Easy ways to encourage your child to limit their screen time

It’s no secret that technology is a huge part of everyday life, but it’s clear that it can sometimes be a distraction, especially for your kids.  A recent survey revealed that 65% of parents said that their children spent at least 1-3 hours a day on gadgets, mobile phones, laptops or watching TV. Here at Tutor Doctor, we know that banning technology isn’t the answer, however we believe that screen time should be considered a privilege. That’s why we’ve come up with some easy ways you can encourage your child to limit their screen time and get them to stick to it.

Remind your children to limit screen usage
Banning technology isn’t very realistic, but it’s important to make sure your kids are aware that you are paying attention to how much time they are on a screen.  Gently remind them that they shouldn’t be spending all of their spare time on their phone or watching TV and encourage other activities instead.

Encourage exercise and other activities
Try and encourage your kids to spend more time taking part in sports and exercise, as it will distract them from technology and get them outside in the fresh air. Activities such as swimming, horse riding, basketball, tennis and ballet not only get your children active but they’re also loads of fun. You might even be surprised at how much they enjoy doing something different for a change!
If the weather isn’t so great there are loads of other hobbies that your kids can get involved in that don’t involve the TV or their mobile phone. Scrapbooking, reading, baking and playing board games are bound to keep them occupied- they may just need some friendly encouragement to see what they can achieve without technology. Remember, the key to limiting your child’s screen time is balance, moderation, flexibility and compromise.

Create screen rules together
A really simple way to get your children to actively limit their screen time is to create some rules together. By doing it this way your kids will feel involved and not as if they are being told what to do.
Start by sitting down together and write up some clear rules, along with a few ideas for rewards if they do well. Here are a few suggestions of rules to implement together.

• No texting during meals, either at home or in a restaurant
• No TV during meals
• No TV until after all homework and chores are done
• The TV gets turned off at a set time every night
• No TVs or laptops in their bedrooms

Watch your own screen habits
Your children may not always listen to you but you are still their role model. It’s important that you are living by the same rules that you set them. So if you tell your kids that they need to cut back on TV time then you need to make sure you’re doing the same. If they can see that you are trying the likelihood is that they will too!

3 fun science experiments you can do at home with your children

It’s British Science Week from the 11^th– 20^th of March, so we thought we would celebrate by doing a special science themed post! Here at Tutor Doctor we’ve found 3 fun and super easy science experiments you can do with the kids at home. Whether you want to spend a lazy Sunday trying out all 3 or a spare afternoon trying out just one- we guarantee you will have a bundle of fun!

Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano
Learn About: Chemistry
This experiment is all about chemical reactions. The combination of baking soda and vinegar creates a fizzy overflow, which makes carbon dioxide turn into gas. Just watch your child’s face as the volcano erupts!
You’ll Need

• 1/4 cup vinegar (up to a cup if you have a large bottle)
• 2 tablespoons baking soda

Instructions

1. Place the vinegar in the bottle using a small funnel.
2. Add in the baking soda into the vinegar as fast as you can
3. Stand back and watch the volcano erupt

(Make sure you do this experiment with some tea towels around or somewhere that you can clean up easily- it can get quite messy!)

Invisible Liquorice
Learn About: Light and Perspective
Watch your children be amazed whilst they try and figure out if the liquorice melts or simply disappears. This experiment is all about how oil redirects light, causing half the liquorice to vanish!
You’ll Need

• Liquorice or candy straws
• One tall drinking glass
• Cooking oil

Instructions

1. Pour the oil into the glass
2. Put the liquorice stick into the glass
3. Lean it against the side of the glass
4. Now look at the side of the glass and slowly turn it. Does the liquorice get wider and narrower, or completely disappear? 

What’s happening? Oil bends light- in fact, it can bend the light so much that, if you hold the glass the right way, the liquorice leaning against the side of the glass is completely hidden from your eyes. Cool or what?

Dye your own flowers
Learn About: Capillary Action
This experiment is all about how plants drink water. Using food coloring you can watch the liquid seep through the plants veins and towards the flower and petals. Watch it change colour right in front of your eyes!
You’ll Need:

• Three white flowers. If you don’t have flowers, celery works great as well
• Four glasses of water
• Food Colouring: blue, yellow, green, red
• Sharp knife (Adult Use Only!)

Instructions:

1. Firstly, get your kids to mix food colouring into each glass, the stronger the colours the better.
2. Add two flowers to two colours and leave to one side.
3. (Parents only!) Take your last flower and carefully cut the stem down the middle ensuring it is still in tact
4. Now take the two remaining coloured glasses and part the stem, placing each half of the stem into different coloured glasses. Your flower will now be drinking from two different coloured liquids
5. Finally place the water glasses away from the sunlight and watch what happens. Wait a few days and keep observing the petals for super cool results!

Fun Science Fact About Plants!
Xylem and Phloem are the name of the two plant tissues that carry water. Together, these tissues form the main capillary action that help plants drink water and nutrients so they can survive.
For more information or to get involved in British Science Week head over to the website here: https://www.britishscienceweek.org.

Six things students can do to improve their mental health

School, college and university can be a tough time for many students, meaning that their mental health can be put under extreme pressure. Here at Tutor Doctor we know that mental health is something that should be talked about openly and is definitely nothing to be ashamed of. A survey by the National Union of Students recently found that 78% of  students had experienced mental health issues in the last year, with 54% saying they didn’t seek support. With this in mind, we’ve come up with six things students can do straight away in order to boost their mental health.

1.Structure
A really easy way to boost mental health is to have structure in your everyday life. Make sure you know how much work you have to do and when you’re going to do it, what time you have school or lectures and when your assignments are due in. Other easy ways to implement structure is to plan your evenings so you have free-time and work-time, and remember don’t go on social media sites whilst your working.

2.Exercise
Exercise is a super easy way to improve mental health. Get your heart rate up so you sweat every day. Whether it’s going to the gym, skipping in your bedroom or having a run outside, it will instantly give you a lift and make you feel better.

3. Reading
Reading is a brilliant release for stress and anxiety. Taking yourself into imagined world not only preoccupies your mind but also gives you a real break. Even if it is for half an hour a day it will be worth it.

4. Sleep
Making sure you have a regular sleep pattern is vital for good mental health. Make sure you have a set wake-up time and bedtime and stick to it. This will ensure that you get enough sleep and give time for your mind and body to rejuvenate. A great tip to help you fall asleep is to turn off your smart phone, tablet, TV or laptop before you go to bed. This gives your mind time to relax as bright lights can make it difficult for your brain to switch off.

5.Talk to your friends
This may sound obvious but talking to trustworthy friends about your problems can really help. Sharing your worries will instantly make you feel better and though a weight has been lifted from your shoulders. They might even be going through the same issues as you or be feeling the same way, meaning you can both help each other through it. As they say a problem shared is a problem halved.

6.Talk to Tutors
Remember that teachers and tutors are always there to talk to and offer advice. They will also be able to give you more information about the support that is available at your school, college or university.
For more information about the services that may be available to you, browse the NHS Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) page.

How to teach your child to have a positive attitude

It’s a given that we want our children to have a positive attitude, but teaching them how to adopt this way of thinking might not be so easy. Here at Tutor Doctor we know that if children develop a positive attitude early on, positive thinking will become a habit that will help them thrive and succeed in all aspects of their life. Here’s some easy ways you can reinforce positivity at home!

Positive Statements
Teaching your child to change their monologue will instantly help create a positive mindset and attitude. Instead of saying statements such as “I’m rubbish at English, I’m going to fail my test” encourage them to try a more positive approach. “I find English really difficult, but I’m going to keep trying my best and ask for help if I need it.” Soon this way of speaking and thinking will become second nature and negativity will become a thing of the past!

Being Positive is a choice
Remind your children that being positive or negative about something is always a choice. It’s important to try and encourage them to always focus on the best possible outcome rather than the worse. Ultimately, choosing to have a positive attitude will be more beneficial and help them get through any difficult or testing situations.

Positive Environments
It’s important to try and create a positive and happy environment at home. Even if this is by watching funny movies, telling fun stories and jokes, being silly as a family or dancing in the kitchen; encouraging your children to be happy is vital in helping them adopt a positive attitude. Simply smiling and laughing can instantly shift brain activity and make everyone in the family feel good. Positivity for everyone!

Love and Praise
Providing your children with lots of love and praise is a really easy way to help encourage positivity. Kind words, hugs, kisses, high fives and special treat days out every now and again is sure to help everyone feel upbeat and optimistic.

Hobbies
Encouraging your children to develop and pursue hobbies that they are good at is a great way to increase their confidence levels. Whether it’s tennis, dancing, art and crafts, reading or acting- taking part in activities that they are passionate about and enjoy will reinforce positivity.

Good Communication
Communicating is the key to positivity. Make sure you give your child the opportunity to discuss their concerns over with you. By talking through anything they may be feeling negative about or any problems they may be facing is an effective way for them to put their worries out there in the open. It also gives you a chance to help them look at the situation in a more positive light.

4 easy ways to teach your child manners

Good manners can get you far in life. That’s why it’s important that your children learn them from an early age to make sure words such as ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ become second nature. However, manners don’t come as easily to some kids as they do to others, which can be frustrating for parents. That’s why here at Tutor Doctor we’ve come up with 4 easy ways to teach your child good manners and all in the comfort of your own home. They will be fluent in ‘You’re Welcome’ and ‘Excuse Me’ in no time!

1. Teach polite words at an early age
It’s important that you start the process of teaching manners from an early age. Even a two-year-old can learn to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ They might not understand what the word means exactly but they will learn the social interaction behind it. They will know that when someone gives you something you say ‘thank you’ and if you are asking for something, in order to get what you want you say ‘please.’ It’s also important as parents that you reinforce these manners back to them. For example, if your child gives you something they’ve found always make a point of saying ‘thank you’ to them. The sooner these simple manners are learnt, the more likely it is that your child will retain and use them in their everyday vocabulary as they grow older.

2. Expect Respect
A really easy way for children to forget manners is when they are not practiced or expected on a daily basis. In the same way a teacher expects a child to respect them and behave in a polite manner towards them, it’s crucial that you expect the same behaviour at home. If you let rudeness become acceptable, it’s likely they will continue this way of behaving in all areas of their lives. Make sure your child knows that you expect them to behave and speak to you in a certain way and it is likely they will respond by being kind and polite. If they choose not to it’s just as important that you reiterate the reason why you are unhappy with them and tell them what you do expect from them.

3. Set a good example
Children often pick up vocabulary from their parents, which is why it’s vital that you always set a good example. Interact with others and your children the way that you would like them to. If your child hears lots of ‘You’re Welcome’s’ and ‘Excuse me’s’ they will be more inclined to repeat your polite terminology and considerate behaviour.

4. Praise and reward good manners
Children always respond best to positive reinforcement, so make sure you are giving plenty of praise when they practice great manners. Letting them know that their behavior is commendable will not only make your kids feel happy that they did something good, they are also more likely to repeat the same polite behaviour.

4 of the best science-based educational apps

Science is a great subject to really get kids excited about learning. With smart phones and tablets now playing a significant part in most kids day-to-day life, it’s important to try and incorporate learning into their screen time. Here at Tutor Doctor we know that apps are an easy way to do this, but with such an overwhelming amount to choose from it can be tricky to know which ones to download. That’s why we’ve found 4 of the best science-based educational apps that are full of exciting content for your children to get involved in.

Atlas by Collins £1.49
This app is great if your kids want to learn all about the world. You get seven different globes, which allow you to explore the planets, gather information about the population, understand the location of our needed energy and find out about how we affect the environment. It also has loads of physical maps to discover such as oceans, mountains and deserts. It’s certainly an informative app bursting with interesting facts.

Solar Walk™ – 3D Solar System model £1.99
If your child is fascinated by the solar system and wants to explore it then this app is the one for them! You simply use your fingers to rotate around the planets and zoom in and out of them and their neighboring moons. There are also a handful of satellites orbiting the Earth, which you can observe and learn about. Even better, this app allows you to speed up time and see the movements of the planets, either in the future or in the past. It’s a fantastic app for any space enthusiast.

Chemist – Virtula Chem Lab- iPad only £2.99
Chemistry can sometimes be a little difficult to understand especially when learning about it on paper. This is why Chemist is such a great app. Not only does it let you see the elements in action, your kids can experiment with them too! Whoever knew that practicing chemistry virtually would be so fun? Simply add a beaker, mix some solutions, stir it up, warm it up, check the temperature or pH, it’s all there. Impressive or what? The app is also really easy to use, ideal for any budding chemist.

Universal Zoom: All About Sizes and Distances £2.99
This is the perfect app to explore the scale of universe. Not only is it simple to use but it also offers an exciting tool for your child to visualise and conceptualise distances and sizes. It presents objects to scale such as electrons and planets and allows your kids to compare them. In a nutshell, it’s a super cool science app, equipped with everything any little scientist will need to know about measurements.

4 Things to consider when choosing your A Level subjects

It’s already that time of year where students are applying for college and thinking about which subjects they are going to choose. We all know that what you choose to study at A-Level can have a major impact on your future, so it’s important to make the right decision. Here at Tutor Doctor we’ve narrowed it down to the 4 most important things to consider before making those all-important choices. So whether you’re decided or haven’t got a clue, we guarantee that these four pointers will help you make an informed decision.

1. Ability and enjoyment
It’s always important to start with the basics. Begin by mind mapping out the subjects your good at along with what you like and enjoy. The more you enjoy your studies the more likely you are going to be motivated to work hard. Having a natural ability in your chosen subjects can also increase your chances of success. However always keep in mind that A-Levels are very different to GCSEs, so make sure you do your research about exactly what each course offers.

2.Certain University courses will look for specific A-Levels
If you have a rough idea what you’re wanting to study at university always keep in mind that certain university courses will look for specific A-Levels.
Here are just a few examples:

• Pharmacy must have: chemistry, plus at least one from biology, maths and physics
• English must have: English literature or English language (Sometimes Both)
• Geology must have: at least two from maths, physics, chemistry and biology
• Economics will need: maths

This will also be similar for those interested in Art and Design degrees and it is likely that art subjects will be required. For a full list of University subjects and typical A-Level requirements click here.
3. Course content, assessment and workload
Before making any final decisions always have a look at the course syllabus- this will usually outline the content and assessment titles. This will give you a good indication to whether the two years will cover the areas that you are most interested in. You might even be surprised at how excited you can get about specific topics!
Also consider the workload of the course and the main methods of assessment. For example one subject might include lots of essay writing and reading whereas you might prefer extended practical projects. Either way it will give you the chance to weigh up what you’re best at and whether that style of assessment suits you.

4. A-Levels are tougher than GCSEs
Finally it’s important to remember that A-Levels are a lot trickier than GCSEs. It’s a fairly big jump up and you will instantly see that a lot more is expected from you. It’s crucial that you prepare yourself for this transition by being on top of your studies and not leaving revision and homework to the last minute.

How can I get advice?
If after reading this you are still confused about which A-Level subjects you want to take or perhaps you’re not sure if A-Levels are the right option for you, remember you can always get advice. Speaking to tutors, teachers, parents, college lecturers and even other family members is always a great way to talk through your options. Teachers and tutors will also be helpful if you’re not sure which subjects are your strongest. If these options don’t suit you, then chatting with a Careers Advisor can be super helpful as they always have loads of information to hand. Visit the National Careers Service for details.