Destinations for family adventures
There are many local and regional venues families may visit for fun and excitement. They create precious memories that can last a lifetime for both parent and child. In Springfield, a quality destination is the Illinois State Museum. Located at 502 S. Spring Street, admission is free, the site is open seven days a…
What parents should know about bullying
Springfield School District 186 tells students who get bullied to answer the attack with a SWAT: Stop, Walk Away and Talk to an Adult. The SWAT program, introduced this past school year in District 186 at the elementary school level, teaches students how to deal with bullying. These strategies include telling a student to stop…
I take my baby to work
Like most people, I sometimes have “those days” at work – days where the phone rings off the hook, people walk in needing immediate assistance, a report needs to get done yesterday, and 20 urgent emails are piled up in the inbox. Unlike most people, “those days” for me occasionally include the added stressor of…
Getting ready for college today
High school guidance counseling in Springfield School District 186 ain’t what it used to be. Just ask Donna Povse, “post-secondary coach” at Springfield High. “In each of the three public schools,” she explains, “there is a retired person like myself who works approximately two and a half days a week, and primarily our goal is…
Show kids the money
Growing up in a time of economic struggle, today’s kids might be inadvertently learning lessons about money. If Mom and Dad have been forced to cut back or have even lost their jobs, chances are kids have noticed and learned something as a result. Even if parents have managed to weather the economic storm of…
The power of family meals
Until recently, routinely sitting down to meals with your family was the norm. But for the last several decades, the family meal has become increasingly rare, as the pace and pressures of modern life grow ever more frenetic. Two-career households, kids with a bewildering array of activities, and other distractions, coupled with the ease and…
