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LIFE DESIGNS MONTHLY

WHY NOT YOU? THIS IS YOUR LIFE!
CREATE THE REMARKABLE LIFE YOU'VE BEEN LONGING FOR

MARCH, 2006
Table of Contents:
~ A Welcome from Norman Tonelli, L.M.H.C.
~ Kids Say the Darndest Things Project

~ Enhancing Everyday Learning with Parental Influence
~ Center Services

~ Exercise for the Month

Welcome to the World of Life Designs Monthly. I'm Norman Tonelli the publisher. This publication is dedicated to understanding "how to get the life you've truly longed for." Filled with expert articles, discussion, exercises, resources, tools, questions and answers. This month’s article compliments our parent leader classes by exploring ways we can take the opportunity to teach our children in everyday situations.

Spring is in the air (or is that just wishful thinking?) Our new support groups have been met with an overwhelming response and we will be adding additional groups in the coming months so keep checking the website for the newest information. We are anticipating the arrival of some great art from local school children to be displayed throughout our center very soon. As a compliment to that art, we are undertaking a project that would allow us to demonstrate and celebrate the unique thinking of children. This project is described in further detail later in this newsletter – feel free to participate!

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In addition to this monthly newsletter, you can find a variety of other information,

including upcoming events at my websites:
www.normantonelli.com and www.parentleader.net

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~ Kid’s Clichés ~

Kids Say the Darndest Things was a TV Show hosted by Bill Cosby and co-hosted by Art Linkletter that aired on CBS in the late '90s. We would like to introduce our own West Brookfield Counseling Center version so that we can showcase some of our younger friends and take pleasure in their innocent responses to popular cliches and sayings. If anyone has received an amusing ending to one of the following from a child, please send them to us at norman@normantonelli.com

A stitch in time…

Actions speak louder than …
All good things come to those who…
All is fair in love and …
All that glitters is not …
All work and no play makes Jack …
A day late and a dollar …
An apple a day keeps the doctor …
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of…
Ask me no questions and I'll tell you …
Beauty is in the eye of the …
Birds of a feather …

Blood is thicker then …
If you bury your head in the sand…
Caught between a rock and a …
Children should be seen and not …
Close only counts in horseshoes and …
Don't bite the hand that …
Don't count your chickens before …
Don't look a gift horse in the …
Don't put all your eggs in one …
Fools rush in where angels fear to …
Flying by the seat of your …
Good things come to those who …
Grab the bull by the …
What happens if you "handle something with kid gloves?"
He let the cat out of the …
Why would someone be scared of his own shadow?
His bark is worse than his …
His eyes are bigger than his stomach. What does this mean?
I need that like a hole in the …
If at first you don't succeed…
If the shoe fits…
In one ear and out the …
It's darkest just before …
What do you do when it's raining cats and dogs?
No use crying over spilled …
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do …
I’d love to be a fly on the …
One man's trash is another man's …
Out of the frying pan and into the....

Money doesn't grow on…
Never look a gift horse in the … 

~ Article~

Everyday Learning - Enhancing Education –

Parenting Special – Brief Article Essence

By: Pamela M. McBride

Move beyond books and turn routine tasks into valuable teaching moments for your child.
Washing dishes or driving to the grocery store with your children? It's the perfect time to teach them. "Children learn best when parents take advantage of teachable moments that occur by involving them in everyday tasks," says Michele Anciaux, parent involvement director of the Washington State PTA. Here, along with tips from Teaching Your Children Life Skills (Berkeley Publishing Group, $12), we offer ways for you to make any situation a learning opportunity:

*At the supermarket, The grocery store is an ideal place to develop math, reading and categorizing skills. Let your child participate by having her write the grocery list. Encourage her to read the aisle signs to under stand how things are organized. Younger children can find items by matching pictures from circulars, coupons or magazines; older kids can read labels or the shopping list to help you select your items. Also have them weigh fruits and vegetables and figure out the cost by estimating or using a calculator.

* In the park. Let a nature walk be your child's path into the amazing world of science. While taking a stroll through the park or your neighborhood, explain how trees, flowers and grass grow and why they change colors. A good book that reviews these processes is How Nature Works: 100 Ways Parents and Kids Can Share the Secrets of Nature (Reader's Digest, $24) by David Burnie. Go one step further and encourage children to select, plant and water seeds--all of you can watch their garden growl * In the kitchen. Recipes are great for helping youngsters develop the skills to follow directions, measure and organize. So rather than shooing your child away when you're cooking, get him involved. For example, have him read directions to you from a cookbook. This gets in good reading practice and also helps him to understand and interpret fractions.

*Cleaning house. Transform routine household chores into lessons in logic, organization and cooperation. Explain why it makes sense to sweep before mopping and dust before polishing. Children as young as 5 can water plants, put away folded laundry, and load and unload the dishwasher--under your supervision, of course. They'll learn the importance of organization and teamwork; and when everyone participates, no one is overwhelmed by the job. * In the ear. Turn car trips into learning adventures for kids of all ages. The younger ones can use the time to practice counting (perhaps in another language), recite the alphabet or work on identifying colors and shapes. With older children, discuss issues of personal safety--the importance of wearing seat belts or how to properly cross the street. Point out jaywalkers to your youngster and explain how they put themselves in danger. To help your children with their reading, ask them to scan street and highway signs.

* In social settings. Part of our job as parents is to show our kids how to respect others in everyday situations. For instance, when ordering food in restaurants or returning purchases, speak politely. Offer your seat to an elderly person on a crowded bus or in a waiting area. Or when stress hits, show your child how to think things through calmly rather than resorting to anger. As a bonus, she will develop healthy relationships with others, out of which fairness, empathy and patience--important tools for learning--will evolve. To help youngsters ages 4 to 7 mind their P's and Q's, pick up a copy of Oops! Excuse Me Please! And Other Mannerly Tales (Barron's, $5.95) by Sesame Street veteran Bob McGrath.

Want more ways to incorporate lessons into your child's daily life? Check out Every Child Is a Genius (Prima Publishing, $14) by Elise M. Griffith. This guide, packed with more than 300 ideas to supplement your 3-to-14-year-old's classroom teachings, will help you create a learning environment just about anywhere.

 

SUPPORT GROUPS CURRENTLY BEING OFFERED AT

THE WEST BROOKFIELD COUNSELING CENTER :

SUPPORT GROUP

PRESENTED BY DR. MARK CARON

HELPING PARENTS LEARN HOW TO IMPROVE ATTENTION,

ORGANIZATION, AND IMPULSIVITY IN THEIR CHILDREN

SUPPORT GROUP BEGINS MONDAY, MARCH 13^th

at the WEST BROOKFIELD COUNSELING CENTER, 62 WARE STREET, WEST BROOKFIELD

MEETINGS WILL BE HELD EVERY-OTHER MONDAY FROM 6:45 pm to 7:45pm

$25.00 PER PERSON OR $40.00 PER COUPLE

GROUP SIZE IS LIMITED, SO RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY

PLEASE CALL 508-867-4491, MAILBOX 3

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DO YOU HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER IN IRAQ?

AFGHANISTAN? ELSEWHERE OVERSEAS?

We will be starting a new support group locally that can benefit both adults and children. This group experience will help to support families with deployed military family members serving in our armed forces overseas. Learn strategies to cope with this particular family situation while supporting your loved one that is abroad.

PRESENTED BY DR. MARK CARON

STARTING MONDAY, 3/6/06 AT 6:45 P.M.

SUPPORTING FAMILIES DURING THE TOUGH TIMES OF LIFE

Call Dr. Caron @ 508-867-4491, Mailbox 3

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PARENTS OF OPPOSITIONAL CHILDREN

LEARN HOW TO EFFECTIVELY INFLUENCE YOUR CHILD

This group experience will teach you how to be the main influence in your child’s life and how to more effectively communicate with your child. You will strengthen your parent leadership skills and learn how to role model more effectively. You will also learn how to develop a more respectful relationship and acquire discipline techniques that work.

STARTING WEDNESDAY, 2/1/06 AT 6:45 P.M.

PRESENTED BY NORMAN TONELLI, L.M.H.C.

Next start date – TO BE ANNOUNCED

REGISTER NOW FOR THE NEXT GROUP

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SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING FOR CHILDREN

This group experience will teach your child to get along better with their peers and more effectively communicate with parents, teachers and other authority figures. They will also learn to understand all forms of communication such as gestures, body language, voice inflections, and figures of speech.

STARTING WEDNESDAY, 2/8/06 AT 6:45 P.M.

PRESENTED BY NORMAN TONELLI, L.M.H.C. AND THERESA RESSEGUIE. M.S.Ed.

AGES K – 6^TH GRADES

Next start date – TO BE ANNOUNCED

REGISTER NOW FOR THE NEXT GROUP

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TESTING SERVICES NOW OFFERED

Do you have a child that has attention/concentration issues?

Do you suspect your child has memory or learning disabilities?

We are happy to announce that we are offering on-site educational, psychological and neuro-psychological testing by Mark D. Caron, Ph.D. He will be able to test your child and provide you with a detailed evaluation so that you can obtain the proper services to help your child succeed.

Call Dr. Caron to set up an appointment at (508) 867-4491

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------~Exercise For The Month~

Make a list of everyday situations when you can take the opportunity to educate your child. At least once a week incorporate a lesson from your list into your child’s everyday life.

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We love to hear from you!
Please give your feedback to: Norman@normantonelli.com Thanks.
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All rights reserved. (c) 2005 Norman Tonelli L.M.H.C.

 

 

CALL OR E-MAIL TODAY FOR YOUR FREE SESSION.