Talking to Your Teen About Safe Driving

Getting on the road for the first time can be a freeing experience, but it also needs to be a safe one. When your teen gets their driver’s license, the first thing that comes to mind is their newfound freedom. They may be nervous to get out there and drive, but overall, it’s a positive experience. Now is an important time for you to talk to your teen about the importance of safe driving and the potential dangers they’ll find on the road ahead. 

Start with the Basics

First, talk to your teen about traffic laws and regulations. They needed to take their driving tests to get a driver’s license, but as a teen, they likely paid just enough attention to the information to pass. Discuss speed limits, traffic signs and how the right of way works in different situations. Remind them to always wear their seatbelt and to give driving their full attention every time they get on the road. 

Discuss the Dangers of Distracted Driving

While we often attribute distracted driving to cell phones, it’s nothing new. People eat while driving, blast music or get distracted by sights on the road. However, with mobile phones that allow people to text, talk on the phone, play games, use social media and more, there’s much more risk of driving distracted without realizing it. Talk to your teen about why eating or using their phone while driving can be dangerous. It only takes about 3 seconds of distraction to end up in a serious accident. 

Talk About Drug and Alcohol Use

No parent wants to think their teen is the one using drugs and drinking alcohol. However, that makes talking about it all the more important. Most teens will hide the fact that they drink or use drugs, or they’ll be pressured into it and feel guilty. Talk to your teen about the potential consequences of driving under the influence. Impaired judgment and slow reaction times can lead to life-altering accidents. Offer them a ride if they’re ever out and feel uncomfortable driving themselves. 

Provide Tips for Safe Driving

There’s more to safe driving than obeying traffic laws. While you’re out on the road with your teen, talk about defensive driving techniques, like maintaining a safe distance and anticipating hazards. Encourage your teen to get regular maintenance on their vehicle like oil changes and routine service, and help them schedule service visits if needed. Then, go back to the basics: remind them that they need to wear their seatbelt, stop at stop signs, slow down at speed bumps and look out for pedestrians. 

By learning how to navigate the road safely, your teen will be more empowered to enjoy the freedom of driving. At North Tampa Christian Academy, we encourage parents to be involved in this learning process. 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.

Why Students Should Be at the Center of Their Learning

The purpose of education is to help each student be successful in life, learning things they need to know about the world around them. However, not every student develops in the same way while going to school. Some students need more than what’s contained in the walls of a conventional classroom. This is where student-centered learning becomes optimal.  

A New Way for Students to Learn

Traditionally, classroom learning has been centered around teachers. Students learn what the teachers are told to teach. Student-centered learning differs in that it allows students to be involved in their own educational experiences. Teachers and students work together to create the learning paths, leading to a more collaborative environment and more meaningful learning for the students. 

Why Student Centered Learning Works

Putting students at the center of their learning has many benefits for everyone involved. Children who feel involved in the learning process become more engaged in what they’re learning and motivated to succeed. They take more ownership of their work and responsibility for their learning. Through this increased focus, critical thinking and problem-solving skills naturally improve. Learning becomes an adventure, one that students continue to enjoy beyond their time in school. 

Collaboration in the Classroom 

One of the main benefits of student-centered learning is the room it leaves for collaboration between peers. Students have more opportunities to put their heads together, whether it’s for everyday assignments or projects that take them beyond the classroom. Through this collaboration, they learn how to work with others to achieve common goals. They learn soft skills such as communication and listening that are more important than ever in today’s interconnected world. 

Developing Skills for the Modern World

In today’s world, some of the most important skills you can have come from collaborating with others. Knowing how to communicate effectively, resolve conflicts and adapt to change matters more now than ever before. The more children learn to work with others at a young age, the better prepared they will be for life after school. 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we know all about the power of putting students at the center of their learning. 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.

Balancing Academics and Athletics: Tips for Parents of Young Athletes

You want your child to be successful in all aspects of life, but that can be challenging. Student athletes need to spend a significant amount of time on athletics and a lot of time studying to thrive in both areas. Chances are, your student athlete will need help finding a balance between the two main aspects of their lives while still having time for friends and family. That’s where you come in. Here are some ways you can help your child achieve a balance between school and sports. 

Develop Time Management Skills

All students can benefit from learning time management skills, but it’s especially important for those who need to balance their academic lessons with extracurricular activities. Your student athlete may become overwhelmed when it’s the peak of the sports season and they see their homework piling up. Work with them to create a schedule that gives them plenty of time for schoolwork, sports practice and rest. 

Help Them Set Academic Goals

Student athletes often become so focused on their athletic goals that the academic ones fall by the wayside. Work with your child to set academic goals so they can stay on track in school. Encourage them to set goals that are realistic to reach but challenging enough that they need to work to attain them. This is an important part of creating balance.

Foster Open Communication

When your child needs someone to talk to, it’s important for them to know that you’re there. Balancing schedules between school and extracurricular activities can be overwhelming. It can be even more difficult to admit that they’ve taken on too much and need to take a break. Keeping the lines of communication open will give your child comfort when they need to go to you as a resource. 

Set Aside Time for Rest

Everyone needs to rest and recover, and when you have a busy schedule, rest can be hard to come by. Schedule time for rest so that your child can go back to giving it their all in the classroom and on the field. This may mean stopping them when they insist they just need one more hour of practice or one more hour to study. 

Celebrate All Accomplishments

Your ambitious child may struggle to see their smaller wins while working toward the big ones. Make sure to celebrate all of their accomplishments, from acing a difficult test to helping the team score points during a game. Keep them motivated throughout the season, and be there for them when things don’t go their way. It’s important for your child to know that they have your support, no matter how the season’s going.

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we believe parents play a major role in helping student athletes 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.

Building a Supportive Environment for Your Gifted Child

When you find out you have a gifted child, it’s often more of a confirmation of something you knew all along. Your child is special, and they are likely to outperform their peers. However, being a gifted child is rarely that straightforward. Gifted children tend to feel the need to prove themselves, and they struggle to ask for help when they need it. Here are some ways you can be a supportive parent to a gifted child. 

Avoid Comparison to Others

Most of the pressure gifted children face is from comparing themselves to others. These could be peers who they perceive as being smarter or more socially adept than they are. Help your child by avoiding the trap of comparing them to other people. Telling your child they are smarter than someone else can make them feel uneasy. Comparing them to someone who is outperforming them can make them feel less than. Focus on your child as an individual, rather than finding others to compare them to.

Applaud Effort and Accomplishments

Gifted children sometimes need to be reminded that effort matters. They tend to be more focused on the end goal and accomplishing the next big thing. However, the small accomplishments along the way are what help them get there. These children also need to be reminded that, even if something is not a resounding success, the effort made to reach the goal was worthwhile. 

Encourage Relationship Building

Your gifted child may appear to live in their own world. Children with diverse interests sometimes struggle to understand the importance of other people. Encourage your child to focus on building relationships with others, and not just their teachers. Talk to them about the friends they’ve made at school and their relationships with other family members. Guide them in focusing on friendships and relationships just as much as they focus on the very interesting thing they learned about in science class. 

Provide Enrichment Opportunities

Your gifted child is likely to have a lot of different interests, but some will persist over time. Whatever they’re interested in, provide opportunities for deeper exploration. If they won’t stop talking about sharks, spend a day at the aquarium together. Go to the library, and see if you can find some nonfiction books that will allow them to learn even more about their favorite things. Help them find answers to their seemingly endless list of questions. 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we create opportunities for every child to explore their genius. 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 Children Can Find Their Faith in the New Year

The new year is here, and now is the perfect time to get focused on faith. Many people use January to form new habits to start the year off right. Now that the holiday season has ended, the whole family can take some time to consider what their faith journey looks like. Here are a few ways your child can work on discovering their Christian faith this year: 

Regular Bible Study

There’s no better way to get immersed in Christian faith than studying the Bible. Help your child find age-appropriate Bible lessons to study over the course of the year. If you think your child is ready, see if this could be the year they read the Bible in its entirety for the first time. There are plenty of Bible reading plans available online. Whether it’s studying the Bible or reading it, the best way to build this new habit is to dedicate time to it every single day. 

Building Prayer Habits

Prayer is the best tool for making faith personal. By praying each day, or even a few times a day, your child can build a personal relationship with God. Encourage individual prayer, and pray together as a family. Let your child know that they can seek God’s guidance at any time, no matter what they’re going through in life. 

Worshiping with Others

For children, faith building often happens in a community setting. Joining groups at church or attending a Christian school can give children of faith extra opportunities to better understand what it means to be a Christian. Being surrounded by examples of living in faith helps children see how they can live in it themselves. 

Incorporating Faith in Daily Life

There’s more to faith than memorizing Bible verses and gospel lessons. Children find faith more relatable when it’s part of their everyday lives. This can mean treating others with love, respect and kindness. It may also look like donating to charity or helping a neighbor in need. Children can find plenty of ways to live fully in their faith and make it a focus of their lives.  

Seeking Spiritual Guidance

Sometimes, the spiritual path isn’t so straightforward, especially for children who are especially curious about the world around them. They may have a lot of questions that aren’t answered by simply reading a passage out of a book. This is where having guidance from spiritual leaders can help. The more a child can explore their faith and ask questions, the more invested they will be in their spiritual journey. 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we have an UNCOMMON faith development program that helps children discover their faith through discipleship, celebration and service. 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.