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The Voice of the Children

April 21st, 2012 admin

In my first career, as an early childhood specialist, I learned a lot about children and how they display their natural gifts and talents. The concept of natural gifts and talents was discussed somewhat in the classrooms of my early childhood education training however the true learning took place observing children in actual child care settings.

In the preschool classroom, children have the option of playing in several different corners of the room. If they like art they can go to the paint section and paint a picture on a small easel or use crayons at a table. Children who are physical can play on the jungle gym while others can play house in the dramatic play area. Then there’s free play, puzzle, music or any of the other creative ways that teachers give children to express themselves.

Interesting how this freedom of expression is generally only available during the preschool years. As children get older the school focus is more academic and the rote memorization of letters, words, numbers and rules. There’s also the need to stay in line whether sitting in the classroom or walking as a group to the bathroom or lunch room.

I’m not saying that this way of providing structural organization is bad. Quite the contrary. We are a huge society and we require certain structures in order to be orderly and civil. But what I am saying is that sometimes we focus so heavily on the order and structure that we forget to return to the creative.

As human beings, we are basically very creative animals. It is quite evident in our preschool years when we move freely from one way of creative expression to another. However by the time we become adults we have gone through a process of maximizing our memorization skills and minimizing our creativity unless we had parents with the will and the resources to develop our creativity. Otherwise we become products of public school systems whose focus is on getting the masses through the process rather than highlighting the creativity of the individuals.

As a result, the voice of the children often gets lost in the effort of parents and society as a whole to just get us through the process. And in the process the individual voice of creativity often gets set aside and the children adapt rote memorization and ‘get a job’ attitude that most people conclude is the only option in life.

However, when children have the opportunity to find their voice at an early age they grow with self-esteem and self-empowerment. When children can tap their creativity they have a fresh view of the world and themselves. And when they are able to find career paths that utilize their natural gifts and talents, they get the opportunity to share their voice with the world in ways that school might never have taught.

If you are a parent, grandparent, godparent, teacher, caregiver or in any other capacity where you have the ability to impact the children in your life, remember to look for and develop their creative nature. That’s the part that makes each child unique and is the foundation of their authentic voice. Please take time and listen to the voice of the children in your life.

Make Payday Loan be your Helper with Complicated Occasions

March 13th, 2012 admin

If you are seeking for payday loan savings you can think the rates to be very high on these cash advances, you might be amazed to disclose organizations that give the first credit at no charge. You have possible not knew this, still it is on the Web; so the payday loan savings can be cheaper than credit card interests, in case you simply have to buy some products or put gas in the car.

This is just one example of the payday loans savings you might be able to discover, yet there are other kinds of payday loan savings that are proposed to their consumers, suitable repay or other types of proposals. If you actually want some supplementary money to cover your small costs, it is feasible to get a 30 day loan without interest rate, although such option will be not available for everyone.

What you may prefer is to find payday loan savings of different types, which make it quite appropriate to take care of the costs that do not do good effect to your financial performance. If you are searching for payday loan savings you can discover some online, yet there can be interesting bargains accessible at your neighborhood cash advance company. Not only can you receive check-cashing services and small charge emergency cash loans, but also you may witness the number of alternatives, for instance a credit line that you can access with a debit card.

cash advance have been purposely made with diverse terms in order to be affordable to all people that require additional financial assistance and those who need to resolute their difficulties fast and easily. You basically need to do several movements and you will receive this support, yet keep in mind that payday loans aren’t long-term resolution, and you cannot hope for them in case of big fiscal trouble.

For dwellers that need additional cash between wages, the payday loan savings they will look for might vary depending on the lender they opt for. Still, certain lenders present exceptions and in case you don’t have sufficient earnings they might give you the opportunity to return cash next time, yet with certain fee. Loans may help your state more than any other determinations you might be able to consider, when shunning delinquency charge, overdraft charges or disparaging credit actions and public services shutdown. You just need to perform a little inquiry to find them.

Is It Ever Too Early for Kids to Learn to Read

March 3rd, 2012 admin

Children have amazing brains! They are often far sharper than we give them credit for and their capacity for learning is obviously much greater than that of an adult. They are constantly learning as they are subjected to a world of stimuli which their brains process and make sense of. But what about reading? Is this something which they will learn naturally? Only if they are given the information in the right order so that they can retain the information and make it useful. This way they will learn quickly and easily and without any confusing messages.

Learning to read usually starts in school when the children are around 5 years old. But prior to this you can start teaching children to read as young as 2 years as preschool games. At this age they are hungry for information and learning the alphabet can be done in such as way as they see it only as a game and not a chore. Once they have an understanding of the alphabet they will finding putting the letters together into words a simple step.

The ability to read is very important for young minds. They can establish an independence once they can read which comes from being able to sit quietly and learn at their own pace. Children love books and once they can read they will be able to stimulate their own minds with books that they choose and find subjects which they are interested in. They will no longer have to wait for Mum or Dad to read to them, they will have found their independence. This, as you can imagine, is also a great benefit for busy parents! It is so much better to see the children with a book rather than sitting in front of the television or playing computer games.

That does not mean to say that either the television or the computer are detrimental to a child’s education. Quite the opposite. Obviously we are not talking about them sitting for hours on end watching cartoons or playing “shoot ‘em up” games on the computer. Rather we are talking about using some of the educational websites for kids to stimulate and educate their inquisitive minds. Games for kids are good and can often be educational but there is a fine line and it is one which we must be aware of and use to their benefit rather than detriment.

Start when they are young. Kids games are a good way as the availability of the alphabet for children who are wanting to be stimulated will mean that they learn to read early and then will go on to do better throughout their school life.

Build Character and Motivate Kids With 3 Little Rhymes!

February 26th, 2012 admin

Your Child’s Lead Ball and Chain
Imagine your child carrying a lead ball and chain into school, relationships, and chores. Negative thoughts are that ball and chain if your child thinks:

1. I hate school.

2. I hate those kids.

3. I hate chores

Children learn to try simple tasks, give up on hard ones, and complain. Such a ball-and-chain attitude becomes a habit and poisons their young minds. No parent wants this for their children. What can be done? Keep reading.

How Self-Talk Rhymes Build Character
Positive 2-line poems help your children keep trying. These rhymes become the seeds that grow into strong “can-do” minds. They become the self-talk in your child’s daily thinking and they build character.

I taught this rhyme to my granddaughter:

“Hip, hip, hooray,

I tried today!”

Now she automatically says it aloud and gives me a high 5 when she tries something difficult. It tickles me inside to see her enthusiasm.

3 Self-Talk Rhymes that Motivate and Build Character
1. Some kids complain about homework. They don’t realize that successful kids don’t like it either. The difference is that positive thinkers don’t give up. If you have a complainer, consider turning him around by often repeating aloud this self-talk rhyme:

Doing homework can be fun,

When I’ve tried and when I’m done.

This rhyme paints a positive picture of effort and completion. It could help unlock that ball and chain that complainers often drag throughout their lives.

2. Some children fight with siblings, neighbor kids, and classmates. They lack social skills and use fighting to get their way. Here’s a rhyme that when repeated often, might help them loosen their ball and chain:

I don’t argue and I don’t fight,

Getting along is what feels right.

This poem creates positive feelings and motivates kids to get along. With it you can discuss ideas for making friends.

3. Other children hate chores and drag their feet like a ball and chain. They hope their parents will do the work for them. Sometimes their work is so sloppy that parents take over. This poem, when repeated often, could help:

When I put away my toys,

It makes for tidy girls and boys.

This rhyme promotes organizational skills when parents point out that being tidy helps finding toys later.

The Motivational Key for Building Character
When kids repeat positive rhymes, those rhymes become the thoughts that mold their attitudes throughout their lives. The key is the repetition inside their heads. It shapes their character too.

Your Parenting Action Step

At dinner give your family a one-liner to rhyme. Explain that the second line must be positive and easy to say and remember. Members can work together in creating the rhyme. Post the rhyme on the refrigerator.

For the next several dinners ask:

1. Who used the rhyme?

2. What was the situation?

3. Has everyone had time to speak.

From then on, repeat the rhyme aloud whenever you need it so your children hear you. This will encourage them to keep using it for themselves.

3 One-Liners for Family Members to Rhyme

1. Say “Excuse me, Thank you, and Please,”

2. My body and mind are very strong,

3. When I go to bed and rest,

Have fun as your family comes up with the second line for each.

Conclusion for Self-Talk Rhymes that Motivate Kids
Teach this fun method to your children. You’ll be building character in their thoughtful minds and loving hearts. And remember:

Building character is fine,

When you teach a self-talk rhyme!

Why Kids Misbehave

January 16th, 2012 admin

Jack and Jill were playing together at the table with the building blocks. Jack, who was 5 years old wanted a four-nub brick but unfortunately there was just the one left in the collection. Jill, who was 4 years old, wanted the four-nub brick too and insisted that her building project was more important than Jack’s and therefore she deserved it more. The argument on who deserved the building block more increased in intensity as each child refused to give any quarter. Not only was the decibel level increasing to uncomfortable levels but so was the needle in the chaos meter.

This is a of course a hypothetical scenario, nevertheless, it does represent what takes place in many households across the country.

For the most part, children do play well together but it does not take much for things to fall apart. This is not the only scenario when kids play up. There are others.

Many parents think that when children misbehave that it is an “attention thing”. But, is it? Some experts think that this is normal behaviour. They believe that this is behaviour expressed as kids explore their environment. What they fail to acknowledge is that even as kids explore their environment, they are also exploring their boundaries.

The man who was credited with transforming one of the worst schools in Britain, Sir Michael Wilshaw, had this to say concerning his school: ‘We recognise that our pupils need more structure at school, not less, if they lack it at home. Children here know there are lines which they should not cross.’

There is of course the other side of the argument. Days are gone when we expect children to do as they are told and to be seen and not heard. We do not have that kind of society any more neither do we have that kind of parent any more. We do need to listen to what our children are saying as well. In other words, if you want children to respect you then you have to give them respect.

In setting boundaries, age and stage of development of a child is important. Are the boundaries that we have set for our children reasonable?

When kids feel sad or bad for whatever reason, they show this through their behaviour. They may not be able to articulate the reasons for them feeling the way they do so they depend on communicating their feelings by the way they behave.

From a practical standpoint it is important that you stand your ground. No should mean no. This way your kids will know where they stand with you. Talk first and if they do not listen then send them upstairs for 10 minutes and then bring them down. Of course, we need to be careful that we do not fall into the trap of not noticing when our kids are behaving well. When they are playing with their siblings well and tidying up and are sharing their things or any other positive behaviour can be so easily missed in the innumerable distractions we have to deal with.

The minute children misbehave we come in and give loads of attention but of course the message we are giving out to the child is ‘I get loads of attention if I misbehave’.

Another practical way is to reinforce school discipline policy with regards to good behaviour and respect for others, at home. Every school has a discipline policy written by the head teacher. Familiarise yourself with this policy and adopt it to the home environment.

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