Keeping your child's skills sharp over ther Christmas break

The Christmas holidays are almost here, which can often mean homework takes a back seat to celebrating. Even though a break is well-deserved, it’s also important that your child doesn’t lose any skills gained in the last academic term, especially as we all know how much hard work went into learning those skills. Here at Tutor Doctor, we’ve come up with some festive ways that you can help your child stay on top of their reading, writing and maths skills during the winter break.

Christmas Cooking

Chances are, there will be lots of cooking and prepping taking place in the kitchen on the lead up to Christmas, so why not get the kids involved? Invite them to help you measure out ingredients, count pigs-in-blankets and even work out when items need to go in the oven for everything to be ready at the same time. All the tablespoon and half cup measurements offer great practice with numbers and fractions.

Writing Christmas Cards/Thank-You Notes

Getting your child involved in writing Christmas cards and thank-you notes is the perfect way to fit in some writing practice without making it seem like schoolwork. Not only will this activity help them polish their writing, spelling and handwriting skills, it’ll also help them understand how to show appreciation and learn about gratitude.

Family Game Night

The Christmas holidays are the perfect time to host a family game night. Most board and card games require counting, reading, writing and drawing- so it’s an excellent opportunity for your child to maintain these important skills. It’s also a lovely way to bring the whole family together, have fun and get everyone’s brains active and thinking!

Reading

The winter break is full of opportunities for your kids to read, so encouraging them is super important. Why not head to the local library and find some festive stories or let them choose a few books they can read in the chilly winter evenings? Libraries can be very inspiring places for children to visit, so letting them have a little free reign is bound to make reading much more exciting for them. Encouraging relatives to give books as Christmas gifts is also a great plan -- just make sure you’re providing enough quiet time for reading to take place. Try to involve the whole family so that everyone can pick up and book and develop their reading skills!

Writing a holiday story

Asking your child to write a short holiday story is a fantastic way for them to practice their creative writing skills as well as use their imagination. To keep their reading skills sharp too, you could even ask them to read it out loud to the whole family on Christmas Day -- chances are everyone will enjoy it!

Helping your teen de-stress

Growing up isn’t easy, especially when you’re a teenager. With recent studies showing that 34% of teens experience moderate or severe stress (a large increase on previous figures), it’s certainly a growing area of concern for any parent. Here at Tutor Doctor we know that teenagers experience many pressures during these difficult years, which is why we’ve come up with some ways in which you can help your teen de-stress.

First: Recognise the signs of stress
It’s important that you can recognise the signs of stress in your teen if they appear. Often you may notice physical symptoms or a change in their behaviour. This can be anything from acting moody to just being negative. Other symptoms may include sudden headaches, stomach aches and a general sense of feeling sick, eating and sleeping too much or too little, avoiding parents and friendship groups, isolating themselves as well as panic attacks. Even though some of these traits are typical of a teenager, if you notice a few in conjunction then it’s time to take action. If you are extremely concerned, always seek medical attention as soon as possible and talk to their school/college to see if they help.

What can parents do to help?
Teaching your children healthy ways of dealing with stress can be an empowering skill that can be taken with them to adulthood. Here’s a few suggestions that are simple but effective ways to help them de-stress!

Be there!
Just being there for your teenager is sometimes enough when it comes to them dealing with stress. Often things can be very overwhelming and difficult to handle, meaning stress gets bottled up. Reminding them that you are there for them and that they can talk to you about anything will be a one less stress in of itself. You can also offer a fresh pair of eyes on whatever may be stressing them out and provide a different perspective on problems they are facing.

Remind them- Grades aren’t everything!
All parents want their kids to achieve amazing grades. However, it’s important to not add additional pressure to achieve them -- after all, your teen has probably already added enough stress on themselves as it is! Instead, remind them to try their best and study smart. If they fail, it’s okay- it’s a normal part of life and they can always re-take exams or find an alternative route. In fact, the sooner your teen learns that failure is a part of life and nothing to stress about the better -- all they can do is get back up and try again!

Encourage more sleep
It’s true when they say that a good night’s sleep can do the world of good! No matter how your son or daughter may act, they still need at least 9 hours of sleep per night! Studies even show that teenagers that get less sleep have a lot more difficulty when it comes to memory and concentration and are more likely to have depressive thoughts. Setting appropriate bedtimes for teens is just as important as it was when they were younger. Remember, not only will it do them the world of good, it’s also crucial for good mental health.

Exercise is good for teens (Really!)
Exercise may seem like the worst thing in the world for some teenagers, but we now know that it works wonders for stress! Try to encourage your teenage son or daughter to do a little bit of exercise a couple of times a week. It doesn’t have to be intense, a 20-minute walk with the dog, going swimming for half an hour or perhaps takings part in an after school sporting activity is more than enough. Anything that gets the heart pumping will be sure to lower stress levels and also improve their mood.

Keep a journal
Sometimes it’s difficult for teens to express why they feel stressed, or maybe they might not want to share everything with you. If that’s the case, that’s okay! Why not suggest that they keep a journal? Dedicating 10 minutes a day to write about a specific situation that is bothering them will not only be extremely therapeutic but can often help them find their own ways to solve problems or find a new angle on a situation.

Helping Your Teen To Choose a Career

Choosing a career path is certainly one of life’s big decisions -- one that can be overwhelming for any teenager. Even though schools and colleges do offer career advice, often it is limited and not individualised enough to be inspiring. Here at Tutor Doctor we know how important it is that your teens get useful career advice and know all their options before making big decisions. As parents, you can help guide them through this important time and make sure they have all the tools they need. Here’s some great ways to get started:

Talk to your teen
A great place to start is by talking to your teen about what they actually want to do. Chat about their ideas, what they want to achieve, where they see themselves in the future and about their hopes and dreams. Remember these conversations can start as early as Years 9 and 10 at school, since during this time your teens are thinking about college and beyond. Exploring their options early will help them focus and guide them in choosing subjects that are relevant to their aspirations.

A little research goes a long way!
Encourage your teen to do a little bit of career research online, because a ton of information is out there waiting for them! Encourage them to look at job descriptions of roles that might interest them and see how they can turn their passions into a career. It’s also a great idea to research fields they admire -- the route to those careers might even surprise them. Not only will research broaden your teen’s horizons, it gives them ideas, prospects and information on how they can get there. If anything it should be inspiring!

Explore routes now
If your teen is interested in a specific field, why not start exploring some paths to that field? Look out for events or talks they could attend to find out more information or simply for inspiration. Reaching out and meeting people in careers of interest can also be extremely beneficial. Encourage your teen to ask questions or even see if they can job-shadow for a day or two. Internships and part-time jobs also provide invaluable work experience and help young people discover whether that particular career path is what they really want to pursue.

Offer realistic advice
When helping your teenager discover what career path they may want to head down it’s essential to offer them realistic advice. Remember to let them know that no career is set in stone and they are only just starting to explore different options. There’s no need for them to panic and they certainly don’t have to decide anytime soon! It’s equally important to let them know that pursuing a career takes hard work, dedication and it can take years to land a dream job. Finally, if there’s one piece of advice to give your teen, it’s to remind them they can achieve anything if they put their mind to it!

Anti-Bullying Week: Raising Awareness

Anti-Bullying week is here (14- 18 November), which means it’s the perfect time to help those affected finally speak out. Shocking statistics have even revealed that over 1.5 million young people have been bullied within the past year, with a huge 19% saying they were bullied every day. This can be anything from verbal abuse, teasing, aggression or physical harm. Children are often too scared or embarrassed to talk to anyone (even parents) about their experiences. Here at Tutor Doctor, we want to help raise awareness of what bullying really is, warning signs to look out for and how you can help your child if they are affected.

What is bullying?
Bullying is the intentional infliction of physical, verbal or psychological harm. It can range from hitting, pushing, name-calling, threats, teasing, mocking, extorting money or possessions and spreading rumors. Often it will be constant, upsetting, hurtful and can affect a child’s confidence. Recently cyber-bullying has also started to become a growing concern, especially as children spend more time online than ever before. The anonymity of the Internet can encourage bad behavior and often abuse that can be shocking to read.

Identifying Bullying
As parents, it’s safe to say you will know your child better than anyone else, so if you do start to notice abnormal behaviour, make sure you don’t ignore it. Even though kids do go through phases every now and then, if you start to observe a few of the following behaviours, it might be time to investigate further. Some character changes can include:
∙ Low self-esteem
∙ Depression
∙ Negative thoughts
∙ Reluctance to attend school
∙ Skipping after-school activities
∙ Being self-loathing
∙ Heightened anxiety, panic attacks, fearfulness, nightmares
∙ Isolating themselves from family and peers
∙ Constant mood swings, irritability or general unhappiness
∙ Disturbed Sleep Patterns
∙ Losing lunch money/noticing possessions are lost
∙ Changing their usual route to school
∙ Sudden changes in behavior
∙ Unexplained repeated illnesses like headaches and stomach aches

Dealing with bullying
Talk to your child
If you do think your child may be a victim of bullying, start by talking to them about it. Listen to their concerns, what’s been happening and how they’re feeling. If you can, try to gauge what kind of bullying it is, how long it’s been going on and who are the ringleaders- having these key facts will be useful if you have to talk to their school later on. It’s equally important that you remind them that they don’t deserve to be treated badly and that you are there to support them no matter what. Often when kids are bullied they can feel very alone, scared and embarrassed to admit what’s been happening to them- making them feel at ease is key.
A great way to start dealing with bullying is by working with your child to help them resolve the situation. Outline coping strategies which can help them regain confidence and stand up for themselves. For example, urge them to use humor to diffuse tricky situations, get them to walk away from bullies if they start shouting verbal abuse and practice assertively saying ‘no’ for when they ask for lunch money or possessions. You could also try practicing role-play scenarios with your child so they learn how to respond to bullying. If these methods don’t work, an alternative solution is encouraging them to take part in extracurricular activities. Not only will this help them create a new circle of friends- it can hugely build up their self confidence levels, which really will make the world of difference.

Talk to the school
If you are extremely concerned about bullying, talk to their school and teachers. All schools should have an anti-bullying policy in place to deal with situations exactly like the one your child is going through. Discuss solutions with teachers and encourage your child to report any incidents to a member of staff as soon as it happens so immediate action can be taken.

Stay Safe online
Bullying often goes much further than the school playground, especially with social media and the internet being so accessible. If your child is a victim of cyberbullying, make sure they know how to block people that are sending negative messages, they are aware of what information they should be sharing as well as the limits of what’s okay to say and what’s not. If something has gone too far or abusive messages keep coming through, they need to show you straight away and staying offline for a while is a good idea.

Check in regularly
Finally, it’s important that you check in regularly with your child to see how they’re doing, what’s going on and give them opportunities to let you know if the bullying is still going on. It’s also vital to keep lines of communication open with their school or teachers, as they will be able to keep an eye on how things are going and can feedback any concerns they may see in regards to behaviour or performance.
If you need more information on bullying, other ways that you can help your child, resources or just advice for parents make sure you check out Bullying UK’s website here.

Study habits of successful students

Becoming a successful student doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, dedication and you can bet that any student excelling in their exams and assignments will have great study habits and routines in place. Here at Tutor Doctor we want to help your child adopt smart studying habits, so that eventually they will spend less time studying while retaining more information -- in other words working smarter rather than harder. We’ve put together a list of ways successful students study, which are guaranteed to help your child reach their goals and beyond.

Remember studying smart is much more important than studying hard

Never leave it to the last minute

Successful students will never leave work or assignments until the last minute. Planning time to study and knowing how long they have to complete homework is key. To help your child avoid rushing work the night before, they need to get organised and manage their time better.
Incorporating a daily study routine is the best place to start, even if it’s for an hour every day after school and a little longer on weekends. Having specific time set aside to study will make the world of difference. Writing down all assignments in a planner or diary will also be useful as this will show exactly what’s due and when, meaning they can plan out their study time accordingly. For some great tips on how to help your child be more organised at school, check out our blog post here.

Designated study space
All successful students will have a designated space where they can study, revise and complete homework. This will most likely be somewhere free from distractions and is a calm space that helps maximise productivity. Help your child find a place away from the TV and other distractions- perhaps a desk in their bedroom or if that’s not an option the local library.

Take detailed notes
Taking detailed notes is super important when it comes to being successful at school. Not only will jotting down their own interpretations mean your child is more engaged in lessons but they will also be extremely helpful when it comes to revising for their exams. Don’t forget, it’s much easier to re-read detailed notes than an entire textbook!

Don’t understand? Just ask!
Even gifted students can struggle to understand what’s being covered in class. If your child isn’t quite getting the hang of a topic or they need more information, make sure they ask questions or get more help if they need it. After all, school is for learning and getting extra help is a great way to make sure your child really understands the material and doesn’t fall behind in class.

Keep revising
Finally, perhaps the most important study habit of any student that gets excellent grades: revising on a regular basis. Encourage your kids to regularly reinforce what they’ve learnt in class by re-reading notes or revisiting class assignments. This will help commit the information to their long term memory, meaning they will excel when it comes to exams and class tests. Here’s the tricky part- this does mean your child will have to come home after school and revise- however if a study routine is in place this shouldn’t be too difficult! It doesn’t have to be boring either- here’s a few fun ways they can mix up their revision.

• Spend time researching a particular topic or looking up interesting facts on the internet. A little extra reading goes a long way!

• Read over notes from lessons. If your child is really struggling to remember something, encourage them to create a fun colourful poster that breaks down the information in a different way.

• Watching online documentaries and educational YouTube videos relating to a specific subject can make revision fun and you’ll be surprised how much more your child can remember.

• Talk though information with a study group, a friend or family member. This can be the most effective way for your kids to retain particular topics, theories or facts.

How every child can benefit from tutoring

The start of a new school term can be overwhelming for many children, especially when it comes to homework loads and subjects getting that little bit trickier. A tutor can really help improve grades and exam results but can also give your child the opportunity to learn the skills they need to become confident, independent learners. Here at Tutor Doctor we want to spread the word about why tutoring can be so beneficial and how every child can be successful.

Improve Grades
Improving grades is one of the most popular reasons for getting a tutor. You may have started to notice that your child is struggling to keep up or maybe they need certain grades in upcoming exams to get into a specific college or University, or perhaps they aren’t reaching their potential and need to be provided with some more challenging material. Whatever your situation, a tutor really can make all the difference when it comes to achieving great grades. Our tutors always work hard to ensure your kids have the right resources and enough learning time to go through difficult topics to help them reach their targets and beyond.

Building Confidence
Not being at the top of the class can make some kids lose confidence in their academic abilities, which can in turn affect performance, contribution and behavior during lessons. All of our tutors work hard across each one-on-one session to help individuals recognise their strengths, build up confidence levels and encourage them to be enthusiastic about their studies. By setting achievable targets together and taking small steps in the right direction, your child can enjoy a journey of success and progress.

Build Executive Skills
Executive skills such as the ability to organise time, prioritise tasks and memorise data aren’t easy to acquire, especially as they aren’t always taught at school. A private tutor can help your child grasp these vital skills and make them feel as though they are in control of their studies -- and that their schedules are less hectic. Honing these skills means no more excuses for being disorganised or missing important deadlines!

One-on-one Attention
Full classrooms can make it difficult for quieter students to ask questions and get the extra help they might need. Tutoring will give your child undivided attention to work through any problems, ask questions and talk over anything they’re not sure about in a focused environment without distractions.

Adapt to personal learning styles
Every child has a preferred learning style which might not be specifically catered to at school. Whether they prefer working out loud or writing down their thought process, a private tutor will tailor learning programs around your child’s specific needs in order to help them reach their full potential. They can also help improve your child’s ability to work in a range of different learning styles, which can really boost understanding at school.

Let's Celebrate Roald Dahl Day

The 13^th of September isn’t just a regular Tuesday- it’s the official Roald Dahl day, meaning fans up and down the country can celebrate the talented writer and his classic children’s books. In fact, this year marks 100 years since his birth, which is even more reason to get involved. Here at Tutor Doctor, we thought it was only fitting to dedicate a whole blog post to this wonderful day. Not only have we found the best ways to join in with the celebrations, we've also chosen our four favourite Roald Dahl books for your kids to start reading! Happy Roald Dahl Day!

How can we get involved?
Many schools and libraries will be celebrating Roald Dahl day- so make sure you check out what’s going on locally. If you can’t find anything close-by there’s loads of other ways to get involved.
Puffin Virtually Live’s Roald Dahl Special
Starting at 2pm on Tuesday the 13^th of September, your kids can watch a performance of Matilda the Musical, draw with Quentin Blake or even invent magical Roald Dahl inspired words. Make sure you get your child’s teacher to register for free here.

Dahlicious Dress Up Day
Many schools around the UK will be joining in on this year’s Dahlicous Dress up Day. Your child simply dresses up as their favourite Roald Dahl character and donates £1 to the Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity. Make sure you check if your child’s school is taking part first though!

Explore Roald Dahl's City of the Unexpected
Roald Dahl’s city of the Unexpected will be taking place on the 17^th and 18^th of September in Cardiff. Not only will the streets be transformed, there will visual displays and performances that any Roald Dahl fan is bound to enjoy. For more information check out the official website here: www.cityoftheunexpected.wales.

Celebrate at Home
If you want to do something simple to celebrate, why not have a mini Roald Dahl party at home? All you have to do is download your Roald Dahl party pack here and celebrate! You could even get the kids to start reading a Roald Dahl book- we’ve chosen our favourite four below.

Tutor Doctor's top four Roald Dahl books
The Twits- The Twits is for sure a favourite for many Roald Dahl fans. It follows the tale of Mr and Mrs Twit who are possibly the nastiest, smelliest and meanest couple you could ever meet. They even like to play awful tricks and jokes on each other just to amuse themselves. The story focuses on Muggle-Wump the monkey and his family who are locked in a cage in the Twits garden. After they meet the Rolly Polly bird, their luck starts to change. He helps them escape from their cage and play a joke of their own on the Twits. The book is full of fantastic descriptive passages, humour and more importantly has lovely underlying messages about morality and friendship.
The Magic Finger-The Magic Finger follows the story of an ordinary little girl with magical powers. If someone makes her angry then she simply zaps her magic finger and flash- something strange happens! The book follows her telling us the story of the Gregg family and how her magic finger helped them change their ways. Not only is the story funny, it’s easy to read and represents a fantastic moral compass for children to be inspired by.
The Witches- The Witches tells the story of an eight-year-boy and his grandma. On a summer trip, the boy discovers that all the witches of England are staying in their hotel for an annual meet. The witches disguise themselves as ordinary citizens and are known to make small children disappear into thin air. It's a truly gripping read, sure to be thoroughly enjoyed and read in just a couple of sittings!
Matilda- This book is all about Matilda Wormwood, an extraordinary young girl with a magical mind and a passion for reading. Her life is by no means easy, she has to deal with her father who calls her a ‘little scab’, her mother who’s too busy at Bingo to notice her, and worst of all, her Headmistress Miss Trunchbull who is just awful. After being thrown in the Chokey by Miss Trunchbull and having a rotten time at home, Matilda finally decides she’s had enough and uses her powers to teach all the grown-ups a lesson. This well-loved classic is witty, beautifully written but also shows the importance of treating people the same way you wish to be treated and that kindness really does go a long way.