By Master Christopher Rappold
Recently I attended an event where I was an invited speaker. It was not my first time attending, and I was thinking back to last year’s event which was not my favorite. I remember the feeling of being stared down, judged and just enduring the cold culture it presented to me. Knowing I would be attending again, didn’t give me a lot to look forward to.
Prior to the event starting I made a decision. I was going to actively be the first one to initiate contact, compliments and conversation with any of the people I came across. I was amazed at how nice everyone was. Many of the same people, but it seemed they had grown so much.
Creating The Homework Routine
Posted: May 17, 2019
By Master Christopher Rappold
I remember thinking, “I can’t wait till I don’t have to do homework ever again!” unfortunately I am still waiting!
Let’s face: it whether homework or life activities - it is all the same. We have things to do that have daily deadlines on them and they need to be done well in a timely manner. As parents, one of our responsibilities is to help to create a framework that works successfully for our children.
The Other B Word
Posted: May 17, 2019
By Master Christopher Rappold
With the start of a new school year it seems likely that your child could be at the same risk of being bullied as any other child at their school. As parents, this can make us feel vulnerable since they are away from our immediate protection. I’m happy to share, there is a very real strategy that can be used to minimize the likelihood your child will be targeted.
Having the experience of working in over 30 public and private schools over the past 10 years I have definitely seen patterns that tend to make certain children immune to being targeted.
An easy, healthy way to keep your child hydrated
Posted: May 17, 2019
By Master Christopher Rappold
I can’t blame a child or even an adult for enjoying the taste of juice. It is flavorfully sweet and quenches your thirst. The challenge though is at what cost? With a rise in childhood obesity it seems we need to be as mindful about sugar intake as we are about our child’s hydration.
This can be hard for some of us to swallow, pardon the pun. Many of us grew up in a house that had juice as a part of a “nutritious” breakfast. Some of us always had a carton of juice in the refrigerator if we needed our thirst quenched; therefore our appetite for juice has been woven into our nutritional history.
Making This Thanksgiving Count
Posted: May 17, 2019
By Master Christopher Rappold
It’s that time of year again. A time when we start to reflect on all of the things we have to be grateful for. Though we know we should count our blessing every day, the truth is it can be easy to get caught up in “the busy” and forget to bring this feeling of gratitude into our daily life. Thanksgiving for me is one of many placeholders in my calendar year when I am reminded to not just feel gratitude but to express it to those within my circle and also to those not directly connected with me.
Reaching out to people who are not in any way connected to you is a really cool experience if you give it a try. The best experience is to do something for someone who doesn’t have the ability to help you back. One of the reasons I love the Turkey Brigade so much is that it focuses on some of the most vulnerable in our communities, people and families who may never be students at one of our schools. I see everyone’s involvement as a selfless, compassionate and generous act of time and energy.