Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street, talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night.
DEUTERONOMY 6: 6-8

It has been said that the only true discipline is self-discipline. With self-discipline we take ownership of our own behavior. We take responsibility for our lives...Read more

For a quick tip on this discipline issue, paste this link in your browser and watch:
tinyurl.com/9t8h4d

 The start of a new school year [or the return after Christmas holidays! -- Editor] is a great time to help your kids establish good homework habits. The Sylvan Learning Center offers these tips for parents:

1. Let your child divide study time into 15-20 minute sessions with short breaks in between.
2. Help your child set short-, medium-, and long-range goals and offer plenty of praise as she meets them.
3. Encourage your child to review her assignments weekly to reinforce what she's learned during the week.
4. Play coach, not supervisor. Your role is to guide your child, not hover or take over. Ask directed questions such as, "How do you think this should be done?"
5. Teach your child that all assignments need to be done, even those she thinks are "dumb." If you think your child needs more of a challenge, talk to her teacher about enriched curriculum options.
6. Keep lines of communication open by asking about upcoming tests, projects, and events.
7. Seek help if you feel your child is struggling. If she's falling behind, consider a tutor who specializes in the area of concern.
8. Allow your child to face consequences. Failing a test she didn't study for or losing a privilege when she doesn't do her homework is part of the educational process, too.

Copyright © 2001 by Carla Barnhill or Christianity Today International/Christian Parenting Today Magazine.

8 ways science shows that Mom and Dad go wrong when disciplining their kids...Read more

1. The Internet Public Library
   An exhaustive roundup of educational links, developed by a consortium of colleges and universities, complete with a homework help section. Does your child need an idea for the science fair? This site leads you to a link of projects with instructions.
   
   
2. Fact Monster
   From the folks at Information Please/Pearson Education comes an attractive, easy-to-navigate reference site. Flash cards, multiplication tables, history timelines, biographies of U.S. presidents...they’re all here.
   
   
3. Kid Info
   Created by retired teacher Linda Guterba, this site categorizes links according to curriculum in most U.S. schools, be it ancient Rome or the solar system. You’ll also discover online atlases, dictionaries and encyclopedias.
   
   
4. Math.com
   If you’ve forgotten what an integer is, you’ll need this site’s arithmetic refresher courses. From basic addition and subtraction to ratios, algebra and geometry, it takes you through the steps of finding a solution.
   
   
5. National Geographic Kids
   Take a virtual tour of the natural world, including its people and places, flora and fauna. When your third-grader asks you the name of the red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) or the population of China (1.3 billion), travel here.
   
   
6. B.J. Pinchbeck’s Homework Helper
   Recommended by the University of North Carolina School of Education and other educational institutions, this one-stop 411 was created by a 9-year-old with his dad. That was 12 years ago, and B.J. is still offering more than 800 updated links to subject matters from art to social studies…even recess. You’ll also find links to study guides, such as studygs.net, that can help your child with time management and other learning skills.
   P.S. Ask your child’s teacher if she posts homework help online.
   
   Written by Cheryl Solimini for Woman’s Day Magazine, September 1, 2008
   
   

• Get Organized Without Losing It by Janet S. Fox (Young Adults)
• Harriett, You’ll Drive Me Wild! by Mem Fox

A BOOK REVIEW
Whether she's knocking over her juice, dripping yellow paint on the carpet, or ripping apart feather pillows, Harriet Harris is, well, pesky. She certainly doesn't mean to be. And she's always very sorry for her behavior afterwards. Her mother doesn't like to yell, so instead she reprimands her with a gentle "Harriet, my darling child." But as Harriet's shenanigans escalate, so does her long-suffering mom's blood pressure. It looks like one more mishap will put her over the edge. And when that edge is reached, Harriet's mother yells. She yells and yells and yells.

Readers on both sides of the family battlefield will wholeheartedly identify with the oh-so-real experiences of Harriet and her mom. Sometimes accidents just happen, and sometimes yelling just happens. But even when family members make mistakes, they still love each other, as these two prove when they start laughing and cleaning up the big feathery mess after the apologies and hugs. Mem Fox is an internationally known literary consultant and author of many picture books, including Boo to a Goose and Sleepy Bears. Marla Frazee's pictures are exactly right: Harriet's unruly hair and guileless expressions perfectly capture the soul of a 4- or 5-year-old. (Ages 4 to 8)
Review by Emilie Coulter

• How to Do Homework Without Throwing Up by Trevor Romain (ages 9-12)
  
  
• No Matter What by Deb Gliori
  
  
• See You Later, Procrastinator! by Elizabeth Verdick
  
  
• Self-Discipline by Connie C. Miller
  
• Think Before You Act: Learning About Self-Discipline and Self-Discipline by Regina Burch (ages 9-12)

• Assertive Discipline for Parents by Lee Canter
  
  
• Bringing Out the Best in Your Child by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias and Carol Frank
  
  
• Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline: The 7 Basic Skills for Turning Conflict into Cooperation by Dr. Becky Bailey
  
• Every Child Can Succeed by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias
  
  
• How to Really Love Your Child by Ross Campbell, MD
  
  
• Kids, Parents and Power Struggles: Winning for a Lifetime by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
  
  
• Loving Your Child is Not Enough: Positive Discipline that Works by Nancy Samalin
  
  
• Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise and Other Bribes by Alfie Kohn
  
  
• Raising Boys by Steve Biddulph
  
  
• Setting Limits: How to Raise Responsible, Independent Children by Providing Reasonable Boundaries by Robert J. MacKenzie
  
  
• Teaching Self-Discipline to Children: 15 Essential Skills by Barbara C. Vasiloff
  
  
• The Organized Student: Teaching Children the Skills for Success in School and Beyond by Donna Goldberg
  
  
• Transforming the Difficult Child: The Nurtured Heart Approach by Howard Glasser, MA and Jennifer Easley, MA