(Family Features) Most parents would agree the quality of their children’s education plays a key role in their overall development. While parents are optimistic about the future of education, they also recognize children have educational needs beyond what is considered the standard.

A Harris Poll survey on behalf of KinderCare found 83% of parents believe it’s important for children to be raised with social emotional skills, 84% believe it’s important children learn to treat others the way they want to be treated and 83% believe kindness should be a core value in the way children are educated. Now, parents want a focus on social emotional skills, mental health, kindness and understanding differences.

Consider these three ways parents can encourage social and emotional learning in their children:

1. Practice Emotional Literacy at Home: Disagreements among parents and siblings are almost inevitable at home. While this can seem challenging to handle, it can serve as an opportunity for children to practice emotional literacy by identifying their feelings and the feelings of others. It also gives children the opportunity to practice their listening skills and put themselves in the other person’s shoes. By using these skills, children can develop a stronger sense of empathy and understand how their emotions drive their actions.
    
2. Practice Mindfulness with a Relaxing Activity: Mindfulness can help children understand and regulate their emotions, especially when it becomes a regular habit. Parents can instill this habit in their kids by picking a set time to do activities in a calm space at home every day such as reading a book, listening to calm music or something as simple as deep breathing.
    
3. Provide Unplugged Opportunities to Connect with Other Children: Activities that don’t revolve around a screen and encourage in-person socialization with peers can provide opportunities for children to practice building their social emotional skills. Programs like KinderCare’s Champ Camp include indoor and outdoor group activities as well as field trips designed to help children use their natural creativity and curiosity to learn and develop important social skills.

To learn more about social emotional learning, visit kindercare.com.

SOURCE:
KinderCare

Planning a wedding on a strict budget may seem daunting, but it is possible. With careful planning and creative thinking, you can have a beautiful wedding without breaking the bank. Here are some tips to help you plan your wedding on a strict budget:

1. Set a realistic budget: The first step in planning a wedding on a strict budget is to set a realistic budget. This will help you determine how much you can afford to spend on each aspect of the wedding.
2. Prioritize: Once you have a budget, you need to prioritize the aspects of the wedding that are most important to you. For example, you may want to spend more on the venue and less on the decorations.
3. Choose an affordable venue: The venue is one of the biggest expenses for a wedding. Consider choosing an affordable venue, such as a public park or a backyard. This can save you a lot of money.
4. DIY decorations: Instead of hiring a professional decorator, consider doing the decorations yourself. You can make centerpieces and other decorations using inexpensive materials.
5. Buy a pre-owned wedding dress: Wedding dresses can be expensive, but you can save money by buying a pre-owned dress. There are many online marketplaces where you can find gently used wedding dresses at a fraction of the cost.
6. Serve a buffet or family-style meal: A sit-down meal can be expensive. Consider serving a buffet or family-style meal instead. This can save you money on catering.
7. Use seasonal flowers: Flowers can be expensive, but you can save money by using seasonal flowers. They are usually less expensive and easier to find.
8. Skip the favors: Wedding favors can be expensive and often end up in the trash. Consider skipping the favors or choosing something simple and inexpensive.
9. Limit the guest list: The more guests you have, the more expensive the wedding will be. Consider limiting the guest list to close family and friends.
10. Be creative: Finally, be creative and think outside the box. There are many ways to have a beautiful wedding without spending a lot of money. Consider making your own invitations, using candles instead of flowers, or having a potluck reception.

In conclusion, planning a wedding on a strict budget requires careful planning and creativity. By following these tips, you can have a beautiful wedding without breaking the bank. Remember to prioritize, be creative, and enjoy your special day.

https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/

https://www.ramseysolutions.com/saving/planning-your-wedding-on-a-budget

https://parade.com/1011063/marynliles/wedding-on-a-budget/

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued draft guidance, Clinical Trial Considerations to Support Accelerated Approval of Oncology Therapeutics, regarding clinical trial design considerations to support accelerated approval applications. The accelerated approval pathway is commonly used for approval of oncology drugs in part due to the serious and life-threatening nature of cancer and because of available intermediate clinical endpoints likely to predict clinical benefit.

“The FDA’s accelerated approval program has provided patients with cancer earlier access to novel treatments that can be practice changing,” said Richard Pazdur, MD, Director of the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence. “Today’s draft guidance provides recommendations to sponsors for designing clinical trials to support accelerated approval. Building quality and efficiency into the design of oncology clinical trials is a crucial component in providing maximum benefit to those living with cancer.”

The draft guidance discusses the design of clinical trials, and ways to improve the data available at the time of accelerated approval and reduce clinical uncertainty for patients by initiating postmarketing confirmatory studies in a timely manner. Specifically, the draft guidance addresses the design, conduct and analysis of data through two randomized clinical trial approaches – conducting two separate randomized controlled clinical trials or using one trial for both accelerated approval and to verify clinical benefit. The draft guidance also provides considerations for sponsors to determine the adequacy of single-arm studies to support an application.
  
For drugs granted accelerated approval, postmarketing confirmatory trials have been required to verify and describe the anticipated clinical benefit. The draft guidance discusses a potential advantage of randomized clinical trials–compared to single-arm trials–by highlighting that use of the one-trial approach, in appropriate cases, may not require separate clinical trials because longer term follow-up in the same trial could fulfill a postmarketing requirement to verify clinical benefit. Moreover, confirmatory trials that are in progress at the time of accelerated approval are more likely to result in a timely verification of clinical benefit, therefore minimizing the period of uncertainty for patients.

In a commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2022External Link Disclaimer, Oncology Center of Excellence staff outlined the concepts included and expanded upon in the draft guidance. The Oncology Center of Excellence has also launched Project Confirm, as an initiative that promotes the transparency of outcomes related to accelerated approval for oncology indications and  fosters discussion and research on the accelerated approval program. The project developed a searchable database with information on the status of all oncology accelerated approvals, a model that was then adopted by FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research for all accelerated approvals.

Related Information

• Oncology Center of Excellence Guidance Documents
• Clinical Trial Considerations to Support Accelerated Approval of Oncology Therapeutics Guidance for Industry 
• Accelerated Approval Program
• Project Confirm

Source: FDA