children
The merits of arts and crafts for children
Monday, February 15th, 2010 | Parenting | No Comments
The benefits of arts and crafts such as drawing and coloring for kids are frequently argued by child development experts, educators and parents alike… especially so for the impact they have on child development. However, it is difficult to argue with the top three reasons why we should all encourage the children in our care to take part in arts and crafts.
Creativity - If you were to ask a cross section of individuals what is the first personality characteristic that arts and crafts will develop in a young child - most would answer ‘creativity’. And they are certainly correct. Everyone has natural talents and skills and it is possible to improve and boost them… even if you only have a little natural talent. Creativity enables your child to try out and profit from new ideas, options and alternatives in any future career. Kids learn to do things in new and alternate ways and literally profit from thinking “out of the box”.
Perseverance - Perseverance is perhaps the single most important quality for any successful business person, sportsman, professional or individual. In fact, most well-known breakthroughs in life have been attributed to perseverance alone. Arts and crafts improve everyone’s level of perseverance.For instance, children learn to keep trying until they accomplish the task, be it a sculpture or a coloring in sheet. If something goes wrong… they are encouraged to persist by trying new ways and means and the pay-off is a wonderful piece of art that they have created.
Concentration - Akin to having perseverance, developing concentration is another quality well-worth having as an individual.Drawing, colouring, sculpting clay or aluminium foil, painting and even doodling will definitely teach your child to focus on one specific task at hand… ignoring other distractions. In short - their overall concentration will definitely improve.
Even from a young age kids can draw and color - therefore give them blank pieces of paper or coloring in sheets so that they can scribble away to their hearts content whilst also improving their fine motor skills.
For example at sites like Spiderman Coloring you’ll find Spiderman Coloring Book as well as coloring pages, funny pics and more.
Little girls on the other hand tend to prefer images of fairies and princesses – however, favorite characters such as those from Disney movies are also hits.
Give your child many opportunities to experience being creative, concentrating and perservering through the fun medium of arts and crafts. Provide them with materials as well as resources and the occasional canvas so that they can be creative and feel pride in what they create.
Drawing and coloring with your children
Monday, February 15th, 2010 | Parenting | No Comments
Parents as well as caregivers can promote drawing and coloring as a way to improve physical, social, emotional and cognitive development-and to have a lot of fun along the way too. Here are some suggestions:
The simple acts of drawing and coloring are literally childs’ play, however, they both play an important role in a child’s physical, emotional and cognitive development. Like no other activity, drawing and coloring allows young children to express emotions, experience autonomy and build their confidence.
1. Provide children with nontoxic drawing materials, blank sheets of paper and coloring pages.
2. Model drawing. Show children that you like to color and draw as well - make designs but do not show your children what they should draw.
3. Encourage all drawing and coloring efforts by talking about the beautiful colors, the lines and shapes the child has made.
4. Rather than ask ”What is it?,” say “Tell me all about your lovely drawing”. Asking “What is it?” suggests to the child that s/he has failed to depict what they intended.
5.Talk about things such as thin, thick, wide, narrow, dark, edge, light, shape, contour, etc.
6. Don’t just display their art in their bedroom - give it pride of place in your home in places where visitors to your home will see them. Point them out to visitors - the praise for the work will boost a child’s self esteeem and confidence.
7.Let children choose the subject of their drawings and the types of coloring sheets they would like to color. For example little girls may enjoy coloring images of Barbie and at sites like Barbie Coloring Pages you’ll find the best coloring pictures of Barbie
Little boys on the other hand tend to prefer images of cars, trucks and machinery – however, favorite characters such as those from Disney movies are also hits with little boys.
8. Always surpervise younger children while they draw and color - crayons pose a choking hazard.
Learning about colors
Monday, February 15th, 2010 | Parenting | No Comments
Toddlers are interested in the world around them. They are inquisitive and eager to learn. Teaching a toddler something new isn't always easy - however because their attention spans are short and not all of them are ready for a 'lesson' just yet.If you plan teach your toddler all about the different colors, here is a great way to start.
The first activity you do together should be very simple and basic.Find some crayons and either a coloring book or some plain white paper. Start with the primary colors: red, yellow and blue.
Show your toddler each colored crayon, say the color to him, then together. If he does not want to say the color’s name - that’s okay - he is still learning by looking at the color and listening to you.
Choose a picture to color together. Little boys enjoy coloring pictures of cars and trucks while little girls usually enjoy coloring images from fairy tales and princesses - at sites like Barbie Coloring Pages you’ll find the best coloring pictures of Barbie
If you are using blank, white paper, let your toddler choose something that the two of you can draw and color together. Now it’s time to color!
As he colors, tell him what color he is using. Then try to say the color together. Do not insist that s/he tell you the color. This should be a fun activity for your child not a drill! Make sure to compliment his efforts by commenting as he colors, "What a pretty blue flower!” or “I love the way you colored the blue car.”
After you have colored together, make sure to put his picture on display somewhere prominent where visitors to your home can comment on it.This will give your child confidence and boost his or her self esteem - which is great for you because s/he will want to color and draw with you again - and you will have yet another opportunity to talk about colors together.
Once your toddler has mastered the basic red, ble and yellow - you can move on to other colors - don’t overwhelm him/her with the rainbow just yet!
Remember that crayons pose a choking hazard - so always supervise your child while he draws and colors.
Renewing Household Communciation
Sunday, January 31st, 2010 | Self Help | No Comments
Finding Personal Growth within your household’s communication can seem tricky to achieve, but with persistence, and the right tips, those bonds can easily be mended. The initial problem is that today’s “modern” family is consumed in busy life. Not even the children, nowadays seem to have the time for family bonding.
You can regain your Family
There are many different ways to get the family together. Listed below are 6 tips that you can try, to get the family together having fun, making memories, and gaining personal growth in household communication:
Home: Top Priority
It’s important to realize just how important your family is to you. You have to keep your immediate family on the top of your list. These people should most definitely include your spouse, children, and then other relatives before your job, and most importantly, before your play time. Many years of countless university studies show that 60% of divorce rates in America are caused because either spouse didn’t make their family a top priority. Let the people you love know that you care about them enough to put their needs and emotions above all others. This will certainly help the bonding begin.
Take Time to Talk
You must make time to talk to one another. A great way to start sharing and communicating is by telling one another good morning before sitting down at the kitchen table. Communication can only begin when you talk to each other. The more we talk to a certain individual, the more we become comfortable with them. Parents in particular need to initiate the conversation starters. Once your children realize that you are not afraid to probe their minds, find out what they like, and truly listen to them, they will begin to share with you, and maybe probe you a little as well.
Sit Down & Eat Together
It’s a good idea to sit down at the dinner table, or kitchen table, during your family meals. Breakfast and dinner are said to be the most productive time for family chit-chat and bonding. This would be a great way to start to develop a connection and build growth within your family circle.
Fit Family Time into your Schedule
Some people find themselves working more hours at work to take care of the responsibilities at home. Just surviving a recession doesn’t make it any easier to sacrifice work time for anything else. However, the trick isn’t in placing your family before your job consistently, but to think about your family as you decide your own work and personal schedule. Your family should be penciled in at all times.
Fit Romance into your Schedule-
It’s important to remember that your marriage or dating life revolves around showing emotion as well as, physical expressions of that love. When you are working constantly, and neglecting to give your mate the attention they deserve, it can cause major problems, one of which being adultery. When a person has an issue, and you aren’t there to speak to them, they find it easier to just let the problem get worse. If a woman spent too much time at work, and not enough time with her husband, she would feel more comfortable telling him how she felt if they communicated on a daily basis. The root of a family’s household with children is the romance within the marriage.
Play Games Together
Another good idea is to play games with your family. Board games are a fantastic way to start breaking the barrier. Puzzles games can also assist in building bonding moments with family. The thing is, when we play games, especially strategic games, we naturally have to work together. The trick is teaching the family to learn how to rely on one another in order to build communication and love within your family.
Feel free to take a look at the associated mind map for more information
You can also check out the associated Mind Map for images, notes, and more tips on personal growth within your household.
How To Communicate Effectively With Your Spouse and Children
Thursday, September 17th, 2009 | Relationships | No Comments
If you study most relationship issues you will realize that they can be directly attributed to communication failure. There are times when you simply dont have any more words left for communicating with the opposite person. This is particularly true with teenage children. Most parents simply cannot understand how to talk to their teenagers. Unfortunately even though most conversations start normally they end up turning into an admonishing session or a pep talk. If you want to know how to have an effective conversation with your loved ones read through the following tips.
Children:
Most parent think that understanding their toddlers babble is difficult but they dont know what they will have to deal with when the toddler will turn into a teenager. What makes communicating with an adolescent particularly difficult is their ever changing attitude they can go from being on top of the world to being at the bottom of it in a matter of a few minutes. Its time to experiment with makeup and other disastrous things like alcohol, drugs etc and of course there is an extreme amount of curiosity about sex So how do you deal with your teenager?. One trick that really works in to be forthright with your kids about these issues so that they can feel comfortable discussing them with you. Acknowledge your child’s emotions. A child learns to handle his feelings from his parents so make sure that you set a good example. Talking to a teenager can be a daunting task but if your teenager wants to talk to you make sure that you are there for him. Encourage your child to talk to you, instead of grilling your child about his or her day in school and turning it into an interrogation, give your teen time and space. If you have a problem with your teenager yelling or screaming at him/ her will only worsen things instead talk to your child calmly stating the problem and the solution.
Spouse:
It is not unusual for petty communication issues to eventually lead to estrangement and even a divorce if not tackled in time. Most people complaint that their spouse expects too much from them but asking for your undivided attention while he/ she is talking to you without the TV blaring in the background is certainly not an unreasonable demand . If you want your marital communication to be successful remove some time for yourself. Many times we see that by the time we have tackled all our responsibilities like children, job and household chores there is very little time left to spend with our spouse.. it is important to be truthful but not judge your spouse. It is not an uncommon sight to see a couple arguing and then the argument quickly turns into a major fight with a lot of mud slinging at each others families and personal problems and this is exactly what should be avoided. Listening and trying to understand what your spouse is trying to tell you will certainly help to keep marital problems at bay. Always remember to maintain eye contact when you are talking to your spouse and ask for clarifications instead of reaching your own conclusions which will often lead to gross misunderstandings.
If there has been a communication failure it is as much your fault as your spouses because it takes two to tango. Remember to visit our website world of warcraft gold for all of your in-game currency needs.
Being A True Friend To An Adolescent With Bipolar Symptoms
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 | Relationships | No Comments
There is this nasty stigma that is stuck to the phrase “mental illness, bipolar victim or Im a Psycho in a lot of cultures. Peoples first reaction can be shown in their eyes and then their body if they hear you have a “mental illness” or tell them ” I’m bipolar. Their body language will be slightly tense and will tend to back away, without thinking. There have been cases where people whom they consider to be friends reveal that they cannot handle it and leave after the revelation. But there are others who will stick around during those difficult times. Bipolar victims need to stick with these type of people who will stay in there in the good and the worst of times.
Living the Bipolar Symptoms
Children with bipolar symptoms tell us the wave of emotions they experience in the last several years or months. These adolescent bipolar children can have great friends, a wonderful family, a place to call their own, have their wonderful rooms, pets and a wonderful boyfriend who loves them yet; there is no joy in having all of these. At times dealing with anything takes too much energy and so they do not really want to do anything. Even the little things like smiles, eating, picking up the phone takes a lot out of them. This is a sure sign they are slowly sliding downward toward the murky and dark depths of bipolar depression.
Other Signs of the Depression
Many bipolar children prefer to keep to themselves in their home or in a classroom environment because there are hardly any good friends to talk to or even lend a listening ear. Sometime they would prefer to go into their own little world and forget everyone and everything surrounding them. In school they would would not interact with the other children. Because their brain is not in focus, paying attention to what the teacher is saying and trying to learn in the classroom can be very difficult. This is like trying to fly a kite westward but the kite is going eastward because the wind is taking it that way. Controlling the situation is beyond their power.
True Test of Friendship
None of your friends knows what its like to be a young adolescent with bipolar symptoms until they have experience it. The hospitalization, suicidal contemplation, loss of energy, staying in the room for days only leaving to use the toilet or to go to school is not a nice thing for both the sufferer and the people who are there to help. A good friend will not only know that these are happening, but will seek help either in a mental hospital or be referred for diagnoses. If you have a person who will stick by you, stick to them because you will always have somebody to turn to.
A Really True Friend
Even when your family cannot handle you, a person who stays by your side through thick and thin is a good friend indeed who can save your life.
How Divorce Makes Your Child Mistrustful of Lasting Relationships
Friday, April 17th, 2009 | Relationships | No Comments
Unlike many lower forms of life, a human child is not born with a set of instincts that will enable him or her to survive. A child’s survival, like most mammals, is dependent on her bonding with her caregivers - normally her parents. This dependence has been hardwired into humans by nature for centuries. It should, therefore, not surprise anyone that children form strong attachments to their moms and dads. It would be a surprise, and reason for worry, if they didn’t. This attachment, or bond, is a indication that the relationship between the child and her parents is healthy.
Good divorce tips for men as well as women is to realize that at some point during her childhood, this bond will be gradually weakened as she creates attachments with others such as cousins and relatives, neighbors, teachers, and so on. This will typically happen somewhere between the ages of three to five. But if this bond is weakened too quickly or too traumatically, she may become forever distrustful of attachments and have relationship troubles for the rest of her life.
What is the effect on a child when a couple gets divorced? Her mind and emotions are suddenly thrown into upheaval. In her mind, the once unshakeable bond that she’s relied upon since she was born, is about to be smashed. In her mind, even if unspoken, this divorce or desertion, is a betrayal of trust. If one of her parents, who she’s trusted and depended on since birth, is leaving her, how can she ever trust anyone who she may become attached to in the future to stay with her? This is a key reason why divorce is potentially so hard on kids.
But the sense of abandonment goes beyond this. One parent has abandoned her. What assurances does she have that the other parent won’t do the same. And this fear of being alone in the world is terrifying to a young child. In some kids this anxiety is so palpable that you’ll notice drastic behavior changes. Some kids will become clingy as if they’re afraid to let you out of their sight, lest you not return. Some will act out in bouts of rage or temper tantrums in a desire to be noticed. Other children may become emotionally withdrawn in an effort to save their feelings from further hurt.
To a young child, divorce is a harsh wake up call that the world is not what they thought it was. Their home is no longer a secure refuge from the rest of the world.
In order to ease some of the child’s natural fears, the way in which concerned parents handle the divorce is critical. Being able to cope with an experience such as divorce is not natural - it’s learned. Children don’t have the life experiences that would enable them to cope with it. Heck, many adults don’t have the know how to cope with divorce. But the children need reassurance from both parents that they are not abandoning them and that they will stay in their lives. This, more than anything else, will help to reassure a child that the bonds that they formed were not for naught.
For the sake of the child’s future growth, it is extremely important that the parent and child attachment remain strong. Many researchers believe that the quality of the initial attachment of a baby to her parents is one of the most significant predictors of how that person will form relationships for the rest of her life.
How A Divorce Affects Your Children
Thursday, February 19th, 2009 | Relationships | No Comments
Approximately 10% of kids in households today go through some kind of psychological problem warranting a therapist or psychologist. In children of divorced parents, the figure goes up to thirty or forty percent.
A divorce can have traumatic psychological effects on a kid. Unfortunately, a lot of parents fail to realize this. This is partially due to the fact that they may be experiencing anger and hurt themselves and are unable to empathize with their children’s feelings. But often it is simply that the parents don’t realize just how much their kid is being affected by the divorce.
One of the best bits of divorce advice for men is to find one of the many divorce education programs sprouting up all across the U.S. Currently the number of these programs stands at over a thousand. Some of the programs are available on line as well.
Generally these programs center on the following primary issues:
1) Working to eliminate or reduce parental fighting in front of the children - When a kid sees his mother and father constantly fighting, it causes feelings of stress and anxiety in them. But, even more important, you are teaching them how to act in relationships. Kids are like sponges, they absorb what they see, especially from their parents. By fighting in front of your children you are, in effect, telling them that this is the way to resolve problems. A divorce education program will show you a better way of handling conflicts.
2) Don’t use the kids as pawns - Your children are not bargaining chips to be used in dissensions with your spouse in order to win fights or to get your way. It can be easy to forget this, particularly if you have self esteem issues yourself. Whether the issue is parental custody, child support, visitation privileges, or something else - never treat your children like chess pieces. Unless you wish them to grow up with large emotional and psychological issues.
3) Don’t try to turn the child against a parent - Often, one of the parents will try to prevent the other parent from seeing or being with the kid. Most likely it’s a ill-conceived endeavor to “punish” the other parent. On the other hand, it may simply be a matter of insecurity where one parent is afraid to give up control. But, unless there’s some fundamental issue why one parent shouldn’t not see the child, such as previous child maltreatment, this doesn’t do the child any good. In order to have the best chance of developing into a well adjusted adult, kids need a sound relationship with both of their parents.
4) Remembering that the child’s welfare come’s first - Getting a divorce is difficult, we know. But it’s not all about the parents. It’s about everyone in the family relationship - parents and kids alike. Keeping this simple fact in mind will not only make the transition easier for the kids, it often improves the relationship between the divorcing parents as well. Keeping the welfare of your kids at the forefront of your mind, makes the whole divorce and after divorce more civil.
If you really care about your children and want to do all you can to protect them after the divorce, divorce education programs can do that and more. Think about joining one today, if you haven’t already.
Identity Theft: Even Your Child Is Not Safe Any More
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 | Family | No Comments
Surprisingly, identity theft has begun to take a whole new turn with identity thieves not even sparing children. Impersonating a child in order to gain financial rewards is the new method being employed by identity thieves. Often, the perpetrator is a member of the family; or, it could be a complete stranger, egged on no doubt by the fact that it will take considerable time before such form of identity theft will be discovered. The cases of identity theft have tripled in the previous three years according to the Federal Trade Commission - jumping from eight thousand five hundred in 2003 to twenty-six thousand in the year 2006.
Easy Pickings
Because children will not easily find out that their identities have been stolen, the fact of the matter is that child identity theft is therefore easy pickings. Often they only find out once they have applied for admission to a college, asked for credit or sought employment. Furthermore, child identity theft often also occurs when a family splits up (such as through divorce) when one parent may stoop as low as to steal the identity of his or her child.
When many pre-approved credit offers begin to come pouring in through the mail with the child’s name on them or when the parent is opening a savings account in the name of their child, is also how child identity theft is often discovered. Or it could even be discovered when checks, credit cards, bank statements or invoices come to your home with your child’s name on them.
It is also possible to discover identity theft when the child gets their application for a driving license turned down because of the fact that somebody else already has a driving license bearing the social security number of the child.
However, certain instances may look like they are child identity theft cases, but, are not. Not to be mistaken for child identity theft, sometimes companies might innocently send out pre-approved credit card offers. You can check with major credit bureaus such as Equifax, Trans Union or Experian; in case they advise that no credit report exists in your child’s name; it would then mean that your child’s identity has not been compromised.
It also pays to learn more about identity theft protection - because each year as many as ten million Americans have reported having had their identity stolen from them. In case you are sure that your child has become a victim of identity theft it is best if you immediately make contact with the police and get law enforcement started on the heels of the perpetrators. A police complaint is the necessary first step leading to investigation and correction of all manner of identity theft - including that of your child.
Surprisingly, identity theft has begun to take a whole new turn with Child Identity Theft. The new technique being used by identity thieves is to impersonate a child in order to gain financial gains. To view more articles on identity theft visit, http://www.identitytheft.jsgenterprises.com.
Can Today’s Children Be Happy - Without Being Spoiled?
Saturday, August 30th, 2008 | Parenting | No Comments
The so-called Baby Boomer Generation grew up with few of the luxuries most children seem to have today. Some would say that the simpler life of the 50’s and 60’s also made for happier children. They had less consumer products, less TV, and no such thing as video games. Can children be happy in the early part of the 21st century without parents spoiling them rotten? The answer is an unqualified yes.
Look at today’s children. Cells phones, designer clothes, hand-held games, mom or dad based “taxi” service, and much more. How are children being raised today? Since the boomers did not have any of this, something must be missing in order to fit in all the new. What?
Then there are the role models. Celebrities, celebrities, and celebrities. One has to wonder what our youth think when they read all the “gossip” in the papers and magazines. That is followed by the entertainment tonight shows highlighting the mess their “hero” is in.
We all want to raise happy, well adjusted, children. If you really want this result, then there will be times when you must say “No”. If too much comes on a silver platter, then how will they learn to deal with life when they move out? Will you continue to spoil them after they have a major blow-up with their partner? One parent wrote in to a well known columnist saying that they finally learned to say no, and now their married daughter has not returned their calls for 3 months!
If you give your child everything they desire (which in some cases is just based on what they saw a friend get) you will deprive them of experiencing the ups and down of life; which could prevent them from reaching their goals later in life. Disappointment is something that we all must go through. Better to learn to deal with the facts of disappointment early in life rather than later.
You have heard the saying - “If you don’t expect it, you’ll never be disappointed.”
“Things” are not where it’s at. Values, morals, and the unconditional love that abounds within the family. That is where it’s at. Keep these principles in mind and raising happy children without spoiling them rotten will be easy.