Fortunately for families, there are a number of completely free educational resources online. As a full-time homeschooling family, I have found that these free resources can be just as beneficial (if not more so) than some of the standard workbook type programs. Here is a list of my top 5 favorite free homeschooling resources for elementary students:

PBSKids.com

PBSKids.com is a fantastic site for fun and educational games. The site is definitely appealing to small children and easy to use. The games focus on a variety of topics from basic grammar, reading, and math skills to computer skills. The website features all the popular characters from PBS cartoons and is packaged in a way that encourage kids to learn while playing.

Along with educational games, the site has a full list of videos and programming. You can watch PBS Kids shows and snippets from the site and then play corresponding games. Martha Speaks is a favorite in our house.

Starfall

Starfall.com is a free public service company that helps teach children how to read with phonics. Starfall is a great alternative to learning for children and is designed specifically with preschool-2nd graders in mind. This program is also used by many homeschooling families for phonics curriculum as well as children with special needs.

The site is separated into sections: Learn to Read, Fun to Read, and I Can Already Read. This makes it easy to determine where to start with your child. According to Starfall creators: “Our method of instruction motivates children in an atmosphere of imagination and enthusiasm, provides opportunities for child-directed instruction, and supports English language learners and struggling readers learning alongside their peers.”

ABCya

ABCya.com is perfect for those kids who want to brush up on their computer skills while touching on core subjects like math and reading. The site is separated out by grade level and incorporates programs for those Kindergarten through 5th grade. Simply click your student’s grade level to begin. All of the activities were created – or approved – by certified school teachers. The games are free and are modeled from primary grade lessons and enhanced to provide an interactive way for children to learn.

Cookie

Cookie.com is another fantastic website dedicated to fun, colorful, and educational games that will hold your child’s attention. You can choose from a variety of subject areas and grade levels. Cookie also provides free printable exercises you can do with your child. Play the online games or print off some worksheets to take the lesson away from the computer.

Mother Nature Herself

The ultimate free learning resource is Mother Nature herself. What better way to learn than going out and doing? From insect life cycles to weather patterns, there are so many lessons that Mother Nature can provide. Setup some experiments or just let your child ask questions about the world around them. You can turn a day in the park into an educational opportunity by discussing the animals, plants, or even people you see.

Little minds are curious minds. Don’t let your child’s mind stop working just because it is summer. What fun ways do you incorporate learning into your child’s break?

Instead of focusing on material possessions this Mother’s Day, try to encourage your children (and spouse) to incorporate more family oriented time. One way to do this is by starting a new Mother’s Day tradition. Here are just a few ideas to consider:

Mother’s Day Brunch

Many families have the tradition of enjoying a Mother’s Day brunch. It can be the perfect time for your spouse or children to show off their culinary skills at home. What mom wouldn’t love some breakfast served in bed? Or if your family is lacking in the culinary department, go to your favorite restaurant for brunch and enjoy your time together.

Plan a Day Outdoors

Make it a new tradition to spend your Mother’s Day enjoying the great outdoors. Choose a spot that you love – like a local garden center, hiking trail, or park. You can spend your day enjoying the scenery and your family. Have the family pack a picnic lunch with some of your favorite items.

Gardening

Do you enjoy gardening? If so, spend your Mother’s Day gardening with your family. You can purchase some flowers, plants, or trees and create some beautiful landscaping together. You may even consider starting a Mother’s Day garden.

Child-free Time

It may seem counter-intuitive since Mother’s Day is all about being a mother, but having your spouse take the kids for a few hours on Mother’s Day to allow for some “you” time can be the perfect Mother’s Day gift. Needing some spouse time? See if you can find a babysitter for a few hours on Mother’s Day to allow you and your spouse to spend quality alone time together. Or do both! Start off with time enjoying the company of your kids, and end it with a date night.

Pack Up and Head Out

Take a day trip with your family. Go on an exploration to find new places. Try mapping out all the locations within a few hours driving distance and make stops at any that look fun and interesting. This can be the perfect way to make memories together. Spending each Mother’s Day finding new hidden treasures on day trips is a fabulous tradition that is guaranteed to continue on year after year.

Everyone Wins

Want to spend some quality time together as a family, but everyone has different interests? Wake up and have everyone write down on a piece of paper what one family activity they/d most like to do for the day. Fold the papers and place them all in a jar. Spend the day drawing, one at a time, from the jar. Do whatever activity is on the paper and move on to the next.

Walk Down Memory Lane

Break out the old photo albums and drives on your computer and look through photographs. You can choose to go through all your old photos or even just look at photos from the previous year. You may be surprised at all the things you have forgotten about.

Mother’s Day can be fulfilling and complete without all the commercialized hype. If you know your Mother cherishes the bouquet of flowers you send, by all means still send them; however, if you aren’t sure of the “perfect” gift or if your mother is without specific needs, consider giving the gift of quality time. What is your favorite Mother’s Day activity?

Now only Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers have NEW SureFit* Design for up to 12 hours of leakage protection. They have a unique, flexible waistband for all-around fit and are a more flexible, less bulky diaper.

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Social Media and Self-Worth

With many teens accessing social media on a daily basis, it’s a place they are increasingly turning to determine their self-worth. From how many followers they have – to how many people ‘liked’ their picture – it gives them a sense of belonging and acceptance. Weiss says, “I think kids base their self-worth today on how many followers they have, how many likes they’re getting on their pictures or what comments they’re getting from friends or not getting from other people that they wish that they did.”

Do you think this is true? I definitely agree with her.

Social Media and Stress

Another problem is the stress and anxiety caused by social media. This is a result of teens:

• Worrying about how many followers they have
• Posting something and not being able to take it back (they can delete it, but teens love to screenshot things!)
• Trying to go viral
• Worrying about what your parents have seen on your social media accounts

As a mom of two teens, thinking about all of this scares me. Social media for them scares me. Which is why we talk about it on a daily basis around our home.

What Parents Can Do

If you find your kids abusing social media or notice an increase in their stress levels, there are ways to leave the lines of communication open and teach your teens how to use social media responsibly. A few things parents of teens who are active on social media can do are:

• Communicate effectively - It is possible to keep the lines of communication open without being too terribly annoying. I don’t ask my daughter about every single thing she tweets, but I do ask her about a tweet if it worried me or if I thought it was funny. We also talk about some of the updates her friends post and why a particular post might not have been a good idea. You can use social media to initiate discussions about how others can perceive your posts and why they might react a certain way.
• Know where they are – Monitoring your kids’ social media accounts is not as easy as it used to be. With new apps popping up every day, knowing their online hangout spots can be tough. Here are a few weapons in one mom’s online arsenal when it comes to her kids’ social media usage.
• Check their privacy settings – Online safety is a whole other topic, but it’s a crucial one. Help your kids set up their privacy settings on the sites they use and explain to them why it’s so extremely important.

There are many other ways parents can stay in tune with their teens social media usage. It’s as important as ever to know where your kids are spending their time online. From safety issues, to how it makes them feel about themselves, this is a topic worth talking about.

Are your teens online? Do you have set rules? Share what you do in your home when it comes to your teens and social media.

Positive TV Programs and Healthy Eating

A recent study by the journal Pediatrics, involving 565 Seattle families, had parents fill out a TV diary for their kids. It included how much TV they were watching, as well as what programs they watched. Half of the parents were coached for 6 months on getting their kids to watch programs such as Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer, rather than shows such as Power Rangers.

The other half of the kids were coached on healthy eating, but watched more violent shows. The results? After six months both groups showed improvements in their behavior. But after only a year, there seemed to be no difference between the two groups.

The AP reported the study does have some flaws. Although parents were not told what the study was about, the conclusion was they most likely figured it out, which quite possibly skewed the results. But whether the results were affected by their knowledge or not, one parent of a six-year-old said it was a wake-up call for her.

Before the study, she didn’t realize just how much TV her young daughter was watching. Now she fills more of her daughter’s time with encouraging her to play outside, as well as with games and activities.

New Zealand Study Shows TV Watching Affects Behavior

Another study involving 1,037 New Zealanders born in 1972 and 1973, showed that young adults who watched more television as kids (the type of program wasn’t mentioned), were more likely ‘to have a criminal conviction, a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, and more aggressive personality traits compared with those who viewed less television.’

If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em?

Studies show the average pre-school aged child watches 4.4 hours of TV a day. Between all of the available technology such as smart phones and tablets, not to mention regular TV watching at home and daycare, our children are around it all the time. So do parents crack down on the amount of TV time? One pediatrician says it’s a ‘If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’ type of situation.

Her conclusion is, the screens are going to be on no matter what. So instead of limiting their time, parents should focus more on the types of programs their kids are watching.

What’s a Parent to Do?

It’s obvious times are different and we’re in an age of constantly being surrounded by some sort of ‘tube’. So what is a parent to do? Do we crack down on the amount of TV our kids watch, the types of programming they are watching or both? Do you have any set TV rules in your home? Let us know in the comments section below.

This online service is a comprehensive suite of services, tools and resources aimed at closing the skills gap in the American workforce. It works to help students build a career plan and develop skills and competencies required for their desired careers.

Phoenix Career Services, which includes innovative career interest and job market research tools, helps prospective and current students make informed decisions regarding the career paths and degree programs they choose by surveying their interests first and cross referencing them with job openings and employment activity in their specific geographic area.

Here are just a few of the amazing tools I’ve had the opportunity to explore:

• Career Interest Profiler: This interactive, quick assessment offers potential and existing students a way to identify their professional interests and related careers to better focus their career search. After taking the assessment (which consists of a series of interests that you can freely change the order from greatest to least) I got the following results and possible career matches:

• Job Market Research Tool: The goal of this tool is to provide potential and existing students with current and recent job and labor market information. With this information students can understand the demand and typical salary information for their best-fit career. They can also see common career paths – which were culminated from thousands of career transitions. So for San Diego, a social media strategist displays the following information:

• My Career Plan: Once a student is enrolled at University of Phoenix, she can complete the development of her personalized roadmap with a detailed plan for her academic journey. This plan includes helping the student understand how her coursework can prepare her to pursue her desired career, which is informed by what leading employers are seeking in their workforce. My Career Plan building activities include:

•  Career Interests Profiler
• Competencies
• Work Culture Preferences                                   
• Reasoning Abilities

Additionally, students can build their competencies through Competency Development Tips and manage their career through Career Development Tasks provided through the career plan.

In addition to Phoenix Career Services, University of Phoenix also has developed a Financial Plan. This helps interested students estimate tuition and fees for their entire degree program and build a personal plan for how they will pay for it. The Financial Plan displays the estimated monthly payment for any loans built into the plan, so that the student understands the implications of his or her borrowing prior to enrolling. You can even explore options to help you finance your education such as employer reimbursement programs.

The Social Moms community has this to say about the new Phoenix Career Services and higher education:

• Sunshine and Sippy Cups likes the focus of University of Phoenix. “The tools make sure that you choose a field that you love, and that you have clear goals in mind for what you’ll be using your degree for once you graduate. Everything you do is focused on helping you find the perfect career for YOU. Because, while I loved my experience at University of Phoenix, I’m not going to lie – going back to school is a lot of work. I got pregnant partway through, and remember taking Advanced Algebra exams while bouncing a fussy baby on one knee. But, when you know WHY you’re going to school, and are excited about what you’ll be doing afterwards, it’s much easier to keep that momentum and motivation, knowing it will all be worth it!”
• SheScribes feels the site is the perfect tool for exploring her back-to-school options. “I am grateful for Phoenix Career Services. The various services they offer have helped me to not only explore different career and degree options, but have also opened my eyes to what kind of jobs are available with certain degrees, salaries, available jobs local to me and so much more. Best of all, these career interest and job market research tools are open to EVERYONE, not just University of Phoenix students or alumni.”
• Midwestern Moms says it’s important to keep your skills fresh. “I have always been a strong advocate for higher education. Even now that I work from home, I am able to run my own business because of the education that I’ve received. I feel it is important to keep my skills fresh since I work with technology and social media. In my career, things are constantly changing and I feel that furthering education helps me adapt so that I will be able to continue to grow my business.”

Make sure to follow University of Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter. After reading the article, which University of Phoenix tools would be most beneficial to you?  Leave a comment below for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card! (See official rules for details)

Samuel Kuperman, from the University of Iowa, and several of his colleagues conducted a study on teenagers and alcohol. The study revealed that of the kids who’ve tried alcohol – 40% said their best friends drink as well. The research indicates that kids who have friends that drink, are double the risk of drinking  themselves.

So, what’s a parent to do with these numbers and findings? Communicate like crazy. Leaving those communication lines wide open with your teen, but doing it in a way that resonates with them, is huge. If you’re communicating with your teen, you may discover quickly when drinking is a problem with their friends. You can then help them navigate through an uncomfortable situation and learn how to avoid that first drink.

Here are 7 communication secrets every parent of a teen should know:

1. Skip the lecture and have an actual conversation.

A lecture is one person talking at another person. A conversation includes two people talking with each other. How do you get your teen to talk to you? Ask questions.

2. Keep the conversation short, simple and to the point.

Don’t beat around the bush when it comes to talking to your teen. If your conversations end up being 30 minute talks, they’ll groan inside and immediately tune you out when they hear you want “to talk”. Some of the best conversations are those that are short and sweet.

3. Listen. Listen.Listen.

Did I mention listen? When you ask your teen a question, be okay with the silence for a few minutes. Most likely they’re trying to process what you asked and figure out the best way to respond. Don’t try to fill the awkward silence with your words. Be patient, sit back and wait.

4. Show respect for your teen and their opinions.

Most likely you and your teen don’t think alike. Shocking, I know. Just because you view something different, doesn’t mean you’re right and they’re wrong. Respect their opinion. Talk about why they feel this way – and again, as point number one says, have a conversation about it.

5. Praise them more than anything.

As humans, we’re already wired to remember that one negative comment. But, if that one negative comment is cushioned with 10 good ones, it makes the blow less hurtful. Make it a point to praise your teen. Even the smallest things like “Thank you so much for rinsing your cereal bowl” or “Sweet! All of your clothes made it into the hamper. Thank you!”, can go a long, long way.

6. Don’t correct a behavior in front of friends or other siblings.

Correcting an issue in private goes much farther than pointing it out in front of everyone and embarrassing them. It helps in two ways:  a) you can express why what they did or said is an issue and you can express it in a calm manner and b) it helps you to gain respect from your teen. My husband and I have used this rule in our house for a long time. We never punish in front of friends or other siblings.  We discuss the issue and the punishment in private. Many amazing conversations with our teens have happened because of this one simple rule.

7. Work on problem solving together.

You need to be your teen’s biggest fan. They need to know you’re on their side and will do anything to help them succeed. By working on problems and solving them together, you will gain their trust and respect. If their friends are drinking and they’re feeling the pressure, ask questions like “What are some of your ideas on this?” or “How do you think we can make sure you don’t get involved in an uncomfortable situation?”

Do you have some communication secrets you use in your house with your kids? Please share them and also let me know which of the 7 communication secrets is your favorite.

But there’s help. Jenny Gudmundsen in her new book, iPad Apps For Kids For Dummies^®, offers parents a reliable resource for choosing the best apps for their kids. As a respected USA TODAY Kid-Tech columnist, Jenny has tested a host of apps and offers parents an objective view of  the best apps for kids of all ages. Here’s a review of five of her favorite free iPad apps for kids:

Squiggles! (Free US/CAN/UK, Ages 3-6, Lazoo Worldwide, Inc.).

Most young children like to draw, making this app a winner. Squiggles provides a fail-proof drawing playground that allows kids to paint with their fingers. A scene is presented that needs a squiggle, and the app then demonstrates how to do it. For example, kids may be asked to draw the mane on a lion, the exhaust on a car, or the wool on a lamb. Once the drawing is complete, the player hits the “Go” button, and the squiggles begin to animate.

“The app also lets you take a photo and add squiggles to it, and includes an interactive story adventure,” adds Gudmundsen. “I love that this app teaches kids that by using their creativity, drawings can become anything they can imagine.”

Alien Assignment (Free US/CAN/UK, Ages 4-8, Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent College).

This fun app takes kids on a scavenger hunt to take photos using the iPad. An alien family, called the Gloops, has just crashed-landed on earth and needs the child’s help in repairing their spaceship. Not knowing what’s available, the Gloops’ on-board computer asks the child to take pictures of what’s around them so it can figure out how to replicate things to fix the ship. New requests are given each time the game is played.

“By playing this app, kids learn to solve problems and think creatively,” Gudmundsen says. “They must reflect upon everyday objects in new and different ways. Another great aspect of this app is that after kids take the requested number of photos (you can set it to be between 4 and 20), they are asked to ‘show your grown-up’ the photos. This provides you an opportunity to interact with your child and talk about why they chose the objects.”

LEGO Creationary (Free US/CAN/UK, Ages 5-10, The LEGO Group).

LEGO lovers will jump at the chance to play this game which tests how quickly you can determine what specific object is being built with LEGO bricks. Categories of items being built (nature, vehicles, buildings, things, and two random options) are determined by a roll of the die at the start of the game. Four different completed objects appear in each corner of the screen with the object being built in the center. The player has to tap the correct corner object before the center one is completed to win the game.

“The building is superfast so that kids need to use observation skills, imagination, and knowledge of Lego-building to be successful,” Gudmundsen notes. “Don’t miss this one if you have a Lego aficionado who enjoys high-adrenaline fun. It will help your kids hone their observation skills and quick thinking.”

Scribble Press (Free US/CAN/UK, Ages 6 and up, Scribble Press).

This free app is great for budding writers. Kids are able to write and illustrate their own books and share them on the iPad (with your permission, of course) on the moderated Scribble Press server for other kids to view and enjoy. Links to email, Facebook and Twitter are also available to allow kids to share their work with friends and family. Completed books can also be stored in your iBooks bookshelf.

“This app provides 50 story templates to help your child on her path to becoming an author,” comments Gudmundsen. “The templates provide a framework for kids in which some of the story is already written, and all they have to do is add in their own details. In addition to writing, kids are encouraged to add their own artwork or photos.”

Awesome Eats (Free US/CAN/UK, Ages 6 and up, Whole Kids Foundation).

Learning about healthy eating can be fun with the use of this free app. Awesome Eats is a fast-paced game that allows kids to learn how eating can be healthy while sorting life-like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. At each level of the game, kids are asked to move the food characters from one conveyor belt to another to eventually get the food in the correct box at the end.

“In between each of the 32 levels, the app presents kids with interesting nuggets of information about good nutrition,” Gudmundsen explains. “It’s one of my favorite free apps because it’s fun to play, teaches kids about healthy eating, and doesn’t contain ads or in-app purchases.”

If you’re looking for ways to educate and entertain your kids using your iPad, these five apps are a good start. What’s great is that they are just a small sample of all the free apps reviewed in Gudmundsen’s book, and many more can be found by searching the App Store or the internet.

The CPSC data report shows that 349 consumers (84 percent of them children younger than age 9) were killed between 2000 and 2011 when TVs, furniture or appliances toppled over onto them. 2011 was a record year with 41 fatalities reported from falling television sets or furniture. This is an increase from 31 in 2010 and 27 in 2009. CPSC estimates that more than 43,000 consumers are injured each year in tip-over incidents. More than 25,000 (59 percent) of those injuries are to children under the age of 18. Falling furniture accounts for more than half (52 percent) of the injury reports. Falling televisions have proven to be more deadly, as they are associated with more than half (62 percent) of reported fatalities.

What makes this tragedy worse is that it is completely preventable. With $15 and about 15 minutes of your time you can have your furniture and television sets secured to your walls and safe from tipping. Furniture straps, televisions straps, or bracketing systems are all that you need to keep your children safe.

Sadly, this safety risk is not one that is in the mainstream for parents. We always hear of fall hazards, choking hazards, food hazards, and the list goes on – but how often do you hear of falling television and furniture hazards? The risk is great and the solution simple if only parents knew about it.

Thankfully there is a very brave woman who shared the story of the tragic loss of her daughter from a falling dresser that moved me to action. You can read her story here. Have your tissues ready because you will no doubt need an entire box when you read her story about that tragic day. She shares some of her deepest feelings, but more importantly, her hope for the future. She has given her time and life now to preventing this tragedy from happening to other parents. Her organization, Meghan’s Hope, helps keep parents informed on unknown safety hazards as well as simple fixes to these hazards. Follow the Meghan’s Hope Facebook page for lots of great tips that will no doubt open your eyes to things you never even imagined.

Please read Meghan’s story and share it with those you love. These tragedies could become history with a little education for parents. Here are some tips to keeping your home as safe as possible from falling furniture and television hazards.

To help prevent tip-over tragedies, CPSC recommends the following safety measures in homes where children live or visit:

• Anchor furniture to the wall or the floor.
• Place TVs on sturdy, low bases, or anchor the furniture and the TV on top the base, and push the TV as far back on the furniture as possible.
• Keep remote controls, toys, and other items that might attract children off of TV stands or furniture.
• Keep TV and/or cable cords out of reach of children.
• Make sure freestanding kitchen ranges and stoves are installed with anti-tip brackets.
• Supervise children in rooms where these safety tips have not been followed.

I am going to be completely honest here. I never once thought of the dangers of tipping furniture with my children. However, after reading Meghan’s story I will be securing all my furniture TODAY! Please take these steps and help keep your little ones safe. Do you have your furniture secured?

Here are 7 ideas to get kids moving and the blood pumping!

1. Plan family walks for the daytime.

As long as it’s not below freezing, grab the winter coats (and maybe the dog) and get out for a brisk walk around the neighborhood. If kids don’t want to go, you can entice them with a promise of hot cocoa when they get back home. Don’t have a great neighborhood for walking? Head to the local school track, a nearby neighborhood or a walking path at a park. Not only is it great family bonding time, but it gets you exercising too! If it’s feasible, you can even bike or roller blade together. The key is to just get moving. If it’s too cold, just going to the local mall and walking is better than sitting on the couch.

2. Enroll in a class.

Check the local YMCA, library or town center for classes on weekends or school breaks. For the younger (under 5)  crowd, libraries often offer movement classes that allow kids to get their energy out in a fun environment. How about looking into the local gym or karate center to see if they offer pay-as-you-go classes? Check into gymnastic places for open gym time, where, for one flat fee, kids can spend an hour or 2 discovering the trampolines, bars, beam, ropes and mats for lots of tumbling fun. Karate centers or gyms sometimes offer dodgeball on weekends so call around and see what is out there. Yoga is also a fantastic choice for kids, since most children’s yoga is at a pace to keep them interested and the instructors make it fun. They’ll stretch their muscles, do strengthening poses and get some mild cardio in as well.

3. Try commercial break exercise.

Tell the kids that they can watch TV as long as the get up and run in place or do jumping jacks at every single commercial. I had to do this along with my kids to get them moving, but after a few minutes we were all out of breath from laughing and exercising. We even took turns at being the instructor and coming up with the next moves.

4. Invest in toys.

Buy some new toys that will get the kids outside, or perhaps in a large playroom or basement if you have one.  Pogo sticks, giant balls to bounce on, jump ropes and mini trampolines are fun for most ages and even more fun with friends!

5. Don’t put away all the outside games and toys.

You’re bound to have some mild days, so keep the balls inflated and the bikes handy. Of course, once a good snow comes, sledding, snowball fights, shoveling and snowman building can burn quite a few calories and create some rosy cheeks for all!

6. Use the video games.

Ok, if they MUST be in the den with the TV on, I’d definitely opt for the Wii, Playstation Move or Kinect and let the kids have sports battles amongst themselves. I totally love Wii bowling on a cold winter day and I’ve participated in hysterical Just Dance competitions with my kids.

7. Speaking of dancing, put on some LOUD music and dance.

When my kids were younger, there was nothing like a good Disney CD to get us all up and partying. Now that they are older, we put on the iPod and jam to some great tunes.

It’s all in good fun and it’s great for kids to stay active. Encouraging exercise is one of the most important thing you can do for your family’s health.