While it has been known that pesticides used for our food and vegetable supply pose a variety of health risks, the fact that these same pesticides are linked to so-called ADHD in children is a truth that every parent needs to know about.

Click here to read the full article.   Afterwards, browse through this section of  my website for MANY helpful tips, resources and information to improve your family’s and your children’s quality of life.

I hope the above information helps you.

Tina Turbin

My new Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy DVD (including sign interpretation for the deaf) is quickly becoming quite popular with parents, teachers, librarians and children alike. This is a very unique video.

Sacramento’s “Moms Like Me” and Sacramento’s ABC News 10 talkshow entitled “Sacramento and Company” will feature a television segment about my DVD between the hours of 9 and 10 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, Friday August 16th (for those who are in the Sacramento area, please tune in to your local ABC station to watch the show live). They will air a few DVD clips and are hosting a terrific give-away to 5 lucky winners, to each receive my DVD!

Please be sure to tune in by visiting the above mentioned links for live streaming and/or by tuning in to ABC News television.

There’s a good chance you could win my Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy DVD for yourself!

Tina Turbin

Thank you Julianne for participating and good luck to all who participate in our April contest!

     First of all, there is the matter of reducing the amount of TV your family watches to just a few shows a week. In order to do this, I recommend a family meeting to discuss your goals as a family and as individuals. Then take an honest look at what everyone is getting out of television. Everyone will agree that they should watch less TV and spend more time pursuing their own goals. With a meeting like this, your kids and spouse will be much more likely to go along with their new lifestyle of less TV because they’ll understand the reason behind it.

     I highly recommend implementing a service such as TiVo ® to help keep TV watching to a minimum. After deciding on the reasons for watching less TV, each family member can decide on a handful of shows to watch together as a family, plus a personal favorite or two, to watch only during designated watching times—Friday nights or Sunday afternoons, for example.

     Finally, come up with stimulating alternatives. Take the kids to the library or play board games. Have larger, longer family dinners at the table. Keeping everyone busy will get their minds off this missing element in their lives. I highly recommend using this time to get the kids to strengthen their reading skills and develop a strong interest in reading. Soon you might find that your family—gasp!—may prefer reading over watching TV.

Tina Turbin

When a simple call to a police official can get your pre-school or elementary school child handcuffed and placed in a mental institution, you know something is VERY wrong. What gives them the right to by-pass the parent’s authority of the child and by-pass the parent’s right of guardianship. Not that I agree with my 94 year old grandmother when she commented on this,What happened to the good old days with the simple spanking or slap on the back of the hands with a ruler” -but tell me, what has happened to our society? Can’t we expect and demand simple discipline to  child where we can be confident it is  safely applied? Isn’t this our right? My advice to you is “get involved”.

I deal a lot with teachers, children and moms as a children’s author and I can tell you the number of times I speak about kids and the school system is often. I welcome any radio station to have me on when it comes ot topics like this. I have a lot to share about actions like this. Please read this:

On FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2010 a young girl was sent to an adult mental institution for being unruly. This seems to be the way Port St. Lucie’s ( FL) school system has in dealing with disruptive students. This same school district allowed an autistic boy to be voted out of kindergarten class for unruly behavior.

Also, a Parkway Elementary School( FL) student was cuffed and sent to an adult mental institution earlier this month after she through a temper tantrum in the middle of class, reports TCPalm.com. The police report stated the cuffs were "for her safety and the safety of others”.The handcuffs calmed the little girl down after an hour in the tight silver handcuffs yet little did her and her family know what was ahead.

A few days later, this same girl had another “fit” and the school called the same deputy, who  tossed the little girl in the back of his patrol car and transported her to the local adult mental institution. “The girl’s mother said “These people are going to the extreme”.

5-year-old Alex Barton was voted out of class two years ago for being disruptive in class. Alex Barton had a form of autism and his mother is now suing the school board. The School Board official will most likely be looking into this one!

http://www.momlogic.com/2010/02/6-year-old_student_handcuffed.php#ixzz0fkdVvS0w

As American citizens we can not let things like this happen. I welcome your feedback and any involvement or situations you have witnessed like this. We can find many groups to help violations like this. See My Favorites as  a start. Leave a commnet tothis post and I will get it or you may Contact me

Tina Turbin

     First, it’s important to teach your child to ask for what he needs. How can he get help unless he’s able to admit he doesn’t understand something? A great way to instill this in your child is to practice it at home.

       One of the most important things you can teach your child is manners. Teachers may attempt to teach students politeness and social skills, but if it’s not being practiced in the home, the child will not successfully absorb these lessons. Your child should be taught when to say, “please,” “thank you,” and “excuse me.” Have him practice sharing things, taking turns, and waiting his turn in line.

           Point out good examples of behavior to your child when you see it. If you’re watching a movie or out in public, you can say to your child something such as, “Did you see how the man held open the door for the lady? He was being a gentleman.”

      Finally, rehearse at home anything your child may feel awkward saying or doing with other people. In such a way, you’ll be able to get your child interacting with others with ease.

      Success in school isn’t only determined by academic skills and knowledge. By following the helpful tips above in the time you spend with your child, you’ll notice an improvement in your child’s education experience in no time as they become more comfortable in their learning environment and better equipped to flourish in it.

     I know how short the attention span of a child can be yet how thrilling it is to watch a child’s imagination partake in an exciting adventure story. However, why should a child read good literature rather than watch an “educational” television show or an entertaining children’s movie? The answer lies in the benefits of reading to your child.

     Research continues to support that reading benefits children of all ages in a number of ways. Reading helps to build your child’s vocabulary, develop his imagination, and improve his ability to communicate. In fact, there is a direct relationship between how many words an infant hears in a day and his language skills, and even his intelligence quotient. Reading is crucial in exposing your baby or young child to a variety of words. The images and colors in children picture books and illustrated books are also stimulating of the imagination. This is part of the reason why I spent a whole year interviewing illustrators after writing the first book in my series, Danny the Dragon—I knew from reading to my own children just how much children appreciate art in children’s literature.

     So the next time you’re shopping for the kids at Wal-Mart, think twice before you get them another DVD, remember the pleasure you get from curling up with a good book, and pick out some high-quality children’s literature instead.

      Play board games to stimulate an interest in learning. Not only are they tons of fun, but they help your child develop his reading skills and practice following rules.

     A family day at the museum, library, or other stimulating place will encourage your child to be interested in his environment and take a hands-on approach to learning. Ask your child questions about the artwork he sees at museums, such as “Why do you think the painter chose this color?”

     Volunteer at your child’s school whenever possible. You can go along on field trips, help decorate for class parties, or read to the class. This will show that you care about your child’s schooling enough to go to his school yourself.

     Finally, make sit-down dinners a regular part of your family’s evening, turning off the TV and cell phones so you can sit and talk without distractions. Take advantage of this time to show a genuine interest in your child’s schooling and in academic subjects in general. Ask him lots of questions, tell him funny anecdotes about when you were in school, or tell him what you thought of the book he’s reading in his literature class when you read it in high school yourself. This gets across the important message that learning is important, one of the most valuable lessons you’ll teach your child and which will help ensure his success in all his future endeavors.

     Next, take advantage of every opportunity to meet your child’s teachers, such as parent-teacher or open-school nights. Not only will you make sure you’re not missing vital information, such as what the teacher expects of your child’s homework assignments, but you’ll show your child and his teachers that you care about his education.

     Familiarize yourself with your child’s daily routine by making a copy of his schedule. If you know gym class is on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, you can make sure your child brings his gym clothes on these days.

     Check your child’s backpack and planner to make sure you see teacher’s notes, important dates, permission slips, and graded assignments and tests. You prevent your child’s embarrassment in school by making sure your child is prepared for the special events and activities you’ll find out about through your backpack inspections and can provide your child with help for anything you find he may need help with.

     Stay connected with other parents. Sometimes your child’s perception of what’s occurring in the classroom may not be accurate, or perhaps your child hasn’t been mentioning some essential information. By forming connections with other parents, you can ensure that you’re not missing out on vital data.

Home-schooled 12 year old Logan and his dad Matt Winkler are traveling all 50 states during Logan’s 6th grade year and skateboarding wherever they go.

This weekend they are staying at Bobbi Burger Brunoehler house in the Los Angeles area. They still have the following states to go to:
HI, AK, OR, WA, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Kentucky, W Va and Va.

The travelers are staying with friends, family and couch surfing. According to Bobbi they are wonderful guests.  Bobbi shares, “Matt is a fabulous dad and a great conversationalist and Logan is a pleasant young man.  I recommend them highly as guests, especially if you also are into skateboarding.”

If you would like to invite the Winklers to stay with you or know someone in the above states who would like to host them for a couple of days, you can contact them at: 50skatekid@gmail.com Their story is being documented at:
www.50skatekid.wordpress.co.

Tina Turbin