North State Parent magazine

Be the Change – Melissa Mendonca, Tehama County Melissa Mendonca is no stranger to mentoring. Born and raised in Chico, Mendonca warmly remembers how her Notre Dame School fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Beyers, and principal, Sister Jane Golden, uncovered talents in her she didn't know she had. Both women gave her the sense that she was special by showing her how to develop her strengths. Read more...

529 Plans: Saving for College is Simpler Than You Think College costs are marching along, too-upward. And parents need to be prepared, says Ron Goldner, a fee-based financial planner with Wealth Strategies Group, Inc. in Memphis, Tennessee. Read more...

Choosing a Daycare for Your Child When you are choosing childcare there are many things to consider, including your child's personality. Researching a facility's approach to different temperaments will ensure a happier experience for your child when your child is away from home. Read more...

Following Their Own Path: A Look at Two Longtime Homeschooling Families "Homeschooling is not merely school at home," says Julie Clark of Chico, "but a way of living life." Julie decided to try homeschooling for a year when her oldest child was approaching school age, to see if homeschool could work for her family. Twelve years later, she is still at it. Read more...

Helping Kids to Learn How to Save for Big Ticket Items. Wouldn't it be fantastic if every idea about something we wanted magically happened? We wouldn't have to do a thing except think: "I want... a swimming pool... an iPod... a new computer..." This is how many kids think. Adults know, however, that simply wishing for something doesn't make it so, and that setting realistic goals sure helps.  Read more...

Kids Who Doodle? Scribble Away! – Doodling Benefits Memory & Concentration One of my earliest memories is watching my mother sketch happy attractive whimsical faces while talking on the phone. My sons' binders are covered with detailed dragons, elephants and superheroes, and I am a geometric doodler, endlessly tracing triangles and squares with a pencil to stay alert. I thought doodling was a lazy habit, but a new study says there are positive benefits for memory and concentration. Read more...

Slow to Speak? What’s Normal and When Should You Worry? When Michelle Tanner's daughter was 2 years old, she didn't says much outside of "no" and "baba." "Compared to her sister, and the kids in playgroup who are blurting out sentences, I started thinking her speech was delayed," the mom of two says. Read more...

An Evening With Montessori Madness! Author Trevor Eissler - Tuesday, March 9th, 6pm to 7:30pm, Redding Library Community Room. Montessori education embraces a scientific approach for children to discover and free their true natures. A revolutionary method of observing and supporting the intrinsic development of children, Montessori education helps children develop creativity, problem solving, critical thinking and time-management skills Read more...

Stuck in Failure? Find the Teachable Moment - Parents Are Teachers… Whether We Like It Or Not! We've all failed in life at times. And most of us have noticed some success. But when we've failed-and especially at something important-how can we turn it around? What if we've failed at something really basic like learning to read or handling our money? The experience usually colors our fundamental sense of who we are. Read more...

Special Friendships - Fostering Friendships Between Special Needs and Typically Developing Children At my daughter Laurel's sixth birthday party, I smiled as I watched her introduce her friend Jackson, who she had known since she was a toddler, to her new friends from school. Within a few minutes, Jackson was happily playing with blocks while the other kids played racecars nearby. Read more...

8 Ways You Can Support Your Child's Teacher

1. Communicate with teachers regularly, both with your concerns and your positive comments about what your child is learning. Teachers want and need to hear from parents about how various aspects of the curriculum unfold within each child. If you have particular concerns, voice them early. If you notice specific changes in your child at home, positive or negative, make these known to your child's teacher. Read more...

Gateway Science Museum - A New Resource for North State Families After more than a decade of community planning and participation, the beautiful new Gateway Science Museum at California State University, Chico is finished and ready for visitors. On Saturday, February 27, North State residents are invited to the Museum's 10 a.m. grand opening ceremony. Read more...