What Youve Heard

My name is Scott Waring and I am an American teacher in Taiwan with a BA in Elementary Education and a MS in Counseling Education. I have learned a lot about teaching, but it wasn't until I met my Taiwanese wife at Idaho State University and we moved to Taiwan where we opened a school, that I learned teaching to children from three to six was not just possible, but beyond anything I ever expected. I have also published two novels for kids, "George's Pond" and "West's Time Machine" being sold at all on-line stores. My wife and I currently own a school that has 150 students, fifty of which are ages 3-6 years' old.

Psychology and Education magazines often site that in every person's life, there is a time when the brain is more susceptible to learning, making learning easier and faster. The time that they are speaking of is between ages three and six years of age. A human will never learn as easily or as fast ever again past that age. This applies for everyone, and although I have not benefited from such early education myself, in six more months my son will, when he starts in our three year old class that teaches four solid hours of teaching a day, five days a week. In our school we have a motto; "Work Now, Play Later." But really they play in-between the classes. In this way we teach the students so much by age seven that when they start Elementary school, they find that everything is easy, while other students who have never benefited from learning before elementary, end up struggling along through the class, working much harder and not getting as far as the students that benefited from early learning. Now let me show you some easy steps that we use in our classes when they are age three to six.

1. Don't listen to other adults when they say students can only learn for ten to fifteen minutes! That's wrong in so many ways, and yet right in one way. You should teach them a full 45-60 minutes without stop, but every 15 minutes you should change the style of your teaching and change what words, math games, or items that you want you child to learn. For example: 15 min teaching English Vocabulary, 15 minutes teaching numbers, 15 minutes teaching letters, 15 minutes teaching writing letters (harder and takes patience at age 3).

2. Be creative in your teaching! This means if you are teaching at home, then sit next to the toy box and begin teaching the child the name of each toy, but remember to repeat it, so that the child hears you say it two times. This is especially good at teaching words like (Bulldozer, Ambulance, Police car, fire engine, race car, motorcycle, animals, Colors (very fun), and much more. There is a world of learning within the toy box and those are things the child sees everyday and relates to a lot, so those words you teach will be very useful and constantly used. Keep this repetition up everyday until the child knows it in a few weeks, then move on to something more challenging, but don't forget to review a little everyday of the old lessons!

3. Teach With Enthusiasm. Start with using your voice and then work up to cute mannerisms (acting). If you sound excited about teaching it, then the child will be excited to learn. The child is the reflection of the teacher, they reflect back what they see before them, so be cautious of what you say, you could be teaching things that you never intended or wanted too. It was Dr. Norman Peale that said "Enthusiasm sharpens a students mind and improves their problem solving abilities."

4. Make Sure The Child Follows Along: Teaching reading without teaching sounding words out is possible and I've been teaching that way to students for over ten years. Age three to four will have to start leaning words written on flash cards, hand made is fine. Find an easy story book you like and take 50-100 words starting out. You don't need a picture on the back, it wastes your time and doesn't make them learn faster, but like earlier you have to hold the card up and repeat the word two times, but will all you repetition, the child must always repeat two times (you say "Them", student says "Them". You say "Them" again, students says "Them" again.). Use this repetition for all teaching starting out for first year or more. New words you may teach might be (this, that, those, to, a, an, apple, banana, run, Jack, Jane, grass, house, tree, kite, toys and so on). When teaching vocabulary, find a good picture dictionary for small kids, use it and use the repetition while you teach it, also have the child follow with one finger on the picture at all times. Don't teach phonics for the first 6-12 months, this way they feel less scared of it and it comes much easier.

5. Make Sure They Speak: If you are teaching vocabulary words on cards, then hold one up (the word "Flowers") and ask, "Okay, what color are the flowers?" or "Where are the flowers?" and see where the child goes with it, it reinforces the memory of the word flowers in their thoughts, but keep them focused on the task at hand, no wandering.

6. Teach numbers, addition, and subtraction: This is the easiest thing of all to teach. Go to the crayon box and take it to use in this lesson. Sit down on the floor; (all my students learn best there) face the student and take ten crayons out of any color. Then hold them in your hand, placing three on the floor. Say, "Let's count them! Ready? One...Two...Three!" sound excited and do it slowly! Then see if the student wants to try, if not, you do a different number. Keep doing math this way using crayons, toys, balls, candy (yum-yum) or other items, until it's too easy and they want more. You can teach them up to 100, really it's true! But only if you believe in them as a teacher and believe in yourself. Move off to putting five crayons down and counting them, then take two away and count them again. Let the student try. Also, if your child likes drawing, instead of items, use paper and draw the number 4, then make four circles (or apples and so on). Do this for all numbers and let the child use a finger to point at them one by one as the student counts them. Great for teaching addition and subtraction.

7. Make Teaching A Routine: Kids fall into a routine much easier than adults and so you need to use the same time every day to teach them. Here is our class schedule for teaching three to six year olds.

9-10:00 AM: English speaking
10-10:30: Break and play
10:30-11:30: Math
11:30-12:30: Lunch and play
2:00-3:00: Writing/letters for 3 year olds, words for 4, but one page diaries for 6 year olds.
3:30-4:30: Reading/Vocabulary

Making a routine is detrimental to learning! Without this key element, you will not succeed in teaching the student for long. If at home, you must discipline yourself to teaching at certain hour everyday. This allows you and your child to fall into a comfortable routine, without chaos.

What have my students learned you ask? Well by the time they reach the age of 6-7 years old, they have been taking classes in my school for about 3 years. That means they have gained a vocabulary of over 3000+ English words (Remember they are Taiwanese so they start with not knowing any English at all), using a 1000 word picture dictionary series. Also they can add and subtract without using their fingers, but instead look at the board and answer quickly. They also start at six years old at learning writing and vocabulary in Chinese. By six, the students must write a one-page diary everyday, with beautiful writing (about 50-70 words). Also they are capable of reading at a second graders level and use phonics to sound out words that they don't know.

Let’s take a walk back in time to 1919 in a rural schoolhouse. Mrs. Smith has fifteen students half of which have the primary ADHD symptoms of hyperactivity, inattentiveness, and impulsivity. She is a smart women who keeps up with the latest research and all the experts agree that the reason half her children are so difficult to handle is because of the brain damage caused by the 1918 influenza encephalitis epidemic. After all almost everyone in her community has had the flu. She has discussed this matter with all the parents letting them know that their children likely have Minimal Brain Damage and an extra dose of discipline might be needed to corral this unruly behavior. 

If the story above wasn’t true it might seem like something right out of a fiction novel. Now let’s get down to business and determine how do children get ADHD? 

Today research is suggesting that the cause of the disorder is largely due to biological factors, rather than environmental ones like the flu or bad parenting. Brain imaging studies trying to determine how children get ADHD have discovered differences in the area of the brain responsible for control of voluntary movements and self regulation. Since biological factors like this tend to be inheritable, an individual has an increased risk of developing ADHD if one of their parents has the disorder. In fact, one well documented research study concluded that out of all the psychiatric disorders in children ADHD has the highest risk of being inherited. 

Nevertheless, just because a person is statically vulnerable doesn’t automatically assure them of inheriting the condition. The reason for this slight variance is fascinating. The reason is that some genetic codes are expressed only under certain environmental conditions such as stress, injury, and toxic environments. So one could conclude that how children get ADHD might be dramatically influenced by the actions of the mother during pregnancy. 

So in summarizing the conclusion to our question about how children get ADHD we can conclude that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a somewhat unpredictable combination of biology and heredity. 

What Next? For those children struggling with ADHD finding the right treatment option that can help them manage their symptoms should be the number one priority. The most common form of treatment for ADHD are stimulant medications such as Ritalin or Cylert. While effective all stimulant medications come with a number of serious label warnings. The risk of side effects or perhaps lack of success with stimulants has prompted many to investigate other options. A couple examples of this are behavior modification therapy and/or homeopathic remedies. Homeopathic remedies for ADHD are a side effect free way to address such problematic symptoms as inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, erratic behavior and hyperactivity and can be used both as a standalone treatment or as a compliment to other nonprescription alternatives. 

One of the greatest challenges in life is to be a good parent. It is also one of the most important things we can do to assure that humanity will prosper; we must make it our fundamental job to raise our children to be better than ourselves.

Unfortunately, this is a job we receive the least amount of training for. Why is that? Maybe the reason is because it is such a controversial topic and there is no accepted "universal truth" or "formula" for how to raise a child.

We know that 1+1=2 and that water is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen, but how many parts love plus how many parts discipline equals a well adjusted child? Travel around the world and talk to 100 people and you will get 100 different answers.

Learning to share, however, is something that these 100 people would most likely all agree is one of the most important qualities you should teach your child. Maybe this could be one of the "universal truths" of raising a child.

We place a great deal of importance on our child's formal education. It used to be that teachers were not allowed to "teach" children in kindergarten. If a teacher tried to teach a child to spell or add they were reprimanded.

Kindergarten was for socialization and having fun and there were strict rules in place banning any type of formal education. Times have definitely changed! Now children are learning to add and sing their ABCs in preschool.

Children that don't may find themselves behind the curve when starting kindergarten. It also used to be that a perfect high school GPA was 4.0. There no longer is a perfect GPA. Now it is all about who can take the most advanced placement courses.

Whatever happened to study hard and play hard? Now it is study harder, study some more, and if you have time study even more. That is the competitive world we live in, but we have to be careful not to be consumed by it and lose sight of what is really important.

Getting the perfect job when you graduate from college and having a successful career does not mean you will be successful in life. The answer to life's riddle is to be a good person.

A parent cannot lose sight of that in the midst of the scholastic chaos of the modern world. Education is a surface feature, the person within is where your greatest efforts should fall. There are obviously many things we do over the course of 18 years to prepare our children for the real world.

Teaching your child to share is one of the things you can do during the pre-school years that can have a profound effect on them later in life.

Actions speak louder than words. That is what sharing is all about. Sharing is an action; it is not something you say like "thank you" and "I'm sorry". If a child learns to share it something that comes from within.

Think about it for a moment - as an adult, are you willing to share? Of the people you know, there are some that are very giving and won't hesitate to share to help a friend in need. What does that say about the person? Sharing isn't just about possessions, it is also about sharing a person's time.

The people you value most in life and have the highest regards for are the ones that will be there when you need them. These are the people who have learned to share.

When your 3 year old daughter asks for a glass of milk, you tell her to say "please". When you give her the glass, you tell her to say "thank you". Do this about 500 times and she will learn.

Patience is the number one rule of parenthood, patience and you shall prevail. This works with teaching good manners but not necessarily as well with sharing. Shaping the inner most characteristics of our children takes a little more creative approach, but it is not necessarily a more difficult task. One method to teach them is getting them to teach you.

There is a new children's song called the Smarcks Song. It is an educational song about learning to add, count, spell, and share. Children love to learn through music such as the ABC song. This is another such song - it is fun, gets children singing along, and has a modern beat to get kids up and dancing.

The song starts with a child asking her parent if they can play and learn and the chorus of the song emphasizes this by singing " ... you who and me too ..." The child is "you who" and the parent is "me too." The song is a mother singing to her child; she is telling her daughter that, "... Learning is fun, we need to share and take our turn, let's stack these blocks up to the sky, and play and learn together...".

We have four children ages 9 months to 8 years old. You could say that when it comes to raising kids we are currently "in the trenches". Of all the things we have tried, nothing has had a greater impact on our children than this song with regard to teaching them to share.

They are the ones coming up to us saying "Daddy, you have to share and take your turn"; they then smile and act excited to have taught us something! Each time it happens I stand there in awe. Clicking on Smarcks Song will take you to the disco dance party for this educational song.

It takes a little while to load due to all the special effects but it is worth the wait. Watch it with your kids and see how they react. You will be pleasantly surprised.

When you look at the turmoil in the world today you can't help but wonder what the future holds. It may seem almost impossible for one person to make a difference? Big changes, however, come from small actions.

How we act with our children and the people they grow up to be will bring about the big changes in the future. Teaching our children to share is one seemingly small action that can make a surprisingly big difference.

The Smarcks Song is one creative approach that you can use, and maybe you can teach your children to teach you. Raising children, of course, requires multiple approaches to every challenge. Hopefully, a disco dance party approach can make this challenge a little easier.

PARENTING
HOW TO SPOIL YOUR CHILDREN

BRINGING UP TEENAGERS

The TIME, INCLINATION, OPPORTUNITY, MONEY Parenting Paradigm

By

VIKRAM KARVE

It seems to be the in thing today to have snobbish supercilious spoilt children.

I was a strict old-fashioned father, but looking around, I have realized that in today's world, where materialistic desires and ostentation overshadow traditional values, my ascetic style of parenting is hopelessly outmoded and distinctly passé. 

It's too late for me to change now, so let me pontificate a bit on what I did not do.

Apart from the conventional vices like drinking, smoking, drugs, gambling etc, all types of new and novel temptations and addictions like Internet, Gaming, TV, sex, compulsive spending and shopping, indulging in wild reckless behaviour, breaking the law and criminal thrills are on the rise and indeed becoming status symbols in some sections of society. Now-a-days there is plenty of choice available for those who want to "live it up". 

For children in today's consumerist society there is no place for old-fashioned concepts like "thrift and frugality"and being happy where you are and content with what you have.

Conspicuous consumption, ostentation, flamboyance and expensive lifestyles are more important. Pamper your kids, pander to all their whims and fancies and they will love you; and, of course, in the long run they will ruin their own lives and cause you distress.

If you want to spoil your children remember there are four cardinal factors or resources that help develop and nurture bad habits, addictions and anti-social behaviour: TIME, INCLINATION, OPPORTUNITY, and MONEY.

TIME: One must have time to indulge in whatever one's pursuits, good or bad. So, if you want to spoil your children, don't burden them with too many "mundane" things like studies, sports, hobbies etc so that they have plenty of leisure time to live it up and pursue their temptations to their heart's content.

INCLINATION: This depends on your sense of values, home and family atmosphere, social environment, religious and cultural taboos, peer pressure, influence of school and friends. Are you inculcating the right values in your kids by your own actions?

I'll give a real life example.  My friend's son, age 15, lost his expensive mobile cell-phone forgetting it in a taxi due to his own carelessness and negligence. Instead of admonishing him, my friend bought him the latest, even more expensive and fancy cell-phone. Obviously the boy had no remorse, guilt or regret at losing the expensive gadget, and instead of feeling contrite and responsible, displayed a "couldn't care" attitude.

Can one even expect such actions of parents to inculcate the "correct" values of thrift, frugality and responsibility in their children?

If you drink, smoke, and party in front of your children, won't they be inclined to do the same?

How about your friends, your kids' friends, their behaviour, and the general atmosphere and culture around?

What are your own values? If you're going to "live it up", flaunt your lifestyle, be corrupt and dishonest, your kids will be inclined to do so too!

OPPORTUNITY : You have the Time, you have the Inclination, but do you have the opportunity to do what you want to do? 

Suppose you want to drink, but there is prohibition in force? Or religious, social, cultural taboos which do not give you the opportunity to drink?

Opportunity to indulge in an activity is governed by external circumstances, rules and regulations, which either inhibits or makes it conducive for you to do what you want. 

Enforcement of Restrictions like No-Smoking Zones, Prohibition, No Entry into Bars and Pubs for Kids inhibits opportunity. 

Or do you want to give your kids a laissez faire opportunity to do what they want…?

MONEY: If you want to spoil your children make sure you give them plenty of money to splurge and to do as they please.

"Vices" and profligate lifestyles are expensive. Give them the latest gadgets and gizmos, cars and bikes, pander to all their whims and fancies, and never ask them to account for their extravagant spending. 

You've open-mindedly given your kids the time, the inclination, and the opportunity, but finally it's the money that matters! It's money that helps them sustain their vices and habits.

Go ahead, give it a try, spoil your brats, and tell me if it works

But if you don't want to spoil your teenager kids, you know what to do, don't you?

Just remember the four key factors – Monitor their Time, give them the proper Inclination in life, restrict their Opportunity for undesirable activities, and, last but not the least, keep a tight leash on their Money.

Does this teenager parenting paradigm work for you…?

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2010

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

As parents we know one of our most important goals is teaching children respect, responsibility, and social skills. This can be quite a challenge because little children have developmental milestones such as learning to say NO! Wanting to make their own decisions about what to wear, eat, do. This drive in children is often met with frustration in parents when their child will not "mind". This can also trigger fury in a parent because of their internal anger from their own childhood, when they were not allowed to develop their own autonomy. A desperate angry parent will try most anything to gain control of the situation and this often means falling back on what was done to us.

Punishments such as scolding, insulting, time outs, spanking, threats, yelling, and deprivation are almost universally used in our culture. We are almost self righteous in our zeal to control our children's behavior through punishment. Is there another more effective way? Perhaps if we look at what's behind a child misbehavior there will be an answer. Instead of punishing bad behavior could we learn to prevent the behavior in the first place? Children are not born trying to cause mayhem. They are born completely dependent and wanting to please their parents. Are we asking too much of our children to spend all day every day in day care or school? Then rushing through dinner, dividing our attention with computers, phones or TV? Are we ignoring the developmental milestones that are necessary for healthy development and deciding that it is "oppositional disorder" when they refuse to cooperate with what we want? Do we ignore the stresses that our children may be experiencing such as hunger, fatigue, over stimulation, or a chaotic environment, and when they can't deal with it they have "ADHD"?

To become a more effective, happier parent, the place to start is with ourselves. It is time well spent to look closely at how you were raised, the good and the bad of it. If you were raised by authoritarian parents who never let you make a decision and develop your own voice, you may find it very difficult and infuriating when your three year old is demanding to have his own way, and insisting on being heard! All the rage that you internalized as a three year old that was not allowed to be expressed may come blazing out of you in wild anger at your own child! Self reflection and healing of your own childhood wounds will enable you to be the best parent possible and give your child the start in life they deserve. Look closely at what is causing your child's behavior instead of just demanding they do as you say, because you may control and dominate a 5 year old, but it will be a very different story when that child is 15 and internalized anger emerges!

There must be boundaries and guidelines with children, and it is the parents job to set them. However if you believe that you can just insist on "do as I say, not as I do" you will no doubt live to regret it! Our children watch every little thing we do. They model our behavior, the good, bad and ugly. It is absurd to think you can hit a child for hitting someone and think this is an effective form of discipline! Or that it will stop the hitting! If you hit, they will hit. If you scream, they will scream. Most anything you do, they will do. Everything you do from your morals, your habits and your attitudes is recorded in the minds of our children. The best teacher is modeling the behavior you expect in your child. This couldn't be simpler, or more difficult! It means we must do exactly what we expect and want our children to do!

Many parents and children are missing out on the help of extended family. Because of distance or other reasons there is an absence of aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins and neighbors that we actually know and trust. This puts so much pressure on parents and even more pressure on a single parent! It is in our best interest as parents, and our children's best interest, to find ways families can come together and help each other. It does indeed "take a village." This requires parents to join together as adults to help each other raise the children and not have the attitude of "my child would NEVER do that". Adults must act like adults. It would also enrich our children and provide priceless guidance for them to be connected to the seniors in our towns and cities, especially when grandparents are not around. Senior centers, retirement communities, seniors living alone. Reach out if your are a single parent, or have no family close by. People who are outside your family can be a source of great knowledge and character building for your child. Families are created through love, and acceptance, not only biological ties.

The melody of music has the power to touch every soul, including children. Their joy for music is evident from the smile that inadvertently comes to their face while listening to melodious music. Though there are several musical instruments that elevate kid's excitement, piano music for children is something that never fails to elate them boundlessly. There are several kids music CDs with piano melodies that blend favorite songs of the season with classic nursery rhymes. The soaring sales of these musical CDs pay testimony to the growing popularity of piano music amongst the younger lots.

Why is Piano the most Preferred Choice?

There are innumerable musical instruments like guitar, piano, violin, flute and many more, each producing different ranges of musical tones. Amongst these instruments piano is the world's best-known, widely used and also most loved musical instrument. This is because an acoustic 88-key piano features the broadest array of musical tones that no other musical instrument has. Hence, this allows children to learn to produce wide variety of rhythmic tones and also to experiment with different piano notes.

Importance Of Piano Music For Children

The soothing sound of an acoustic piano is often preferred by adults for relaxing and expressing emotions. These music tones are also said to be beneficial for kids. There are several studies suggesting that young children can enjoy lifetime benefits from early exposure to piano music and other music lessons.

Some pediatric researches have proved that when kids begin to learn piano or other similar musical instrument, certain areas of their brains that control the fine motor skills, memory and speech get stimulated which is good for their over all development. As per other researchers, some other benefits that children may derive from playing piano and getting actively involved in musical lessons are experiencing enhanced self-esteem, accomplishment and becoming more disciplined and creative. Hence, lessons on piano music for children are highly recommended.

How Learning to Play Piano Affects Children?

Now that you already know there are numerous benefits of learning to play piano, would you not like to know how piano music for children infuse positive qualities in them? Well, learning to play piano requires a child to read music notation and then interpret the correct keys to play on the piano keyboard. This demands concentration and good eye-to-hand coordination. The music notation also requires them to determine how long the notes must be played, how many beats are their in a measure and so on.

These types of mental exercises develop their practical and logical thinking, thereby strengthening their practical subjects like math and science. Moreover, since they need to practice the notations regularly they also get exposed to the process of learning.

Piano Music For Children -The Right Lesson To Begin With

Understanding the positive impacts of musical instruments on children, the parents are advised to send their kids for music lessons, especially piano music or buy them kids music CDs of piano melodies. The special mention of piano is important because this instrument not only offers broad range of musical tones as discussed earlier but also is the most loved musical instrument in the kid's world.

The sounds emitted from piano are so soothing and gentle that it immediately strikes chord with the small children. They like the soft and sweet piano tunes and hence feel motivated to play the notes themselves. Piano music classes for your children can be a good beginning and learning experience for them. They will train them to enjoy their learning sessions which may get carried forward to their school lives, thereby helping them in their studies.

Weight loss is all about discipline.  If you are to accomplish your goals in the activity of Weight loss and body building you have to set realistic goals and make sure that you devise and implement a feasible plan of accomplishing those goals.  Your wok schedule  can help you frame your weeks , months, years and days depending on how thorough you want to get down to it. Your schedule will also depend on the time frame that you have given to your weight loss endeavor. If you have to achieve your body building goals it will make sense to make sure that your schedule has a well planed daily, weekly and monthly work out schedule that will expedite the accomplishments of your set goals.

It is important to start your body building mission on the right footing. This means that you have to know what steps to follow; How to do what and when to do it. The feasible training schedules which will deliver success to you have to well be structured in a manner that can stimulate your body to conform to your work outs. Feasible training concepts acknowledge that one must lose fat prior or concurrently with the body building endeavors. Appropriate workouts stunts have to follow in the custom design of what muscle groups are targeted. This section covers these aspects of feasible training models.

In setting up your weekly Weight Lifting plan you have to write down your goals. This step is as must-do for everyone who is eyeing success in this discipline. Goal setting is very important and with goals set on your paper your will marshal your mind to corporate with you pace towards achieving your goals. What happens here with writing your goals down and committing to them to them is that when your mind takes the same side with you there will be no forfeiting of plans from your part and success is guaranteed. In designing your weekly Weight Lifting plan you need to select a Weight Lifting program that matches your goals. This is where again you need to be able to draw the line between weight loss, fat loss as well as muscle building objectives. If you are also looking forward to loosing a lot of fat you must not go for the kind of fat loss programs that promise a quick fix. The catch in this is that fast weight loss comes with undesirable muscle loss which will compound and frustrate your plans of building muscle when you have lost the unwanted fat.

Weight Lifting is indeed a discipline that calls for earnestness. Your objectives in your weekly Weight Lifting plan must be synchronized with everything that is entailed in the activity of weight lifting. This means that even your diet has to be brought to synch with your set goals and objectives to lose weight, build muscle and lift those mammoth weights. Obesity and children- an unwanted relationship

Obesity and children have a deep relationship however it is an unwanted relationship that needs to be broken. Today, many children are suffering from obesity. And the reason behind their overweight is the changing lifestyle of children of all age groups. Obesity is the root of many health disorders and medical troubles. Recent studies have shown that children, suffer over weight since they eat a lot of junk food items which has high calorie content and lack fibers. Obese children are more likely to host health troubles. It is also found in studies that children suffering obesity have chances to follow obesity in their adulthood as well.
If your child is obese then you need to be extra cautious. Obese children are more prone to catch problems like blood pressure, heart attack, asthma, depression, fatigue, sickness, lack of immunity and a lot more. To avoid such disorders and help your child remain healthy and fit, you need to break relationship of obesity and children.
How children put on weight and become obese –

1) Lack of nutritional food items- in our fast lifestyle, we do not pay much attention on healthy and nutrition rich food and this is the reason obesity is hosted by our bodies. No parents take care about nutritional value of food items and therefore their children remain unaware about nutrients rich food items. So, you must try to grasp as much knowledge about nutritional value of food items. There are a lot of magazines you could refer, visit health websites, read blogs, columns etc., refer to health guides, you could also buy good recipe books since they refer such things. This is not all; parents could also visit private dieticians, doctors, food experts and even health trainers. Such professionals deal with the science of food items and their nutritional count.

2) Lack of physical activities. Our daily lifestyles have changed. Now we are more concerned about our maximum comfort. And this is the reason that we all depend upon the electronic gadgets that make our life easier. Same applies to children also. Today, children play all games on their video games, play station or computers. Internet has completely transformed our lifestyle. Children are even attending their schools virtually over internet. Such reasons are responsible of children lacking physical activities. Since children are not performing exercises and other physical activities, they don’t burn fats ad, hence become obese. You must make efforts to encourage your children to perform workout. Ask them for exercises, take them out or send them to play outdoor games, tell them the importance of physical workout. You could also reduce their computer or video games usage.

3) Intake of fast food items- this is the main reason of children being, suffering from obesity. Today, children even cannot imagine their life without noodles, potato chips, pizzas, burgers, hot dogs and several other junk food items. Such food items lack in nutrition value. They only provide calories. Don’t allow your children to eat such food items.

Children and obesity are very common these days. However, obesity is major concern for health of children.

Kids get into all sorts of trouble most of the time. I'm sure you remember your childhood well. However, there are reasons why children misbehave the way they do. There is a reason for every broken toy, every supermarket tantrum and every quiet moment.

To find out why children misbehave and to learn how to deal with them, read on!

<b>Reason # 1: They Want Attention.</b>

One of the top reasons why children misbehave is because they want their parents (or the adults in question) to notice them. As adults, it's easy for us to dismiss children because we think that they're just being mischievous as usual, or that they're just children being children.

But that's not always the case. When a child misbehaves, try to find out why he or she did it in the first place and dissect the root of the problem. Scolding them without even asking or knowing the whole story hardly ever ends well for all parties involved.

<b>Reason # 2: They're Restless.</b>

Sometimes, children misbehave simply because they've got too much pent-up energy in them. They end up doing anything and everything they can because frankly, they've got nothing else to do.

Your role here would be to direct their energies elsewhere. Play a game of basketball or tag with the kids to tire them out. Sports have been known to instill discipline and induce a sort of calmness on kids.

You can also engage them in art activities to occupy their time. A little arts and crafts here, a little coloring there… Simple activities like these can help prevent a child from misbehaving.

<b>Reason # 3: They Copy Others.</b>

Another undeniable reason why children misbehave is because they've seen other people do it. Have you ever been caught in a situation where one kid starts crying and the rest all seem to simultaneously follow? Kids, especially the really young ones, tend to copy other people around them.

The solution here is fairly simple. Just keep the children away from any negative influences. Teach them good values and right conduct. Set a good example for them, so that they'll know better than to make a run for it when you're not looking or present.

There are various reasons why children misbehave. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that these children are bad apples or rascals. As the grown-up, it is up to you to make sure they grow up responsible and that they learn how to become more well-behaved.

Teaching Children Good Manners is Crucial

Have you ever opened a door for someone and that person walked through without having the common courtesy to say, "Thank you?" or, have you ever had someone ask you to do something without using the word, "Please?" I am sure that these situations have happened to you countless times as it has to me. Rudeness is rampant in our culture, and it seems to be getting out of control.  We seem to take pride in being repulsive.

Unfortunately, people who exhibit good manners are difficult to find much like finding a needle in a haystack. We no longer perceive it as something of importance, but when we display these inappropriate behaviors as mentioned above, we set a poor example for our children. We are conveying an indirect message to them that it is acceptable to conduct ourselves this way, so they grow up thinking that these behaviors are the norm. Attitudes like these can be a hindrance to one's success in life and can totally ruin one's reputation.They are not acceptable. Therefore, children need to be aware of this.

Having good manners, however, encompasses more than just saying, "Please" and "Thank you." It includes  such variables as being punctual, responding promptly to invitations, knowing how to conduct oneself appropriately in diverse situations such as home, school, church, grocery store, at the table, on the telephone, etc. There is a lack of sensitivity to the needs and feelings of others in our society which makes life even more stressful. Life is filled with challenges and is complicated as it is, so it is like a breath of fresh air when we meet people who do not demonstrate such uncouth actions. It is a pleasant experience and a novelty that help to alleviate some of the tensions and frustrations that we so often encounter. The irony of the situation is that though most of us exhibit these despicable behaviors, we would rather not have any interactions with people who conduct themselves in the same manner. We all admire and respect others who behave themselves well.

Our children are going to be the men and women of tomorrow, and in order to alter the future and prevent this issue from reaching epidemic proportion, we have to instill certain values and principles in them. As children generally mimic adults, adults need to model the behaviors that they would like them to replicate. It is counterproductive for  grown ups to tell children to act in  specific ways when they are not practicing the mannerisms themselves. As good manners begin at home, parents need to model the desired behaviors there. This responsibility should not be left solely on the shoulders of educators. As an educator myself, I know how diligently we have worked to instill certain principles in our students, and it becomes a daunting task when parents fail to teach their children the proper way of conducting themselves. Both parents and teachers should work cooperatively to teach and reinforce appropriate behaviors so that they can grow up to be the best that they can be. Bad manners should not be tolerated at home or at school.

The ramifications of not teaching children good manners are that they become disrespectful, egotistical, and insensitive to the needs of others. It is no surprise that many children are disrespectful to their peers,  teachers, and to other adults.  Being courteous to others is important. Words such as "Please," ‘Thank you," "Good morning," should be a part of a child's every day vocabulary. Children need to learn from an early age to use the word, "Please" when asking for something and "Thank you" when the request is granted.  In addition, they need to know that burping loudly at the dinner table and in public places is rude. Screaming or slamming down the phone in someone's ear is totally unacceptable, so too is not showing up for a scheduled appointment without a valid reason and without an explanation. Interrupting other people's conversations without saying, "excuse me" and "talking back" to adults are other forms of rudeness.

For children to truly comprehend the significance of having good manners, it is equally important to explain to them why certain actions are inappropriate.  Displaying proper manners then, will have more meaning. Children who behave badly outside of the confines of the home, leave a bad reflection on their parents, because it gives others the impression that they are not being taught courtesy at home. Whatever we practice ultimately becomes a part of us. Therefore, good manners must be cultivated if they are going to have any impact.

Responding positively by saying, "Thank you" to a stranger who might have opened a door for you for example, shows the person that you are appreciative of what he or she has done. That individual  has no obligation to hold the door open for you or to demonstrate any act of kindness to you. Therefore when someone goes above and beyond what is expected, it is only fair that this person receives some form of recognition. Responding positively will also encourage the person to reproduce the behavior.

Being uncouth is not good for any kind of business, and many people miss out on golden opportunities because of their repugnant ways. Sir Richard Bronson, founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways had a reality show a few years ago. The objective was to find a suitable individual who would later assist him in running his business. The contenders had to go through rigorous activities to determine their eligibility for the position. The episode that resonates with me was when  he disguised himself as a poor, tattered, old man sitting at the back of a taxi cab. Two girls who were participants of the show happened to take the same taxi. The moment they sat next to him, they began to treat him with contempt. They were rather rude in the manner in which they conducted themselves, and in the way they treated him. The girls were completely unaware of whom this man was.

Later, he revealed to them that he was the old man sitting at the back of the taxi. They were flabbergasted! He booted them off the show but not before explaining that neither one of them would be an asset to his business. One cannot operate a successful business if one judges people based on appearances, and treats people with disrespect. This was an opportunity of a lifetime, but their journey came to an end all because of their attitude. No doubt they must have learned a valuable lesson from this experience.

If we do not do something to alleviate the situation, the future of our society and that of our children will be in jeopardy. These words  from Whitney Houston's song, "The Greatest Love of All" sum it up. "Children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way."

What parent does not want what is best for his child? As much as possible, we would love to see them succeed in a manner that would make them happy and content with how their lives are turning out.

When our children are doing well in school and finding out what their talents are and pursuing the things they want to achieve even in their young age, then we, as parents, are doing a great job raising them.

Sometimes, it not easy being the parent, and discipline coupled with encouragement and motivation can be a difficult balance to achieve. This is why the digital eBook, Go For Your Goals: Goal Setting For Kids is timely and something you should seriously consider for your children

Written by two top professional experts in child development and personal growth, Winsome Coutts and Jessi Hoffman; and illustrated by the amazing Anneli Asplund, this downloadable book is going to create winners. Your child will learn how to strive for excellence in a way that communicates at their level. These books are absolutely entertaining and will capture their imagination with its wonderful graphics.

With your purchase, you will also be given wonderful gifts including activity sheets, a parents' guide, and quite a number of free stuff.

There is even a 60 day money back guarantee, so there's no way you can lose by trying out these books. If parents can spend on toys and candy for their children to reward them for good behavior, then with these books, parents will be giving them life skills that will carry them through to adulthood. This is the gift of learning.

Click here to check out the Go For Your Goals book

By nature, children are very competitive so playing chess is not something that they will give up on easily. They do not need to be physically strong or exceptionally gifted mentally, they simply need to know how to play the game and play it well. Children love challenges and this characteristic in itself bodes well for their success in the game.

The environment in which chess is played introduces children to a great amount of discipline; they learn how to take on the challenges that life can bring, and how to be gracious losers and magnanimous winners. Another great benefit gained from being exposed to the chess playing environment, is that children also develop social skills and establish creative ways to assist others. Overall, playing chess allows them to practice precious life skills in the early part of their lives, which is perfect for creating strong mental skills for when they get older.

Taking part in a corporate environment, perhaps representing their school or college in competition, also hones life skill qualities that will help them in their later years. Coupling with others will help them nurture a sense of responsibility and a caring spirit. Helping others learn the game also encourages a compassionate spirit and a sense of community in your child.

Another principle that children learn, while playing chess socially, is that children of other genders races and ages, should be treated with mutual respect. They understand that when they are fair and kind to others, it is usually reciprocated. Opposing this, they also discover the negative effects of treating others in the wrong way.

From playing chess, children often learn about the value of hard work. They discover that nothing that is worthwhile in life comes without hard work and that laziness is a big "no-no". They recognize the value of persistence, never giving up, and cultivate important characteristics needed for success in life.

When it comes to teaching life skills, the game of chess is a wonderful tool to aid you in your parenting efforts. Playing chess will expose your child to new attitudes and abilities that will put them at the forefront in life and give them a solid foundation so that they may share their knowledge with their friends as well as their children and their children's children. The skills that children learn from playing chess are also the skills that will stand them in good stead when they approach adulthood. It would be hard to think of a board game more useful in this respect than chess.

A few years ago a leader of a major political party stated that he knew about 70 small children who had been taken to the Gulf region to be made into camel jockeys, a popular sport among Arabs that required riders to be of light weight. It did not matter that the children were very small. Obviously they would have been very scared to ride on the racing camels, clinging on for dear life. The political leader also revealed a shocking fact. After the kids had grown too heavy to be camel jockeys, they would be used as forced kidney donors for rich Arabs who needed transplants. If what the leader says has even an iota of truth in it then one must ask, is anybody protecting children's rights in this country?

CWIN's (Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Center) National Bi Annual Report (January to June 2004) reported 6919 cases including 54 deaths and 6689 abductions due to armed conflict. It also recorded 3328 child right violations not related to armed conflict. CWIN's 1997 annual report had recorded just 587 such cases in the whole year. Is it that more cases are being recorded now than before? Or is it that poor governance and poverty has contributed to such a massive increase in child right violations? It could be a bit of both, but whatever the case may be, it is a truth of the times that children in Nepal are receiving a raw deal.

Witness how schools have become playgrounds for terrorist acts to settle political vendettas. People have surely lost count of the number of days schools have been closed this year and have become almost used to the bombings and vandalizing of school premises for doubtful political gains. The number of schools that have closed down in many parts of the country, depriving thousands of children of their basic right to education, has become routine news in the media.

According to a recent newspaper report there are about 21000 children working as domestic servants in Kathmandu alone. Out of about 12000 women trafficked to India every year many are children. Informed estimates show that out of about 2,00,000 women working in Indian brothels, at least 20% had been sold when they were below 14 years of age. Out of around 5000 sex workers in Nepal about 1000 is reported to be below 16 years of age. Oh yes, if statistics are anything to go by, then the deprivation of child rights in this country is on the increase.

This, in spite of the government's Child Development Policy stating, " The objective of the HMG will be to carry out physical, mental and educational development of the children with the view to preparing active, disciplined and responsible citizens…and protecting and promoting their rights and interests."

This, in spite of the fact that Nepal was among the first 20 nations to sign the 'UN Convention on the Rights of the Child' in 1990 after the UN had adopted the same on November 20th 1989. The 'Children's Act' that guarantees a child's basic rights as well as the right to education and survival, prohibits child labor, and covers juvenile delinquency and rehabilitation of children at risk, was passed by parliament in 1992. The Civil Code Act of 1963 outlawed child marriage. The Labor Act 1992 strictly prohibits child labor in factories and risk areas. Out of the 150 registered NGOs and INGOs about 37 claim to be working for the rights of children. With so many laws and with so many organizations working to protect children one would think that the plight of children in this country would be lessened.

Yet, what do the statistics for the past year show? 2.6 million children are engaged in different forms of child labor. 27000 die due to diarrhea every year. Out of 100 children, 40 belong to extremely poor families, 47 are malnourished, 80 are admitted to school but only 51 complete primary level. There is only one national level children's hospital and one child specialist for every 1,04,066 children. Annually 12000 women are trafficked to India, many of them children. At least 40,000 children are bonded laborers and 5000 children live and work on the streets. The infant mortality rate is 72 per 1000 live births and under-5 mortality rate is 100 per thousand. 34 % of marriage involves children below 15 years.

These are statistics. Apart from that, who is not aware of the prevailing conditions in schools today? Conditions that affect millions of children. An air of uncertainty surrounds the education sector. One can never predict when schools will again be forced to close down. Is it that the government is failing in its duty to clearly define rules and regulate the same in a responsible manner that has lead to this state of affairs? Or is it that political parties have found schools an ideal playground to settle their political vendettas? Whatever the case may be, forcing schools to close down on any pretext is not tolerable. Likewise, there must not be undue pressure on schools to bow down before politically motivated diktats. Parents are the best judges as to what is best for their children and the choice of the right school for their wards is best left to them. If parents feel that their children deserve better education and some schools seem to be providing the same, then obviously cost doesn't become the major factor. Free choice is what lies at the crux of the matter.

November 19th is observed as the World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse and November 20th as International Children's Day. According to the Convention on Rights of Children (CRC) adopted on November 20th 1989, every human being under the age of 18 is a child, unless majority is attained earlier under national law. One of the guiding principles of the CRC is that the "best interests of the child" should be a primary consideration in all decisions or procedures related to the child.

The United Nations expects governments to ensure that all children enjoy their rights. No child should suffer discrimination. The rights of the CRC apply, "regardless of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status". The essential message is equality of opportunity. Girls should be given the same opportunities as boys. Poor children, disabled children, refugee children, children of indigenous or minority groups should have the same rights as all others, the same opportunities to learn, to grow, to enjoy an adequate standard of living. The rights contained in the CRC fall into four broad categories:

subsistence rights, including the rights to food, shelter and health care;
development rights, which allow children to reach their fullest potential, including education and freedom of thought, conscience and religion;
protection rights, such as the right to life, and to protection from abuse, neglect or exploitation;
participation rights, which allow children to take an active role in community and political life.

Statistics do not lie and the situation is far from ideal for children in this country. Perhaps it is time for the government to stop making pompous statements such as " children are the future of our country", and instead buckle up and get down to putting into practice what it preaches. Similarly, it is high time the large number of INGOs and NGOs that claim to be working for children's welfare justify their existence by really showing significant results so that next year's reports on the state of the state's children is not as dismal as it is today.

If you are a musician with kids, you most likely have investigated guitar lessons for children before. It would be wonderful if your kid likes playing the instrument as much as you do. Maybe you even dream of you and your kid in a band together one day, making guitar lessons for children sound very interesting.

As you no doubt have realized by now, training your children in anything the right way is a complicated task. The same rings true for guitar lessons for children. There are a whole set of circumstances at play that you don't even consider as an adult. Here are some of the most necessary things to keep in mind:

1) Age: As we all dream of having the next child prodigy who can play your Pink Floyd collection blindfolded before they go to school, you should not forget that most guitar lessons for children caters for kids in primary school and up. Guitar lessons for children are usually focused on ages seven and up.

2) Aptitude: Some children just click things quicker than others. You see that kid who skates like he has been skating before he learnt to crawl, one who does maths problems you will never be able to and one who does backflips on his bicycle without batting an eyelid. Just like these, some children pick up basic concepts about music as far as guitar goes faster than others. If your child demonstrates a clear feeling for rhythm and notes from a younger age than seven, you may go ahead and try some guitar lessons for children a bit earlier.

The crucial problem when you sign your kid up to guitar lessons for children is getting a guitar that has been designed for children. A guitar made for adults simply won't do, believe me don't waste your money on a large guitar now. If you check out a decent music store you shouldn't have any problem from the start in finding a smaller guitar.

Guitar buyer's tip: If you are obtaining the guitar for guitar lessons for children, be sure to check the price. Manufacturers sometimes charge ridiculous amounts for a small guitar because they know we as parents will pay this for our children.

Finally, we want to make sure you know the implications when it comes to guitar lessons for children and the lecturer who will be doing the teaching. What you want to avoid is your child giving up on their lessons because of a lecturer putting unnecessary pressure on them. Guitar lessons for children is supposed to always remain fun! The time for being more disciplined will come with age.

One thing that our educational system fails to teach is financial literacy. As important as subjects such as humanities and biochemistry are, for example, the reality is that to the majority of people, these topics have very little real life application on a day to day basis. The study of compounding interest, building and protecting your credit, monthly budgeting, proper use of credit cards, and even retirement investing are unfortunately rarely mentioned (if even offered) in our curriculum. What makes the matter worse is the fact that companies, media, movies, and our very culture daily bombard parents and youth with countless advertisements and opportunities to spend, accumulate debt, obtain unnecessary material possessions, and satisfy the greedy nature within us all.

The solution to such a problem is certainly easier said than done. However, perhaps the real problem does not lie in the youth’s ignorance of finance related topics, or the bombardment of media influences; perhaps the real problem lies in the inability of parents to understand, teach, and exemplify the very principles our youth so desperately need to learn. And what is it that our youth absolutely must learn? Or perhaps better phrased – what is it that parents absolutely must understand, teach, and exemplify before we can ever expect our youth to do the same? Perhaps the 8 tips below will help:

1) What Do Kids Want … That Money Can’t Buy: Our me-oriented culture has engrained into our minds that to show love or appreciation for another person, we must buy them something. As a result, our children’s closets are full, toys are everywhere, and candy is always accessible. And yet, so many children are still not satisfied and happy.  Why? Because ‘wants’ are bought to temporarily replace the essential ‘needs’ each child longs for. What are those needs? They are: you, family, attention, affection, friends, discipline, acceptance, and someone to listen to and love them.

2) Credit Cards … A Necessary Evil: There are some parents who carelessly hand over their plastic to irresponsible, selfish, and undisciplined children who are allowed to buy whatever, and however much they want – and daddy will pay the bill. On the other hand, there are also ignorant parents who teach that credit cards are evil and refuse to let their children have one. To me, these are both excellent examples of horrific ways to teach basic Finance 101! Credit cards are essential in our day and age to build credit; and if used properly, they can become an asset in every regard. (How? See point #3 below)

3) How to Build Credit … And Protect It: First and foremost, parents should get a credit card for each child (the earlier the better). That does not mean you give the child the credit card, but that Dad and/or Mom will occasionally (once a month) make small purchase on the card, and pay it off in full each month. There is the first secret – pay off the credit card balance in full every month. Never miss a payment, or be late. The longer the line of credit is open, the better. Never use more than 25% of the credit limit. And, you should proactively seek to increase the credit limit … often. Then, when a parent feels the child is financially responsible enough to have the card, the child then must make occasional purchases, pay it off in full each month, etc.

However, building credit is half the battle. In our day and age, identity theft protection should be regarded just as highly as life or health insurance. Parents and children should always protect their SSN, never lose their credit cards, protect financial information online, and never answer emails or phone calls asking to ‘update information,’ etc. More importantly, regard your credit as you an asset. Why? Well, do you want lower rates, better jobs, larger loans, better pay, etc.? Than you better protect your credit

4) Consumer Debt vs. Good Debt: Is there actually such a thing as good debt? Of course! While the list is very small, it includes debt for: education, starting a business, and buying a house. Money borrowed to accumulate knowledge or an asset that will make you money, is good debt (although, I would argue that owning a home is a liability in every sense of the word). Thus, anything outside of that parameter would thus be classified as consumer debt … which should be avoided at all costs.  If you don’t have cash to pay for it – don’t buy it! If you use your credit card to purchase something, do it knowing that at the end of the month you will be able to pay the balance in full (never justify a purchase because you can afford the minimum payment, or because there is no interest for 12 months, or any other foolish reasoning).

5) Save 10% … Always: Get into the habit right now that whenever you get paid any amount of money, that 10% automatically (without question) goes straight to savings or investments for the future (college fund, money for a rainy day, retirement, etc.).

6) Occasionally Going Without Is Not A Bad Thing: It is true that too much of a ‘good thing’ can actually become a ‘bad thing.’ Regardless of whether parents have the money or not to buy their children what they want, they would be wise to occasionally teach their kids the important lesson of ‘going without.’ Now, of course I am not talking about depriving your children, or withholding the basic necessities of life; but, how many times has a child wanted (not needed) this or that, and daddy bought it for them? All too often, right! This is also not to suggest that buying nice things for our children is bad; rather, parents need to stop being guilty of giving too much and expecting too little.  Most importantly, we need to teach children how to: sacrifice, work, appreciate, give, share, be patient, and be content and happy with what they have.

7) Interest & Investing – The Good and the Bad: Parents must teach children what is good interest, and what is bad interest (and how to obtain it, and avoid it). In fact, teaching the valuable principle of compounding interest might be best realized by opening an investment account so the child can learn first hand how to make their money work for them. Just as important, parents must teach and help children invest early in life. Parents would be doing themselves and especially their children a great service by establishing early the habit of contributing often to: savings accounts, college funds, and IRA’s. 

8) Secret to Wealth: Give and You Will Receive: There is a principle that is applicable and true for every aspect of our lives, especially in relation to finances. It simply is: give and you will receive! I can’t fully explain how or why it works, nor is the medium or the place to do so, but it does work! The more we think of others and help others, the more others will help us. 

As is obvious, the principles described above are simply Finance 101. Ironically, as simplistic as they may seem, they are so commonly unknown – or perhaps just not implemented! Considering all the school subjects and life lessons that parents are required, and must, teach to their children, it is understandable how these finance related topics thus rarely ever get mentioned. However, my fear is that they are rarely mentioned not because they are not understood, but because they are not lived by the very parents who must teach them to their children. To teach by example is hard to do when the principles are not understood, believed, or implemented by the parents themselves! And yet, a lack of understanding or implementation of such principles still does not negate the absolute importance of teaching these principles to our children – and living them ourselves!

The negative impacts of the media, TV, movies, internet, and video games on our children are not only blatantly apparent, but ever-increasing. Without even going into the much more important effects of immorality, loss of values, violent behaviors, and engrained selfishness, the reality is that these overly-popular mediums are contributing to the loss of the essential attributes, activities, and abilities that all children need to develop.

Children need to play games much more than they currently are. Why? For their social, emotional, physical, and intellectual well-being – that is why! And it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure this happens. Unfortunately, we as parents can all agree that turning on the TV or a movie to act as a temporary ‘babysitter’ is certainly easier than the time, effort, and creativity required to play games with our child.

While I certainly understand there are positive things that do come from TV, movies, the internet, etc. – let’s not be ignorant to the fact that the pro’s are substantially less than the con’s when it comes to the entertainment the world provides. Rather, we as parents need to resolve to make a much greater effort to play games with our children and encourage them to play games instead of idly wasting time on these ever so popular and addictive electronic devices.

Of the hundreds of reasons why parents need to turn off the TV and computer more, and why children need to play games much more often, let me suggest just 15 of the most important reasons:

To develop the creative and imaginative ability within all of us. To be active, exercise, run around, and thus be more fit and healthy. To learn how to interact, communicate with, and work and play with others. To spend time with siblings, parents, and friends – to build relationships. To learn how to appropriately act when you win or lose a game – being a good winner and loser. To enhance their social skills, develop team-work abilities, and how to cooperate with others they like or dislike. To learn how to control their temper, practice self-discipline and self-restraint, and realize that life sometimes is not fair. To learn how to share, take turns, and give. To learn how to follow rules, make decisions, and think logically. To increase their educational and intellectual abilities: colors, shapes, numbers, reading performance, and verbal and communication skills. To increase self-esteem, positive confidence, and give the child a sense of identity. To develop athletic ability, hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and visual perception. To teach the importance of playing fair, not cheating, sharing, and being a good sport. To laugh, have fun, smile, relax, and benefit from all the other psychological pro’s that result from playing.

It is important to remember that the real reason why children must spend more time playing games actually has nothing to do with games at all. This is about ensuring that the negative influences of the TV, movies, internet, and video games do not diminish the physical, mental, social, psychological, and spiritual health of our children. This is about being a parent, not allowing electronics to be a babysitter. This is about developing character, not only about having fun. And just as important, this is about spending time with family, strengthening relationships, and developing necessary life skills through wholesome entertainment.

Children need extra special love and guidance from us parents. Parents also need this guidance at times especially when you get caught up in the day to day routine of parenting.

It's late in the week and you have so many things yet to accomplish, the children are fighting and you can not get them to stop for the life of you. You are at your wits end and all you want to do is get away.

Sound familiar? Well if you are like most parents then the answer is probably yes.

The most difficult aspect of parenting is not always changing diapers, preparing meals, or any of the routine activities during the day. Quite often, the difficulties arise because our little bundles are expanding to larger bundles.

Children adapt so quickly that it sometimes makes it difficult to keep up. Especially if you have to balance and organize for the family as a whole, and or for more than just one child.

Keeping positive allows you to be of a clear mind and on top of things. Take some time for yourself, if you can,allow yourself to breathe, then you can come back to it.

If your child acts up, which is likely at times, you will have had time to reflect, and time for yourself generally means that you will be ready.

A sound mind will allow you to stay focused on the tasks at hand, remain positive, and will make the discipline process that much more effective.

Any child going through a divorce is going to experience some emotional pain, feelings of loss, sadness, frustration and possibly abandonment or rejection. As parents it is important to help children through this difficult time in their lives and to protect them as much as possible from the divorce process itself, as well as the changes that will occur, both now and in the future.

As a parent there are several things that you can do to help your children get through the divorce with as little difficulty as possible. Both parents working together on this goal can make it even easier for the children.

Love

Children at this time need even more love from parents than they did prior to the divorce. This means telling your children every chance to get that you love them, think of them often, and will always be there for them. Try spending some extra one-on-one time with your kids and encourage them to talk about their concerns or fears.

Support and security

Just like love, kids need to feel that they are supported, secure and safe during the divorce. Often children feel very insecure about their relationship with one or both of the parents, and may feel that the parent that moves out of the house has rejected them. Talk to the children about the divorce, and explain that both parents will still be very involved in their lives. Show children your support and commitment to them by being there, and following through on any plans or events. Children may also feel that the custodial parent may not have the financial means to support them, especially if money is an issue in the divorce or in the disagreements leading up to the divorce. Assure your children that you have this under control. Children should not feel concern over financial affairs; they need to know that Mom and Dad have this handled.

Avoid conflict

Children need to see that Mom and Dad still can work together to be good parents. Kids should never be exposed to fighting, negative comments about the other parent, or conflict between parents. If you have a high-conflict situation try exchanging the children at a neutral spot like a restaurant, or perhaps leave the children with a friend and have the other parent pick them up there so you don't have to meet face to face. It is critical that children not be exposed to the stress and anxiety of parental conflict.

Extended family

Talk to your extended families to make sure that they are following the same expectations for providing love, support, and only positive comments. Encourage your children to talk to other family members about the divorce if they feel comfortable with this.

Set a routine and schedule

As soon as possible set a schedule for children to spend time with both parents. Try to stick to the schedule as much as possible as this allows the children to plan for times with both parents, and to feel a part of both parents' lives.

Be consistent

Try to set similar expectations for chores, discipline and daily routines in both Mom's house and Dad's house. This is particularly important if you have younger children, as they will adjust to spending time in both homes much quicker if they are consistent.

Now Listen Carefully

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The sacred institution of marriage was built primarily to safe-guard the interests of growing children. It is believed that any young child needs the unconditional love of a mother and sound support of the father to grow into a mature adult. Further, if the child shares a close and loving relationship with both parents, he will in all probability turn into a disciplined, respectable member of society. Unfortunately, things do go wrong sometimes and marriages break. And courts grant the mother custody of her children.

Countries, states and jurisdictions all offer different rights for a mother to get custody of her children. These rights differ from a case to case basis as well. During the divorce proceedings the courts evaluate the reasons for the break-up and the behavior of both parents. If the father shows any inclination towards wrongful or cruel behavior, the court's decision is made easy and the mother gets custody of her children effortlessly.

In those instances, where two people have decided to part company amicably, the mother does not get custody of her children by default. Here, the legal system leaves the decision with the children, which parent they would prefer to stay with. Psychologists are called in and asked to interpret response and behavior of the children involved. If both parents are found to be responsible and caring, the courts may provide joint custody to both parents. The mother may not get sole custody of her children.

On the other hand there have been several cases where the mother has gotten full custody of her children. Cited below are three such instances:

A Mother Gets Custody of her Children: Case 1

As mentioned above, when both parents have proved to the court that they are balanced, mature and responsible adults, willing and able to care for their children, they are granted joint custody. However, for the sake of convenience, in most cases the children stay with the mother. The father is given full permission to regularly visit his children. However, if the mother has proof that the father is ill-treating the children in any way, she can file any appeal against him. This could cause a severe rift in the father child/children equation. Either way, the father is still obliged to contribute to child support and has to adhere to his end of the bargain. When the child becomes an adult he can independently decide which parent he would prefer to stay with.

A Mother Gets Custody of her Children: Case 2

In the times we live, some people see marriage as 'passé'. But couples do have children together and sometimes these relationships break too. In such cases, the courts treat the relationship as a marriage, their break up is equated to a normal divorce and the father is liable to bear financial responsibility for the well being of his children.

A Mother Gets Custody of her Children: Case 3

In those cases, where the father is an abusive sort of person, the mother is granted full charge of the child. The father may or may not be even allowed to visit his children. Particularly, if the father is addicted to some kind of narcotic, special protection is provided by the courts to the mother and child.

Don't risk the pain of losing custody of your child or getting minimal visitation rights.

The first and most obvious statement that I will make here with regards to children discipline techniques, is that children are functioning people just like you and me. What I mean by that is their brains function the same way that our brains function, but in a different stage of development.

Children experience fear, loss, excitement and many other things as us adults. Their brains might function at a different spectrum but they still have many of the innate responses that we do as adults. This means that when a child OR an adult feels stress in their lives their brains react very similar to that stress.

A child that misbehaves is reacting to a change in brain chemistry, same with adults. Comparatively, when a child is calm and cool, it's a good indicator that that they are reacting equally to a change in their brain chemistry.

What is that change that effects a child's ability to be calm and composed? Cortisol.

Studies have shown that increases in Cortisol is linked to increases in aggression, anger, unfocused attention, violent behavior and defiance.

When cortisol decreases you are likely to see reductions in all of the above mentioned. Children will listen, behave and relate to their world.

Children discipline techniques are based primarily on the above mentioned information. They provide in depth resources of how to not only teach your child to function in the world, but provides you as a parent the peace of mind and the tools to teach through effective, empowering and practical methods.

It could be said that since it was the birth of a baby as a gift to
mankind that gave rise to Christmas, then children should also and always be the
primary focus of the season. Individual families will say they have always put
children first and parents will sacrifice seeking their desires at Christmas to
make sure their children are satisfied. And although adults also look forward
with much anticipation to the Christmas season, the frenzy that accounts for all
the shopping and preparation during the Christmas season is really for the
benefit of children.

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 From a financial perspective, the extensive shopping done at Christmas is
really of benefit to businesses. But what really drives the maddening shopping
activity is a desire by parents, relatives, friends and acquaintances to play
Santa Claus, mainly for children. Within families, children are usually the ones
who individually receive the most gifts. And it's deservedly so because their
wide-eyed anticipation, excitement and pure joy when they open their Christmas
presents gives everyone an indescribably happy feeling.
 Along with playing Santa Claus and secretly getting gifts for children,
adults also use the Santa story for all it's worth as an effective means of
discipline. As soon as the Fall season approaches, children will begin to hear
warnings about their behavior and the consequence of Santa Claus not leaving any
toys or presents like the wonderful ones they received in the prior year. And
when the Santa Claus story is not being used to help to get the best behavior
from children, it is simply pure fun to delight them by telling them stories
about Santa Claus, his elves and reindeers to simply enliven their imagination.
 The story of Santa Claus is even useful for older children who may just be
starting to unravel the mystery of Santa Claus. The stories that tell of
different places where Santa Claus actually lives can be a starting point to go
on an imaginative journey around the globe and become a geography lesson to
learn about those places.
 Children are also central to Christmas because the many grand displays of
Christmas scenery, colorful lights and sparkling ornaments really target the
attention of children. So, if children were not so important at Christmas time,
then it is quite possible that many of the traditions that make Christmas what
it is would not exist. As an example, Valentine's Day and holidays related to
Easter have a much different mood and atmosphere. Children aren't the focus in
celebrations for those special periods.
 Christmas is also an important period for the toy industry whose clients
are naturally children. Although the industry is part of the big retail picture
and therefore seeks to boost sales during the Christmas season, there is also a
deeper meaning for children. Toys are important to entertain, to educate, to
help children develop their imagination and to develop coordination and other
skills in children. Toys can also help children to play together and learn to
share.
The toy industry is therefore important at Christmas time in introducing new
products that are integral to the development of children. When children become
totally captivated by a new toy at Christmas time, it may help them to learn a
new skill or provide new knowledge all in a fun and captivating way that will
make it more likely that whatever is learned will be remembered.
 Children are also the focus of Christmas celebrations because it is
important to create fond childhood memories of the season. These memories are
created not by children necessarily receiving a lot, but by enjoying everything
about the season. The story of Jesus with the moral of sharing, giving and doing
kind deeds for others can also help to build a good character and set a moral
foundation that teaches children to have empathy and compassion during the
Christmas season and all throughout the year.

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