A home-based after school program

Julian Being Wowed (Photo credit: jfinnirwin)

So, your son's school does not offer any extracurricular activities. You are worried of depriving your child of all that extra knowledge and fun. What should you do?

After school activities need not be taught in a school-like environment by professional teachers in a structured and timely manner. There is a lot YOU can do to support your child's academic, physical and social development. Do not be too concerned about formal programs, as many of our children are already over-scheduled.

Obviously, school is top priority for children. They need to go to school, and finish their homework. They should then do their daily reading or writing work etc. This may take about 30-60 minutes. In the course of his daily work, your child may develop certain academic preferences and interests. In that case, you can try and find a program in a college or a community center that will help him and encourage him. In the age of the Internet, information is really not a rarity. Allow him to use the net to find more information about thing that he likes. Encouraging the child to do independent research to gain in-depth knowledge is something that no formal program does.

If you are concerned about the lack of social life, enroll him or her in a club - a reading club maybe. Visit public libraries or even the theatre, if your child is interested. It is not necessary for your child to make friends with children his own age. A parent-child book club is another interesting option. If you can round up a number of like-minded children and their parents, you may well start your own after-school program.

When there is no organized group activity, look to your community. Many children love to get involved in social problems. They get their first real taste of suffering, charity and community help from such experiences. Volunteering for clean-up sessions, adult education programs etc could be a real eye-opener for your child. The lessons thus learnt are invaluable.

If physical activity or the lack of it is your major concern, enroll your child for some dancing classes. If organized sports are impossible to get, try to enroll her in a gym. She may find friends there and may take to the treadmill.

Your child does not necessarily have to be a part of an organized group to benefit from after-school activities. There are various avenues open in front of you. Roping in the enthusiasm of your children in daily household activities like cooking, cleaning etc can also provide them with a refreshing extracurricular experience. Moreover, it will improve family ties too.

Posting from Samsung Ace

Finally I can post from smartphone. Not sure why all earlier steps failed. Will try to post more often.

I am currently reading books from David Baldacci. Just finished Last Man Standing. Very fast paced and thrilling indeed. You can check my shelfari books at the bottom of this blog. 

How to use Social Media Sites Effectively

Many business have a presence on the internet in the form of a website, however potential need more than just a website these days. They want connection and personal feedback as well. This is where social media sites comes in to play. Social media sites are often called sites that contain user-generated content.

Possibly the most famous sites are Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. But how do you use the sites in such a way that it will benefit your business?. Simply creating an account is not enough. You need to be integrating yourself into that website and its users, otherwise known as networking.

Facebook Fan Pages

Facebook now allows people to build fan pages and other users rate the fan page if they find it useful. There is a common mistake made by many though.  They expect the Facebook page to drive traffic to their website when the fan page has never been promoted.

A website can also drive traffic to a fan page. Display a face book fan page on your site, it is an almost certainty that most of your readers will be a Facebook member. Driving traffic to your fan page encourages  readers to rate your page making it popular.

Also remember to frequently update your Facebook page. Ideally you should be aiming for one update a week. Make content interesting to the reader, generate interest so the reader will tell other Facebook users about you.

Enable Facebook users to get something for free. Run contests, display money off coupons or allow readers to click-through to your own site to download a free e-book. If you have any special offers then advertise them as well. Everyone loves it when we get something for free.

Remember to be realistic about your brand and whether it will gain a large following. If you are selling stair lifts for OAP's then expect a small following as Facebook stats show a majority of users are of the younger generations.

Twitter

Twitter is great because it does not take a lot of work. Each day a short sentence is sent out with a link and this is otherwise known as a tweet. Create a twitter account and gain followers by following other users.  Don’t make the mistake of assuming the more followers you have the more successful you will be.

When looking at potential people to follow, ask yourself if they are relevant to you and your business. Following someone who sells lingerie when you are a mortgage adviser will generate very little interest. Once you have chosen your followers then make an effort daily to respond to their tweets, by doing this you are encouraging readers back to your time-line and your tweet of the day.

Linkedin

Linkedin is more about networking and not gaining potential customers. The emphasis is on your profile and making it stand out as a leader in your field of business. Your profile should read that you are an energetic person who is passionate about what you do.

Don’t forget to include a photograph and to regularly keep your profile  updated. Once you have the perfect profile, you can begin to network by recommending people, in the hope they will recommend you back. Also join in the groups that relate to your particular area of interest.

Having a presence on the above three sites is of top importance when you are embarking on your social media campaign. Many business also make the mistake of joining lots of social media sites but keep up a poor presence. This is not the way to go.  Maintain the above three sites with quality content and information for your readers and the rewards will soon be seen.

Friday Four Fill - Week 97

This week’s statements:

1. I was probably the only kid in the world who nothing, I guessed I'm a pretty regular kid on the block.

2. Watermelon juice is my favorite juice.

3. I never thought I would marry someone of another race until I met my hubby, Jensen.

4. I have always wanted to be a writer but blogging is already tough enough to cope with.

Blogging for Profit Begins With a Long Term Plan

Many people dream of blogging for profit, and this goal is not far beyond the reach of someone with average intelligence, a willingness to work hard, and a basic grasp of blogging technology. However, very few people manage to reap the profits they want from their blog. Most people who attempt to make money with their blogs do not succeed for two reasons. Often, bloggers have unrealistic expectations of how fast their readership will grow and how much money they will make, and when these expectations are not met the disappointment can crush the desire to continue blogging. The other trap that many bloggers fall into has to do with lack of planning. If you want to turn a profit as a blogger, the key to success is to make a realistic plan and stick with it. Perseverance pays.

To succeed at blogging for profit, the main thing that you will need is a large readership. The higher your traffic, the more advertisers will agree to pay you. However, cultivating the regular visitors that you will need in order to make a profit isn't easy. As more and more blogs appear each day, having a great idea or a wonderful writing style is no longer enough to get attention. You need to be able to market your blog effectively.

Too many bloggers spend all of their time writing posts and almost no time marketing their project. To be certain, updating as often as you can is a great way to keep your blog high on blogrolls and high in blog search engines like technorati, and once your readers know that you update frequently they will return to your site on a regular basis. However, it does not matter how often you update if nobody is reading your page, so don't skimp on the time that you spend drawing visitors to your site. To make your dreams of blogging for profit a reality, try decreasing your number of posts and using some of that time to draw new visitors by setting up link exchanges with other bloggers, making contacts in the blog community, and following other established modes of winning traffic.

Of course, even if you are a marketing genius or have a really great idea for a blog, success is not going to happen overnight. Building the kind of readership that blogging for profit requires takes time, and in all likelihood it will be at least several months before you are able to turn much of a profit. Try to stay committed to your blogging project during this initial rough period. To stay motivated, set goals for how often you will update and how many readers you want to attract, and then reward yourself for sticking with your plan.