Setting House Rules for Your Teen Driver

Learning to drive as a teen can be exciting. With a car, you can go where you want when you want. Suddenly, after a lifetime of relying on others, you can be a little more independent. Parents can help their teens understand the responsibility that comes with this newfound freedom. Here are some tips for setting house rules for your teen driver: 

Establishing Expectations

Start by discussing driving privileges and responsibilities with your teen. Chances are, they’ve thought more about their newfound independence than what they need to do to earn it. Establish guidelines, like curfew and passenger restrictions, at the beginning. Set clear consequences for breaking rules. Doing this upfront will lead to fewer questions when you need to enforce the rules. 

Safe Driving Practices 

Before your child goes out on the road, make sure they know how to do so safely. When you talk about driving safety, make sure you have their full attention. Emphasize the importance of wearing seatbelts at all times. Discus the dangers of distracted driving, such as texting and talking on the phone. Encourage defensive driving techniques and awareness of other drivers on the road, especially if you live in a highly populated area. 

Monitoring Behavior

When your teen goes out driving, you’ll want to know where they are. This is as much for their safety as it is for your peace of mind. Find a teen driver monitoring app, like Life360 or TrueMotion, that provides location information as well as insights on driving habits. Check in with your teen regularly about their driving experiences. When appropriate, provide feedback to help them become safer drivers. 

Encouraging Responsibility

Driving can be fun, but it doesn’t come without responsibilities and expenses. Have a talk with your teen about the cost of car maintenance and insurance. Set expectations for gas and maintenance responsibilities. The last thing you want is for your teen to be out of gas or stranded because they waited too long to maintain their car. This would also be a great time to remind your teen about the dangers of distracted driving. Have them take ownership of their driving habits to reduce the risk of accidents. 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we know driving is an important part of growing up, and we encourage parents to be present for the journey. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

5 Ways to Support an Aspiring Athlete

Athletic children need support from trusted adults. Sports can be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting, but they can also be fulfilling. Children have some of their best experiences on the field and on the court. Being part of a team brings children together and helps them form lifelong friendships and fond memories. Here’s how you can support your aspiring athlete and help them make the most of their experiences:

Help Them Stay Motivated

What your aspiring athlete needs most of all is encouragement. This starts with being at every game and being present with them after. Provide words of encouragement and positivity to boost your child's confidence. When they’re just starting out, they may need to be reminded that no one begins as a pro. If they make mistakes, help them reframe them as learning opportunities. Keep your child motivated to stay dedicated and focused on their goals.

Invest in Their Future

Sports can be expensive. However, it can be worth the investment if it’s truly what your child wants to do. Invest in quality sports equipment and gear for your child so they can be safe and perform their best. Cover the costs of training sessions, competitions and travel expenses. Keep these expenses in mind whenever your child expresses interest in a new hobby or sport.

Attend and Cheer at Games

Showing up is half the battle. Your athletic child will remember that you were there for their games and competitions. Be a positive and enthusiastic spectator, cheering on your child and their teammates.  When they’re young, they may act embarrassed about your enthusiasm, but they really do appreciate it. 

Offer Emotional Support

Disappointment happens. It’s very rare that a team wins every game, and not every child can be the star player. Help your child cope with these setbacks as they happen. During times of intense pressure, like your child’s team playing that one game or going to that one competition that determines the outcome of the reason, help them destress. Encourage them to find an activity outside of the sport that helps them calm down. When they’re centered, they’ll perform better when the big day comes. 

Connect with the Team

Build positive relationships with your child's coaches and teammates. Connecting with their athletic community can go a long way toward showing your child you care. Stay involved in the team’s activities, and show your support. This can be especially helpful when conflicts arise and your child needs you to step in and help. 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we are proud of our student athletes and do what we can to help them succeed. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

Making Goals for a More Mindful New Year

New Year’s Resolutions are a time-honored tradition, but they’re also notoriously difficult to achieve. Rather than making a checklist of things you think you’re supposed to do in a year, consider setting mindful goals that focus on improving your life and the lives of others. Here are some ways you can make more mindful goals for the year ahead: 

Focus on Personal Development

One reason New Year’s Resolutions often fall to the wayside is that they’re focused on image. Consider setting goals for yourself that start from within. Commit to taking an hour to yourself each day. Whether you spend that time in the gym or in the living room, spend it doing what you want to do and prioritize self care. If you need something more specific, set a goal for a number of books to read or a new skill to learn. 

Consider Setting Academic Goals

School is a big part of life, but it can be hard to make it a priority when you have a lot going on outside the classroom. This coming year, look at ways to improve your time management skills, like blocking out certain hours of the day to work undisturbed on homework and studying. Set realistic goals for leveling up your knowledge in subjects you struggle with. One of the best ways you can help yourself academically is remembering to ask for help when you need it. If you make no other academic goals for the new year, make this your goal. 

Seek Better Connections with Others

Getting through life is always easier when you have strong relationships with others. Look into ways you can strengthen your current friendships and family bonds. Send cards for birthdays and holidays. Check in on friends and family you don’t see often. If you feel like you want to expand your network, look for opportunities to make new connections and find new friends. We can always find more ways to form meaningful connections with those around us. 

Tips for Achieving Mindful Goals

Now, you have your goals in mind. Your next step is figuring out how to make them happen. With a little bit of planning and consistent work, you can accomplish your goals. Here are a few tips: 

• Break each goal down into smaller, manageable tasks.

• Keep a journal or planner to track your progress.

• Stay motivated, and focused on the bigger picture. Why do you want to reach these goals, and how will they improve your life? 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we always encourage students to aim high and work hard to reach their goals. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

How Your Child Can Become a Faith Leader

When your child says they want to become a faith leader, you may be surprised. Faith leadership feels like something that’s usually reserved for studious adults who have been called to serve. However, there is a place for children to lead others in faith. Young faith leaders can make a difference in their communities by appealing to their peers. Here are some ways you can help your child become a faith leader: 

Recognizing a Child's Interest in Faith Leadership

Some children have a natural inclination toward leadership. They’re always the life of the party or the ones coming up with ideas for the next big adventure. If your child shows leadership potential and has a strong interest in faith, they may be interested in becoming a leader in their faith community. Do they ask a lot of questions to better understand religious texts? Are they always telling you their favorite Bible stories? These are signs that your child may want to be a faith leader. 

Steps to Help Your Child Become a Faith Leader

You can foster your child’s interest in faith leadership in many ways. Here are a few steps you can take to help your child decide if this is the path for them and start their leadership journey: 

• Encourage your child to get involved in church activities and programs. 

• Support your child in developing their own personal relationship with their faith.

• Help your child seek out mentorship and guidance from experienced faith leaders.

When you take these steps, they’ll have a clear idea of what they’re going into and if it’s what they want to do. 

Benefits of Being a Young Faith Leader

Leadership opportunities help children discover themselves and learn about their innate power. Faith leadership has even more benefits, like allowing children to grow in their own faith and empowering others to live fully in theirs. Being a faith leader early in life helps children understand their faith from multiple perspectives. One of the best ways to fully learn concepts is by teaching them to others. 

How NTCA’s Campus Ministries Program Can Help

At North Tampa Christian Academy, students can gain real life experience as faith leaders through the Campus Ministries Team. Led by Pr. David Craig, this team allows students to participate in activities like leading praise teams, organizing events and planning outreach programs. They collaborate with a small group of students with similar interests to enhance the spiritual offerings on campus. 

Faith leadership is something people are called to do, and it’s no different for children. At our school, we aim to foster faith leadership in any student who shows an interest. Students at our Tampa Christian school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

Winter Science Experiments to Try at Home

Winter break is coming up soon, and your Floridian child may be dreaming of a winter wonderland they’ve seen on TV. Florida winters are more of a relief from hurricane season than their own distinct season. While your child won’t be seeing snow unless they travel for winter vacation, they can always do one of these chilly winter science experiments in the comfort of their Florida home. 

Ice Exploration

Playing with ice is kind of like playing in snow, right? This experiment can be done with salt, sugar, water, and — if you’re feeling fancy — food coloring! Here’s how it works: 

• Fill a container with water and let it freeze overnight. 

• The next day, experiment with different ways to melt the ice. 

• Try using salt, sugar, or hot water to see which method works best. 

• You can also add food coloring to the water before freezing to create colorful ice sculptures.

Winter Solstice Sundial

The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, so why not mark the occasion with a homemade sundial? All you need for this experiment is a stick and a piece of cardboard. 

• Use a stick as a gnomon (the piece of the sundial that sticks up) and a piece of cardboard as the base. 

• Place the sundial outside in a sunny spot, and track the movement of the shadow throughout the day.

Indoor Snowstorm 

Bring the snow to Florida without worrying about shoveling the driveway! Create a mini snowstorm in a jar using just a few simple ingredients: water, white paint or food coloring, and glitter. 

• Fill a clear jar with water, add a few drops of white paint or food coloring, and swirl in some glitter. 

• Seal the jar tightly, and shake it up to watch the snow swirl around like a winter storm.

Ice Cream in a Bag

Do you ever find yourself craving ice cream when it’s cold outside? This sweet project can give your child a chemistry lesson, and the reward is sweet! Here’s how to make it: 

Ingredients

• 1 cup half and half

• 1/2 tsp artificial or imitation vanilla extract

• 1 tbsp sugar

• Ice

• 1/4 cup salt

• Ziploc bags 1 Small, 1 Large

Directions

1. Pour 1 cup of half and half into a small ziploc bag.

2. Add 1/2 teaspoon of artificial vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of sugar. 

3. Seal the bag firmly and get any excess air out. 

4. In the larger ziploc bag, fill it about 1/2 way with ice. Add 1/4 cup of salt.

5. Then add your small bag and fill with extra ice on top. Seal the large bag.

6. Get gloves for shaking and shake for 6 minutes. *Gloves are needed since the salt makes the ice extra cold.

7. Take the small bag out of the large bag and rinse the outside of the small bag with cold water. Make sure to rinse out the top part of the bag also (above the seal).

8. Once done rinsing, carefully open the small bag to not get any remaining salt from the outside of the bag inside the bag.

9. The ice cream will be a little icy looking to start. Use a spoon to mix it around and soften it up a bit. Scoop out and enjoy!

At NTCA, we encourage our students to continue learning during breaks from school. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.