Halloween Tips For Parents

A great benefit that comes from parenting is getting to re-experience certain traditions and holidays from a whole new perspective.  We get the joy of rediscovering how fun Halloween can be through a child's eyes!  Just think about the moment when your little ghost or goblin realizes holding out their bag and saying the magic words "trick or treat" will result in someone giving them candy! And it happens over and over again that same night! For most kids, it's a dream come true!  

K¹² Online Clubs

One of the first questions asked by families looking into online education and K12 is; “What about socialization?”. There is no denying how important socialization is in our childrens' life. 

Interacting regularly with others outside of their family circle can help kids learn that there are others in the world, and they have feelings, needs, and desires just like they do.  However, the lack of positive socialization opportunities can severely affect some children's academic performance. Students who can not relate to their peers may be shunned and are at a higher risk of developing self-esteem issues, depression, and are more likely to adopt an apathetic approach to things that do not readily interest them.  Skills like conflict resolution, understanding and forming positive social interactions, valuing other people and their ideas, taking turns, and taking responsibility for their own actions can all be honed through positive socialization opportunities.

Online School: Socialization

Guest Blogger: Ben Scandlen

What do NFL training camps and school enrollments make me think of? Tim Tebow.  Why?  Socialization.

You might think Tim Tebow is a great quarterback or a horrible quarterback, you may or may not like him as an individual, but one thing that cannot be denied is that this well-known homeschooled athlete has socialization skills.   How do I know this? He shows them off when he takes a nine year old girl with cancer to an awards show, when he has to speak in front of thousands of people, and by the fact that he has the respect of his teammates in an NFL locker room.  I think any parent would feel pretty good if their child grew up and was able to handle those situations so aptly.

5 years ago, a small group of us participated in a youth leadership camp created to help connect online education students and help them learn about and develop leadership and teamwork skills. During that camp, we met Liz and Jay Scott and learned the story of their amazing daugther, Alex.  Diagnosed with cancer before turning one, Alex showed signs of her drive, determination and tenacity early.  While going through treatment at the age of four, she told her parents that "when I get out of the hospital I want to have a lemonade stand." She said she wanted to give the money to doctors to allow them to "help other kids, like they helped me." True to her word, she held her first lemonade stand later that year with the help of her older brother and raised an amazing $2,000 for "her hospital."

While bravely battling her own cancer, Alex and her family held yearly lemonade stands in her front yard to benefit childhood cancer research and to help other kids battling cancer.  

Sadly. in August of 2004, Alex passed away at the age of 8, having played a huge part in raising more than $1 million to help find a cure for the disease that took her life. Alex's family created Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation to continue to inspire and help in the fight against childhood cancer.

We were so touched and inspired by her story that we began our own K¹² Operation Lemonade, held each June. Operation Lemonde is a wonderful opportunity for families around the world to do their part in helping the fight against childhood cancer.  By joining Operation Lemonade and hosting a lemonade stand in June, you’ll can help raise funds to help fight childhood cancer and honor the memory of Alex Scott and other young children who have battled cancer.