Dan and Rachael Polakovic London Ontario Real Estate Professional

Here are some ways to make homework time easier for you and your child:

• Have a regular place for your child to do homework - a desk or table in a quiet room.
• Set a regular time for homework. You may want to make a rule, "No television until homework is finished."
• Set aside ample time for homework and help your child plan how she'll use her time.
• Be available to answer questions and offer assistance, but never do the homework for her.
• To help alleviate fatigue, have your child close the books for 10 minutes every hour and go do something else.
• If your child is struggling with a particular subject, and you aren't able to help, a tutor can be a good solution. Discuss it with the teacher first.
• Have your child do the most difficult homework first. Save "easy" subjects for last.
• Praise your child's good work. Your interest will encourage good work.

When the warm summer months begin to wind down and the days become a little shorter, you can almost smell it in the air - back-to-school time is here! And, just as fall and cooler weather approach, so does back-to-school anxiety. Between kids fearing they'll miss the bus and won't make new friends, and parents feeling stressed about hectic mornings and carpooling chaos, how can anyone get excited about the first day back to school? Parents, however, can set the tone for a smooth transition from summer to the new classroom by proactively addressing their children's concerns. Here are a few tips to help ease your family's back-to-school anxiety.

• Be enthusiastic. If you are excited and confident, your child will be, too.
• Prepare yourself. Note your child's reaction to separation. If possible, visit the new setting together and introduce your child to the new teacher in advance.
• Start daily routines. Let your child become involved with packing her lunch and laying out her clothes the night before. Also, begin an earlier bedtime at least one week before.
• Pack the night before. Make sure your child packs her book bag every night before bed. This eliminates the morning rush and trying to locate stray items.
• Always say good-bye to your child. Be firm, but friendly about separating. Never ridicule a child for crying. Instead, make supportive statements like, "I know it's hard to say good-bye."
• Send a photo of your family or write a reassuring note and put it in his backpack or lunch box.
• At the end of the workday, put aside your work concerns and focus on being a parent.

A house is not a home, until the buyer adds their own touches.

Your challenge as a home seller is to neutralize your dcor and to lighten up the personal display of family, hobbies and recreational toys and trophies in order to allow the buyers to "see themselves" living in the home.

You've done all the right things so far if you've followed the advice of un-cluttering rooms, painting or cleaning to freshen up interiors, adding brighter lights and more.

Certain touches are welcome by most buyers. Be sure the home is cool in the summer or warm in the winter. Fresh flowers and a freshly waxed table show care and attention to detail. They add a pleasant aroma, too.

Giving the buyers "space" when they tour your home is of utmost importance. If a showing is scheduled with short notice, take a walk. Or, run an errand. Buyers may "think out loud" during the showing. If you are at home and overhear the buyer's comment: "The living room - it's so large!" You might be tempted to beam with pride and comment that it is larger than most. Only the Realtor knows that the buyer might be concerned that their furniture is too small for the room. Your reason for why they should buy could be their reason why they should not.

If you're considering the sale of your home, or if you know someone that needs or would appreciate our professional assistance, please help us to connect. Send them an email and tell them about me. And tell me about them, by email or by phone.

We look forward to working hard for you.

Sincerely,

Dan and Rachael Polakovic

www.two-realtors.com

Has summer actually arrived?? It's only August!!

With today being a scorcher in the City Of London (one of very few we have seen this year so far) many of us Londoner's would have been fleeing to the nearest swimming pool or splash pad for some quick refreshment.

For those who are unfamiliar with the term Splash Pad I will explain. Over the past few years in London Ontario, the city has been integrating these Splash Pads throughout the city. It's an alternative to a public pool and has become quite popular in our city. It's an area, usually found in a public park, and in areas heavily populated with families. They look alot like play grounds. They are colourful and have a soft landing. In various areas there are posts that stick out (some have recently become quite fancy and swirl around or have motion sensors) and spray water at random times. A few I have seen, like the one in Storybook Gardens in London Ontario is quite vast and has huge buckets of water that fill up and dump over the heads of laughing children. Great fun.. for children of any age I will add. I have gone several times with my young children and have had just a good of time as they did.

So on day's like today.. I would highly suggest you visit one of London Ontario's many Splash Pad locations and have a great time cooling off!!

Below is a list of where you can find some of them. HAPPY SPLASHING!

1) Gibbons Spray Pad in Gibbons Park London

2) Rowntree Spray Pad on Whetter Avenue London

3) Lambeth Spray Pad on Beattie Street West Lambeth

4) Forks of the Thames Spray Pad Near Harris Park in London

5) Kiwanis Spray Pad off Hale Street in Kiwanis Park London

6) West Lions Spray Pad by Kinsmen Rec Centre London

7) Bonaventure Spray Pad on Bonaventure Drive London

8) Jesse Davidson Park Spray Pad off Monte Vista or Ensign Crescent London

9) S.E. Optimist Park on Deveron Crescent London

10) And last but certainly not least.. the best one I have seen yet.. and also has many other things to offer for the family to do on a nice summer day is the one in Storybook Gardens of London Ontario.. definietly one you do not want to miss.

I am an avid reader of all things positive.

Be it "self help" books, Chicken Soup For Any Kind OF Soul..or anything that will lift my spirit and make me want to be all that I can be.

I have two young children. We frequent the local library.. I choose my books.. such as "How Can I Blog Better... ?" OR "The Seven Steps Of Highly Successful People".. and the children choose theirs. My kids are BIG fans of Mercer Mayer and Robert Munsch.

Today my daughter (4).. came to me with this book.. she said she liked the pictures.. I had a look and fell in love with the message. I bought a copy for everyone in my family and two for myself. What an amazing message to send to adults and children alike. That is why I chose to share it with all of you. Enjoy.. and learn something.

Hope..
Sometimes feels far away.
But HOPE is always there

Hope is warmth of strong arms around you
Hope is sad tears flowing, making room for joy.

Hope is angry words bursting, making room for understanding.
Hope is scared words asking for help, and finding that help is there.

HOPE is knowing that you are LOVED.
HOPE is knowing that you LOVE others.

HOPE IS HOLDING TIGHT TO YOUR MOTHERS HAND...

Hope is your father's goodnight kiss.
Hope is remembering his kisses when he can't be there with you.

Hope is finding happiness in simple things.
Hope is daring to do something you have never done before.

Hope is remembering that YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Many others feel just the way you do. Many others care.

Hope is a candle flame in the darkness

HOPE IS A CLEAR SKY ABOVE THE GREY CLOUDS.
Hope is the glistening snow when the storm has passed.

HOPE is a heart... that is open to the world around you.

HOPE IS KNOWING THAT THINGS CHANGE--- and we can help things change for the better.

Hope is always there.. waiting inside you to unfold

I recently lost my mother to cancer.. so turning my back on hope was easy.. hearing these words help me realize that no matter what tragedies we face in life.. hope is always there.. and this what helps us all live on forever.

.