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Note to Parents: (10) Things Your Teen(s) WISH You Knew About Them…
A new year is about to unfold. Are you going to be in the driver’s seat as to how it unfolds? Or are you going to be a passenger in the backseat, just going along for the ride? We’ve all felt the way the latter feels. I remember when I would feel like I was a hamster running on a hamster wheel, just trying to keep one foot in front of the other. I’m not sure why I always use animals to describe how I feel, but I also remember describing myself as running around like a “chicken with it’s head cut off”. Basically, the essence of what I was feeling inside when I used to describe myself was a feeling of being out of control and just surviving. Is this TRULY the way to live life? Especially with children?
Birthday parties are a time of whimsy and delight. They provide many fond memories for everyone involved, children and adults alike. A child’s birthday party often showcases some of his or her favorite things at the time. But coming up with a specific theme and tying various aspects of the bash together can be a challenge. However, it doesn’t have to be so difficult. Simply take your child’s interests add a bit of creativity and a dash of inspiration, and voila, you’re well on your way to a memorable and enjoyable party for all.
As we think back to our childhood, what do we remember? What stands out? I propose that we remember different play experiences we had with our friends, with our parents, or even alone. Play is the simple joy of childhood that is an opportunity for children to relish the moment, to imagine, interact, and engage with the world around them. We all universally embrace the notion that child’s play is an important part of childhood, Recent research, however, shows that not only is play important developmentally, but that play is also the foundation for future success. Play is to children as work is to adults – it is a very important and necessary component of their lives. Play enhances children’s development, enabling them to become competent and confident older children, adolescents, and finally, adults.
This is, the time of year when we ponder on what our new year will encompass. These “thoughts” we typically refer to as resolutions. Unfortunately, the problem with resolutions is that are the results of thoughts that include: hopes, dreams and/or fantasies. Fortunately, goals are everything resolutions are…except with a plan to see them to fruition. Yes!
Your goals may include desired changes in your personal life, family, career, household, etc. If you have never set personal goals or have tried and failed, here are some tips to guide you on the road to success for an successful and great new year ahead.
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As parents we want our children to be socialized thus planning play dates, attending parties, joining clubs and organizations are perfect opportunities for the children to play while learning valuable social skills. But how do you handle a rude child when their parents are not present?
After coaching several moms this week I felt the need to write this article. There are still too many people – both moms and dads, working too hard and having very little fun in their lives.
Stress is huge for parents and they are finding that things in their personal lives are just piling up; they feel like, “How am I supposed to deal with all this AND be a good parent? I have no patience or energy left!”
Around 10 years ago I felt like I was falling apart.
I was having amazing success with my students and their families, was receiving huge accolades from all of my administrators as well as school boards, and was hearing that parents were going to take their kids out of the school if their children wouldn’t be in Mrs. Kurt’s class. However, in the evenings and on weekends, I wasn’t experiencing this kind of success.
Suppose your daughter has just completed a story she has written and excitedly comes to share it with you. You begin reading and notice that there are some misspelled words. Your first instinctual reaction might be to point out those errors right away, however that is the WRONG thing to do.
There is a method that is being taught to managers, leaders, teachers and all professionals who have people directly reporting to them. This is called the PNP Method. It stands for Positive-Negative-Positive. This method states that when you are critiquing someone’s work you first praise them for something, then, if necessary, offer an area they need to work on, and finally, end by praising them again.
The time is 5 o’clock and you think, “What to make for dinner?” You want to prepare healthy meals for your family, but you’re tired and you don’t have all the ingredients for your “go to” recipe so you pull out the frozen pizza instead.
Here are two solutions to this ever-arising problem that can make meal planning an enjoyable experience.
My dear friend is a kindergarten teacher who once shared the following story with me. While taking her class to visit the local firehouse, the school bus stalled in traffic. One student, a normally soft spoken little boy suddenly shouted, “&%$*, &%$*!” and explained, “That’s what Daddy says to make the traffic go away.”
