I finish this…”, your child will be willing to read it.  Even the smallest reading experiences help with their overall comfort with reading.

5)      Don’t nag them – Do you like when someone hounds you?  Even if you know something must be done, do you like when someone continues to pressure you?  So what makes you think that nagging your child to read is going to make them like it?  Put the fun back into it by picking up a book of jokes or humour, and reading it together at night.   Let them know that it is their choice, but if you use some of the tips above they will enjoy spending 15 to 30 minutes reading every night.

It is hard to be a parent and compete with all the fun things a child can do.  Getting your child to read takes effort on your part, but once you have created a habit that they enjoy you will have developed an avid reader.  Then you can sit back and enjoy a book yourself.

Getting Inspired

Learning a new language has many benefits. It is an enriching experience that enhances academic growth, opens new doors and encourages new ways of thinking.

Why should your children learn Spanish?

Here are some good reasons to expose your children to Spanish at an early age:

•Learning Spanish allows communication with over 400 million people worldwide.

•A new language provides new ways to look at the world and sets the foundation for new opportunities.

•Over 27 million homes in North America have Spanish as their first language.

•In Canada alone over 1,000,000 people speak Spanish.

•What often begins in homes as language learning for one child, results in fun for the entire family.

•Learning Spanish will also develop an appreciation for the cultural diversity in Canada and in the world.

How can I help my child learn Spanish?

•Read Spanish or bilingual books to your child; you can make it easier to practice at home with the help of audios or videos.

•Other resources available are language education programs and language camps.

Cohesion social. El reto en un mundo multinacional

Nocion de cultura

Conjunto de rasgos distintivos, espirituales y materiales, intelectuales y afectivos que caracterizan a una sociedad. Ademas, engloba Artes y letras, valores y creencias. Por ella es que discernimos Los valores y realizamos nuestras acciones. Es la que nos permite crear comunidad.

Que es comunidad ?

Es un grupo de individuos que comparten elementos en comun, como: una lengua, costumbres, valores, vision del mundo . Por lo general, en una comunidad se crea una identidad comun.

En una comunidad, la participacion y cooperacion de sus miembros permite la realizacion de projectos dirigidos a un desarrollo cultural comunitario.

Como toda relacion humana, dentro de la cultura tambien existen las clases sociales y luchas de poder. Las situaciones no son estaticas sino que se adaptan al momento historico y al punto geografico.

En general, dentro de las comunidades los grupos que se consideran minoritarios son las ninas y las mujeres. Padeciendo exclusion social y desigualdad  en el acceso a posibilidades y limitada participacion sobre toma de decisiones generando con esto disconformidad. Fenomeno que se busca resolver desde el ambito cultural. Por lo tanto, se entiende a la cultura como la interseccion de la identidad individual y colectiva sin predominacion, exclusion, rascismo o prejuicios, situacion que nos lleva a un proceso intercultural.

La interculturalidad va mas alla de la simple interaccion de las culturas, implica un dialogo e interaccion positiva, la cual no se da de forma natural, es necessario trascender el etnocentrismo, explorar y aceptar la multiculturalidad.

La multiculturalidad ensena el valor de la diversidad, ayudar a adquirir destrezas necesarias para funcionar en una sociedad  con diversos bagajes culturales, tolerancia, respetar y valorar otras perspectivas, pero no es neutral a los valores.

Los individuos se agrupan o dividen muchas veces sin reaponder a una Etica determinada. A veces el sistema de creencias gira cada vez mas en torno al dinero o el poder.

Proceso de transculturalizacion.

En la sociedad actual coinciden/coexisten personas de diferentes culturas. El individuo y la cultura se van permeando por ser ambos  entes inacabados y por lo tanto en constante cambio.

La cultura termina siendo la programacion colectiva de la mente. Consiste en patrones sobre la forma de pensar, sentir y reaccionar adquiridos y transmitidos en su mayoria por simbolos.

EL RETO:

"En nuestras sociedades, donde crece peligrosamente la agresividad, la intolerancia, el desprecio, el fanatismo, el exceso, la exclusion de ciertas culturas o etnias, es primordial creer y potenciar Los valores, la comunicacion, la expresion y la creacion en todas sus formas, como ejes fundamentales como eje atmonico del sujeto".

Mireia Bassols.

Propuesta

Toda persona deberia conocer y reconocen su mundo sensible, es decir, las Artes y Los lenguajes artisticos ya que permiten la libre expresion de ideas, intereses, emociones y de cualquier cosa que se desee o necesite.

Se destaca la eficiencia de la memoria corporal , es decir, mientras mas sentidos se utilizen sn una actividad, mayor la permanencia de la informacion y el aprendizaje obtenido de la misma.

Debido a hechos como el bullying es importante contemplar la cohesion social como un proceso largo y complejo. Si la comunidad no se organiza y LAS FAMILIAS NO SE UNEN, y otra serie de complicaciones en el desarrollo comunitario no se logra la cohesion social.

Por lo tanto,  se debe apostar a la EDUCACION, por ello la formacion de nuestros ninos y jovenes no debe quedar relegada.

Existen elementos comunes inclusive en culturas distintas Como es el lenguaje como la forma de transmitir y lograr la trascendencia de la cultura.

Referecia:

Desarrollo Cultural Comunitario

Gerardo Cavarrubias Valderrama

Coordinador

CONACULTA