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| CONTACT Latasha Matthews 678-585-1966 O 404-914-2521C 1840 Old Norcross Road, Suite 200 Lawrenceville, GA 30044 latasha@illuminationcc.com
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| August 2014
Welcome to the August 2014 edition of The Family Playroom. This space has been designed to offer guidance and tips that will illuminate and ignite hope, laughter and purposeful living. |
| | | As parents prepare for a new school year here are some tips that can help make the school year a prosperous one for their children.
1. Create a schedule and a daily routine for everyone
This will foster consistency and structure which will set a successful foundation for your child’s success as well as reduce household stress. Ensure that your child receive a good night’s sleep which will allow them to be more productive during the day.
2. Take the time to review your child’s homework
This shows your child that you are interested in their success and encourages them to do their best. This will also help you assess how your child is handling the material presented by the teacher.
3. Get to know your child’s teacher
Make sure you that your child’s teacher know who you are by being actively involved in your child’s progress through consistent communication throughout the school year. This will keep you up-to-date with your child’s progress and can help you better assist your child at home.
4. Support your child with positive reinforcement
Encourage your child to excel by using positive reinforcement (rewarding them for reaching small goals that you set with them).
5. Help your child to be accountable for their supplies
Making sure that your child have ALL of the supplies that they need when they arrive at school allows them to be mentally and physically prepared for the day. There is nothing more stressful at school than sitting in the classroom and not having the necessary materials to do your work. As your child grows you can instill a sense of responsibility in them by helping them hold themselves accountable for their supplies.
Follow these tips and you’ll have a successful school year. It will be the LAST Day of school before you know it.
AFTER SCHOOL: There are different after school programs available if you have to work later than school hours. Some Day Care centers offer programs for children up to the age of 12. Also available are Boys & Girls clubs, extracurricular activities/clubs at their school, and area community center after school programs. Check local magazines, community circulars, and with guidance counselors for more information. |
| | Universal Principles that I learned while in school |
| | It’s that time of year when we see stacks of notebook paper, folders, pencils and assorted school supplies in every store. We can feel the excitement in the air from those students who are ready to start a new journey in a new school. We can see the looks of despair on some children’s faces while they think of their summer ending and new school year beginning. We are in the throes of the ‘back to school’ frenzy. If we as adults look back and really consider the lessons that we learned while in school we’ll find that we learned many lifelong lessons that didn't come from a textbook at all. We’ll find many universal principles that can help us navigate the world that we live in today. Here are three.
Intellect is not acquired from a book alone – There are different types of ‘smarts’ that are combined to measure one’s intellect. There are ‘book smarts’ which is knowledge gained from textbooks and being taught by a teacher. There are ‘street smarts’ which is an understanding and awareness obtained from the environment in which a person lives that helps them deal with life’s situations. There are also ‘people smarts’ which is the learned art of how to read and interact with others. (You can learn a lot about people by observing their behavior; a person’s inner-being oftentimes drive their outward behavior.) These ‘smarts’ along with other intrinsic and cultured qualities create one’s intelligence. So don’t beat yourself up if you didn't test well in school and didn't appear to be the smartest on paper when it comes to your GPA; that’s only a fraction in the metrics of measuring your intelligence.
If you don’t use it, you will lose it – There’s an old adage that states if you don’t use it [the knowledge that you learn] then you’ll lose it. As an adult I’m sure somewhere along that way that you've found this to be a true statement. While many children gloss over this idea when told by adults, there are many adults who have found ways to put this theory to practice to ensure their cognitive health. Psychologist understand the benefits of keeping your brain active and have found correlations that suggest that an active brain leads to a healthier individual as they age. There are many games and apps that you can play online and on your mobile devices that challenge your brain and keep it active.
Close relationships are important – Many children in the U.S. look forward to turning 18 because they will reach the coveted status of adulthood and with that comes independence. As much as we seek to be self-sufficient and independent we find that we really need others; especially a close relationship. Psychologists have found that close relationships helps people make it through life’s challenges and successes. If we look back over our lives while in school and beyond we’ll find that we found it ‘easier’ when dealing with tough situations where we had the support of someone close to us. We also were generally ‘happier’ when we had someone close to us to share our good news with. When our close relationships are broken we tend to find ourselves down and in despair. However, when our close relationships are thriving we feel as if we can conqueror the world.
These universal principles are just reminders of those things that we can glean from our grade school days. Every day that we live is an opportunity to learn something new, whether it be from our past or present circumstances. I challenge you to go through this month as if you’re driving though a school zone; slow down to reflect on the universal principles that you learned while in school and you’ll navigate through life a little more smoothly.
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| | Community Partner Spotlight |
| In our effort to increase the well-being of our community we support various organizations that empower, enlighten, and elevate our communities at large; this month we highlight The Kitchen Table Radio Show
We had the opportunity to talk with Vanessa Mann, one of the organization’s founders, about her business. ‘Pull up a chair’ and ‘listen in’ on our conversation from around the kitchen table.
What are some words or phrases that would describe The Kitchen Table Radio Show?
“Dynamic, fun, enlightening, sincere, thought provoking, interactive, and honest. As well as many others come to mind.”
What is The Kitchen Table's mission?
“Our mission is as follows: The Kitchen Table seeks to enlighten, educate, and entertain by bringing the wisdom of God’s view for the purpose of creating awareness for the local and global community.”
How did The Kitchen Table come about?
“We have families who aren’t sitting down anymore to talk about their day. Talisa and I had talked years ago about having a radio show. The name of the show came to me in a dream. The business was two years in the making. It was all possible through God.”
How many members does the show consist of? (Facebook/Website)
The Kitchen Table features:
Talisa: Success Coach/Counselor (Moderator)
Vanessa: Political/Entertainment Commentator (Weekend Wrap Up)
Sonya: Spiritual Motivator/Minister
Bettina: Comedienne/Veteran Single Mother
How has the show impacted your own lives?
“Looking back at some of the guests I've interviewed, and the issues they have overcome, has taught me to look back at my own life. It has also enlightened me on struggles I didn't know I didn't know existed. We still have a long way to go, but it shows me that I’m getting there. It’s a process. We are all in this together. It shows me how blessed I truly am. It gives me a different outlook on the life I've been given.”
How does The Kitchen Table give back to the community?
“We are becoming more involved in our community by volunteering our time in women’s shelters, and by working with young girls. We are partnering with women shelters to teach women how to become their own person, as well as, teach young girls how to be girls, and how men should treat them.”
Can organizations request The Kitchen Table's presence at events in the community?
“Absolutely, they can request us through our website, email, and Facebook. The Kitchen Table prefers event request through email: thekitchentable11@gmail.com.”
What is The Kitchen Table's targeted audience?
“Our targeted audience is 25 and up, but were hoping to reach a younger audience.”
How can new listeners tune in to The Kitchen Table Radio Show?
http://www.kitchentableradioshow.com/ Saturdays 8:00-10:00am
LOVE 860AM Radio www.love860.com Streaming online
Is there any additional information you would like to share about The Kitchen Table?
“I think the Kitchen Table is a very fun place to be on Saturday mornings. We are like the View, but on the radio and so much fun. We are here to get the families talking. We love our listeners and supporters and hope to do this for years to come. We are inspired by the Lord, and that’s the main reason we are on the air. We want to bring the word of God to listeners who might not go to church on a regular basis. We bring the word in a different manner.”
Please support them and check them out! Go to http://www.kitchentableradioshow.com/ Go to place where they ‘bring the issues to the table’.
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| | | Staying Connected / Feedback |
| | | We encourage you to connect with us on Facebook (http://tiny.cc/illuminationcc), Twitter (@illumiNATIONcc), and Pinterest (@illumiNATIONcc) for daily inspiration, motivation and tips. Every week we present a new topic whereby you can gain valuable information to help you lead a healthy and a vibrant life. We’d love for you to comment and interact with us on our page on Facebook as well as share your favorite posts with friends.
If you have any burning questions or topics that you’d like to see discussed, feel free to send us a message or post it on our page for a group discussion. We welcome your input and look forward to hearing from you! |
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| | | Illuminating Pathways Illumination C&C, LLC on the move about town |
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*On July 26th Illumination C&C, LLC facilitated a Prepare-Enrich seminar
This seminar involved learning new skills to work with couples considering marriage or couples wanting to enrich their marriage. During this interactive training attendees learned to facilitate the Prepare-Enrich program through small group activities, insightful conversations and DVD/lecture format. The seminar was very successful and sold out. Please be on the lookout for the next upcoming seminar.
*On September 9th we will host our monthly private-practice building calls "Foundational Excellence in Private Practice"
This teleseminar is geared towards counselors, social workers, psychologists, marriage/family therapists, registered play therapists, coaches and mental health professionals that aspire to gain understanding of the important foundational aspects in developing a successful practice. These calls will take place on the 1st Tuesdays of each month. Check out our website at http://www.illuminationcc.com/FoundationalExcellence.en.html or reach out to us for information on how to sign up.
*On September 25th we will begin our weekly mastermind group "Foundation KEYS to Practicing in EXCELLence MasterMind Coaching Group"
This will be a six week session on Thursdays from 7pm -8:30pm that will cover different topics from strategic planning to addressing business ownership concerns to building your presence in the community. SPACE IS LIMITED for this awesome session. Check out our website at http://www.illuminationcc.com/FoundationalExcellence.en.html or reach out to us for information on how to sign up.
*On September 27th we will participate in the Forever Family Foundation’s 5k run/walk
The Forever Family Foundation is an organization that supports children with incarcerated parents. The walk will begin at 2:00pm at the Piedmont Park in Atlanta, GA. For more information and to register. Please visit www.foreverfam.org
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