My twins turned eleven yesterday which is amazing to me since I started SBParent.com when they were 3 years old. I would like to wish them a Happy Birthday since they have been my inspiration for starting this site and they have had a lot of patience with the time it has taken. We spent Sunday celebrating them and going through their baby books.(Unfortunately they only have the first eighteen months of their life documented... the rest of the photos remain stacked in a box or on a CD.) What a change to watch them go from babies to young ladies.

The rest of our Sunday was spent getting into the Halloween spirit... we started off at Big Wave Dave's Pumpkin Patch (print their coupon from Parent Perks) where we found great pumpkins including a white one. Afterwards, we had to check out the new Whole Foods and filled up on all the yummy treats and snacks. I do not think I will ever need to cook again. Then we were off to World of Magic & Scavenge for costumes and decorations... we now have a boxer, a vampire and an Egyptian princess in our midst. Click to find great Halloween resources and a list of all the fun events >>

Snap a picture of your costumed children (together or separately) and submit them on Family Favorites!  (Each photo would need its own submission.) OR share you favorite Halloween activity or neighborhood for trick or treating. WIN... passes to Golf N' Stuff in Ventura or to the SB Museum of Natural History & Ty Warner Sea Center! >>

CHARACTER COUNTS is a program that takes place in 24 of our local schools and encourages the 6 pillars of character. These traits are what we look for in the leader of our country and also are the traits we should be demonstrating and teaching to our children. (Learn more in the article below.) School elections that have been taking place in many of the schools are a great time to teach Character Counts.

This year was our first experience with electing school officers and a great opportunity to talk to our kids about "character." Both of our daughters ran for an office and before they left for school the day of the voting, we reminded them that it did not matter to us if they won... what mattered was that they were gracious with their opponents whether they won or lost. As it turned out, one lost and the other won and each came home comfortable with the results and sharing that they were excited for the students that were elected. I told my kids what made me proud was them taking the risk to run and give a speech in front of their school. I really believe that we need to teach our kids more about enjoying the experiences whether it is sports, contests, elections because they will not win everything and we want them to enjoy the process which will in turn teach them to lose graciously.

MOM IN THE SPOTLIGHT...
And, speaking of character, we know a mom with model character:  Joie Horton is a Santa Barbara native and a mom of three. We have had the pleasure to work with her the last several years for the American Girl Fashion show. Read more about this inspiring mom who juggles her family and volunteer involvement with a smile on her face.... >>

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES are coming in the next few weeks for parents with school-age children. This is a great time for parents to connect with their child's teacher and ask questions and learn how they are progressing. I know I spend the first month of school wondering how they are doing in class. You see the papers come home with the plus and minus at the top and you hear your kids complain about tasks or teachers but it is hard to gauge what all that means. Click here to read an article written by our County Superintendent, Bill Circone >>   Go in prepared. You are your child's advocate and a voice for your child so use this time to listen and check-in with their teacher. Talk to your child before and find out what they may be concerned about. If you have a child with special needs, make sure they have access to all the available resources in your district.

But don't wait for the conferences if your child is falling behind... Use the resources available in your school and check our list of Tutors for a complete list of local programs >> 

~Submitted by the United Way of SB County

Character Counts is a curriculum and program for elementary school age children. The program emphasizes the importance of good character through class lessons and adult interaction. From 15 minute to full period lessons that can be incorporated into any subject, character development is reinforced throughout the school day in an age and subject appropriate way.
The Six Pillars include:

• Trustworthiness- Be honest; don't deceive, cheat or steal; have the courage to do the right thing.
• Respect- Be tolerant of differences; deal peacefully with anger, insults and discouragement
• Responsibility- Think before you act; consider the consequences; be accountable for your choices.
• Fairness- Be open minded; play by the rules; don't take advantage of others
• Caring- Be kind; forgive others; help people in need
• Citizenship- Obey the laws and rules; protect the environment.

Currently in 24 elementary schools from Carpinteria to Santa Ynez, Character Counts is reaching 12,000 students a day. United Way of Santa Barbara County purchases the necessary supplies, helps provide the curriculum at no cost to the teachers and is the largest funder for the Character Counts full time specialist position. We are going into our 6th year of Character Counts here and are celebrating the difference it has already made in Santa Barbara's youth.

Below is only a partial list of upcoming events and activities so be sure to click on our EVENT CALENDAR so you do not miss anything >>

Use the PARENT PLANNER to click on events and resources you are interested in and click PRINT MY PLANNER to print or email your list. >>

Saturday, October 24th
A fun-filled community event that includes something for everyone including children!
Three levels of hikes to choose from - from easy to advanced.

Following the hikes will be a free community BBQ provided by Kiwanis Clubs of SB with entertainment, kids activities and music. All adult hikers are encouraged to raise a minimum of $100, ages 8-18 $50, and children under 8 are free! ALL funds raised go directly to support the Daniel Bryant Youth and Family Treatment Center. More event details >

~ Submitted by Beth Kanne-Cassleman, MEd, MFT

Here are a few tips to optimize this special one-on-one time you will soon have with your child's teacher!

What to expect:

The parent-teacher conferences are usually a packed 20-30 minutes intended to review how school has been for your child thus far this year. The teacher will be prepared to go over formal information, such as report cards, work samples, and assessments as well anecdotal information, all of which will be of great interest to you. This is your chance to get detailed feedback on your child, so grab it while you can.

Like homework, it is another opportunity to strengthen the home-school connection. The teacher will provide you with insight into your child's strengths and stretches and some suggestions for what you can do to further support your child at home, while also explaining what he/she will be doing at school to meet your child's needs. It is a chance to really deepen the collaborative potential that the adults in your child's life have to support him/her in becoming the best the that he/she can be!

Some things to consider as the conference approaches:

• Start looking more carefully at your child's schoolwork and generate questions that arise for you about it. Take notice and jot down examples of any patterns you are seeing in your child's work or attitudes about school this year to share with the teacher. (Consider carryover rough spots from previous years and new strengths, improvements, or struggles emerging.)  Read entire article >>

One of the best things we can do for children today is expose them to the world and language of money.

Elisabeth Donati's Camp Millionaire is designed to efficiently and painlessly deliver all the information children need to get a big step up in the financial world. Her new two-day version of camp empowers kids ages 10-14 with the tools and knowledge they need to fully be in charge of creating their own lives.

The program activities break down complicated financial concepts into easy-to-understand pieces so kids don't ever have to feel "stupid" when it comes to money. They leave feeling solid financial ground under their feet and knowing they really can be millionaires someday if they choose.

If you learned about money the hard way (or still are), you can make it so much better for your children. It's a small investment for a huge return.  NEXT 2 DAY CAMP DATES: NOVEMBER 7 & 8

Click here for a direct link to our enrollment form. For more information, go to our website. 

~ Submitted by Dubin Learning Center

When tutoring is not enough, Educational Therapy offers children and adults with learning disabilities and other learning challenges a wide range of intensive, individualized interventions designed to remediate learning problems.

Educational therapy demystifies learning problems and stimulates clients' awareness of their strengths so they can use those strengths to best advantage to overcome or compensate for areas of weakness.

Educational therapists create and implement a treatment plan that utilizes information from a variety of sources including the client's social, emotional, psychoeducational, and neuropsychological context.

The Association of Educational Therapists is the national professional association for educational therapists. AET defines and sets standards for the professional practice of educational therapy. Group Study leader for Santa Barbara is Deidre Dubin. She arranges for speakers once a month that are hosted by Crane School.