Parent Involvement Parent Facts Research shows what we've known all along-that parents make a difference in every area of a childs life. Parent involvement is one of the top three factors in student achievement! Take time for your child. They grow up very fast-and did you know that parents on average spend barely 38 minutes a week in mean it let any activity get in the way of your family relationships. A TV is not a babysitter-but it WILL raise your children if you let it. Have you run out of ideas of things to do? Do you kids say they're bored? Here are 101 suggestions. And did you know that over half of all Americans eat dinner with the TV on most of the time? For great conversation with your kids, try this list from the Kids Book of Questions. Media overconsumption (TV, videos, dvd's, computers, video games) got you down? This is what the American Academy of Pediatrics says about media in the home.
Starting when children are very young, most of their media use takes place in the home. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under 2 years of age watch NO TV, computers, video! Parents can help their children make better use of media by doing the following: Be involved with your child! There's that parent involvement again. Make a media plan! Fail to plan and plan to fail. Set media time limits. Live a real life, not a virtual life-it's about balance. Set family guidelines for media content. Be the parent-take responsibility. Keep TV sets, VCRs, video games, and computers out of children's bedrooms. Set limits-it's your home. Make media a family activity. More parent involvement! Look for media "side effects" Know your child Poor school performance Hitting or pushing other kids often Aggressively talking back to adults Frequent nightmares Increased eating of unhealthy foods Smoking, drinking, or drug use Voice your opinion. Bad things happen when good people do nothing (commentary about the Holocaust). It's up to parents like you. "Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world." Margaret Mead Great Resources for Parents National Institute on Media and the Family www.mediawise.org Parents Choice (recommended books, toys, audiotapes) parentschoice.org National PTA www.pta.org Parent Information Resource Center www.e-collaborative.org/pirc.html Family Resource Centers www.washoe.k12.nv.us/familyresourcecenters WCSD Early Childhood www.washoe.k12.nv.us/earlychildhood Washoe County School District Family Resource Centers
Activities related to Parent Involvement Parent Involvement Day