A child’s sense of self is shaped by every interaction he or she has, but is shaped most powerfully by how they are loved and parented in their home. How a child sees themselves will influence every aspect of their life from their education, relationships and over-all well-being. Life is about feeling good enough, competent, loved, successful and happy and the outer world doesn’t always reflect this, so the unconditional love and acceptance at home is the catalyst for their greatness.
6 Truths Our Children Deserve to Hear About Themselves
1. They are amazing: They are amazing just because they are. They don’t have to DO anything to be amazing. They are a gift, deserve to be loved and treasured and need to be disciplined to think and believe in their own greatness. When we see them having low self-esteem we must remind them nothing can stand in the way of their greatness.
2. They are smart: When we raise our children we must raise them to see, believe in and use their intelligence. When our children hear they are smart, and we find every opportunity to reflect this to them through their own actions, we help them believe it about themselves. When they believe they are smart they behave smartly, perform smartly, communicate intelligently and they make wiser choices.
3. They are significant: Our children are precious people. They are unique and different from us and we, as parents, need to celebrate and allow this. When we love them according to their special qualities they learn to see themselves not as different but as genuinely gifted, unique and significant.
4. They are capable: We must parent them to believe they can stand up with all the confidence in the world. They will then believe they can look any person in the face and be proud of the person they are. It won’t matter what people say about them because they know what they think of themselves. When we believe in their capabilities they will naturally live up to higher expectations.
5. They are powerful: As we parent them with love, discipline, support and positive affirmation we teach them no one can stand in the of their dreams. They know that no one can stop them but them, and they understand that getting in their own way is not an option. We believe in them to dig deep and to find the power to surpass all challenge.
6. They are lovable: Our children learn how to love themselves by how we love them. We must always affirm their unconditional lovability. No one is perfect and having confidence doesn’t come as a result of being perfect. Confidence comes from learning to love themselves in their not-so-perfect moments. We must always tell them to love themselves, not just that we love them, but that they need to love themselves.
Little Life Message: Our external parenting becomes the internal dialogue within our children so we must strive to make it positive.
A new survey has revealed that the average American child under the age of 10 is handed $1,360 per year by their parents, either as allowance, rewards for good behavior or achievements and bribes to ‘be good’.
A leading coupon brand has revealed that the average child under the age of 10 in the US receives $1,360 per year, or the equivalent of $113 per month, from their parents in the form of allowance, bribes to get them to behave better and rewards for good behavior or achievements.
The survey, conducted by www.vouchercloud.net, was part of the company’s wider research into money management amongst young people, to investigate at what age citizens become financially astute and independent. 2,174 respondents took part in the survey, all of whom had children who were between the ages of five and ten years old at the time of the study.
The respondents were initially asked “Do you give your child money regularly?” to which the majority, 71%, confirmed that they did. The survey then asked the parents to state what they tended to give their children money for and asked them to select all relevant answers from a list, which revealed the following top five answers:
Monthly allowance – 77%
Rewards for good behavior/achievements – 61%
Bribes to make them behave/be good – 55%
Special occasions (birthday, Christmas) – 46%
In exchange for chores – 44%
The survey then sought to establish how much money children under the age of 10 receive from their parents each month, for whatever reason, which revealed an average answer of $113.00 per month; or $1,360 per year.
All relevant respondents were asked “How do you feel about the amount of money that you give to your children?” to which two thirds, 65%, stated that they would rather give their child less money. These parents were then asked why they gave their child more money than they would like to, to which the majority (45%) stated that they feel ‘in competition with other parents’. A quarter (24%) confirmed that they ‘don’t want to disappoint’ their child, while a further 17% stated that their child ‘likes expensive things and needs enough to buy them’.
“It’s difficult to dictate to a parent how much money they should or shouldn’t give to their children. The Mom and Dad know best but, to an outsider, $1,360 seems an awful lot of money for a kid that’s not even in the double digits yet! Children might want expensive things, but they also need to learn that they have to earn them and be patient!”
“A lot of the time, when parents spend substantial sums of money on the children, it suggests they feel guilty or are trying to make up for something, perhaps a busy work schedule or they have spent less hours in the home than they’d like. Money really isn’t the most important thing and, although of course you don’t want your children to fall behind the other kids in the schoolyard, quality time is the most important thing. If you’re playing with them, nine times out of ten they won’t care if they are playing with an iPad or a yo-yo.”
Personal security and safety are things everyone values, but they’re often taken for granted. VSN Mobil has introduced the V.ALRT, Personal Emergency Alert Device, a small wearable device that works with a smartphone to send out urgent calls and texts at the touch of a small button, summoning help wherever and whenever someone should need it. The V.ALRT is available for purchase at www.VSNMobil.com and Amazon.com for $59.99.
The V.ALRT is an ergonomically designed device that can be carried discreetly in a pocket or a bag, worn on the wrist with the included band or around the neck as a pendant. Using a multi-axis accelerometer and Bluetooth® SMART (Bluetooth 4.0 LE) technology in association with a software application from VSN Mobil, the V.ALRT initiates calls and text messages from a smartphone. With the push of a button, the V.ALRT connects with the smartphone to send personalized text messages and makes phone calls to three pre-selected contacts. The customizable text message will indicate that help is needed and also provide location information using the GPS feature on the smartphone (when available). The V.ALRT application can also be set to Fall Detect Mode to automatically notify your preselected contacts should a fall be detected.
The V.ALRT provides up to a year of use before needing to replace the battery. The V.ALRT’s companion app is available for both iOS and AndroidTM phones and is fully customizable, yet simple to set up.
Active and Secure – When running, hiking or riding a bike, as with a number of other outdoor activities, holding a smartphone is awkward and can lead to pricey repairs if dropped. Yet, active people who exercise alone want the ability to quickly signal for help if they become injured or feel their personal well being is threatened. The V.ALRT is a “go-to” device that can be carried in a pocket, worn around the neck or wrist, or attached to a keychain. Its fall detection feature can also send an alert in a critical situation.
Connecting Families – With the V.ALRT, children can enjoy their independence while parents maintain their piece of mind. Drop the V.ALRT in a backpack or a pocket, or clip it on a helmet and kids have a hotline to home at the touch of a button. All in an unobtrusive way that won’t make him or her the odd kid out.
Homebound No More – Since the V.ALRT is paired to a smartphone, and not dependent on a landline or other hardware, the V.ALRT can help people with medical conditions stay connected wherever they have their smartphone. In the yard, at the grocery store, and at home as well, if help is needed the V.ALRT will connect with the smartphone to send the programmed notifications when the button is pushed. When a fall has occurred and the button cannot be activated, the V.ALRT fall detection feature generates calls and texts to summon help. Slightly bigger than a quarter, the V.ALRT is discreet and lightweight to wear, and can even be worn in the shower.
Specifications for the V.ALRT button:
Size: 32 mm diameter, 10 mm thick
Weight: 8 grams
Environment: Waterproof (up to 1 meter for 30 minutes)
Battery: Comes with a replaceable CR2032 battery that is commonly available and lasts up to one year depending on use.
Range: Bluetooth 4.0 technology allows for a range of up to 75 feet indoors and up to 300 feet outdoors between the V.ALRT and the smartphone
Accessories: pendant and watch band Specifications for the V.ALRT software application:
The V.ALRT application is available on iTunes for iPhone®4s/IOS 7 or newer releases and in Google Play for AndroidTM 4.3 or newer releases
With Father’s Day just around the corner, mothers, fathers and kids alike are looking for creative ways to celebrate on the greatest accomplishment of any man …being a dad.
Fathers are traditionally defined as the strong, stable provider for their children, but the reality is father’s also play a key role in the development of their kids’ social and emotional resilience.
Here are some tips from Devereux (one of the largest not-for-profit behavioral healthcare organizations in the country) for the perfect Father’s Day celebration that combines fun, fanfare and family.
Below are 5 activities for this Father’s Day that Dad and the kids can do together to strengthen their bond and build their child’s social and emotional resilience.
That’s My Name (Infants) – Make some daddy-baby time to read some stories, or make up your own. Be sure to incorporate your baby’s name and of course the man of honor, daddy, into the story!
Still as Statues (Toddlers) – Top the day off with a dance party – we know you have it in you, Dad – put on some of Dad’s favorite songs and encourage your toddler to dance-it-out and freeze when the music stops!
Walking on my Knees for You– (Pre-School ) – Dad and child can spend some time getting on the same level…literally! Take some time to talk about your favorite childhood activities and then show them how it’s done!
Let’s Get Physical-(Pre-School) A catch with Dad is as iconic as ice cream and apple pie, bond with your child through traditional outdoor games and make some memories of your own!
All About My Feelings Book (school age 6-10) – What better gift than finding out all the amazing ways your child loves and cares for you as a Daddy?! Start with how time spent with dad makes them feel, and you’ll be amazed where it can go!
Be a reader yourself: Allow your child to see you reading for pleasure as well as for information. Put together a Summer Reading List for yourself as well as for your child. Then be sure to demonstrate how relaxing it can be to enjoy a good book by the pool or beach after swimming.
Get relevant books into your kids’ hands: If your family is going on vacation to a different region of the country, pick up a children’s book about that destination. It can be short or long, fiction or non-fiction. Ask your local children’s librarian for recommendations. For example, say you’re going to the Chesapeake Bay area for a few days. Pick up a copy of Misty of Chincoteague, a beautifully written novel that is based on the true story of the wild ponies from that region.
Read aloud: Don’t be afraid to try reading your favorite children’s chapter book to your younger child. While storybooks form the foundation of a young child’s library, longer books without pictures encourage children to use their imaginations to paint pictures in their minds. These types of books can also be a good way to pass the time on road trips without always having to resort to video games.
Download the Hooked On Phonics Learn to Read app (for iOS or Android or Kindle): When appropriate, let technology work for you. The Hooked On Phonics app is loaded with music, games, activities and open-ended play that keeps your child engaged, but it’s also correlated to National Common Core Standards. So you can rest easy knowing that your child is practicing critical reading skills that he or she will need to know to be a successful reader.
Join a book club: One convenient and inexpensive way to feed your child’s need for books is to join a book club (like one from Early Moments) that is geared to your child’s age and interest.
Visit the library: Not only is the library a perfect place to get suggestions and books for your Summer Reading List, but most public libraries have summer book club discussion groups for kids, book-based crafts, and meet the author events that are both fun and free.
Nationally, 37% of children arrive into kindergarten without the necessary skills to start the learning process of reading and writing. This is why Hooked On Phonics is the number one at-home educational tool for 3- to 6-year-olds. Now, with the mobile apps via iOS and Android, the company is hoping to triple the number of kids who have learned how to read with Hooked On Phonics.
Hooked On Phonics mobile app development team is always working on the latest technology to assist students, parents and teachers with reading, phonics and education. To learn more about the company and to see the latest products, please visit www.hookedonphonics.com .
