At times there may be weakness in the structure, and here you will find the tools to solidify learning.
Enjoy the bi-weekly articles below.
These sections  are organized by age level, but the information is not confined to just this age. Consider looking at other age ranges as well. Also, make sure to check out the Archives.

Patience to Wait 
     One of the ways for you to teach your children of this age to be patient is to help them spend their own money for what they want or need. They save their own money until they can purchase the desired object. You can encourage their patience through your own words and body language.  Use your own judgment when they get close to purchasing whether to give them the last bit of money they need.  They learn more patience by waiting  and experience more satisfaction when they have done it on their own.
     Another way you can use to grow their patience is to employ "reflective listening"--"I know it is hard to wait, but you are doing a great job!" If you acknowledge your child's struggle, they may try harder with your encouragement.
     If you slow down your response to their requests, they will learn to cope with boredom.  They will find ways to do things while they wait for your time.
     Patience can persistently pursue accomplishment.

Peaceful Learning at Home 
           Children who are exposed to violence in the home may have difficulty learning and limited social skills, exhibit violent,                    risky or delinquent behavior, or suffer from depression or severe anxiety. UNESCO   Behind the Closed Doors 
     If you are having trouble parenting or are frustrated with your children’s behavior, you are certainly not alone. As human beings, we experience frustration dealing with our own problems, let alone our children’s. We have not had a lot of help in our parenting due to day care when our children are young and after school programs for school-age. When children are in middle school, then high school, we worry about their behavior when they are home alone. We have not had time to really get to know our children as fellow human beings due to our working and their school and extracurricular activities. 
     It is no wonder families experience anxiety when all are together. It is certainly not hard to yell at our children or take our desperation out on them since we cannot take it out on our fellow workers or others in our society.  It is not hard to turn on our spouse or for our children to witness our "off-the-wall" behavior as our own frustration and anxiety grow. 
We allow our children to either risk becoming victims or have adverse effects on their physical, emotional, and social development. They may even risk becoming a culprit themselves. 
    How can parents provide peace in their homes? They can provide a safe and secure environment for their children when they are not in school. They can provide opportunities for proper communication with their children. Too many times all children need is an adult to listen to them, to listen to problems they have had at school or elsewhere in their lives. Like all of us, sometimes just talking out a problem helps us to find our own solution. Children want to be understood and sheltered. 
     Giving children a sense of routine and normalcy helps prevent problems. Provide a schedule that all can follow for life at home to go smoothly even if it needs to be printed in a sheet posted on the refrigerator. There it can be seen by all to know what is going on.  
     Setting rules that are to be followed most of the time and the expected consequences of not doing so helps children know what to expect. Empowering Parents (www.empoweringparents.com) suggests that lack of unity in discipline between the parents produces anxiety in children because they are unsure of the rules.  
     www.positiveparentingsolutions also has good ideas for parents in providing a peaceful atmosphere for children, so necessary for learning. 
                     Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding. Albert Einstein