The Best Gifts Ever: Life Experiences Every Child Should Have
This past holiday season Canadians spent over $45 billion-with parents paying out almost $1.8 billion of that on their children's presents alone. However, the best gifts we can give our children can not be purchased in a store. And while they are within the grasp of all parents to give, not all children receive them. What are these gifts? Nothing more than six simple life experiences every child should have: The gift of healthy habits. Children need to learn about and experience regular exercise, adequate sleep, and proper nutrition. Help instill these habits from an early age, or any age for that matter. Encourage your kids to get active. Explore and use your neighbourhood recreation centre. Re-discover walking. Teach the importance of healthy eating. The gift of unconditional love. Show your children how much you love them-with your words and actions. Let them know that you will always be there for them. Teach your children to separate their actions from their sense of self. Explain that while you might sometimes be disappointed or even furious with their actions, you will always love them. The gift of compassion. As a family you might volunteer your time or talents to assist those in need. Some families agree to donate 10% of each child's allowance to a charity of his/her choosing. Consider sponsoring a child, or adopting an abandoned pet from your local SPCA or Humane Society. Teach them the value of action-getting involved and selflessly giving of yourself so that others may gain. The gift of potential. Help your children discover their own unique talents, as well as identify new ones. Try various activities and explore areas of interest. Nurture their potential through hobbies, visits to the library, or talking to people in various fields. Guide gently-giving your trust, encouragement and congratulations along the way. Sometimes all they need is for someone else to believe in them before they believe in themselves. The gift of optimism. Children and teens can often feel overloaded or overwhelmed by situations and events. Teach your child that every situation can be overcome. Learn about self-talk, and to focus on what you have, rather than what is missing-letting go of "what should be". It has been rightly said, "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." The gift of humour. Children laugh all the time, but later in life we sometimes lose the ability to find the lighter side of situations. Show your kids it's OK not to take themselves too seriously. Nothing reduces stress, or can change your attitude faster than a smile or good giggle-such is the power of laughter. While we'll continue to buy gifts for our kids, let's make sure the six above are also given along the way. They may not be as exciting to receive as the latest game or toy, but as our children grow older and reflect on their lives, they will be truly thankful to have received them. ©2005 Rob Stringer.com - Reprinted with permission Award-winning educator, speaker and author, Rob Stringer coaches and assists parents with his upbeat approach to learning, and parenting. For more ideas, resources or workshop information, visit http://www.RobStringer.com or call (905) 544-1938 today.
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Keeping Kids Safe on the Internet
The biggest trick some child predators' are using these days is to pretend to be a kid, in a kid site chat room.
Road Trip! Make It Fun For Your Toddler
If you had to spend 4 or 5 hours in a snug car seat with even snugger straps and nothing to do, you might not be a huge road trip fan either. Road trips are getting more fun for the younger set as portable and built-in DVD players become more and more common, but sometimes even watching videos gets old.
A Dangerous Environment
The internet is a dangerous place for your children. Don't even begin to believe that your child is safe. There are more dangers than you can possibly imagine waiting to lure children to their doom. You had better be aware of what's happening and take steps to shield them from the danger ... if you don't, your child's sanity and safety are at serious risk.
Advantages of Using a Board Certified Pediatrician
When a child is born, a new number is added to the parental speed dial. When a child wakes his parents up in the middle of the night, there is one person that they know they can turn to for the answers. When a new mom's questions seem to be never ending, there is one person she trusts to answer them entirely ? the pediatrician.
Playground Pettiness
Recently I took my two children to a popular new park in the area. It's a
beautiful new playground, all wood, divided into different areas of play for
different age groups. It's wonderful for me as well, as my children can play
at age appropriate areas and I can see/interact with both of them at the
same time. This is what makes it our entire family's favorite playground, as
well that for many other families in the area.
ADHD Treatment: Strategy and Philosophy
If your child or teen has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder during the summer, or winter months, and if your child or teen is not a danger to himself or to someone else, we recommend that you try diet and nutritional interventions first and see if they work. Try our Eating Program/Diet and order the VAXA products "Attend" and "Extress". Use them for at least 60 days along with the Eating Program/Diet. It will take 30 to 45 days to really know whether or not this will be sufficient as an intervention. Give it time.
How to Create an Emotional Bond with Your Child
One of the most powerful tools that parents have for raising their children is the natural emotional bond that exists between them and their child. Children who feel close to their parents will have a strong desire to obey them. No child with this type of connection to his parents will want to risk hurting that connection by disobeying them. When such a relationship exists, the mere look of dissatisfaction on the face of a parent will usually be enough to curb inappropriate behavior. This bond is so strong and so potent that it lasts even through adolescence when most of the disciplinary tools at our disposal are ineffective. Often, it is the only tool we have in guiding our teenage children. Parents who do not have such a connection with their children have lost a vital resource necessary for successful parenting.
Surprise ? Public School Class Size Doesnt Matter Very Much
School authorities often complain that classes are too large. They claim that teachers can't be expected to give their students the individual attention they need if there are too many students in the class. On the surface, this excuse seems to have some merit. Common sense tells us that in smaller classes, teachers can give more time and attention to each student.
Clean Slates and Fresh Starts
Hope, excitement and anxiety all wrapped up in fresh haircuts and new clothes. Pens, pencils and notebooks, the smell of a new box of crayons and a brand new book; it all speaks of such promise.
Mom, Dad and the Big Brother
Software for parental control is a useful tool, if applied right. Millions of parents in the USA alone do check their kids' online behavior. In November 2004 a telephone survey made by the Pew Internet and American Life Project showed that:
Potty Dolls to Accelerate Potty Training Success
Sometime the most effective training tool in rapidly accelerating the rate of your child's training is a potty doll. This is drink-and-wet a doll with the internal plumbing that simulates the potty process for your child. Generally, dolls with an internal bladder are the most effective. This enables the youngster to gently press on the dolls tummy to make it pee. In order to get started see below:
Teacher Tips: Your Room Set-Up and ADHD Students
Thank you to all of our professional educators who dedicate themselves to our children! We know how difficult it can be working with ADHD children, so here are your teacher tips for the week, brought to you by the ADHD Information Library and ADDinSchool.com. You can read over 500 classroom interventions at http://www.ADDinSchool.com.
Alias: Aptitude
Be aware. You may become totally overwhelmed when you get the results of the special education testing on your child. There is a lot of "stuff" on that report! And much of it sounds like a foreign language to many people.
Let Kids Help
One fantastic way to get your children involved in what they are eating, is to have them help. A great way to start is to let them make up their lunch for the next day. Obviously you will need to set some guidelines. For example, when I turned 9 I was allowed to make up my own lunch. In my girlfriends' houses they were 10 and in some others 11. However, we all felt very important and grown up that we were allowed to make up our own lunch. Again, my mom had certain guidelines. We had to pick a lunch meat, fruit or yogurt and bread to put it on (white, wheat, rye or a roll; today wraps are another alternative). As I got older however, I cut down to a half sandwich as I found I didn't always finish a full sandwich. I continue to eat lunch this way today, a half sandwich and some fruit.
Why Scrapbooking Moms are the Secret Weapon in the War on Terror
There is a front line and a back end to every successful war effort. Rosie the Riveter was an icon during World War II and she was symbolic of the strong American woman who took command of the US economy and war manufacturing; without her there would have been no Allied victory.
Promote Physical Fitness for Your Child
If your child is to derive the benefits of physical fitness, then physical activity must be habitual and lifelong. Moving should be as routine as brushing teeth and bathing. But this is only likely to happen if:
1. Physical activity is a habit of yours ? and of your family's.
2. It's associated with pleasure rather than pain!
Minimizing Homework Hassles
John Bishop's Goal Setting for Students.com
Surviving as a Single Parent
Emotional Overload
Peer Pressure - Five Ways to Help Teenagers Beat Peer Influence
Young people generally want to fit in to their various social groups so peer approval is a significant driver for their behaviour. For a young person resisting peer influence can mean isolation or instant ostracising so it sometimes takes great strength of will to refuse to follow the crowd.
Would You Hire This Teacher?
Imagine you were the principal of the school that your child would be attending. Imagine that you were authorized to pick out which teachers to hire.
|
