Sharing Circle

​Raising a child is difficult enough, but doing it as a divorced or single parent in today’s world comes with even more challenges. Besides the normal struggles of balancing a career and family life, now parents have to navigate a global pandemic, help their children combat bullying and protect their mental health. Although there may be more difficulties in raising your kids alone today, there are ways to parent successfully on your own and create a thriving environment for your children.
 
Here are a few tips to help you out:

Taking your child to a child care center equates to a certain cost. This should not, however, be a major concern as the child is growing up and soon you will be out of that category. While some parents prefer to stay at home with their kids until they reach school going age, this might not be possible for parents who are working on a tight budget in raising their family up.

The best option they have is to take their kids to a child care center and continue with whatever they do to bring bread on the table. To make a concise decision on whether to take your child to a daycare program or raise them yourself you have to consider a variety of variables.
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These are the factors which you need to consider in determining whether “is child care worth the cost or not?”  Learning social skills is a very important thing for the child. The more a child interacts with the peers, the more social skills they develop. Since at home you might not have the time to engage your child in various activities it is worth taking him to a day care center.

There are many opportunities for children to be engaged in wholesome activities after the regular school day is over.  Some children are set on the television or are glued to their phone, computer or other technology. They are not aware that there is a world of knowledge and fun out there where they would feel better sharing with their peers. These are the benefits of after school activities and there are many more. As parents, you and your child can discover these benefits by seeking out a great after school program in Albany, Clifton Park or wherever you live in the Capital Region.
 
How After School Programs Work
Many after school programs exist and you may find several in your area. These programs are operated mainly by community organizations, faith-based institutions and schools. Children have a lot of time on their hands after the school day ends, and this sure needs a little structure to help them turn it into something meaningful. You will find a range of activities to get them actively engaged in one way or another, depending on their age. Here are some of the ways children are engaged in and how they benefit.

​This one goes out to all the parents who want to teach their children how to garden, but don’t have enough space to grow their own food. News flash: You and your kids can grow nutritious, fresh food at home, even if you're limited to a tiny patio or a couple of windowsills. With a clear strategy and a few hand tools, gardeners working with a small area can do glorious things. Follow these tips to grow an indoor herb and vegetable garden, in any amount of space.
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Herbs When you’re short on space, herbs will give you the most bang for your buck. The same compounds that give herbs their fragrance and distinct flavors make them nutrition powerhouses. Most are loaded with antioxidants and vitamin-rich. Simply incorporating fresh herbs into your regular diet via salads, soups, and smoothies can help to protect you from disease. Instead of asking "Oooh, what's that on my pizza?", kids jump at the chance to eat what they've planted!

Kids love outdoor parties, whether to celebrate a birthday, a milestone, or just for the heck of it. But luring children outdoors has become more challenging in the age of internet and game consoles.
 
Health experts say today’s kids spend less time outdoors than any previous generation. That means they miss out on sunshine, exercise, and face-to-face socialization. So, how do you entice a kid to leave the Xbox and venture to the backyard for a couple of hours?
 
You’ll find no shortage of outdoor games at stores and online. The trick is finding ones that will pique your children’s interest. You don’t have to spend a lot to engage the kids. In fact, getting your kids involved in the creative process of the party will prod their interest and give them a sense of ownership. Involve them in picking a theme, making decorations and baking or buying the cake.
 
Here are six tips for throwing the ultimate home backyard party for kids:

So often parents ask us what we do at TSL. It is hard to answer this question without being generic. We are a small business child care and the answer to the questions "Who are we?" "What do we do?" have to be defined carefully, because that answer sets us apart from everyone else.

My reply is often this..."TSL does not define itself by what we do, but what we do outside of what we do." This can be confusing so I have to break it down for people. As a recreational program we can do 101 things and still sound like any other program. We do games, crafts, projects, outdoor time etc. and the list goes on.

Is your child's school experience affected by the quality of child care he or she receives before school begins and after school ends? We think so.

There is nothing overly scientific about this piece, but I'm passionate about my philosophies and TSL has always believed that child care experiences in the before and after school setting can positively or negatively impact a child's full day experience. Makes sense, right? A child who engages in healthy play with stimulating and well trained adults between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. will walk through the school doors feeling good and ready to tackle the rigors of academia. While the child who is not engaged or is supervised by someone with lesser vested adults in the same time span, at the very least, may not benefit at all from his early morning experience such that it prepares him for the 6 hours ahead. And what about after school. An additional three hours of a child's life...doing what? Do parents and school professionals even know?