Kindergarten readiness

The concept of kindergarten derived in the 1830’s from a German teacher who believed the children needed a way to transition from home into the school environment. Kindergarten was established as a way to interact and socialize. Children today are socialized at daycare or in pre-school so kindergarten has been restructured to meet the demands of academic readiness in the cognitive and social areas of development.

Readiness to learn

School readiness means that the child has the ability to learn and cope in the school environment without experiencing undue stress. Children should be able to separate from their family and trust the adults in the school environment. They need to understand the concept of sharing and how to take turns when playing with other children. Children should also display some level of social skills in how to resolve problems and work cooperatively with their peers. They must be able to adapt to the structure of the school day and follow the instructions from their teacher.

A real assessment of readiness isn’t based on the chronological age alone. Many schools will do an assessment several weeks before school begins that involve cognitive, linguistic, motor skills and social skills. Children that enter kindergarten with limited baseline skills of reading and math are unlikely to catch up with their peers. Many will need support services that require remedial learning with the help of an aide or tutor. Children that don’t test well will have a re-evaluation three to six months later to assess if a developmental specialist or neurologist should be consulted.

Other considerations

There are many different academic settings to consider when choosing a school for your children. There are public, private, religion based, and Montessori schools. Other determining factors are class size, use of aides in the classroom, and if kindergarten is a full or half-day program. Structural considerations would be the locations of the bathroom, playground and lunchroom where interaction with older students should be limited.

There are many different developmental levels and skills found in the classroom. Teachers are working to meet the diversity, developmental needs and abilities of all children. Children learn best by doing. It allows them to learn through exploration and observation. It can also help them to follow their interests while building cognitive and creative talents. As you determine the kindergarten readiness for your children also seek an environment where they can be engaged and interested in learning for their optimal growth and development.

Family reunions

There is a current tendency in our society to be closer to our friends than our relatives. Families today rarely live in the same city making family dinners obsolete and reunions a thing of the past. Historically family reunions have been a time to build family interaction and unity. Having several generations assembled together can give you the opportunity to learn more about your family heritage and strengthen family traditions. This can create a deep sense of belonging to each family member that is passed on to future generations.

Getting organized

Families that are spread out over the United States will often take turns hosting the reunion. This allows extended family members to learn more about the state where the host lives and activities their family enjoys. First delegate information gathering tasks to determine the best location and time of year for the majority of families to attend. Next determine the amount of space needed for the reunion and cost per family. Then reserve the location and notify the extended family of the theme and other activities available in the area while visiting.

Celebrations are central around conversation, food and drink. Sharing favorite recipes from grandparents and asking family members to bring that special dish can be great conversation starters. Look at photo albums from past reunions. Celebrate the life of those who are no longer with you and discuss how they made a difference in your life. Create a time capsule and have the children place items in it each year. They can write a message to themselves sharing their dreams and goals which can be fun to reflect on at a later time.

Traditional reunions have many games and activities for all ages. There is horseshoes, potato sack races, face painting, pie eating contests and scavenger hunts. Other games like Bingo, Family Trivia, Dominoes, and cards are always a favorite. If you have creative family members have them put on a talent show or get out the Karaoke machine and sing your favorite songs together.

New memories

There are many ways to document the reunion and reflect on the great experience with video recorders, digital slide shows or your family Facebook page. Continue to update the family tree with the weddings, births and deaths that occur in the family. This will help you to keep the genealogy current and not let those memories fade quite so rapidly. Friends will come and go in our lives but your family will be with you forever.

Substance abuse affects the family and workplace

Substance abuse disorders affect families of every race, ethnicity, socio-economic status and location. Individuals and families that face personal stressors of illness, death, marital or financial difficulties will often increase their alcohol or drug usage as a way to cope with their pain. The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) located within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report that adults from 50 to 59 years of age have increased their illicit drug usage from 2.7% in 2002 to 5% in 2007.

Substance abuse in the home

One in four children under the age of 18 years old live in a home where alcohol misuse or addiction is hurting the family. This can create highly stressful family situations that can often lead to domestic violence in the home. The abuse and neglect that a child experiences in these situations can create an adverse impact on their physical and cognitive development. The emotional stress experienced within the family system can affect a person’s mood, appetite, and sleep cycle. Children whose parents suffer from substance abuse are four times more likely to develop a substance abuse disorder themselves.

Substance abuse in the workforce

Some stress is normal in our lives but extreme stress interferes with productivity and diminishes your physical and emotional well-being. Twenty-five percent of people surveyed by CSAT viewed their job as the top stressor in their lives. Workers reported on the survey that job insecurity and the trend of working longer hours contributed to their substance usage. During difficult economic times people have been known to utilize alcohol or drugs to relieve stress. Other individuals in recovery from substance abuse disorders are at risk for a relapse.

Approximately 20 million adults were classified with substance abuse disorders in 2008 by CSAT. Fifteen million of those adults were employed full or part-time. This impacts the workplace in a variety of ways. The worker that abuses different substances is at risk for deteriorating health, injury, job loss, and family problems. The employer will have increased health costs, lower productivity, and higher absenteeism from those employees with substance abuse disorders.

Finding help

Individuals that need help for their substance abuse often do not pursue it because of cost, stigma, denial of the need, or knowing where to go for their treatment. Do not wait to ask for help. Prolonged exposure to drugs will alter the brain which results in powerful cravings to continue the use of drugs. Those brain changes can make it very difficult to quit abusing substances on your own. Treatment can be initiated voluntarily by the addict or pressured by family, employer, and the legal system.

Addiction is treated and reversed through therapy, meditation exercises and other outpatient or inpatient facility treatment. Recovery is a life-long process where the individual will usually struggle against having relapses. The addict will need ongoing treatment to review coping skills and appropriate use of their support system. The first step to recovery is asking for the help that you need to repair yourself and your family. Don’t let your addiction control your life. Love yourself and family enough to take the steps to change your life. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi