with forgotten items. What is going to happen to these children in college? Most of them flounder during their first semester away from home and some will never return for the second semester.

Encourage your child to make his own decisions. A three year old can choose between two outfits to wear and dress himself. A third grader can decide when to do his homework and a high school student can decide to turn in a paper late. When you allow a child to make a decision and live with the consequences of that decision you are creating a responsible adult. Make a habit of discussing with your child the results of her decisions, both good and bad. One of the hardest things to do as a parent is to stand by when you realize your child is making a poor decision and let her face the consequences. By giving your child these learning experiences at a young age when the consequences are small, you will have a teenager who is able to make good choices even when you are not around.

Every one of these children was encouraged to READ READ READ, I can’t say it enough. If there is only one predictor of academic success it is reading. Begin when your children are very small. Set aside some time to read to them. If it is possible, help your child develop a small library of favorite books. Get a library card and make a habit of borrowing books from your local library. Not only will your child learn to love reading but he will learn to feel comfortable in the library; a place where he can escape to exciting worlds and learn to use library resources to become a better student. As your child learns to read allow her to read to you and begin to discuss what she is reading. As your child grows, keep up the reading habit. Set aside time in the day to read as a family. Let your child see you engaged in a book. Sometimes it is difficult to keep teenagers reading; they are busy and have other interests vying for their attention but encourage reading consistently. Your child should always have one book he is actively reading. It will not always be easy to keep up this level of reading in your home but it is worth the effort. You will have a more interesting child who will excel at a higher level in school and be able to handle high school course requirements as well as college testing requirements.

Every one of these children had limited television time. Turn off the T.V. and that means video games as well. We are all guilty of allowing children to watch television or a video so that we can make a phone call undisturbed or start dinner or just relax for a few minutes at the end of a busy day but when a few minutes stretches into a few hours you are doing your child a great disservice. There is very little on television that is worth your time. Every hour spent watching some mindless TV program is an hour not spent reading, playing a creative game, working on a project together, getting outside for some fresh air, exercising, or just spending time talking to your child. Limit the television time…