10 Necessities to Pack for the ER
What one item would you grab on the way to the hospital? Whether you get the phone call that a family member is headed to the hospital emergency room (ER) or awaken to discover an urgent situation, it can be overwhelming to think about all the immediate tasks, including what to pack for the ER. Clearly, the patient is the number one priority over grabbing a phone charger, but if you have time to pack a bag, here’s a list of 10 necessities to pack for the ER and a few niceties too. Necessities to Grab on the Way to the ER – If You Have Time Phone charger Hearing aid charger or extra batteries Phone Hearing aids, eyeglasses ID and insurance cards List of medications and allergies Emergency contact numbers Book or tablet Comfort items for kids or adults Puzzle books or coloring books If Overnight, Add: Extra underwear or change of clothes Bathroom bag with toothbrush, hairbrush, chapstick, etc. Bathrobe and slippers If possible, leave jewelry and valuables at home or with family POV: Your quiet morning has taken an unexpected turn. As a caregiver, you grab some clothes from your closet and wonder whether you will be…
Collecting Useful Tutoring Resources
Looking for tutoring resources to use with clients? Need online tutoring resources? Just getting started tutoring? Only have materials at one grade level? Want resources for summer learning or homeschooling? Don’t worry! I’ve got tutoring resources, freebies, and tips for organizing your resources. Invest in quality materials Whether you are just setting up your tutoring business or you are looking for more materials, invest in quality materials you can use for multiple clients. Investigate the internet for low-cost or free tutoring resources such as worksheets, printable reference sheets, online review games, and tutorials, but also be willing to invest in your business and your clients. Sometimes paid products can save you time and money and are worth the investment. Look at online market places like Teachers Pay Teachers or Etsy or use search engines like Pinterest. Did you know that TPT shops all list at least 1 free resource? Invent a reference system Invent a list of tutoring resources by subject or grade level for quick reference. Old school was a tall file cabinet. Now it’s a slide in your Google slide deck or a basket of supplies for your tutoring desk. However you store them, I suggest keeping…
4 Games for Multi-Step Direction Practice
How often are you frustrated that your child cannot remember all the things you asked them to do at bedtime or breakfast? Skills for Following Directions Multi-step direction practice can positively impact the skills needed to follow directions. Executive functioning development begins at a young age and continues into the 20’s and 30’s. Executive functioning skills, simply put, are the ones that work together to help people process and follow directions to complete simple and complex tasks in daily life. These skills include working memory, attention, planning, and time management. It is very normal for children to have difficulty remembering multi-step directions, especially if their attention is focused elsewhere including another task they are working on. There are a few activities you can do to make a game of improving a child’s ability to follow short verbal multi-step directions such as getting ready for bed or following the steps to complete an assignment in the classroom. Verbal Directions Some verbal directions are simple (hang up your coat and wash your hands) and some are more complex (for your homework agenda – your test is on the 19th and your book report is due the following Friday). Playing games to…
4 Strategies to Achieve Goals
Why is it so hard to achieve New Year’s Resolutions? I recently read this headline “Studies Show 91 Percent of Us Won’t Achieve Our New Year’s Resolutions. How to Be the 9 Percent That Do Four Strategies That the 9 Percent of Successful Goal-Achievers Do Consistently Well” and immediately wanted to read the productivity article on how to achieve goals. Not only have many people already given up on their goals, but it’s a chronic problem EVERY January. So how do those of us who set reasonable and realistic goals achieve them? If we want to declutter our house or change our eating habits this year, how do we set ourselves up for success? According to the article by INC, these are the four strategies to achieve goals. Set specific and challenging goals Set goals you want to pursue with relentless drive and passion Get a support system Focus on smaller goals to hit your big goal It makes sense. Make good goals. Be passionate about your goals. Get some accountability. Divide your big goals into smaller, achievable ones. Whether you made New Year’s Resolutions or not, you probably have some goals you’d like to accomplish in the next year…
6 Time Management Tips
What type of calendar or time management system do you use? Time management is much harder for some people than others, yet it is a very useful stress management tool and life skill. Here are 6 time management tips to help you plan and balance your time. Time Management Tips Use a calendar or agenda system to manage your time. Having some type of system other than your head is a very helpful habit. Block time for important things. Use your calendar to block time for more than just appointments. Block time for work, school, appointments, commitments, hobbies, self-care, fun, family, etc. Blocking time will help you easily see where you need to include more balance and where you can fit in the urgent things that arise. I am much less stressed if my week has a starting point. When urgent things pop up, and they do, I can look at my calendar to see where I have an empty block or time or what I can rearrange rather than feeling overwhelmed in choosing between the important and the urgent. Plan, then pivot. Finding balance may mean color-coding your commitments (easy to do on Google Calendar) so that you can…
Get Detailed Steps To Start A Small Business
What is stopping you from starting the business you have been dreaming about? Are you afraid it is too much work to start a business or that you don’t know what to do to get started? I’ve got the solution. Got a friend who would be SO good at teaching lessons or coaching others but hasn’t made that leap yet? I’ve got a business course and a tutoring workshop. Ready to work for yourself but not exactly sure what line of business to choose? Consider private tutoring or coaching. I’ve got the steps to start a small business. Immediate Access to Course and Checklist Starting your own business IS a lot of work, but fortunately, many of those tasks and decisions can be made once and you will soon be on your way to working for yourself. In my course “Business Basics” I walk clients, just like you, through the main steps of setting up a small business including checklists and lots of little questions for you to consider and make notes about. I spent many hours researching and writing detailed notes about all the things I needed to do to start a business, build a website, get customers, and…
Free Printable Agenda Page
How many late or missing assignments has your child had this week? How could a free printable agenda page help you? I’m a huge fan of agendas, but I also know that many kids struggle to use them. Recently I wrote a post about using Google calendars as digital agendas, but there are plenty of kids and families who just need a printable agenda page. I’ve got one for you! Whether you have a 5 subject day or 8, I’ve got a sheet for you. You can simply use the extra rows for notes, extracurricular activities, work, etc. Whether you are a parent, teacher, or tutor, this free printable agenda page is for you. Print this free printable agenda page and help your child get back on track. I suggest printing it on colored paper, but not so bright or dark that your child can’t write on it with a pencil. A nice fluorescent green, yellow, or orange helps kids find their printable agenda page in the folder crammed with worksheets, handouts, and missing homework. Take time at the start of the week to write in as many assignments as the teachers have posted online or are predictably due each…
Free Home Maintenance Checklist
How do you document your home maintenance? The best way to document home maintenance is to have a 3-ring house binder for all your warranties, product manuals, purchase receipts, and home maintenance checklist. Some people use a box or file system in the same way. To get started, first purchase a large 3-ring binder and some page protectors. Clear page protectors or pocket folders are good for storing and sorting the manuals in your house binder. At the top of the product manual, write the purchase date and/or attach the receipt. For online/digital manuals, you can set up a folder on your computer or a file on your email specifically for these. Next, create a document for home maintenance where you record when you change the air filters (and what size to buy), replace the batteries in the smoke detector, and check the fire extinguisher. Or you can simply put the date next to the task on the home maintenance checklist. When you sell or move, consider which manuals and documents you will leave for the next resident. Hint: just leave the current ones! If you have replaced the stove, just leave the current manual! Additionally, set task…
Reset the house
How long does it take you to unpack after a trip? I’m halfway through my own Clean the Chaos course and highly motivated to keep my rooms clean and reset the house. (Yes, I’m taking my OWN course!) We recently came home from a beach trip and would have normally had time to unpack, do laundry, grocery shop, etc. But instead, we went to the airport to pick up international friends whose flight was delayed 2 days. Unexpected houseguest on top of regular house guests and unpacking from a trip was delightful chaos, of which we are quite accustomed to. We survived pretty easily on pantry supplies, popsicles, air mattresses, and board games. However, once everyone left I was itching to get my closet back together. I had emptied my suitcase on the floor, piled in some clean laundry, and tried to sort out travel supplies in one corner. My previously clean closet motivated me to not wait very long before taking the time to return it to order after my trip. Same with the rest of my house. Now that my linen closet and guest rooms have been decluttered, it makes me want to quickly do laundry and reset…
10 tips for using Google Tasks and Google Calendar as a student agenda
How can you effectively use Google Calendar as a student agenda? Time management is a life skill that is important to teach students, and I love a good organizational system! Over the years, I have traded my paper calendars and agendas for digital ones. It is helpful to see what events I have have and where I have time in my schedule for tasks. Many of my tutoring clients tell me they do not need an agenda because they can just look at the list of assignments in Google Classroom, but this does not teach them time management skills nor does it help them chunk large projects into manageable pieces. (Nor are most of them capable of keeping all that info “in my head” as their main strategy for remembering all their homework assignments but I do hear that option quite a bit!) This school year when I teach study skills to my middle and high school tutoring clients, I will include how to use an agenda whether it’s a paper one or a digital one. For a simple digital system for students who have Gmail accounts, I recommend Google Calendar and Google Tasks. Use the calendar events to block time…