Helping Your Student Be Successful in College -- Guest Post

Helping Your Student Be Successful in College

When your student heads off to college, some moms and dads end up taking a backseat in their

lives, to friends, work and the pressures of studying. But, it is important to understand that no

matter how far away your student travels to study, their family involvement is still rather crucial

to their success in college.

As much as your student might want to use this time in their life to branch out and find

themselves, which is sort of what college is for, cutting all ties with them except for holidays

isn’t the direction to go in. According to IUPUI Family ED, the college years of a student are

actually the most important years in helping them to become successful, independent adults. But,

this can only be done through the participation and support of their family.

There are three major areas of their college life that you, as a parent, can be of great assistance to your

child.

Moral Guidance

In college, your child is going to encounter moral situations which they have never been in

before. While your child may come to you with their troubles and successes, you want to

remember that you always want to be there for moral support. Most students at this age might not

be coming to you for your opinion or advice necessarily, but more for the supportive comments

you can offer. “You can do this”, “I know you will make the right choice” and “You did the right

thing”, are just a few of the comments you  are going to want to share with your student.

Career Planning

Studying at South University, or any college for that matter, can be somewhat daunting to a new

student, especially if they are unsure about the direction they want to go with their future. You

can certainly help with career planning by guiding your student through the course selection

process, reminding them of what their ultimate goals and dreams are. It is easy to get distracted

in a college and social environment, so you want to be sure you remind them of what their goals

are and how to achieve them.

Financial Assistance and Advice

Most young adults are still in the dark about the value of money and what financial independence

and security are (in fact, some adults are too!). Whether you can guide them with their financial

aid or personal finances, this is an area of their lives that will require continuous attention, some

children will need help long into adulthood.

Remember that these three areas are not the only areas that you can be involved in. Depending

on your child, and the relationship you have, you might be getting daily phone calls to talk about

everything from their new crush to the tough assignments they have coming up. Whatever your

relationship is with your child, keep in mind that it can be beneficial to their entire college career

and the rest of their lives.

Starting college doesn’t mean your role as a parent has ended.

Image Source: http://talknerdy2me.org/tag/success

Vacation Bible School

I had the priviledge of both sending my daughter to, and teaching for, our local church's Vacation Bible School.

This is why I have done very little with the site this week. Lots of bloggers, right now are at a Blogging conference in Chicago, and I was teaching songs to 50 kids.

I'm not complaining, I'm still tired today, after it's over, but it was honestly a great blessing to me to be able to take part in this. I really enjoy giving my own daughter the opportunity to spend time at the church with her friends learning. I also thoroughly enjoy the chance to do a little bit of teaching myself. Most of what I do, as their music director is teach them a bunch of songs, but all of those songs have meaning behind their words and their fun movements so it's nice talking to them about that.

I have a few suggestions to parents of children who are, have or will attend a Vacation Bible School.

Talk to your kids about it in the evenings, and for the weeks after. A lot of children have a new found interest in Christ that needs to be nurtured.

A lot of these kids show an interest in attending church. If they start asking, I would suggest to at least take them for a little while. Allow them to continue soaking in all of the important lessons that they learned during that week.

Answer any questions that they have. Some of the lessons are covered a little quickly and may leave the children with questions. I am sure that the people in the church where the bible school was held or a pastor in almost any church would love to help you with these questions.

Be excited for them! They're learning something awesome and powerful, that, if nurtured, will stick with them forever. I have taught Vacation Bible School for a few years now, and it's always a little disappointing when kids are so exciting about a budding relationship with our Savior and parents seem unenthused.

If you ever have any questions about nurturing your child's (or your own) relationship with Jesus, let me know, not only would I love to help, but I have a ton of wonderful resources in the people that I worship with, work with, and my own family, and would love to help you!

Teachers Make Beautiful Sounds With Piano Lessons -- Guest Post

Teachers Make Beautiful Sounds With Piano Lessons

While many musical instruments can come across as sweet sounding, few if any make

make the wonderful tunes that a piano does.

With that in mind, have you ever considered learning how to play the piano? No, not just

tapping a few keys here and there, but truly educating yourself on how to play such a

magical invention?

If the answer is yes, then the answer could be right under your nose, perhaps where

you could find one here right in your hometown.

For starters, taking piano lessons can help you in a number of ways, including:

* Giving you more appreciation for the musical piece that you love;

* Feeling more confident playing the piano not only when by yourself, but with others

around to listen;

* Learning a variety of pieces that you might otherwise have steered clear of;

* Being able to pass down your love of piano to others after you have been better

educated on how to play it.

Teach Them How to Play From the Start

For those teaching piano lessons, passing on your knowledge can be beneficial in a

number of ways, among which are:

* Guiding students on how to learn to play the piano correctly from the start;

* Seeing all the time and effort you have put into the piano over the years come to

fruition;

* Bridging what might otherwise be generational gaps through your love for the piano.

In the event you are starting out on the piano or know of someone who is, finding the

right piano teacher is of utmost importance.

Among the important factors to help you in picking the right teacher, remember:

* Background checks - Make sure you deal with a business that conducts proper

background checks on its teachers. In doing so, you lessen the chances of having you

and/or a loved one put in a harmful situation while taking lessons. If the piano lesson

business you are considering going with says it does not do background checks, look

elsewhere;

* One-on-one attention - One of the keys to a successful teacher-student piano

relationship is that the student is given the direct attention he or she needs. If you go

with someone who has too many clients with which to work with, they could drop the

ball at times. When checking out musical lesson businesses, find out what their student

to teacher ratio is;

* Know your schedule - While it is important that the teacher is there for the student,

the same holds true in reverse. Before signing on with a teacher for piano lessons,

make sure you have the time available to take instruction and practice your craft. Also

remember that personalities can clash from time to time, so be ready for a little give and

take between you and your instructor.

When you are ready to take your first piano lessons, invest the time and effort into

finding the right teacher for you or your loved one.

As many pianists over the years can tell you, the tunes it and its conductor can make is

simply music to the ears.

Photo credit: cooperpiano.com

Do you have a baby?! Pregnant?! Read this, save money and WIN!

Are you pregnant? Do you have an infant? Enfamil has lots of gifts and coupons available to you right now for free! (I found that I wasn't making enough milk to feed my daughter, so I relied heavily on formula, and the coupons and samples that they sent me were a life saver!) Whether you're formula feeding or breast feeding (and I really have no interest in any sort of debate here about that please) these coupons and samples are always good to have on hand just in case (if you were to end up like me for whatever reason, you'll be glad you took advantage of having them!) Register for Enfamil Family Beginnings and get up to $250 in free gifts, expert advice and nutrtion information, Enfamil samples and discounts, plus more goodies! Click Here

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And finally: A baby GIVEAWAY!! Enter to win a $1500 Baby Shopping Spree! Click the photo below!!



Tell me about your baby, and/or pregnancy!! Then take advantage of some of these deals and fun!

Disclaimer:This post contains Affiliate Links.  Should you click on the link and participate, I will receive monetary compensation..

Autographed X Men Poster Giveaway!

Who loves X men!  Who knows someone who loves X Men? Who would like to win a signed X men III posted  signed by the handsome Hugh Jackman? ~

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Yeah thats Hugh Jackman signing this picture! 

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One lucky winner has a chance to win this signed poster! 

The amazing Mike the Fanboy has decided 

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Freaking amazing huh! 

To read about the red carpet event to where this 

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To enter just enter the form below! 

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Disclaimer: I received one or more products above for review purposes only. I was not required to write a positive review. My opinions as always are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. The Mom Show's giveaways are not affiliated with Facebook or any other social media networks. The sponsoring company is responsible for all shipping unless otherwise stated. The Mom Show is not responsible for sponsors not upholding their promises and cannot reimburse you for items or the value of products. Should this occur, please contact The Mom Show and I will do my best to help you achieve promised winnings.

FREE BRA GIVEAWAY!

Okay, so I found a deal that I had to share with you QUICKLY. Bali Intimates is giving away a FREE bra to the first 10,000 sign ups.


Click here to try to get in on it!

The website is taking a while to load up (because thousands of people are trying to get free bras right now, understandably) but just be patient with it, refresh only if you really have to (have I mentioned that it's only for the first 10K to get through? Time is of the essence!) and fill out the form!

Again, click here to go take advantage of this offer!

CVS Matchup 7/14-7/20

Free and Under $1.00

Stride Gum ~ 14 ct ~ 2/$2.00 

Use coupon ~ 

$1.00/3 Stride, Dentyne, Trident or ID Gum Single Pk ~ Smart Source 5/19 (expires 7/14)

Final Price ~ $.75 each when you purchase 4!

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4 Things Husbands Can Do To Help Their Wives Overcome the Stresses of Motherhood -- Guest Post

4 Things Husbands Can Do To Help Their Wives Overcome The Stresses Of Motherhood

Being a mother is arguably the hardest job out there.  It requires 24 hours of selfless service.  Vacations 

are rarely allowed, and even if they are taken mothers seem to always be on call.  On top of that, the 

work is done for free.  No paycheck is received.  Although nearly every mother will tell you her job is 

completely rewarding, it is also stressful too.  Therefore, husbands become instrumental in helping their 

wives to overcome the stress of being a mother.  The following are 4 suggestions that can help husbands

to alleviate the stress that their wives experience as a result of motherhood.

1 - Show Her You Appreciate Her

One of the best things husbands can do for their wives is to express their appreciation.  They should 

definitely do this on Mother’s Day with one of the many nice moms’ gift ideas like diamonds, flowers,

clothes, and chocolate.  You can find tons of great ideas here http://www.shaneco.com/ if you’re 

looking for something extra special. However, it is important that this appreciation is continually showed

throughout the year.  Sometimes mother’s feel like they are doing a thankless job.  It is nice to feel appreciated once and awhile.

2 - Help Around The House

Another simple way that husbands can help women cope with the stresses of motherhood is to help

around the house.  One of the reasons many women get overwhelmed is because work full time at their

job, as a mother, and at the housework.  This can seem like a never-ending cycle – work, kids, clean.  It 

is nice to know that once and awhile the husband is willing to do the dishes or help with the laundry.  It 

will not take very long.  However, it will definitely help eliminate some of her stress.

3 - Let Her Sleep In For A Change

Next, in most households, the mom seems to be the person who is up before anyone else.  She has 

to make the food, get the kids lunches ready for school, get herself ready, clean, etc.  Her work never

seems to be done.  It is no wonder she sometimes feels overwhelmed and sleep deprived.  A good 

husband might offer to let her sleep in for a change and take over the morning duties if possible.  

Although he cannot do this everyday, there might be a few mornings every so often that he could relief

her of her motherly responsibilities so she could get some extra rest.

4 - Watch The Kids

Finally, every good father should spend quality time with his children.  Obviously most husbands already

do this.  However, on some occasions, husbands should encourage their wives to take a break with 

friends and get away for a few hours on their own.  A “girls night out” is a good idea for mothers.  It 

helps women to relieve their stress.  It also allows men to develop a better appreciation for their wives 

and what they do everyday as they work to care for the children.  In the process husbands and wives 

actually grow closer together.  

Although you do not have to do these things everyday, on occasion, it might benefit both you and your 

wife to try them.  They are simple, and your wife will appreciate the effort you made to lighten her load.

Let Campus Book Rentals Help with College!

Sponsored Post from campusbookrentals.com

It's July, which means a lot of people are enjoying their summer break,but are also probably beginning to plan the beginning or continuance of their college careers. There are so many expenses that come along with that, aren't there? Whether you're fresh out of high school, a seasoned college student, a more mature adult returning to college, or a parent or spouse wanting to help out, there are so many things to look at and consider when funding everything that comes along with an education.  It's too bad that tuition doesn't just cover everything (especially when tuition is so expensive!!), but it just doesn't.  Books, living arrangements, food, school supplies and more all need to be considered before beginning your first class, and the cost of all of these things definitely adds up!

You've probably seen me write about Campusbookrentals.com   before, but I want to make sure to remind you whenever a new school year is about to start, as it is a great place to start! They allow you to rent your textbooks at a far cheaper rate than purchasing them would, with savings anywhere from 40 to 90% you're sure to spend far less with them. The process is easy, and they even cover shipping both ways, so all you're actually paying is the price of renting the book. The time periods in which you can rent are extremely flexible (so if you needed a book early, for pre-semester studying, or wanted to keep it late to make sure you took good retainable notes, that's fine.) and you're also allowed to highlight in them as well! So, for the time you have this text book, it's essentially yours as long as you're able to return it to them at the end of your rental period.
Here's a video on how this works:




Not only are they an inexpensive way to rent your textbooks, but your transaction with the company will also help children with cleft palate or cleft lip, which, for some children, can be very debilitating. You see, campusbookrentals.com has also teamed up with Operation Smile, donating a percentage of each sale.

Also, do you have text books from last year that you no longer wish to keep?  Campus Book Rentals offers the chance for you to make a little bit of money by renting out your own previously used textbooks with their fairly new RentBack program! You can make up to four times more renting your books out, thank you would with most other buy back options.
 Here's another video explaining how it works!



So, this company can save you money, take some of the hassle out of shopping for your books, allow you to make a little bit of money for yourself, and even give back to the community a little!


Disclaimer: I received financial compensation from campusbookrentals.com to write this post.

Dealing with Depression

This is a sponsored post by me on behalf of Lifescript.com


If you or someone you know has ever suffered from Depression, you are probably aware of just how debilitating it can be. I suffered from Post-Partum Depression, and for a long time, it was pure hell. To be completely honest, it is something that I still (almost five years later!) deal with to some extent today. For me, however, I knew ahead of time that it was a possibility so when it came about, and my husband suggested that perhaps seeing a doctor about it may be necessary, I quietly submitted and agreed. The agreement, and then the doctor's visit were two of the hardest parts of this illness. I say they're the hardest part, because they're the biggest hurdles. When you're suffering quietly, it's horrible and you feel terrible, but the absolute last thing you want to do is talk about it. The stigma alone is frightening, then there's the difficult task of putting the way you're feeling into words, and that seems next to impossible. But after that, it gets better! You and your doctor work together to formulate a treatment plan that works for you. Sometimes it takes a few different tries, a few different medications and dosages, but you know that you're on the right track, you know that that feeling that won't go away is about to be chased out, and that alone brings comfort beyond words.

Someone very close to me suffered in silence for years, possibly even decades. She was brought up in a time where depression, like most other mental illnesses was very rarely talked about, and much less treated. Over the course of her illness, she functioned successfully, raised children, was an extremely devoted wife, successful at work, and was very active in her community. All through all of it, she suffered in silence. She didn't like going to bed. Over the years, she also battled with addiction, seemingly defeated that only to find her self back in it's clutches again years later. This happened a few times through the course of her illness. She then got to the point where she was suicidal. A loving mother and wife who just didn't want to be alive anymore because she just couldn't stand getting out of her bed in the morning. A wonderful woman who looked past all of her awesome attributes only to see her perceived flaws, mistakes and failings. A person who, to most, was nothing other than good, found not much other than negativity in herself. She decided that she truly didn't want to feel that way anymore, and thought for a short while that the only way to make it go away, was to cease living. An incident that I won't get into here occurred that landed her in a psychiatric ward within her local hospital. During that stay, she was forced to go to group meetings and therapy sessions. She had to sit and listen to her family tell her how worried they were. While discussing further treatment options, she thought that all of the people she loved most had turned against her, because they simply wanted her to get help. They wanted her to be well. They wished for her to see in herself what all of them saw in her, but more than anything else, they wanted her to love her own life, and herself, as much as all of them did.

With the help of the hospital and her family, she travelled over 800 miles to a treatment center where she underwent treatment, received medication and gained valuable coping skills that just weeks prior no one realized she was lacking. While in the hospital something amazing happened for her. They put a name to what was causing her to suffer, and over the next weeks, she learned what was happening in her body and mind. She learned a lot about herself and gained so much. This is something that she will always battle, just like so many others, but it is something that she now knows that she doesn't have to fight alone. She has the tools she needs, she's on medication, and she has people she knows she can call if something isn't right. All of this happened fairly recently, so she will continue to be in my prayers as she's still on the road, but I know that she will be fine as she gets used to everything.

My reason for telling you this story is because I really believe that there are so many people out there who are suffering in silence. There are probably a lot of people out there that are battling this illness without even realizing that they have an illness. If you haven't been there, or seen it, it's extremely difficult to understand what it must be like. Imagine waking up in the morning and dreading stepping out of your bed, let alone out into the world. Imagine a nagging feeling that something is terribly wrong, but not knowing what it is. Imagine not wanting to talk about it, for two reasons: One: you're not really even sure how to put these feelings into words and Two: What if they think you're crazy, or disregard what you're saying as a "bad day"?

If any of this, or other depression symptoms describe you, please, please reach out. It absolutely doesn't have to be this way for you. It may take a while, but you can feel better if you just take that first step. Please don't let it get worse. If there is no one else you can talk to, contact me, and I will do my best to help you find the help that you need. There's a contact tab on the bottom right corner of your screen as you're reading this. I will help you find help, and I will do it discreetly.

Want to find more posts relating to depression? Then be sure you do not miss these articles:

• Depression Facts
• Depression Treatments
• http://www.lifescript.com/health/centers/depression/living_with.aspx

Lifescript’s Depression Health Center features tips, quizzes, recipes and articles – all by professional health writers, experts and physicians – covering postpartum depression, seasonal affective disorder, bipolar disorder, how to boost your mood with exercise and more. Please visit the Lifescript Health Center on depression for more information.

And to check out this free website, click here!

This is a sponsored post by me on behalf of Lifescript.com.