Solving the problem: Help children with math homework

By Devin White Math isnt everyones best subject and when parents less adept at numbers are faced with their childs geometry or algebra, it can turn into a daunting task. Dont fret. Here are some tips from the United States Department of Education on helping children with the problem at hand. If you dont understand your childs math assignments, engage in frequent communication with his or her teacher. If your child is experidwhite@shreveporttimes.com

MONDAY 09/10/12 SECTION L

encing problems in math, contact the teacher to learn whether he or she is working at grade level and what can be done at home to help improve academic progress. Request that your childs teacher schedule after-school math tutoring sessions if your child really needs help. Advocate with the principal for the use of researchbased peer tutoring programs for math. These tutoring programs have proven results, and students really enjoy them. Use household chores as opportunities for reinforcing

math learning such as cooking and repair activities. Try to be aware of how your child is being taught math, and dont teach strategies and shortcuts that conflict with the approach the teacher is using. Check in with the teacher and ask what you can do to help. Ask the teacher about online resources that you can use with your child at home. At the beginning of the year, ask your childs teacher for a list of suggestions that will enable you to help your child with math homework.

DOREEN NAGLE: OPEN THE DOOR TO MORE SPIRITUALITY, Page 2L

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If your child is stressed, cut texting

By Nancy Churnin
McClatchy-Tribune News

According to the 2011 Sleep in America Poll from the National Sleep Foundation, 56 percent of teens, ages 13-18, bring their cellphones into their bedrooms and use them, with texting especially popular in the hour before trying to go to sleep. AP

Lekesha Green, of Shreveport, holds her daughter Londyn, 2, at their home. PHOTOS BY VAL HORVATH DAVIDSON/THE TIMES

DALLAS Tammy Jones knew something was wrong when she found herself struggling to wake her son Casey, 17, for school and found him cranky, stressed and in a bad mood when he ultimately did get up. The Rowlett, Texas, mom, 39, got a clue to the source of the problem when he sent her a text late at night, long after he was supposed to be asleep, thinking he was texting someone else. She quickly texted back, Casey, this is your mother. Go to bed. Fifty-six percent of teens, ages 13-18, bring their cellphones into their bedrooms and use them, with texting especially popular in the hour before trying to go to sleep, according to the 2011 Sleep in America Poll from the National Sleep Foundation. The mission of the nonprofit, based in Washington D.C., is to alert the public, health care providers and policymakers to the importance of adequate sleep. The study noted a correlation between those who text in the hour before trying to go to sleep at least a few nights a week, with 51 percent less likely to report getting a good nights sleep, 65 percent more likely to wake up feeling unrefreshed, 17 percent more likely to be categorized as sleepy during the day and 63 percent more likely to drive drowsy. That doesnt surprise Dr. Kara Starnes, a pediatrician with Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Allen. One of the first questions I ask parents of adolescents is: Do they have any questions about their childs sleep or sleepiness in class? If they do, the answer I usually get is that theyre texting all night.
See STRESS, Page 2

A fresh change
Parents, pediatric pros solve potty problems
By Icess Fernandez
ifernandez@shreveporttimes.com

When it was time for 2-year-old Londyn Elise Greens diaper change, shed get on the floor and take it off. When someone else changed her, little Londyn would tell them how to wipe her, her mother, Lekesha Lafayette-Green, said. She will lie on the bed or on the floor and change her own diaper, she said. Londyn has been attempting to change herself right before she turned 2. This was Londyns way of telling the world she was ready to be a big girl and use the potty. Potty training is a rite of passage that doesnt have to be stressful, said Dr. Wanda Thomas, assistant professor of pediatrics at LSU Health Shreveport. Children will tell parents when its time to get them ready. Youll have cues from the baby, she said. Theyll be interested in doing what youre doing in the bathroom. Theyll also have a dry night which means their bladder capacity has increased. According to the American Associa-

Decide what words to use to describe body parts, urine and bowel movements. It is best to use proper terms that will not offend, confuse, or embarrass anyone. Pick a potty chair. They are logistically easier for a small child to use because there is no problem getting onto it and a childs feet can reach the floor. If you use a child-size seat attached to an adult toilet make sure you provide Londyn Green, 2, plays on a horse in her bedroom. She has recently started potty training. a stepstool to support the feet so he can push down during bowel movements. Help your child recognize signs of needing to use the potty. If she/he lets you know after the fact, suggest that next time she/he let you know before wetting or soiling his diaper. Make trips to the potty routine. If you notice the telltale signs, take your child to the potty. Explain what you want to happen. Encourage the use of training pants to help your child feel proud, as this is a sign of trust and growing up. Be prepared for accidents. It may take weeks, even months, before toilet training is completed. If an accident occurs, simply say, Oops. We had an accident. Thats OK. Lets clean up, and well try again later.
The American Association of Pediatrics

POTTY TRAINING TIPS

tion of Pediatrics, there is no set age for beginning the potty training process but most start showing signs of being ready between 18 months and 24 months. Some children might not show signs of being ready until 30 months, which is normal.

But their social cues can also dictate when its time to begin potty training, Thomas said. They get excited about it. They want to
See POTTY, Page 2

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