Inquiring Moms Want to Know

Question: My child wants private music lessons. How do I select a teacher?

Answer: Asking other parents or your school’s music teacher for referrals is a great start. Ask the music instructor for a list (resume) of his or her experience and other credentials, and ask if they have jobs other than teaching (this sometimes can interfere with their role as teacher, or may be a sign that they may not be fully dedicated).  Most importantly, ask for a meeting with the music instructor and your child to be sure the personalities fit.

Question: My daughter loves to read. How can I find books that challenge her?

Answer: Ask your daughter’s teacher and the school librarian for ideas — letting them know the types of books your child is devouring at home.  Asking parents with older children might help too since they’ve “been there.” Another good idea is to try an online search engine based on the likes/dislikes such as www.whatshouldireadnext.com. Also, scour used book stores, yard sales, library book sales and other types of places for reading ideas at great prices.

Question: I’m not a crafty person — but I’m looking for creative indoor activities for my kids on these endless snow days.

Answer: Try baking a fancy dessert together — or even cooking a “gourmet” meal, letting your children do most of the work (including setting the table and cleaning the dishes). Or have your child take photos with a digital camera and then let them download and edit the pictures. If you have more than one child, pull out a bunch of age-appropriate jigsaw puzzles and let them race it out. For older children, working on their journal or scrapbook is a perfect bad-weather activity. And, there’s always house cleaning!