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Helping Your Child Build Courage That Will Increase Concentration

16/12/2008 by

By Teresa A. Morgan

Courage is confidence, and confidence separates individuals who are successful from those people who settled for less in life. Confidence comes with experience, and it's something people acquire with skill and knowledge.

So what does all of this have to do with your child? How does courage relate to concentration?

Giving your children a skill-set in concentration and other vital skills will give them the confidence they need to reach success. It will give them the courage to withstand social pressure and be confident in their abilities. Low self-esteem can devastate a person and have a debilitating effect on their life and lead to depression that consumes the mind. The key is to develop your child's confidence and courage to conquer any obstacle they may encounter EARLY in their life so they will be well equipped to handle any situation they may face as an adult.

When a person lacks courage, they will inevitably prevent themselves from reaching success. A lack of personal courage is marked by the propensity to vacillate when making decisions. This hesitation and "back-and-forth" nature distracts a person from concentrating on a task that will help them accomplish their goals. People who are hesitant when making decisions and lack a steady purpose generally lack courage, or confidence, to tackle the unknown or encounter obstacles. Bottom line: if your child becomes an adult with no courage, they run the risk of being plagued by financial, mental, and moral difficulties.

Courage encompasses so much more. For a child and a teenager (and even an adult), courage gives them the strength to not submit to other people's opinions. Furthermore, a courageous person will be naturally attracted to other courageous people, giving a person a quality group of people to associate with and learn in their daily interactions. You want your impressionable child to have a quality "referent group" of friends so the outside influence is productive, as opposed to friends that can destroy your child.

The problem with other people's opinions is that it can distract an individual from concentrating on their goals. Perhaps they make you feel silly or not qualified, and for many people, that's enough to discourage them from a pursuit. A person with courage is not as approval-seeking as weaker individuals.

As a parent, you can empower your child with the skill-set to make them not only courageous in their social interactions and life decisions, but also improve their concentration so they won't be distracted from their goals.

For more information, check out http://www.concentrationfreereport.com

If you have any experiences or problems you'd like to share about concentration for children,
please feel free to shoot me an e-mail at concentrationforchildren@gmail.com. I'd love to discuss it
with you or perhaps give you some information to help out.

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Filed Under: Articles · Tagged With: children, concentration for children, confidence, courage, Parenting, peer pressure, self-esteem, teens

Creating Quality Time With Your Children Even When You Don't Have Time

16/12/2008 by

By Kate B Smith

In the modern world, most parents are both working, and the children either spend the day at a child-care centre, or are 'key-carrying children' (that is, they come home from school and use their own personal keys to open the door, and wait for their parents to return from work). Most of the time, you, the parents, who storm in the door after a hard day of work, want to get everything done in the little time that is left (may it be chores, house repairs, computer work, a favorite TV show, making phone calls, and more).

Very often, you are angry with your children, as they have not yet finished their homework, or they've messed up their rooms, or they did not make themselves anything to eat yet, and so on. Without even noticing it, you keep putting off your children's demands, even if they attach themselves to your legs. You try to do as much as you can and accommodate for your child's wishes, and you do it during dinner or during bath time, but unfortunately by that point, your children have driven you mad or have given up and are fixed to the computer or TV. Do not complain about all the hours your child spends lazily in front of the TV or computer screen. This is the bad case. The even worse case is that your child would forget what they want to share with you. Your child would get used to not sharing his or her problems and needs with you which unfortunately will create a reality that your child cuts you, the parent, out of their emotional growth.

Just imagine, what if you were stuck for an additional 30 minutes or hour in traffic on the way home from work, or if you had to work overtime? What if you had to stop on the way back from work to visit a friend or a sick aunt? You should not treat these delays as trivial.

Every day when you return home, put your bag aside, sit in the centre of the house, and call your children to you. Now is the time. The whole day, your children have waited to tell you something very important that happened to them. And if you make them used to the fact that as soon as you enter the door they have your full attention, they will run to you happily, tell, and share. Ask your kids questions and encourage them. "How was your day?" Listen to all the little details. If you're persistent, you'll immediately notice many issues and problems when they are just arising. You will be able to nip them in the bud. Make your kids used to the fact that you are there for them, and that everything else can wait. This will also have an immediate positive effect on your kids' self esteem. Listen from a positive, constructive place.

Give a sense of protection and encouragement. With the years, it will be completely clear to your children that you are there for them at any time, not just there in the background, but there with them in the picture. For example, when a little boy tells his Mom that today the teacher punished him for something he did, the Mom responds that all in all, the teacher did the right thing. Even the boy knows that. He learnt a lesson. But that's not what he expected from his Mom. He expects that she'll ask and be interested. "How was it to be punished? What did you go through?" The boy needs to remember that even if he was wrong, and the teacher was correct to punish him, that his Mom is on his side showing sympathy and empathy. Only then, and only in the case that the punishment was not justified, should his Mom address the topic of the teacher's choice of punishment.

The calm, accepting atmosphere that you create will produce an environment of 'quality time'. From there, it will be much easier for you and your children to choose together what to do with the rest of the evening.

Do not say "in my home, the kids are already fixated to a computer screen and they are already used to entertaining themselves". You can always change bad habits. From now on, when you get back home, even if your child is sitting in front of a computer, sit next to them. Give them a feeling that you are there for them. Even if initially your child stays fixated to their computer screen or immersed in their personal affairs, persist with your new strategy. Keep on sitting next to them. Eventually, that will have an effect and you will achieve the feeling of partnership described above. This feeling of partnership will substantially decrease tensions, fears, frustrations and anxiety, and will significantly increase their self esteem and sense of worth.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kate_B_Smith
http://EzineArticles.com/?Creating-Quality-Time-With-Your-Children-Even-When-You-Dont-Have-Time&id=1773771

Filed Under: Articles · Tagged With: bruxism, children, family, Parenting, stress, teeth grinding, working mother

Kids 2015 – Part I

16/12/2008 by

By Llonard Yap

When we mention kids, the first thing that comes to our mind is understandably our kids - their well-being, their health, their proper care, their future and their education. This is complicated by today's situation, the global financial crisis. Will we ever get to give them what we want for them? Would they be able to compete? Will they have the same, if not better, chances than we have today? Technology is playing a role in dramatically changing our kids' future and our future. At the pace technology is progressing, information will be at our kids' grasp - on demand. So, what might be the evolving megatrend for kids? What might they be in 2015?

By 2015, information will be at our kids' grasp 24/7 on demand. This will change the landscape of education delivery. Already, some are asking: with the internet, why is there a need to memorize trivial facts we teach kids in schools today? Why indeed, when even unknown words could be defined and drilled down to its deepest detail by the internet and computer screens could be conjured in eyeglasses or sunglasses by that time like those in Universal Soldiers.

Maybe, what we only need to do now is identify what might be the basic knowledge for all kids by that time. Is it just reading, writing, and basic math? Should we add values formation into their basic knowledge? As to the rest, could this be conjured from the internet by then - Web 5.0? Would books become pliant digital scrolls already like we see in sci-fi movies now? Would actually sitting down in our home computers become a standing exercise instead of our whole body like Keanu Reeves did in Matrix? Will improved touch screen and voice dictation replace the keyboard? Will a ring in our fingers then replace the mouse and with special glasses, make its scrolling capability truly virtual 3D?

Will our kids' personal computers handle medical alerts like: you are up for a medical check-up, your sugar is high, your metabolism rate is slowing down, or simply you need to update your inoculation?

Will their personal rings have GPS and we can track them through our own computer screens in our eyeglasses? But, would eyeglasses still be needed by that time? 2015 might be too near to think about mental computer displays conjured from our own brains - but this one is probably more desirable than squinting through those glasses like one-eyed soldiers [imagine how hard it is for our helicopter pilots now to have one good eye on the dashboard controls and another eye squinting through night vision!]

Will we have alerts and full supervision of how deep and how fast are our children drilling down on his exploration of knowledge? Aside from reading, writing and basic math, maybe little Johnny wants to know how to build a website already and at age 12, he might be more interested on an e-course on dotcomology and web business already!

By 2015, little Johnny should be able to go as far deep as he wants already on a specific knowledge avenue. From a query on the word SEO: the net could give him a basic knowledge base understandable in 30 seconds, then it gives him the option to go as far deep on the subject as he wants. This is already an option even now. All it takes to be where it can become very portable and personal is hardware miniaturization, nanotechnology or is anybody saying biological morphing?

All these stuff would also dramatically alter their daily routine and their acceleration into the "real world". Maybe that's not really good. But also, maybe, they would have more playtime, more family chores participation, global connectivity and social networking even from a rustic farm in Wyoming, who knows.

This all boils down to what we do to recalibrate the education delivery system now and whether or not those hardwares would be available by then. But even, at half the expectation or even at no new hardwares yet, these things are already doable now. This is precisely why we put the title in a nearer horizon - 2015.

All these have certainly not been contemplated when someone invented the internet. They probably have not even imagined how the net could alter so much lives as it is already altering ours today. Even media, then considered as the fourth estate, might have already weakened its exclusive domain to publishing and broadcast as we now have blogs, youtubes and ezines.

Education on demand is an exciting possibility that allows our kids to pursue other parallel interests at their own sweet time or at lightning speed. Before all these happen, we already have supplemental education on demand (SEO) or online tutoring and mentoring. Online tutoring has been up and about for some time now. The thesis, however, is: will academic online tutoring be sufficient? No, it won't. Getting an A is short-term and academics should only be a talking point.

High tech must come with high touch, i.e., parental supervision and motivation and for the lack of time for busy parents; there is now a "daycare center" for teens, elementary, middle school, high school, even college. Online tutoring must come with mentoring and caring for your kids' total well-being.

And so it is like coaching tennis; hours and hours of constant practice with a pro or a coach. Corollary to that, mastering reading, writing and math could only be done with hours and hours of one-on-one coaching and solving problems. And, these could not at all be a waste as mastering these basic processes would hone our kids' skills in facing life situations. It could not be done overnight. Certainly a rough diamond needs a lot of polishing!

When physical schools have to supervise 30 students to a class, when parents (and all adults nowadays) are so busy looking for money, SEO or supplemental education on demand aka online tutoring and mentoring is an attractive and cost effective alternative. At Online Learning School SEO, we do just that. Teens need "daycare centers" too. Visit: onlinelearningschool.webs.com .

http://onlinelearningschool.webs.com

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Kids-2015---Part-I&id=1774516

Filed Under: Articles · Tagged With: education, future, high school, internet, Kids, mentoring, middle school, technology, tutoring

Prepare For the Best – Building Optimism in Your Children

16/12/2008 by

By Sheila Gregoire

Pessimism and optimism are character traits that our children are born with. But that doesn't mean that we have to accept them! Steering our children towards optimism helps them embrace life better.

Last summer, for instance, my family took a trip to an orphanage in Kenya. Before leaving, we were all required to get several shots. Being a parent who believes in full disclosure, I told my kids when I made the appointment. Big mistake. Rebecca, my older daughter, took it in stride. Katie, my younger one, didn't sleep for a week. Rebecca laughed at her mercilessly.

Then came the big day. Katie went first, and she didn't even flinch. She said, at the end of it all, "that wasn't that bad." And Rebecca? We had to peel her off the ceiling.

Optimistic Kids vs. Pessimistic Kids

Afterward, I asked both of them which was better: to worry incessantly about something that may turn out badly, or to not worry at all, and then be surprised when life kicks you in the teeth? In other words, would you rather be a pessimist or an optimist? Would you rathe trust and have faith, or would you rather worry? Pessimism believes in preparing for the worst, just like my youngest daughter did. She cried, she worried, she visualized, she whined. That way, she said, there was no way it could possibly be as bad as she imagined.

Preparing for the Best is more Fun

Optimism, on the other hand, is embodied in my Rebecca who, as a firstborn, thinks she's invincible. Nothing bad is really going to happen, so when it does, boy is she surprised. She may not handle it as well as Katie, but she still emerges on the other side. I tend towards the Katie side of life myself, but in watching Rebecca, I really believe life would be a lot more fun if we all prepared for the best, rather than the worst.

Pessimistic Children Lose Out on Life

That doesn't mean we should all be carefree; just that if we're so focused on the bad that may happen, we may miss out on the good. And we're far less likely to try new things or take those big leaps because something-we're never sure quite what-may be lurking just around the corner. So we live a safe life. A comfortable life. But not a very big life.

Pessimistic Children are Risk-Averse

An aversion to risk is closely related to pessimism. My Katie, as talented as she is, won't take dance lessons, though she dances around the house. She might not like it, you see. She didn't volunteer to do a solo in the Christmas play, though after watching all her friends do it, she remarked she could have, after all. And the piano competition we entered them in this year? She dreaded it, until it came time for her to play. As we were leaving, she said, "that was actually kind of fun. Can I do it again?" After listening to her whine about it for two weeks, I almost strangled her. Those kids who have a "prepare for the worst" personality need to be pushed to try new things. But once they do try these things, and the sky doesn't fall, they're more likely to do it again.

Create Opportunities to Kick-Start Optimism

Require your pessimistic child to do at least one new thing every season. For Katie it has meant certain sports and certain competitions, but in your family it may be something else. Support them through it, encourage them, pray with them, and even quit if it becomes too much. But make the effort. The more a pessimistic child is stretched, and finds out that the world actually is fun, the more optimism can grow.

Pessimism is not a fixed personality trait. Continue to nudge your little one towards new adventures, and encourage them to aim for the sky. You just may wake up one morning to hear your child say, "I just can't wait!". And that's a moment I'm looking forward to as well!

Sheila Wray Gregoire is the author of four books specializing in marriage and household organization! To encourage responsibility in your children, get your FREE household organization charts, including kids' chore sheets, family organization checklists, household planners, and more!

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Filed Under: Articles · Tagged With: Christian parenting, optimistic children, Parenting, pessimism, pessimistic, whining, young children