Advantages of keeping the lines of communication open with your child’s school teachers

parent-teacher conference

As a first-time parent, it can be difficult to know if you should remain in constant contact with your child’s school teachers.

On one hand, you want to make sure they have everything they need and that your child is adjusting well. But on the other hand, you don’t want to be a nagging helicopter parent.

If that is you, read on for reasons why you should remain in consistent communication with your child’s school teachers.

Building a relationship of trust

By remaining in consistent communication with your child’s school teachers, you’re building a relationship of trust. When you have a good connection with your child’s teachers, they’re more likely to keep you in the loop when it comes to your child’s progress in school. They will also be less hesitant to reach out to you if they ever need assistance or have any queries to clear.

Receiving feedback about your child

Secondly, you should remain in touch with your child’s teachers because it allows them to give you feedback about your child. It’s necessary to get an idea of how your child is performing in school and to be aware of any issues that may be going on. Plus, it’s always good to have a positive relationship with the people who are helping to shape your child’s future. So stay in touch with your child’s teachers, and be sure to ask detailed questions during official meet-the-parent sessions—we think they will be more than happy to answer them.

Getting updates about school events
a parent conversing with her children's teacher

Image Credits: ssis.asia

Thirdly, it’s always wise to stay in communication with your child’s school teachers because you can get updates about school events, and what your child is exposed to, and get firsthand information on any non-academic related classes for maximum exposure.

If you’re not sure how to get in touch with your child’s teacher, most schools have a website that you can visit. You can also find the general office’s email address on the website. If not, phone the office and request to be connected. It’s crucial to stay in touch so that you can be a part of your child’s education and help them succeed both academically and in character.

Gives you the chance to address concerns

Lastly, imagine if you were to keep the lines of communication open with your child’s school teachers. Not only will it make them feel appreciated, but it also allows you to address any concerns early on. This is extremely noteworthy, especially if your child is facing any challenges in school.

By remaining in communication with their teachers, you will be able to get a better sense of what’s going on at school and how your child is performing. You will also be able to get help and advice from the teachers themselves, who will more than likely be glad to help out.

As a first-time parent, you may feel unsure of whether you should be speaking regularly to your child’s school teachers. However, there are several benefits to remaining in consistent communication with them. Some of these benefits include being able to get an early alert if your child is struggling in school, developing a better relationship with your child, and gaining an all-around understanding of your child’s academic progress. So what are you waiting for? Get connected today!

Read More...

5 Tips For Couples with Joint Bank Accounts: Sharing is Saving

Being in a relationship founded by mutual trust may find it natural to create a joint bank account together.

Since you can trust your partner with everything else, why not trust him/her with your own finances?

But, managing this may be difficult especially when there are two people with different buying habits and priorities.

So, here are 5 Tips to Help Couples with Joint Bank Accounts…

1. HAVE SHARED GOALS

Maintain a joint bank account for big financial goals such as vacations, household bills, or insurance. Whatever the purpose and goals may be, be sure to make it unanimous as both of you will contribute each month.

Image Credits: Asher Isbrucker via Flickr

Image Credits: Asher Isbrucker via Flickr

2. CREATE RULES BEFORE OPENING AN ACCOUNT

Have a plan of how each of you will contribute (e.g. 50-50 or 60-40). As said a while ago, discuss the goals and priorities you want to pursue in order to know where the money will go.

3. MAINTAIN YOUR OWN BANK ACCOUNT

Aside from the joint account, each person is entitled to have an individual account. This is because you must treat yourself or your partner personally without affecting the “household money”.

You might say that this burns the bridges of sharing, but not really. The key to having individual accounts is that both would have access to each other’s account in case of emergency so there are no secrets.

4. RECORD AND MANAGE YOUR EXPENSES TOGETHER

Communicate openly about your joint bank account and organize your expenses. Make it a habit to log on to your online banking account to reconcile all your purchases together (i.e., every week or every two weeks). Through this, you will understand how you are spending the money. Make cut backs if possible so you can save more.

5. REMAIN EQUALS

Embody your marriage vows or treat it like a merger between to companies. Everyone has an equal say and contribution to the shared account. This is why setting up rules and agreement before the processing is very important. Through this, you can keep an open eye if one overspends on something you did not agree on.

Image Credits: BK via Flickr

Image Credits: BK via Flickr

Ultimately, you must respect each other’s decision and communicate openly about your finances. Having a joint bank account may not be easy, but it is possible! Sharing is not only showing Care but it also Saves money.

Read More...