Tag Archives: Children

Video: What Adults Can Learn from Kids

From TED Talks

Child prodigy Adora Svitak says the world needs “childish” thinking: bold ideas, wild creativity and especially optimism. Kids’ big dreams deserve high expectations, she says, starting with grownups’ willingness to learn from children as much as to teach.

Money-Smart Kids: No money for money education?

Money-Smart Kids

No money for money education?

By Tom Henske

From Westport News Online

Last week — while reading Karen Blumenthal‘s article in The Wall Street Journal, “Is There a Cure for Financial Literacy?” — I was reminded of one of the impediments to improving financial literacy in our country. Citing data from The Jumpstart Coalition, Karen reminds us that only three states currently mandate personal-finance courses. This is certainly too small a number and I have a few hypotheses as to why.

I’m not convinced that I’ve seen a significant nationwide push by educators to mandate such curriculum. Clearly, no one could actually think that mandating personal finance courses in our schools is a bad thing. I would also like to believe everyone would rank money education on the top of the importance list. Let’s face it, everyone — whether they are worth $10 or $10 million — will need to have a foundation of money knowledge. We all need to deal with money in some way, shape or form. In short, money is not a topic that can be avoided or escaped.

A few educators I’ve spoken with shared that they do think it’s a good idea, but the money is just not there to make it happen. I understand the reality of school budgets does not allow for everything to get into the curriculum. My next question would logically follow: should we consider a reallocation of existing dollars to be refocused toward formal financial literacy in our classrooms. I hear the chants now: “Join the club and get in line.”

Maybe we just have a difference of opinion as to where financial literacy falls on the priority list. Certainly English is important; math is vitally important, too. I’d like to think that money-skills should make the top five list. Here’s why…

We know our children are absolutely, positively, without a doubt, going to need to interact with money (save, spend, donate and invest!) in their future — from managing income made at summer jobs to helping pay for college, and in life beyond the classroom. Indeed, there is a higher probability that they will need to use money knowledge more than the skills learned in many of their other classes. I just can’t understand why we wouldn’t be able to find the money, or reallocate money, so that children can walk into their respective colleges and have a basic understanding of their own personal finances.

After further discussion with these educators I think I’ve uncovered part of the challenge. Could it be that educators don’t themselves feel comfortable with their own personal money skills; thus they feel they aren’t in a position to try and teach this to others? We all can certainly appreciate the apprehension to avoid topics we are not comfortable with. Could this be the stumbling block that allows the absurd statistic of only three of 50 states having mandatory money skills curriculum?

I would recommend we simplify things a bit and talk more about the behavioral aspects of managing one’s finances that lead to either success or failure of one’s financial plan. As much as we would like to think the panacea to all financial planning woes is choosing the right “home run” mutual fund, the reality is the most important variable separating success versus failure in the retirement preparation game is one’s propensity to save.

The bottom line: if you save, you’ll accumulate the dollars necessary to enjoy a secure retirement. If not, you will be scrambling to continue to make money so you can live.

Therefore, learning to save (and thus budgeting, a technique which allows you to save) is the key. Clearly this is a concept teachers could get comfortable speaking on and could easily work into numerous lesson plans. By simplifying the subject matter to the concept of saving, we eliminate the concern teachers might be having on the topic and simultaneously teach our children the single most valuable lesson that will be crucial to their financial well-being in the future.

Tom Henske, a Westport resident and partner with Lenox Advisors, a wealth management firm with offices in New York City and Stamford, developed the Lenox Money-Smart Kids Program in conjunction with MassMutal Financial Group. He can be reached at [email protected]

Stroller Strides: Driven by Motherhood

Stroller Strides: Driven by Motherhood

Lisa Druxman’s fitness franchise has grown even faster than her children.

By Aliza Sherman

From Entrepreneur Magazine Online

What’s the difference between a mompreneur and an entrepreneur? According to Lisa Druxman of Stroller Strides, the difference is defined by the qualities of businesses women start.

“Either the type of business they create has something to do with kids or the way they run their business is supportive of family,” explains Druxman, who did both when she started Stroller Strides in the fall of 2001.

After a decade working in the fitness industry, Druxman became a mom and wanted motherhood to come “first and foremost” in her life instead of returning to 10-hour workdays. Rather than dropping off her infant son at a gym day care, she came up with an exercise routine she could do with him, much to her son’s delight. But something else led her to turn a personal exercise routine into a more formal class for other moms.

“I knew nothing about motherhood,” says Druxman. “I was having sleep issues, breastfeeding issues, identity crisis issues of leaving my career. I realized I needed to connect with other new moms.”

Druxman found working from home to be a blessing but not without its challenges.

“The thing about working with baby in tow is that you can never depend on your schedule,” she explains. “Any day can change because a nap is missed, the baby is crying, etc. I had to remain flexible, knowing that babies’ [schedules] are [sometimes] not dependable.”

To offset the unpredictability, Druxman hired a nanny part time for specific hours so others could depend on her for meetings or phone calls.

Within a year, her San Diego-based fitness class for moms with stroller-bound infants took off. The following year, Druxman knew she was onto something when requests poured in from moms across the country asking to take classes in their area. After consulting an attorney, she created a beta license to test her business idea nationwide. She offered only 10 licenses that year despite additional requests.

Working with consultants and franchise attorneys, Druxman turned Stroller Strides into a national franchise in 2004 while still basing the company headquarters out of her home.

“I bought my house because I knew I wanted it to be my home office,” says Druxman, who had five workstations custom-built into her home and 12 employees with keys. She established rules for the home-based office so her family could retain their privacy; however, at any given moment, there might be an employee sitting in her children’s room taking a call. Druxman refers to the home-based company days as “crazy” but also recalls them fondly.

Today, Druxman works from an office. Her children are in school full time with after-school activities so she is able to work more “traditional” work hours.

Says Druxman, “I still make up extra time in the wee hours of the morning. Of course I’m always connected via my iPhone.”

While the power of moms continues to drive Druxman’s business forward, she also acknowledges that motherhood is a challenge to her businessgrowth because it’s a constant challenge to balance work and home life. As both children and companies grow up, says Druxman, they each present daily sets of challenges that can be tough.

“There are never enough hours in the day, so you need to be super focused on what will give you the most bang for your buck in terms of time,” Druxman advises. “When you are working on your business, give it 100 percent [of your] attention. When you are with your kids, give them 100 percent. Don’t try to be everything to everyone.”

Druxman recommends saying no more and delegating when possible. “And keep a sense of humor when it all falls through.”

Feature: The Prevention Plan pushes for a healthier society

By Kate Foley, Fearless Ambition


Americans are faced with a growing epidemic. It can be found in every state, in most communities, even in many homes. It is spread through social messages, advertising and simple bad habits. This epidemic is unhealthy living, and there are forces fighting against it every day.

One man on the front lines for healthful lifestyles is Dr. Sami Bég, Associate Medical Director of U.S. Preventive Medicine. A medical doctor specializing in preventive medicine, he and his team have developed The Prevention Plan, a product marketed to companies to teach their employees healthy eating and living habits. The Prevention Plan currently serves about 60 companies and their employees, but Bég says the number of companies joining continues to rise.

Right now, Bég’s team is in the early stages of developing The Prevention Plan for Kids. The concept is based on the very real situation that American kids are becoming increasingly unhealthy, which could have serious effects, both short- and long-term.

“We are facing an epidemic,” Bég said. “Kids who normally would never be at risk for diseases like diabetes and heart problems are now being diagnosed with preconditions for these diseases.”

Bég says unhealthy diets and inactive lifestyles are the main problem. One attribute to this is a child’s home life.

“Parents don’t always know what’s best [for kids’ diets]. They were never taught healthy eating,” Bég said. “So bad habits they practice become the norm for a child who doesn’t know any better.”

However, home life is not the only factor that determines what a kid eats. Bég says one of the leading factors is the food and inactive lifestyle marketed to kids through advertisements and the media.

“It used to be that TV would mimic real life, but now real life mimics TV. The media needs to be responsible for their actions, their content and what they sell to kids.”

With all the new entertainment options, Bég says, kids are not going outside as much or engaging in their community. Instead of playing sports or doing outdoor activities like children of previous generations, today’s kids spend much of their time in front of the TV, watching shows or playing video games. Though this is obviously not the case for all children, it is making a significant impact on the overall generation. Bég is concerned that the growing rate of inactivity could lead to serious results for these children later in life.

“The life span of this upcoming generation is going to be shorter than that of their parents,” Bég said. “Kids’ life spans have decreased, which means we are going backwards. The status quo was  to not take this health concern seriously, but we are now beginning to see some progress. We need to continue to educate and bring people together in order to see a movement toward a healthier community.”

This is exactly what the Prevention Plan for Kids will try to do. As a supplement to the original Prevention Plan product, it will target children of company employees, teaching the entire family healthful living and eating habits through programs and modules. Lesson plans will cover topics like nutrition, safe and healthy exercise, understanding how the body works, and other engaging topics that will be entertaining as well as informative for kids.

Bég says there will also be a parents’ component to the plan, with advice on how to raise their kids, question and answer sections, and who to contact for other questions or concerns.

“The problem of an unhealthy America needs to be evaluated from various angles in order to come up with the most comprehensive solution.  The government needs to play a role, as does the media, businesses, schools, families and doctors,” Bég said. “Only when we connect the important stakeholders and provide them with a clear road map to a culture of wellness, can we create a sort of place where kids are engaged, motivated and inspired to be healthy.”

Anger as a Weapon: Does Your Child Point the Gun at You?

Photo by Flickr
Photo by Flickr

From young children to teens, we explain why your child is in trouble if he or she uses anger and acting out behavior to control others.

When children use anger to get what they want, it can feel for all the world like they’re pointing a loaded weapon at you. As a parent, you dread the ugly and sometimes violent emotional outbursts that come with this type of behavior. Before I discuss children who use anger as a weapon-or the way that I like to put it, as a problem solving technique-I want to caution people that once a child is using extreme anger, they’re in a lot of trouble. And by the way, I’m not talking about a two-year-old throwing a tantrum, I’m talking about a five-year-old throwing toys around the room or an eight-year-old hitting his sister or a twelve-year-old kicking holes in the wall. Once a child is at that level, there are some serious issues at stake, and you need to get them some help fast. There’s no way I can address every aspect of this problem in one article, but what I can do is explain a little bit more about what’s going through your child’s head, and the steps you need to take as a parent to change this pattern of behavior.

Let me explain to you why I think that your child is in trouble if they’re using anger to seek control. I believe that kids who act out this way haven’t developed the appropriate problem solving skills to deal with the stressors, emotions and situations they experience at their age level. Don’t forget, anger is a feeling, but anger is also a problem that has to be solved. When you’re angry and you’ve got all that chaotic energy inside of you, you have to learn what to do about it besides take it out on others. When you’re afraid, you have to learn what to do with that fear-that’s a problem you have to solve. Too many times feelings are looked at solely as feelings and not as problems for which your child needs to find a solution.

It’s also important to understand this: kids get a sense of power from acting out and they use that power to solve the problem instead of learning how to cope with life. These children don’t learn the mechanics of problem solving or how to deal with their feelings appropriately. And that’s an important and critical misstep, because it leaves them on one side of the cliff with no bridge to the next phase of life, the phase where they learn to negotiate, to get along with others, and to solve the problems that arise without losing control.

How Kids Use Anger to Control Their Environment

From the age of four, almost all of us learned how to solve our anger problems, and now we do it so easily and quickly that we don’t even realize that we’re solving them. We feel angry at our boss but we keep our mouth shut. Perhaps we jog after work, or we go to the gym. Or we watch a movie or read a book. We do things that enrich our lives to compensate for the stressors that we feel: We find a way to solve those problems.

But with kids who use anger to manipulate a situation, it’s a whole different story. They’ve learned to solve the problem of feeling uncomfortable by striking out at others. When they have a hard time, instead of dealing with their emotions, they strike out. And in the short term, that solves their problem-usually people back off. If their parents or teachers or caregivers don’t back off the first time, they back off the second or third or fifth or tenth time. Even if they just kicked a hole in your wall, they don’t even see it as their wall, they don’t care. To put it plainly, the child or the teenager has nothing to lose.

Once children learn how to use acting out, aggression, destructive behavior and verbal abuse-that whole family of behaviors-as a coping mechanism, as a skill to solve life’s problems, they are treading on dangerous territory. Because when they find that it works, they keep doing it. And the older they get, the more that technique becomes ingrained in them. And so by the time they’re older children or entering early adolescence, this is their main way of coping with anything that frustrates or upsets them.

Are Your Younger Child’s Meltdowns Giving him Control?

It’s simple: the more your young child succeeds at using anger and destructive behavior as a way to solve his problems-and the more you let him get away with doing that-the more entrenched that behavior is going to become.

Here’s what happens: Your child is faced with a situation that’s frustrating. He responds by losing control. As a parent, you see your child melting down. But if you look at the bigger picture, is he really losing control? Because here’s the thing: the next time you tell him he has to go clean his room, you’re going to remember the last explosion and you’re going to ask in a different way, or soften the request. If he explodes again, eventually you’ll clean his room yourself. So even though it looks like he’s losing control by melting down, in reality he’s getting more and more control over everybody in the house.

The same thing happens at school. Even though these kids look like they’re losing control when they act out, in fact, they’re getting more control over the class because they wind up not having to do the work. Somewhere along the line the child learned that acting this way gave him an edge, and gave him some power-it gave him some control over the adults in his life. The expectations placed upon him were diminished, and the tolerance for inappropriate behavior was raised. In his very bright human mind, he realized that it worked. And so he tried it again, it worked again, and it worked again until it became a pattern.

When these kids lose control, in their mind, they’re in control. They’re getting back at you. They’re showing you that they’re not going to do what you ask of them. If not now, then maybe the next time you’re going to ignore their behavior and do it yourself. And that’s their goal. It’s a very difficult pattern to break as a parent and you may very well need guidance from a behavioral program or a behavioral specialist, even when your child is still young.

For Parents of Angry, Acting-out Teens

I think if teens are acting out and using anger to control you, they certainly have years of experience that says that this method works for them. They may behave themselves around their friends, or around the police. They have to behave themselves in public for the most part, and they tend to do so. But when they get home or are at school where this behavior works, they readily employ it.

So, what happens? You see these kids get moved through school. There are countless conferences with teachers and parents and school psychologists. But really, in the end, if the child is resolute, nothing changes. He goes to Special Ed classes where they tiptoe around him and he does easy work. They pat him on the head when he spells ten words right and tell him what a great guy he is. In short, they do everything they can to manage his behavior. And the school’s goal, by the way, is not to educate him at that point-it’s to manage his behavior. And that’s exactly what he wants. He wants to control the environment, control you through his behavior. He wants it to be your job to not upset him. The message to you is, “If you upset me, bad things are going to happen.”

Never lose sight of the fact that as a parent, your most important job is to teach your child how to learn to solve problems. Teens are miserable half the time because they’re dealing with some tremendous problems and at the same time, trying to learn how to manage life. They’re not children anymore and they’re not adults, but they are starting to have some adult expectations of responsibility-without the benefit of all the tools adults have. In fact, the only way they can get those tools is by learning how to manage situations. There’s a saying I like: “Action precedes understanding.” In other words, teenagers have to go through all of this stuff, and in the end, they’ll understand how it helped them.

But kids who avoid solving problems through intimidation, abuse, anger and acting out behavior don’t develop the skills to deal with life. Sadly, they wind up as young adults whose primary problem solving skill is to intimidate others and break things if they don’t get their way. The truth is, there’s no future in our world for adults like that. And they rarely grow up without encounters with the police, substance abuse, and criminal activity.

For kids who learn how to solve problems through defiance, all they do is defy. And if you ask them why they did it, they’ll tell you it was your fault or somebody else’s fault. “I was wrong but you made me. You wouldn’t let me have the money. You wouldn’t let me stay up and watch TV. You wanted me to clean my room and not let me finish my game.” You, you, you. And these kids wind up feeling like a victim all the time, and you know, if you feel like a victim then the rules don’t apply to you. And so they strike out defiantly, and that becomes their main technique to solving problems. Who are these kids I’m speaking about? They’re the brooding teenagers who are angry all the time at home. They become teens who get involved with drugs and alcohol. They become teens who get involved with petty crime and the police. And you know, you’ll see them do antisocial things in the community. They’ll be destructive, knock down people’s mailboxes, or break into cars. And they get involved with all that because they actually see themselves as victims and therefore, somehow it’s different for them. But as a parent, you’ve got to really rigorously and strongly challenge that feeling and that way of thinking. For people who aren’t able to give up that victim identity, it becomes very hard to change.

Getting Control Back

I think the way that you get control back is to grit your teeth and be ready for a big fight. Start saying no, and mean it. Be prepared to lock up the video game in the trunk of your car. Be prepared to let your child scream in the store for 15 minutes. Be prepared to call the police. Be prepared to go through these things and be ready to do what it takes for your child to understand that this strategy, this problem solving skill of acting out, doesn’t work anymore. If you aren’t able to deal with this problem, you’re endangering yourself and you’re endangering your child. The behavior is going to escalate. Parents need to understand that and seek outside resources, have a backup plan, and be prepared to stand your ground.

I suggest you read as much as you can on the subject of managing kids with behavior problems. Find a behavior-oriented therapist. Work with the school and do whatever you can. Also, there are books available at the book store and programs available online that can help you get the skills you need. Because, if this problem doesn’t change in your child, in adulthood it becomes really terrible and sad. The terrible part is, of course, adults can’t solve their problems by acting out and exploding. They wind up in jail, they wind up fired, they wind up hopeless. And it’s sad because when the child becomes an adult, he really feels cheated by life. He doesn’t understand why he hasn’t made it and other kids have. And he really feels like a loser-in fact, these kids feel like losers for a great amount of their lives, because they know right from wrong. Many times after they act inappropriately they feel sad and confused. Deep down, they know what good behavior is and bad behavior is-they just can’t operationalize it when they’re upset.

So if you’re in this position with your child, you need to learn new problem solving skills. In essence, you have to develop special parenting skills for kids who have special needs. And you know, you can tell if your parenting skills are working or not if your kid’s out of control. And if that’s the case, that doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent-far from it. You’re tolerating your child, you’re doing the best you can. What it means is that your child also needs to develop a new set of skills, and your child needs a parent with a level of skills that you don’t have yet.

The good news is you can get those skills that you need to teach your child how to manage his behavior. You can go online to find support. You can see a therapist who deals with behavioral problems and who can teach you techniques to deal with your child. Yes, action precedes understanding. And you can start taking actions now. Don’t be so intimidated by your child’s anger that you are afraid to take action and get the help you and your child need.

For three decades, behavioral therapist James Lehman, MSW, has worked with troubled teens and children with behavior problems. He has developed a practical, real-life approach to managing children and adolescents that teaches them how to solve social problems without hiding behind a facade of defiant, disrespectful, or obnoxious behavior. He has taught his approach to parents, teachers, state agencies and treatment centers in private practice and now through The Total Transformation® Program.

The Total Transformation Program® is a comprehensive step-by-step, multi-media, child behavior modification program for child behavior problems like oppositional defiance disorder and child anger issues.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Lehman

James Lehman - EzineArticles Expert Author

The Benefits of a Kids Fitness Club

Photo by Flickr
Photo by Flickr

The Benefits of a Kids Fitness Club

By Dave O’Sullivan

Many cities around the country have a kids fitness club where they can go for exercise. These clubs are beneficial for kids that have no exercise in their lives, or if they are having problems with their weight. There are so many benefits to having a child participate in a club of this type. The lack of fitness and exercise that they might be experiencing can result in an overweight child or even a child that has no energy at all. Besides proper exercise, a child needs a good diet, which can be just as hard to monitor.

Group Activities

The kids fitness club offers kids a chance to participate in group activities that are more to their liking. They can play soccer, volleyball, basketball, and other games. Although these games are a form of exercise, kids have fun and do not see it as exercise. Making kids think they are having fun is the easiest way to having healthy and fit children.

Training for Team Sports

The clubs offer performance training that kids need if they are going to try out for team sports. A child that has been sitting on the couch for years, and decides that he or she wants to participate in a team sport will have a problem. Their bodies are not conditioned to perform the moves needed to play. Their muscles need training and conditioning before jumping into the game. At a kids fitness club, they will receive all the training they need to condition the body and prepare it for the team sports program they choose.

Fitness Training

Fitness training is another benefit of the kids fitness club. Whether it is strength training or a cardio workout, kids need to have a fitness routine to stay healthy. There are even yoga classes for kids to participate in. Staying fit is not hard work, but it is something that must be done every day. Whether it is at a club or at home, kids need more to do that moves the body and gets the blood circulating.

First Things First

Kids that have little to know exercise or body movement should start out slow. Yes, kids are resilient, but even the healthiest child cannot start doing strenuous activities if the body is not used to it. The kids fitness club can be very useful for families with children who need to find alternatives to video games and television. However, jumping off the couch and running around a soccer field without any prior exercise or warm ups can result in some painful muscles and possible health problems.

The kids fitness club is a place for children to learn how to exercise, warm up before playing team sports, and for little ones that need some fun games to play with others. They will have a place to exercise and have fun doing it. The clubs also have a pre-school program, which means that you can start your kids out when they are young. This is the best time to start learning about fitness and staying active.

Written by Dave O’Sullivan Co-Creator of Team NutraFun. For more information visit them at http://www.nutritionalfun.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_OSullivan

Reading WITHOUT Meaning – The Conversation Continues

Reading WITHOUT Meaning – The Conversation Continues

By: Angela Maiers

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One of the things that I love most about the blogosphere is that the conversation never ends.  We deepen understanding when we revisit and reflect on our words and they way in which they are heard by another.  It is exciting to see how the conversation evolves as it journeys across and within Twitter, blogs, and face-to-face encounters. As Jeff Utech and Will Richardson describe, this is network literacy in action.

I have been closely watching the conversation that emerged from my Reading WITHOUT meaning series.  Sara Bennett, author of The Case Against Homework and the passionate educators at The Camp Creek Blog has created quite a dialogue with their readers. As I explored the 150+ comments, many powerful themes jumped out to me:

Fear:

  • This is my greatest fear. It happened this winter to my 7 year old.
  • While I haven’t asked because I’m afraid of the answers I’ll get, I’d bet that my kids can’t stand reading. To them, reading can’t be fun. It’s just another pressure-packed opportunity to be assessed. There’s always a wrong answer when it comes to reading — and wrong answers never feel good.”

Concern:

  • How can educators do a better job of nurturing curiosity, creativity and learning?
  • There’s that one little word in Angela’s son’s response that tips us off to the problem: do. As in, “I dream of the day when I will never have to do reading again.” You don’t *do* reading. You read. Unless someone has stolen reading from you and made it something to do for him or her. So sad!

Uncertainty:

  • What do we do? More parents and teachers need to speak up on this, but how? Will the schools listen to our concerns?

Disconnect:

  • The constant grading, testing, “reading comprehension strategy” nonsense is a million miles away from reading as the pleasurable, basic human activity it’s been for the last few centuries
  • This seems all the more ironic considering that, in the UK, our right to allow our children to learn to love reading at their own pace (and learn to love learning for that matter) is about to be ripped away from us. I am left wondering how the evidence of repeated studies into how children learn can be ignored and called progress.
  • It makes me think about something that happened with one of my son’s closest friends last week. We were at the pool, and the little boy’s father told him that he (the boy) knows what will happen: either he chooses to join the swim team and go to practice, or he sits with his father beside the pool and works on his reading. For 45 minutes. Well he doesn’t want to swim on the team, so he has to work on his reading! This little boy has just turned four years old! And he has one of the gentlest families I know of. I could not believe it. They were using reading as a punishment!

Empathy:

  • As a teacher, I understand both sides of this debate. I also think some of the people posting messages on here should be aware that (in my case) with 5 classes of 30-35 students (that’s over 150 students that I see every day for only about 48 minutes).. It seems that some of the people posting here are forgetting to look at things both ways. Yes, you want what’s best for YOUR student…but maybe you’re failing to consider the fact that that’s exactly what the teachers are trying to do…for ALL their students.

Passion:

  • Hold me back!! One of my favorite soapboxes!! How mandated “excellence” and “accountability” is robbing kids of a love of reading! aka the Accelerated Reading test and the death of reading. Kids are forced to stay at a level of “points” that they [and the teacher] know they can “pass” the AR test for. Hence their interest level and their “testing” level end up out-of-whack and they hate reading “baby books” just to pass the damned test. No one bothers to teach them how to pass the test for “harder” more enjoyable books.Reading is also mandated for X amount of time. We’ve all sat there looking at a book and getting no where with it. We put it aside and it becomes a great read another day. This is not allowed. You must pick a book and stick with it during silent reading time. After all the big AR test is looming. You will never create readers by doing this to them. Kids who have not learned the love of reading by being read to are missing out on such a huge part of emotional development.It’s become a cliche, but more people need to reconsider how they think about education: Can you tell this is a hot subject for me!!
  • Very Simply! We need to change the culture. The bottom line is not allowing arbitrary assignments with no basis in sound practice to hurt children’s curiosity and love of learning and reading. Like doctors, educators need to think seriously about their role and, first, do no harm.

I am encouraged and hopeful that dialogue like this will continue to move the issue to the forefront of the conversations about the future direction of reading and reading instruction. There is more to be said, so share your thoughts!

Photo on Flickr by DoBSoN77

Improving the lives of children battling life-threatening medical conditions.

The Eric Trump Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of children battling life-threatening or debilitating medical conditions. Through direct personal involvement and financial assistance, we strive to enhance the physical, emotional and social well-being of children and families in need. A not-for-profit organization, our Foundation was created to transform donations into miracles.

They are committed to being a model of effectiveness. As a result, they maintain a small and efficient foundation so that contributions directly support beneficiaries and not overhead costs. Their fund raising events are designed to be fun and memorable for both donors and recipients.

They are driven by seeing the results first hand. Interacting with the children at St. Jude’s is a very moving experience that powerfully affirms how contributions are making a real and meaningful difference in the lives of young children and their parents. We hope you will find it in your heart to join us in this richly rewarding cause.

Visit their website at:  erictrumpfoundation

How To Help Children with their Feelings.

Photo by Flickr
Photo by Flickr

In order to ensure survival, the emotional structures of our brain develop first. Children “act out” of their feelings because the intellectual structures of their brain have not developed yet. Adults must help children learn how to recognize and cope with their feelings as they grow up.

1) FOCUS on them. Be attuned to them; watch their face for signs of emotions, watch their body language and listen to changes in their tone of voice. Learn about child development so you can work appropriately with them at different ages and stages Brain development changes greatly with each age and the brain is not fully developed until we are in our twenties.

2) INTERVENE early and often. As soon as you recognize the child is having a strong feeling, follow steps (3) and (4). Stay with the child until you know they are feeling better. Check back in with them a few minutes later to help them again. Know that it takes years for all people to learn how to understand and cope with difficult feelings.

3) VALIDATE THEIR FEELINGS; Feelings have a purpose, they give us information. No feelings are right, wrong or bad. All feelings have a purpose and everyone has a right to their feelings. When we (all people including children) know someone “feels” us, understands us, empathizes with us, we begin to feel better. Tell a child, “Its seems like you’re feeling angry (sad, afraid, frustrated, annoyed, etc.) and that is okay, I can understand why you feel that way, you have a right to your feelings.”

4) TEACH COPING SKILLS for the feelings.

o Know what you are feeling

o Tell a safe (usually adult) person what you are feeling

o Ask for help

o Use breathing techniques to help yourself calm down

o Time yourself out; walk away

o Distract yourself with other thoughts, activities

o Draw your feeling out

o Write a story or poem about the feeling experience

o Write a song or rap about the feeling experience

o Do a dance that expresses the feeling

o Make sure you understand yourself, then try to understand the other person.

o Negotiate with the other person.

o Make up with the other person

5) DO NOT talk negatively about a child, to others, in front of the child. Do not overreact to their threats. If a child says “I’m going to kill her,” recognize the anger and say, “Wow, you are very angry. You know you can’t hurt anyone and you have a right to your feelings, here are some coping skills.” Do not lecture; children find lectures boring, their feelings are not being validated and lecturing often implies that the child has something inherently wrong with them. Lecturing disvalidates and shames children which is hard on their fragile self esteem.

6) PRAISE children as often as possible. Experts recommend we praise children 3 times more often than we correct or criticize them. Love and enjoy them!

Anne is a Board Certified Registered art therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor. Anne has been studying human development and relationships for over 45 years. She has been successfully working with families, in various capacities, for over 20 years. Her private practice is in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia PA. She specializes in helping people recover from various types of trauma, difficult changes and loss. Anne has an unusual ability to connect with children and adolescents, along with their parents. Parenting is the most important job we ever do, yet no one shows us how to do it or gives us the support we need. Anne has successfully coached many parents through a variety of critical stages in their children’s lives. Anne’s greatest joy is helping people understand themselves and each other.

http://www.annescreativetherapy.com