Being a Great Parent… Are You Doing Enough?

As parents, it’s natural to wonder if we’re doing enough for our children. We want to provide them with every opportunity, teach them strong values, ensure they have good manners, and set them up for academic and personal success. 

Our “parent brain” makes us question whether we could have done more, taught them better, or handled situations differently.

But the truth is, there is no such thing as perfect parenting.

The best kind of parenting is where we do our best, and act with love, intention, and consistency.

At Journey Education we believe in supporting parents and students on their journey of growth and learning. Parenting isn’t about perfection; it’s about guiding our children with patience, understanding, and trust.

We all make mistakes. We’re human, learning and growing just as our children are. And that’s okay. Just as we evolve through our own experiences, our children need the space to do the same—to learn, struggle, build resilience, and develop independence. These life experiences are essential in shaping them into confident, capable individuals who will thrive in the future.

Rather than feeling guilty about our parenting choices, we can use them as opportunities to improve—not as reasons to be hard on ourselves. The most important thing we can do is to lead with love, trust the process, and have faith that every challenge our child faces will help shape them into the person they are meant to become.

At Journey Education, we understand the importance of education, character development, and a supportive learning environment. We are a private school that nurtures academic success, leadership, and emotional growth. We invite you to learn more about our K-8 program and how we partner with families to help students thrive.

Schedule a tour today and discover how Journey Education can support your child’s journey!

What YOU Focus On Changes Everything!

Our brains are truly incredible! They process information, protect us, and generate thoughts that help us navigate the world. One of the most fascinating things about our brains is that they help us see what we expect to see. Have you ever bought a red car and suddenly noticed red cars everywhere? That’s because our attention naturally sharpens what is familiar and important to us.

This same principle applies to parenting. What we choose to focus on in our children will shape our experience with them—and theirs with us.

What Do You See in Your Child?

When you look at your child, what are you focusing on?

  • Do you see their curiosity, kindness, and unique strengths?
  • Or do you find yourself zeroing in on their struggles, mistakes, or areas where they don’t meet expectations?

The way we perceive our children influences how we interact with them and, ultimately, how they see themselves. If we consistently notice and highlight their positive traits, they will grow into those strengths. On the other hand, if we dwell on what they lack, that focus will shape their reality too.

The Power of Perspective

Let’s consider a simple example:

  • If you focus on your child’s poor grades, every low test score will feel like a major setback.
  • But if you focus on their love for making friends, their creativity, or their perseverance, you’ll start to appreciate the qualities that make them special beyond the report card.

This doesn’t mean we ignore challenges or areas for growth. Instead, it means we approach them from a place of encouragement and possibility rather than frustration or disappointment.

Be Intentional with Your Focus

Our thoughts shape our words, and our words shape our children’s beliefs about themselves. That’s why it’s so important to be intentional about how we think about, talk to, and talk about our children.

Our brains are powerful, and we have control over what we choose to focus on. Let’s use that power wisely. When we intentionally look for the good in our children, we nurture their confidence, resilience, and potential.

So, what will you choose to see in your child today?

What Kind of Parent Will You Decide to Be?

Did you know that you can decide ahead of time what kind of parent you will be?
Consciously making decisions about how you want to be with your child is the first step to truly being that kind of parent.
These decisions are especially important when things get frustrating and hectic. It won’t be perfect, but making those decisions will help you act or react in the way you want to show up.

Examples of parenting decisions include:

  • I stop and listen to what my child has to say.
  • I seek to understand where my child is coming from and why he may have acted a certain way
  • I find the humor in parenthood rather than getting offended or frustrated
  • I pick creating memories with my child rather than getting things done on my to do list
  • I will let it be okay that it takes time to get places
  • I honor and value my child’s individuality
  • I don’t expect my child to be perfect

Take time and write what decisions you will use as guidelines to your parenting. Doing this little exercise could be one of your most powerful parenting tools in deciding how to show up for your child in the moment.

At Journey Education, a Las Vegas private school, we support the job of parenting. Come and check us out.  #LasVegasPrivateSchool #Kindergarden #EarlyChildhood #Parenting #K-8thGrade #GreatParenting

 

The Magic of Reading Begins in Kindergarten

When my oldest child began kindergarten, 30 years ago, she spent each week focusing on a specific letter. At the end of the year she had thoroughly colored, decorated, and played games surrounding all 26 of them. In today’s classroom students are taught so much more!

At Journey you can expect your kindergartener to be taught to recognize the 26 letters of the alphabet, the sounds each letter makes, how to write the letters correctly, and the additional phonograms that make up the rest of the English language.

Furthermore, it is not unusual for Journey Kindergarteners to be reading before the end of the year. As these young scholars learn to read, they are also learning to write. They sound out words, create sentences and written thought. Adding writing to the Kindergarten curriculum gives our students a deeper comprehension of the English language and the richness of words.

Young learners at Journey receive a strong foundation in which to build and develop their potential as great readers and writers. This growth is a result of Journey’s philosophy to provide daily work that is specifically geared toward each child’s abilities.

Kindergarten is a magical place, not only where reading and writing unfold, but also where children learn to love learning and discovering. Take a minute to stop by and see the magic we are talking about.

Is it Good to be Wrong?

As a parent, our children learn from our examples. This includes our good and bad behaviors.

The good news is that our imperfections and mistakes can create a healthy example for our children, so long as we are able to admit to being wrong and learn from the experience.

Being wrong really isn’t a problem and is actually a part of being human. However, being wrong can become a negative when we make it mean something about us.

When you are wrong do you think, “I’m not smart, good or worthy”.  Do you feel shame, denial, or defensiveness?  These feelings about being wrong can cause rifts in relationships or missed opportunities to learn and grow. We often fall into the trap of thinking that we need to be right in order to be validated or being right is how we show we are smart, good, worthy. If being wrong means this to us, then most likely it means the same to our children.

Children who cannot handle making mistakes struggle and even go to extremes to prove themselves right. These children lie, ignore, and have meltdowns to handle their problems. They also struggle to connect with others and to be genuinely who they are.

When we are comfortable being wrong, we can experience

  1. that being wrong is a great way to learn more about ourselves
  2. it is interesting to connect with others that think differently
  3. mistakes as a great way to improve and get better at a skill
  4. a greater sense of humor and the ability to laugh at our mistakes

Being wrong is a human condition. As we embrace it, we teach our children to embrace wrongness as well.

Making History on the Nevada History Trip

The Nevada History trip for our 4th and 5th graders was a blast The student’s itinerary was non stop from the time we met at the airport at 4 am until we returned home.

Virginia City – 4th Ward School House

We flew into Reno and after grabbing a quick breakfast headed to Virginia City. Here are the things we did and saw in Virginia City:

  • Silver Terrace Cemetery
  • Trolley Tour of Virginia City
  • 4th Ward School House
  • MacKay Mansion
  • Ponderosa Mine
  • The Way It Was Museum scavenger hunt
  • Silver Queen Hotel
  • Piper Opra House
  • Comstock Gold Mill
  • Ended the day in Virgina City taking Old Time Photos
  • Headed to Carson where we ate dinner and did some bowling
Journey Students with Governor Sisolak

 

In Carson City, Nevada’s capitol we did the following tours

  • Capitol Building
  • Legislative Building
  • Nevada State Museum
  • Railroad Museum
  • Stewart Indian School

 

5 star Dad – making improvements at Journey!

Have you noticed the many safety improvements around Journey? If so, you are seeing the hard word of the Fun Run Fundraiser in action! Because of your participation, the Fun Run raised enough money to reach our goal and improve safety at Journey.

But these projects don’t get done by themselves, and take a great deal of time and energy to see them to fruition. Behind the scenes, working steadily so that we can all enjoy these improvements you will find a Journey dad, active JPO member, and Journey board member, JIM SMITH.

There is no way to adequately thank Jim for the many hours he has put into seeing that these projects are started and completed. From getting bids, hiring contractors, researching, making decisions, and following up each job, Jim has been there every step of the way!

Here is a list of the improvements Jim made sure got done: privacy screens on the playground, emergency gate on the playground, new rocks on the playground, a shed for fitness and play equipment, an emergency gate exit by the portables, more fencing to close off the back side of the campus by the portables, new camera system, and additional outdoor lighting.

Thank you Jim! Your are definitely a five star Journey Dad!

Did You Hear About….?

….How gossiping has a negative effect on children?

It is true that gossiping fulfills fundamental needs like feeling a connection with others, providing entertainment, or helping us to feel better about ourselves. But ultimately gossip is harmful to our relationships, to ourselves, and to other people.

Here’s what children learn from adults when we gossip:

  1. It is okay to be unkind and unthoughtful– although gossiping is only words, those words are hurtful and self-serving. Years ago, my 7-year-old came home from school sad about what she heard someone say about her. She wisely reported that words hurt worse than rocks.
  2. How to interact and treat others –When our interactions with others lack integrity, our relationships suffer. Talking negatively about others shows them what they can expect when they are not there.
  3. We can’t be trusted to keep a secret – When we talk about others we are showing that we don’t care about another’s privacy. Others will ultimately be guarded around us because we can’t be trusted.

3 ways to teach your children to be impeccable with their word by:

  1. Be aware of your thoughts and feelings toward others – Notice that gossiping provides a false momentary pleasure and when you have left the situation it will cut out some joy from your life.
  2. Be willing to be uncomfortable – It can be hard to not share in the talk about another person. We might be at a loss for what are we going to talk about instead. If gossiping has become a habit, it might take some time to be comfortable with not saying anything.
  3. Find new ways to connect – Instead of connecting with others by discussing the problems or misfortunes of another, be more genuine, and your relationships will flourish.
  4. Talk about others as if they are present – when you do talk about another person, do so as if that person were standing right there. It will keep your words uplifting.

We can replace gossip with positive, helpful conversations, so that our children learn to do the same. The result is a joyous life of integrity.

Spring Break Endings

Ahhh! Spring!  I love this time of year where everything begins to blossom. This is the time in Las Vegas that we wish the weather would stay just as it is, balmy warm instead of blaring hot.

By this point of spring break, you are either really loving the time with your kids and being away from a normal schedule, or you are ready to get back at it and send the them back to school.

This year we had a late spring break, which makes that last push to the end of the year really short. Encourage your kids to gear up and get ready to end the school year with gusto. There are some great weeks of learning ahead of us! And spring fever to fight through!

As this week comes to a close, I challenge you to use the weekend to find some lazy time with your children just talking, playing a game, or going for a walk.

Have a great Easter weekend and get ready for the last 5 weeks of school!

Thank you to Journey Annual Sponsor: Battle Born Injury Lawyers

“Encourage, lift and strengthen one another. For we are connected, one and all” Deborah Day

I am a big believer that we all make the world a better place as we work together in support for a greater cause. It is amazing to see many of you give your time and support in creating an amazing place for our kids to learn and grow.

We are ever so grateful to our Annual Sponsor, Battle Born Injury Lawyers, who has supported Journey three years running. Battle Born’s sponsorship has been a key component in supporting events and fundraisers at Journey over the past years.

Matt Hoffman, a Battle Born attorney, Journey parent, and Journey Education board member has been a supportive and active participant at the school. We appreciate the knowledge, support, and insight he brings to the table as the board makes important decisions.

A big thank you to Matt Hoffman and Battle Born Injury Lawyers for your support of Journey Education!