When parents send their children off to school every day, they do not always know what goes on in the classroom until report cards come out or it becomes time for parent teacher conferences. But having a healthy relationship with your child’s teacher is an important aspect of being involved in your child’s education.

According to Parentsoup.com, the following five tips can help you forge a strong relationship with your child’s teacher, which helps your child get more out of his or her school experience.

Introduce yourself. Don’t wait until something goes wrong to meet the teacher. Introduce yourself as soon as possible and try to make a kind, friendly impression.
Get the facts.If your child tells you something upsetting about what happened at school, they may be leaving out important details. Calmly get the teacher’s side of the story before you make any judgments.
Show respect. If you have a problem with a teacher, have the courtesy to discuss it with the teacher first. Only go to the principal if you can’t get the issue resolved.
Be empathetic.Teachers have a tough job, and their goal is to do what’s best for your child. Approach them with this in mind.
Stay in touch. Don’t wait for report cards to come out before getting in touch with the teacher. Keeping an open dialogue throughout the year helps you and the teacher give your child the best possible educational experience.

Find more tips and advice for improving your relationship with your child’s teacher at Good Parents Stay Involved.

Many schools and school groups, like the Parent Teacher Alliance (PTA), work hard to offer parents opportunities to become more involved in their children’s school experience. The following are five tips parents can use to keep involved with their child’s school and help improve their overall educational experience:

1. Ask lots of questions, and listen to the answers. Your child is discovering many new things every day at school. Put aside your grown-up worries for an hour or two and listen to what they have to say.
2.Keep in touch with the teacher. Knowing and keeping in touch with your child’s teacher is the most effective way to keep abreast of your child’s progress and to get a handle on any problems he or she might be having.
3. Join the PTA. The PTA is very involved with what happens at your child’s school. Talking to other parents and keeping abreast of what is going on help you be more involved.
4. Provide encouragement. Report cards only come out a few times a year, but every day is a new opportunity to encourage your child to do their best.
5. Don’t forget about after school activities. Sports teams, music and drama, the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, and church activities all offer productive and enriching activities for kids after school lets out.

Read more details about each of these tips at Good Parents Stay Involved.

In Mississippi and other states, emergency rooms and pediatricians are called upon to treat children who suffer head injuries as a result of an ATV accident or incident. Dr. Shannon Smith is a pediatric rehabilitation doctor based in Mississippi. Dr. Smith is advocating for the passage of a law that would require helmets for children who ride ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles). You can read more about Dr. Smith's points and the dangers of ATVs at Mississippi Needs Tougher ATV Laws for the Protection of Children.

With or without a law in place, all owners of ATVs should exercise good safety measures especially when children are riding on the ATVs. Put a helmet on the child and properly supervise the use of the ATV. Just because the ATV is operated on a dirt road off of concrete does not mean that the child cannot be injured by an accident or fall off the ATV. Many serious head and brain related injuries can be avoided or lessened by the wearing of an appropriate helmet.

In Texas and other states throughout the nation, there is a danger in virtually every home - the bathtub. Leaving a toddler / small child unattended in a bathtub can lead to tragedy. In Houston, Texas, a 8 month old boy was left unattended for a period long enough to drown. The incident took place at approximately 5:20 p.m. While attending to some other children, the baby drowned. Parents and caregivers need to devote all their time and attention to the child in the bathtub due to the real and present danger of drowning. Since a child can drown in a very short period of time, there is no acceptable periods of inattention or lack of supervision when a child is in a bathtub. Unfortunately, many parents, who are loaded with responsibilities of work, housework, and other children, do not recognize the danger of the bathtub until it is too late. You can read more about this story at Baby Reported as Drowning Death in Houston, Texas.

A mother in Cantebury, Connecticut was recently arrested after she left her 11 year old daughter home alone for a week. The child's lack of supervision was discovered after she missed school. The mother initially claimed that she was visiting the State of Florida due to a death in the family but later admitted she was in Florida to see her boyfriend. Most people would probably agree that 11 year old children need supervision and that one week is way too long to leave a child to take care of herself. Others may argue that 11 year olds are mature enough to take care of themselves for this period of time. Fortunately, the 11 year old Connecticut girl did not suffer any personal injuries but one must wonder how the 11 year old feels about having a mother leave her for a week to visit a boyfriend. It was reported that the 11 year old girl went to live with her father in New York following this incident. You can see a video about this story at Police: Connecticut Mother Left Child Alone for a Week.

Of course, the mother will have the right to defend herself in the criminal proceedings through a private criminal attorney or a public defender. This story should be used as an illustration as to the importance of providing children with proper and consistent supervision. The failure to act as a responsible parent can lead to serious consequences.