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Honey, Don’t Stare
Children are not the most tactful people in the world, especially when they’re very young. They don’t understand that staring is rude, so it’s up to us to teach them. Here are some ideas you can use instead of simply saying, “Honey, don’t stare” when someone is different.
It’s not that children intend to be rude or to stare at people that are different than them. In many cases they are merely curious and don’t know how to handle themselves. No matter what their reason, staring is not acceptable behavior and they need to be taught how to act appropriately.
Teach your children that people come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and with all types of limitations. Some have physical limitations which cause them to need help to walk, or they may not be able to walk on their own at all. Regardless of the differences, each one deserves to be treated like a person, with the same care as you would treat someone without limitations.
Hobbies are Healthy
Hobbies benefit children in many ways. It gives a child an opportunity to express themselves, and it allows them to discover themselves and build self-esteem. They are also great educational tools. A child interested in rock collecting learns about geology and science, and a child in writing stories learns about sentence structure and proper grammar. Hobbies teach children to set and achieve goals, solve problems and make decisions. They can also set the course for what your child becomes later in life as they often turn into lifelong interests or careers.
Children who have hobbies are usually following in their parents footsteps, so set a good example by pursuing your own hobby. Your child will need space for their hobby, so find an area designated specifically for his hobby so he can work on it. Realize that hobbies can sometimes be quite messy, so be at the ready for messes as they come with the territory.
Encourage your Child to Feel Important
It’s imperative for a child’s healthy development to feel important and worthy. Healthy self-esteem is a child’s armor against the challenges of the world. Kids who feel good about themselves seem to have an easier time handling conflicts and resisting negative pressures. They tend to smile more readily and enjoy life. These kids are realistic and generally optimistic. It’s also been shown that children who feel important are well-rounded, respectful, and excel in academics, extracurricular activities and hobbies and develop healthy relationships with their peers.
In contrast, for children who do not feel important or cherished have low self-esteem, and challenges can become sources of major anxiety and frustration. Children who think poorly of themselves have a hard time finding solving problems, and may become passive, withdrawn, or depressed.
Encouraging Play Encourages a Child’s Development
We’ve all heard the term, “Oh, that’s child’s play.” It implies something is easy, frivolous and unimportant in the overall scheme of things. But to a child, child’s play is essential to their mental, social, emotional, and physical development.
We all know that children like to play. But what we may not know is the importance of play in a child’s life. Play is essential to every area of a child’s growth and development.
Play provides a means for energy to be put to use. It strengthens and refines small and large motor skills, and it builds stamina and strength. Sensory learning develops mostly through play. Play is significant to physical development in that without it the body could not grow and develop normally.
Teaching Responsibility
It is so important to teach your kids responsibility, but many parents fail in this area. I watch parents that will not allow their children to do anything because they don’t want to deal with the mess, they feel their child will fail, or they don’t want to take the time. Yet, a responsible child needs these skills to be successful in school and to build a strong sense of self.
There are many things you can do to teach your child responsibility. This is an important part of parenting. We will briefly discuss a few ideas.
Teach Your Children the Importance of Voting
Every four years, our nation does an incredible thing that we often fail to appreciate. America goes through a process of transition of power that is orderly, democratic, and, most important, free from violence. As we can clearly see by the unrest going on in the rest of the world, this is not the norm. Since its founding, America has successfully transferred power every four years, without incident. Even during Bush versus Gore, when the election results were in question, and our Supreme Court had to participate, there was a seamless transition of power. No guns were drawn by either party. This fact should not be ignored, nor the monumental accomplishment of this feat overlooked.
Speech Therapy – When Should You Consider It?
When a child does not reach a milestone “on time,” it can make parents anxious. Even though you may understand that children develop at different rates, it can still be worrisome if your child doesn’t speak on time.
There is a time when speech therapy is appropriate, and other times when it’s simply a matter of your child not being ready yet. How is a parent to know? And if speech therapy is indicated, how do you proceed? Here are some tips and ideas.
Celebrate your Child’s Uniqueness
Just like a snowflake or a fingerprint, every child is unique in their own special way. Every child has a unique way of feeling, thinking, and interacting with others. Some children are shy, while others are outgoing; some are active, while others are calm; some are fretful, while others are easy-going. As a loving and nurturing parent, it’s your job to encourage them to embrace their uniqueness and celebrate their individual qualities.
Allow your child to express themselves through their interests. They may find a creative outlet in theatre, dancing or art, or they may be exceptionally talented in the sciences. Encourage them to embrace what they like to do, what interests them, and what makes them happy. Help them realize that they don’t need to worry about being ‘like everyone else.’
Easy Chore Ideas for Elementary School Kids
Are you wanting to implement more chores into your kids’ time at home? Many parents today are looking for ways to teach their kids to be responsible, and chores are a great place to start. Here are some suggestions for chores – and how to introduce them – that can be done by elementary school-age kids.
Easy Ways to Raise Responsible Kids – A Guide for Parents
Every parent wants to know that they have equipped their child for the real world. It is a big responsibility but one that is well worth the effort. And that is what we are talking about here – responsibility. We want to teach our children to one day become contributing members of society.
How would you define responsibility? When it comes to our kids, some might include the following:
- Learning to do what is right
- Taking care of themselves
- Making good decisions
- Lending a helping hand
- Learning to be financially savvy
- Making a difference with their lives
Yes, it is a tall order, but not one that has to be learned overnight. In fact, teaching kids to be responsible will take several years. You’ve got at least eighteen. So, relax and take the time to do it right.
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