Are you looking for some good Halloween books to read with your child this month?

If so, check out this article from the blog Modern Parents Messy Kids:

I liked Halloween as a child (what’s not to like?) but as an adult, I find I enjoy it even more.

I’m off the hook for dressing up, since I can costume my children instead, it’s the beginning of the holiday season, and I can finally start pulling out my Halloween book collection.

If you’re looking to bulk up your own collection, here are seven great ones to buy or check out from the library:

1. Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler and S.D. Schindler
This off-beat book about a skeleton desperately trying to get rid of the hiccups is sure to hit your child’s funny bone (can you guess what finally does get rid of his hiccups?).

2. Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
This is the #1 Halloween book on Amazon, and for good reason. It’s just so sweet and fun. A witch, zipping along on her broom with her cat, loses various items and is helped by a few kind creatures who, in return, just want to take a spin on her broom. Is there room for all of them?

3. The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt and Tony DiTerlizzi
This classic poem gets a decidedly spooky twist, thanks to Tony DiTerlizzi’s black-and-white illustrations. What better way to introduce your child to poetry?

You can find her other 4 picks here.

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Are you looking for after-school programs in Brooklyn?

Then you probably already know that after-school programs help keep kids safe and off the streets.

But did you know that kids who participate in after-school programs are more likely to stay in school, get better grades, are less likely to be involved in criminal activity?

Check out this article from our archives, which explains how after-school programs help kids succeed in life:

1. Improve kids’ school attendance and test scores
Numerous research studies have demonstrated that students enrolled in after-school programs get better grades and miss fewer days of school than students not enrolled in after-school programs. According to the non-profit organization AfterSchool Alliance, 45% of students enrolled in the federally funded after-school program 21st Century Community Learning Centers improved their reading grades and 41% improved their math grades.

2. Prevent kids from being victims of violence
According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, juveniles are at most risk of becoming victim of a violent crime during after-school hours — between 2 pm and 6 pm. By keeping kids off the streets during this critical window of time, after-school programs can help keep children safe.

You can find 3 more important benefits for kids in the article.

Try our karate after-school program!

The Urban Martial Arts Transported Karate After-School Program includes free school pick-up, a free karate uniform, a free T-shirt, karate classes 5 days a week, and plenty of time for homework and snacks.

Just enter your email address below to view prices and details, and to request a free school tour.

Be sure to confirm your request by clicking the link on the confirmation email you’ll receive from us.

Should my child take a break from karate this summer?

That’s a question we are often asked here at Urban Martial Arts, and it’s a question our character development expert Dr. Robyn Silverman gets a lot too.

She actually wrote a whole article about it, giving her expert take on the topic:

In my experience, maintaining at least 1-2 classes per week during the summer helps a child to feel a sense of accomplishment and stability.

At the same time, they’re able to strengthen their character and keep their commitment to learning alive. This helps them to be classroom-ready when school resumes.

Children get very uneasy if they feel that they’re missing something or that someone is advancing ahead when they are “on a break.”

This can negatively impact children’s confidence levels and make them feel reluctant to rejoin once the break is over.

You can read more of Dr. Robyn’s thoughts on this topic.

And if you’re interested in enrolling your child in our Karate for Kids program, you can learn more about it here.

Just $179 for 6 Weeks of Classes!

Get 6 weeks of karate classes, plus a free karate uniform and T-shirt ($60 value) for just $179! Enter your email address below to see schedule and details.

If you’ve ever tried to involve your child in cooking a meal, you know that it takes a lot of patience.

But cooking with — not just for — your kids can yield benefits far beyond nutritional ones.

To find out more, check out this article from parenting blog Activity Hero.

According to Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, kids who spend time preparing and eating dinners with their three times a week on average are “less likely” to fall prey in drug addiction.

A child who finds time to regularly bond during family dinner is 50 percent less likely to smoke tobacco or marijuana and 35 percent less likely to drink alcoholic beverages.

You can read about the other 2 great reasons here. We still have a few spots left in our Karate Sports Summer Camp! Learn more here.

Just $179 for 6 Weeks of Classes!

Get 6 weeks of karate classes, plus a free karate uniform and T-shirt ($60 value) for just $179! Enter your email address below to see schedule and details.

Many parents worry about their children having a sense of entitlement.

If you want to make sure you don’t spoil your children, check out this post from the blog Aha! Parenting, which outlines 13 ways to raise a child who’s not entitled.

4. Recognize that buying is an addiction, since our brains give us a hit of dopamine every time we chase, conquer, acquire. It isn’t wanting that gets us into trouble, it’s WHAT we want. Material things don’t satisfy our hunting urge for more than a day or so before we crave more. Instead, help kids discover the emotional rewards of other kinds of chases besides shopping, such as practicing and getting good at playing basketball, cooking, writing, music, or some other passion. (Reminder: This needs to be the child’s passion for it to be rewarding.)

5. Don’t feed your child’s emotional hunger with possessions. Often when we feel guilty that we aren’t spending enough time with our kids, we buy them things. That’s a red flag to stop, drop your busy-ness, and get clear about your priorities. What can you do with your child today to simply enjoy her? How can you set up rituals in your week to spend more time together? As the old saying goes, children come out best when you give them half as many presents and twice as much of your presence.

You can find the other 11 ways here.

Just $179 for 6 Weeks of Classes!

Get 6 weeks of karate classes, plus a free karate uniform and T-shirt ($60 value) for just $179! Enter your email address below to see schedule and details.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting your child’s TV time to one or two hours a day.

Why?

Because too much screen time has been linked to everything from obesity to irregular sleep among kids.

But if your child is already addicted to the TV, how can you help break the habit?

Check out this post from parenting blog Awesomely Awake, which recommends 10 creative ways to curb your family’s TV time.

Set the Stage:
Cathy from the Nurture Store suggests setting up an “Invitation to Play” by having enticing materials to spark play all ready for when a child comes home from school. Maybe teddy bears waiting for a tea party or some art materials.

Change up their Routine:
Do not say a word but leave a surprise for them like Zina from Let’s Lasso the Moon has done by putting art supplies on the kitchen table when they wake up in the morning.

You can find the other 8 ways here.

Just $179 for 6 Weeks of Classes!

Get 6 weeks of karate classes, plus a free karate uniform and T-shirt ($60 value) for just $179! Enter your email address below to see schedule and details.

Let’s face it: kids are messy.

Do you ever wish there was an easier way to get your kids to help with cleaning?

Then check out this post from Kids Activities Blog, which recommends 10 things you can do that will get your child to actually *want* to clean.

4. Turn on the music
Turning chore time to dance party time can be therapeutic for not only kids, but mom!

5. Take a picture of what “picked up” looks like
Take a picture of what a bookshelf or toy cabinet looks like when it is clean. Let the child have that while picking up so it becomes more of a matching game.

6. Set a timer
We all get overwhelmed by a task that looks like it will take hours. Break up that time by setting a timer and creating a cleaning racing game, “How much can you get done in 3 minutes? On your mark, get set, go!”

You can find the other 10 steps here.

Just $179 for 6 Weeks of Classes!

Get 6 weeks of karate classes, plus a free karate uniform and T-shirt ($60 value) for just $179! Enter your email address below to see schedule and details.